The pixie took the flower, straightened it a bit, then used propped it up on her shoulder as a sort of parasol. With a dashing little twirl of its petals, she flitted off down to the surface of the lake, where she walked along on the surface of the water like a lady going marketing.

"Nice going," said Heiji. "They like presents. They might like it if ya curtsy, too, but I never tried it before. They tell me in the old days, folks used to leave food out for 'em. You know, like in those fairy tales."