Synopsis

Timothy O'Reilly, a ten-year-old boy living in rural Pennsylvania, sets out for the woods in back of his home after disappointing his mother and breaking her glass bowl. He inadvertently finds a golden key and while studying it, falls through a concealed hole in the ground. Upon landing, he meets a small creature with wings, who promptly informs him that she is a fairy, and that she thinks he has the legendary golden key.

Timothy is taken to Annie Petal, the Queen of the Woodywiggins. She tells him that since he found the golden key, only he can replace it in the Machine of Forever. With the help of the oldest of the Woodywiggins, Montague Innisdoon, Annie explains that Selena Tumbledown had used a spell, and had hidden the key after changing to help, to place the golden key in the Machine of Forever in the secret cave and return night and day to their land. Mindful of his age and his recent failure with his mother, Timothy is afraid. However, after hearing the Queen's confidence in him, and that Polly Petticoat and Tippy Beenim will help him face any obstructions created by the dark Queen, Selena Tumbledown, he reluctantly accepts. After Queen Annie changes Timothy to the size of a fairy, Polly, Tippy, and Timothy set out to find the hidden cave.

In the quest for the hidden cave and the return of day and night to the land of the Woodywiggins, Timothy faces Selena's henchman, Borlach, the threat of being lost forever in darkness in the cave of the Machine of Forever. Timothy takes his responsibility for the Woodywiggins to heart, choosing to do the right thing in the face of peril, and ultimately with his newborn confidence fostered by Annie's faith, saves Polly Petticoat's wings from being destroyed by Borlach. Timothy learns to believe in himself, that he isn't merely a little boy.

Excerpts from the Book

Looking down Timothy saw small bright metal object under the leaves. He picked it up and held it in the sunlight. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was a tiny golden key.

After the Fall:
Timothy opened his eyes and immediately saw something he had never seen, except in books. "You are a fairy, a girl fairy!" he exclaimed.
"I most certainly am, and luckily for you one of the friendlier ones."
"You are quite pretty. Your wings look like my mom's best crystal glasses, all shinny and clear. And your white dress is very . . ."
"It's a gown, and why can't boys say the word, beautiful?" the fairy said, with a sudden flutter of her wings.

In the Village:
"Queen Annie, this little boy found a golden key in his world and fell through a hole in the sky. He landed a long distance from here."
"What is the boy's name?"
"My name is Timothy O'Reilly, Queen Annie."

After the Oldest Fairy Arrives:
"Poly," Timothy whispered, "who is Montague? Why did Queen Annie send for him?"
"Montague is very old, and reads and studies all the time," Polly whispered.
"May I see the key?" Montaque asked.
"Sure," Timothy answered, pulling the tiny key from his pocket. He could not believe his eyes, that the key now glowed brightly in his hand."
"Careful my boy, don't drop it on me." Montaque cleared his throat and pointed to the ground. "Just place it here."

After Validation of the Key:
"We must replace it and return balance to our world," Queen Annie said. She looked at Timothy. "According to legend, Timothy, the key must be replaced by the one who finds it. Is that correct Montague?"
Montague squinted, "Yes, Timothy must replace it. The glow of the key shows us that it now has his spirit, and if someone else inserts the key into the machine, the machine will turn off light forever. All plants will die and we will not have any food."
"But, I can't do that," Timothy said. "I'm just a boy. I'm only nine years old. I can't even do jobs for my mom without messing up. Wow, I can't do something this important, not in a million years."
"I know you can," Queen Annie said. "Besides, you're here now, in our land. It's a land where everyone can do things if they merely believe it."

In Search of the Cave:
Timothy heard Tippy's wings flutter past. And then he heard the man sitting on the rock laugh gruesomely.
"Queen Selena sends her compliments with the wine, Tippy," the man yelled. "By the way Selena knows you have the key, and she's going to stop you."
"We won't be able to find the Morning-song Rose without my nose working," Tippy said.

At the Cave:
"What's wrong?" Tippy asked. "You forget the words?"
"Those are the words," Timothy said. "I remember. The candle just won't light."
"Selena," Polly said. "It has to be one of her magic spells."

At the Machine:
Timothy felt crushed. If the voice had spoken the truth, Polly, Tippy, and he were in an impossible situation. If he left the cave without placing the key back into the machine, the fairies might not ever have a normal day and night. On the other hand, he didn't want to get lost in the tunnels forever.

Children

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