Dahlia the duck flew in to Gemstone Glade, landing in a twirl of feathers on the fountain. She quacked in dizzy delight. Dahlia was of course a magical duck, as so many of Gemstone Glade’s guests.

Dahlia glided through the fountain waters, sautéing and pirouetting like a ballerina in green, blue and brown. Her soft quack woke the fairies, who quickly joined her, loving the chance to dance and show off to an audience of ancient trees and two tenderly watching unicorns.

However this was no ordinary dance, for Dahlia had come with a private purpose: to lay some magical duck eggs. These would be the first ducklings to come to Gemstone Glade, and what duck delight the future now held.

Dahlia danced under the full moon until she grew tired, and then flew to a huge tree, wisdom of the ages in its brown bark. There she nested and laid her eggs, her feathers shining in soft moonlight and her heart beating with maternal music.

Dahlia sat supreme on her eggs for a month. Then the dainty darlings hatched. They were of course unusual ducklings, with one odd wing among the baby yellow: seven ducklings with each either an orange, mint green, sky blue, light pink, magenta, violet or indigo feather. One day they would shed this special feather, and the finder would be blessed beyond their wildest dreams.

When they were old enough, Dahlia escorted them to the Pond of Paradise, in the magical forest not far from Gemstone. The island in the centre of the pond contained a gateway to a land of golden birds. One day, Dahlia hoped to find this gateway. Until then, she would be happy as a mother. A golden feather fell behind the ducks as they swam together, a thousand dreams come true within. And somewhere, golden birds danced in their own golden fountain, singing a timeless music of golden glee. Dahlia quacked softly. Then all was at peace in Pond of Paradise, a soft silence like a blanket around them.