HOW MANY CREATURES DID LINA MEET AFTER SHE WAS KIDNAPPED?

Lina had just discovered that other human children were larger than she was, even when they were first born.  Then she was kidnapped away from her home.  It was all a great shock to her system and she wondered if she would ever fit in anywhere ever again.  She didn't meet a single human all that winter but she made friends with many other creatures.  A lady bug, some fish, a mole, a spider, some earthworms, among others.  She always wondered what it would be like to live with them for the rest of her life.  Seeing herself as very different made her worry about life sometimes.  But it wasn't her nature to worry all the time and she did like the creatures she met.  She learned to read that winter because Clarissa Mouse had some small books from a doll house.  She had brought them with her when she moved to the country.  Clarissa was happy to teach Lina to read. Lina thought it very different to live underground but she was happy to be out of the snow and wind.  She told me all this soon after she came back home the following spring.  This is Delbert Bee signing off now.

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ABOUT INSECTS

I want to make sure that I am not accused of putting down any members of the insect kingdom just for being a certain kind of insect.  Each one has its place and that is important.  It was just that one bark beetle that I mentioned last time was kind of sneaky all by himself.  He just thought he was doing a job to earn some tasty bark to chew on.  Lina did have a lot of friends among the insect world.  One of her best friends was the Ladybug, Lady Lou.  She was the one who told Lina what Winter was and that it was going to come.  Lady Lou also introduced Lina to Clarissa, the mouse who sheltered Lina for the Winter.  Then Lady Lou met up with Lina again in the Spring, getting all tangled up in the spider silk Zenna wove to help everyone come back to Thimble Farm safely.  But that one beetle did cause some trouble, including trouble for me for telling about him.  It caused quite a buzz because some of my readers thought I was discriminating against bark beetles. All things need to be in balance in nature.  Camber helps to keep things in balance for his beloved trees. I do try to tell a balanced story.  I've got to go check out some new flower patches I heard of now.  Buzz at you later.

NEWS FLASH- NOT ALL INSECTS ARE AS FRIENDLY AND GOOD AS BEES!

I, Delbert, have always believed in the goodness of insects.  But I did come to realize that, just like humans or other creatures, some are good and kind.  But others are not.  The evil ones, who wanted to harm Lina, managed to get a bark beetle to spend a lot of time eavesdropping on Camber.  That is how they found out about Lina.  But not everything was known about her at first.  It wasn't even known where she lived.  After Croadine failed to kidnap her and turn her over to the evil ones some insects were asked to capture her.  These were a group of Cockchafers to try and capture her.  They were cousins to the bark beetle and he promised them special treats if they would take her to a certain cave.  But she was a little bit big for them to carry easily and they didn't trust their cousin that much.  So they set her down after snatching her off the lily pad she was sailing on.  She was using this to escape from the ugly frog who took her from her home.  When she was set down she met the spider, Zenna, a very good bug type, who became her life long friend.  I, Delbert, do hope everyone knows I am one of the best bugs there could ever be.  Better buzz off now.  Bye

CAN FAIRIES BE TRUSTED?

Rosequet was like many people.  She could be trusted to do things she thought were good for herself.  Unfortunately she didn't realize that it was good to have friends that were happy, or that nature is a wonderful thing.  She didn't even like flowers all that much.  I saw her sneeze and curl up her nose when Binar showed her a particularly pretty flower.  So, yes she could be trusted, but not to do good for anybody.  Sometimes she would fly alongside me and tell me I was ugly.  I believe I am the most handsome bee ever.  So I thought about stinging her.  But I didn't.  I would just sing a loud buzz song when I saw her.  Many other fairies can be trusted to be kind and helpful.  Not Rosaquet.  She thought she was too beautiful for it to matter.  Well, I had better buzz off and find some real beauty.  Your friend Delbert.

SHOULD FAIRIES LIVE IN CASTLES?

I, Delbert Bee, have never really been inside Windom Castle.  But Lina tells me it is beautiful.  She enjoys going there to visit her grandfather.  He wants her to live there all the time but she really enjoys living among the flowers.  Maybe when winter comes she will change her mind.  Maybe Lord Windom has a room with big windows where flowers can grow inside.  I know the gardens are great.  I fly around in them all the time.  But I hear talk about the caverns that are under the castle.  It is said that mushrooms grow in some of them.  They also say that some are so deep that nothing grows except stalactites and stalagmites.  Well, I won't be going there and you probably shouldn't either.  But you could come and visit me among the flowers.  I'd better buzz off now.

ARE BIRDS BETTER AT GOSSIP THAN BEES? WHAT IS YOUR VERDICT?

Adar the swallow tried to keep up on everything that went on around Thimble Farm.  Then she would sit on Gerda's windowsill and chatter away.  Gerda was lonely on the farm and couldn't talk to any of the animals except Adar.  Communication was hard at Thimble Farm until the big flood.  Then the fairies had to put a spell of enchantment on the farm to help everyone escape.  After that every creature and human and fairy could talk to each other.  Gerda thought of Adar as her best friend.  I think I, Delbert, am better at gossip, however.  Adar pretty much kept her news among the other swallows and Gerda.  I'll tell everyone anything they want to know.  Unless it's a secret, of course.

IS THIS THE NAUGHTIEST BOY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD?

Karl Thimble was a grandnephew to Tom Thimble.  He was so rowdy and apt to run away that his mother and grandmother finally had to put him in a large basket-like trunk to make sure he stayed with the family as they traveled to Thimble Farm.  His mother, Bettina, gave birth to his little sister Tamara as soon as they arrived at the farm.  His grandmother had the burden of driving the cart as fast as she could. Neither had been able to handle Karl and make sure he was safe.  When Lina helped Tom get Karl out of the basket it took a lot of Tom's energy to make sure the boy didn't run away again. At first Tom was upset that Karl had been locked in the basket but after chasing Karl around a bit he came to understand the reason for that. Karl's name for Lina was 'Doll Lady'. Karl was just four when he came to Thimble Farm.  He became a very important part of Thimblewyck.