THE MIDNIGHT VISIT

It was the high-pitched giggle that woke me up.

‘Who’s there?’ I mumbled, sitting upright and scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. Down on the bed, something small and sharp glinted in the moonlight.

‘Er . . . no-one,’ squeaked a voice.

I peered into the gloom and soon spotted the smallest person I’d ever seen. He stood on the duvet, staring back up.

For a moment I thought someone had shrunk my Uncle Fred, because the figure on my bed looked exactly like him. He had the same bulging belly; the same balding head. He was Fred’s exact double.

Except Fred isn’t five centimetres tall. And he doesn’t have wings. At least, I don’t think he does. I’m sure Aunt Jean would have mentioned it if he had.

‘What are you doing with those scissors?’ I demanded, noticing the shiny silver shears the tiny man held. They were as big as he was, and the twin blades were resting either side of my left thumb.

‘Scissors?’ the fairy gulped. ‘What scissors?’

‘Those scissors!’

‘Oh,’ he whimpered. ‘Them ones.’ He shrunk a little more as I frowned at him. ‘Look, I can explain.’ His little chest swelled as he took a deep breath. ‘I’m the Thumb Fairy.’

‘The Thumb Fairy?’ I scoffed. ‘There’s no such thing!’

‘Course there is,’ the little ‘un insisted. ‘You know how the Tooth Fairy collects teeth? Well I do the same, but with thumbs. When they fall off.’

‘Thumbs don’t fall off!’

‘You’re telling me.’ He nodded at the scissors. ‘So, you know, desperate times . . .’

‘You’re not cutting my thumb off!’ I protested.

‘I’d leave you a penny.’

‘No.’

‘Okay, two pennies, and I’m making a loss on that.’

‘No!’

His wings drooped. Reluctantly, he lowered the scissors. ‘Fine,’ he sniffed, and I almost felt sorry for him.

‘Sorry, but I’m very attached to my fingers,’ I explained.

‘A big toe?’ he asked, hopefully.

‘Sorry, no.’

He gave a tiny sigh. ‘Don’t suppose you’ve got any brothers or sisters?’

I grinned, wickedly. ‘Second door on the left,’ I said, slipping back down under the covers. ‘Try not too make too much noise on the way out.’

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