"It's the sprite!", Michel told her as he approached the tree. "He was fluttering around the presents before, trying to open a chest and jabbering away about something." Now that everyone was looking at him, the sprite was chattering again in a light but squeaky voice. Julia thought he sounded angry now as he gestured toward the pile of presents by the throne.

"I'd better get Laurel," Michael told the girls, heading off toward the dancing princesses. "Normally you can talk to a sprite but this one's talking so fast I can't understand a word he's saying," he added over his shoulder. The girls tried to keep an eye on the sprite as he fluttered from branch to branch, clutching the heavy crown and still berating them in his tiny voice. They heard the magical flute music stop and surmised that Michael had reached Laurel and was explaining the situation to her.