Toto the Angel Dog, the Fairies and the Forest.

Written by Aunty Betty, illustrated Melanie McIntyre.

Toto the Angel Dog was so happy living at the Down Town Care Home. The months were passing by and he knew deep down that he would be called back to Heaven soon, perhaps to be given an new task. But for now, he was so happy and having great fun with the children who lived in the Care Home.

He had been helping the children, each in their own way to connect and talk to their very own Guardian Angel every day.

Sometimes Toto and the children would gather in the garden, sit in a circle and talk to the Angels together. At other times, Toto would help each of the children to talk to the Angels, in their very own special way.

Today Toto was playing in the garden with the two girls, Emma and Sarah. The girls were busy picking flowers from the garden and planned to bring them into the house to make their bedroom smell like wild flowers. Mama Rosa was busy in the kitchen making her delicious cakes. She was being helped by Joshua, one of the boys who loved to cook and was always talking about food. The other children were gone off into town with Uncle Joe and his brother Rob in the mini bus, to get supplies from the shops. So Toto the Angel Dog knew that this was his chance to bring the girls down to the forest and meet some of the magical fairies who lived there.

He called to the girls: ‘Woof….Woof….Woof……Sarah….Woof….Emma…..come on girls….lets go to the forest today for a walk…..Woof’

‘But Toto….we are picking the flowers…..look at the beautiful colours inside their petals…….’ Sarah showed Toto some of the wild flowers in her hand.  

‘Aren’t they amazing…Toto’ she said

‘If you close your eyes and smell Toto they just smell like the smell in the meadows on a summer’s day’

‘Woof ….Woof…..Woof  …yes Sarah they are amazing, but you and Emma come for a walk with me down to the Forest and we’ll go on an adventure, where you will see the most brilliant coloured flowers….Woof…Woof’ Toto the Angel Dog told the girls.

Sarah left the flowers in a neat pile, took Emma’s hand and together they followed Toto. They went walking down towards the Forest right at the end of the large garden of the Down Town Care Home.

The three of them strolled along happily together and lots of birds sang louder when they saw them passing.

Toto the Angel Dog told them all about the Forest and the animals that lived there. When they reached the Forest, they could see all these huge pine trees everywhere. The trees were so tall, they seemed to reach up into the sky and go on forever.

Sarah stopped, she was afraid as the Forest appeared to be dark inside. ‘Toto …..I am afraid to go into the Forest…maybe we should go back….what if any of the Dragon’s come out and breath fire…..I saw it on the movies Toto…..and I am scared..’  

‘Woof…Woof…..I am Toto the Angel Dog….I will protect you and didn’t you sense your Guardian Angel flying there beside you…?   Toto said.

‘She has been with you the entire journey and she is always by your side.’   Little Emma was usually so quiet and hardly ever spoke, but she seemed to come to life and started to run into the Forest along a pathway.

‘Woof…Woof….hold on Emma, wait for us…’ Toto barked after her.

‘Oh Toto…..come on we better follow her…can’t leave her in the Forest on her own…..Oh Toto….Oh Guardian Angel……please protect us…’ Sarah was saying to herself as she ran after Toto the Angel Dog and Emma right into the Forest.  

After a while, the three of them came to a clearing in the trees, where there was a small stream flowing down from high rocks, which were covered in moss. It was like a small natural waterfall, where all the birds came to drink water and also to have a bath.

‘I like this place’ said Emma, as she smiled, ‘it feels like home to me.  It’s got a nice feeling Toto…..the air seems to know me’

‘That’s a strange thing to say Emma, but it doesn’t really make any sense…’ Sarah said kindly.

‘Do you understand what Emma means Toto? Maybe you could explain it to me please’

‘Woof…..Woof….Woof….lets take a break here and sit down, while I tell you about the Fairies who live in the Forest’ Toto told the girls.

Sarah and Emma said on the ground, just beside the large stone near the edge of the streaming water. Toto sat down beside them and they all relaxed for a moment.

Toto spoke and told them about the Fairies who lived in the Forest. He said how the Fairies loved nature, loved the trees and shrubs and the wild flowers.  

‘Emma is very close to the Fairies and they are always talking to her, every day she is out in the garden. Because Fairies live in gardens and that is why Emma feels so happy here in the Forest, because we are surrounded by the Elemental Kingdom out here.’  

Toto went on to talk to the girls and explained all the different types of Fairies, Goblins and Dragons who live in the Forest, in the trees and under the water in the streams.  
‘Can we talk to the Fairies today Toto…please’ little Emma asked Toto.

‘Woof ….Woof …Woof…. yes of course we can Emma…..for you are like a little Fairy anyway always dancing and singing to yourself….perhaps you even go to the Fairies in your dreamtime at night….’   Toto was excited.

Toto the Angel Dog called in all the Angels and asked them to go find the Fairies of the Forest. In a flash, the Angels set off and in no time were back beside Toto.  

Toto got the two girls to close their eyes and the next thing a huge amount of small fairies appeared beside them. There must have been a hundred little Fairies, all looking like tiny little people, except with very fine wings on their backs.  

Emma was so excited; she jumped up and started to dance in the middle of the clearing. A tiny little Fairy called Mary the Fairy flew right up and sat on Emma’s shoulder.

‘Hello Emma…..I’m Mary the Fairy… would you like to come flying with me?’ ‘

Yes please Mary the Fairy….but can we bring my friend Sarah….she’s such a kind friend and I would like her to know more about you and the Fairies’.  

Mary the Fairy, flew above Emma and moved her wings as if she was using a magic wand.  In an instant two Giant multi coloured butterflies, appeared right in front of Emma and Sarah.  
‘When ever you see butterflies girls, it’s a sign that the Angels are around’ Toto the Angel Dog told the girls.

The girls climbed onto the butterflies back and together with Toto the Angel Dog and Mary the Fairy, they all went on a flying adventure around the Forrest.   On their flight, Mary the Fairy told the girls all about the creatures who lived in the Forest and helped to take care of the trees and plants there.

The girls held on tightly onto the giant butterflies, as the all flew in and around the pine trees.  

They had a great view of the many flowers down below and could smell all the wonderful scents of the forest. They could see the different types of trees and they could see down below all the other Fairies, Goblins and little people who lived in the Forest.

‘This is so exciting……I feel so happy Toto….thanks for bringing us out to nature and to see the little beings living in the forest’ Sarah said.  

‘Woof….Woof ….Woof….’ Toto barked excitedly.

After a while Toto the Angel Dog told Mary the Fairy that it was time for tea at the Down Town Care Home and they must return. But he promised that he would take the girls back soon. Mary the Fairy led them all back to the edge of the Forest.

There she told the Emma and Sarah that they promised to come back and visit very soon, said goodbye and fly away with the butterflies flying behind her.  

As Toto the Angel Dog, Sarah and Emma walked back through the long garden towards the house, they collected the bunch of flowers they had picked earlier.

They all chatted excitedly about all the magical creatures and beings of light hey had seen together in the Forest.

‘We will go again soon on another adventure…..lets tell the boys all about the Fairies we have seen and how they protect the plants and all of nature….Woof…Woof …Woof’ Toto was delighted. ‘I was so happy to see Mary the Fairy Toto…..she was so beautiful….do you think I will her soon?’ Emma said.

‘Yes….soon….Mary the Fairy may even come to you tonight in your dreams Emma, when you are sleeping…..but for now lets hurry’ Toto could see Mama Rosa calling them from the house to hurry home for their tea.

Sarah, Emma and Toto the Angel Dog ran the rest of the way up the garden, as they couldn’t wait to share their Fairy adventure with the other children at the Down Town Care Home.