Lili finds a tiny silver bell in her garden, and strange, lovely things begin to happen whenever it rings. Then she follows it to the old oak tree and sees something waiting there.
In a little house with blue shutters, seven-year-old Lili spent her mornings in the garden with her cat, Brys. She liked to pretend the flower beds were deep woods and the bean poles were tall, secret trees.
One morning, while she watered the daisies, a pale glow flickered beneath the currant bush. Lili knelt down and reached under the leaves. Her fingers closed around a tiny silver bell, cool and smooth and no bigger than a plum stone.
Brys gave a sharp, warning meow. Lili lifted the bell and gave it the smallest shake.
At once, bright butterflies swooped over the path as if they had been waiting for her. A warm breeze brushed past her cheek, and the flowers seemed to lean closer. From somewhere in the garden came a soft, shining laugh, light as a chime.
Lili stared at the bell in her hand. It had not been there a moment ago, and now it felt oddly warm, as though it had woken up.
She held Brys close and followed the pebble path deeper into the garden, past the gooseberry bushes and the untidy patch of mint, until she reached the old oak tree at the very back. There, half-hidden in the roots, was something small and silver that made her stop breathing...