Elise Allen - Jim Hensons Enchanted Sisters: Autumns Secret Gift

We wish to personally thank Mike Moon for his
inspiration for this book, and acknowledge the
contributions of Fonda Snyder, Lisa Henson, Melissa
Segal, Jill Peterson, and Meghan Sheridan.

Is there anything better than riding on an elephant with your three best friends in the world?

No, Autumn thought, there is not.

She and her Sparkle Sisters, Spring, Winter, and Summer, rode together in a padded carriage that rested on the elephants back. The elephant was named Whisper, and he was Autumns pet. The carriage was covered with a canopy, but the sides were open to let in the crisp fall breeze. The air smelled like fresh apples and falling leaves. Autumn and her sisters sipped from mugs of cider and nibbled at the pumpkin muffins they balanced on their laps.

Perfection.

Autumn glanced at her long glittering scepter, propped next to her against the seat. Each of the Sparkles had a scepter, and each wore a glistening headband with a gem right in the center. The gems sparkled with the same colors as the orbs on top of their scepters. At least, most of the time they were the same colors. Right now Autumn noticed that each of their orbs was almost covered in a silver mist. Only a thin crescent of color peeked through, yet even as she watched, that bright part grew smaller, swallowed by the silver.

Very soon she and her sisters would have to leave and perform the Sparkle Ceremony that would turn summer to autumn for the Outworlders, or humans, as Mother Nature called them. The Outworlders were from a realm just a step outside their own, and they had no idea the Sparkles even existed. Winter said she didnt think that was fair at all. She said the Sparkles worked so hard to change the seasons, there should be Sparkle Sister statues in every Outworlder city!

Autumn understood how Winter felt, but she didnt agree. She didnt need statues to help others. In fact, she thought it was even more special that the Sparkles season-changing powers were a beautiful secret. Besides, changing the seasons wasnt just their Sparkle Sister duty, it was their joy. The Sparkle Ceremony wasnt always easy, but working together to accomplish it was the best feeling in the world.

At the moment, though, Autumn was perfectly happy just to sit back and relax with her sisters. In two hundred years, she said with a sigh, Im going to remember this as one of the happiest days of my life.

Winter laughed so hard she snorted her cider, which made Summer burst out laughing too.

Why are you laughing? Autumn asked. Its true!

We know. Spring giggled. But you always say that!

Every day! Winter agreed now that shed caught her breath. So in two hundred years, youre going to have two hundred years worth of happiest days of your life. It will take you another two hundred years just to remember them all!

Then I have four hundred very happy years ahead of me, Autumn said. She reached out to hold hands with her sisters so they formed a circle. Winter lasted exactly one minute before she leaped to her feet, swaying a little to keep her balance on Whispers rocking back. Lets play a game! she cried.

Youll give us three guesses, and the first two dont count? Summer asked.

Ill give you three guesses, and the first two dont Winter scrunched her face as she realized what Summer had said. Okay, so you already know: Sparkle-Dare.

Winter fixed her eyes on Autumn, but it was Spring who responded. Her tinkle-bell giggle danced on the breeze as she said, Autumn doesnt play Sparkle-Dare. You know that.

I do, though, Summer said, getting to her feet. It was tough to say who was more adventurous, Summer or Winter, but the two always had fun trying to win the title. What do you think? Sparkle-Dare me to jump onto that apple tree?

She pointed up ahead. Whisper had brought them into Autumns apple orchard, which burst with fruit trees and giant oval bales of fresh hay. The tree Summer chose was one of the largest. It would take a huge leap to vault onto one of its branches. Springs always-wide violet eyes grew even larger.

Dont do it! she cried, clutching at Summers gauzy green dress.

Spring, its fine, Summer assured her. Ive done it a million times.

Which is why I want Autumn to do something, Winter said. It can even be something easy, like slide down Whispers back and into a hay pile.

I love it! exclaimed Summer. I go after Autumn!

But Im not going, Autumn said. Why would I jump out of a perfectly good carriage?

Because its fun! Winter insisted.

Autumn took a long sip of her cider, closing her eyes so she could better taste its cinnamony sweetness. When she opened them again, Winter had moved so close that her face was mere inches away. The fur on her hood tickled Autumns cheeks.

Pleeeeeeease? Winter begged.

Another day, Autumn promised. When I know in advance. Then Ill be ready.

But thats the point! Winter said. You always think and plan everything out. Just once, I want to see you do something completely out of the blue. Just once!

I do things out of the blue. Autumn was ready to shoot back an example but she couldnt. Not one thing came to mind. Was that really possible? Had she never done anything without planning it first?

Oh! Spring squealed, holding up her scepter. We have to go!

All the sisters turned to look. The orb on Springs purple scepter now showed only a thin line of color uncovered by silver mist.

It was time. They each pulled out their scepters and touched the four orbs together as they recited:

Each Sparkle touched her scepter orb to the gem on her headband. Glittering rainbow light soared upward, making a pathway to the sky. The Sparkles raised their scepters into the middle of the rainbow and were pulled off their feet and right through the top of Whispers carriage. They didnt even feel it; when they rode the rainbow, they were part of its magical light, not held back by anything.

Spring giggled. She always giggled when she traveled by rainbow, no matter how often she did it. Shed told Autumn she loved the feathery feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if shed swallowed a baby bird and it was dancing around inside her.

Summer whooped with delight and turned somersaults. She always said that if she had her way shed fly all the time, not just when she was traveling to Mother Nature or one of her sisters realms.

Autumn didnt make a sound. She took the rainbow ride very seriously. To her it was majestic and special. She closed her eyes and felt the ripples of warmth wash over her face. If she concentrated hard enough, she was sure she could feel seven slightly different textures of warmth, one for each bar of glittering color.

Next to her, Autumn heard Winter shout, Summer, try this! and felt the rush of air that meant her daredevil sisters were playing with new tricks as they soared through the sky. They screamed and laughed so hard that Autumn couldnt help smiling too. Maybe one day shed try to play in the rainbow like them. Shed just have to plan it first. That way shed be sure nothing would go wrong.