The Dragon in the Driveway by Kate Klimo, John Shroades

do,” said Jesse. “Don’t we, Daze?”
    Not very convincingly, Daisy nodded.
    After standing around listening to him carry on for a few more minutes, Jesse and Daisy priedthemselves away. When they and the dryads were standing once more outside the willow’s drooping canopy, Jesse said, “Well, he certainly lives up to his name.”
    Daisy said, “It’s hard to feel sorry for someone who feels quite that sorry for himself.”
    “Th-th-thank you for taking the time to pay your r-r-r-respects all the same,” said Lady Aspen. “Believe it or not, it meant a great deal to him.”
    “And to every one of us,” said Douglas Fir.
    With that, the two dryads went back beneath the canopy of willow leaves to be with their friend.

CHAPTER NINE
THE FERN BRIGADE
    Jesse and Daisy were just entering the Deep Woods when Jesse noticed a stirring in the ferns growing near the base of the Douglas fir. Maybe it was just a chipmunk, but Jesse didn’t want anything messing with the tree while its dryad wasn’t in residence todefend it. “Hold up,” he said to Daisy. “I need to check out those ferns.”
    Daisy nodded and stopped, but she wasn’t paying much attention. Her mind was on their plan. It would be a long drop from the side of the ramp down to the ground of the cavern. What if they figured out a way to drop down
on top
of the big book? Perhaps the magical shield would break their fall. On the other hand, it might squeak and give them away. She looked over to Jesse to share these thoughts, but he was nowhere to be seen!
    “Hey, Jess!” she called out, looking all around. “Where’d you go?”
    “What do you mean?” he said.
    He sounded close by, but Daisy couldn’t see him. “Are you behind the Douglas fir?” she asked.
    “I’m in front of it. In the ferns … in plain sight. Do you need glasses?” he asked.
    “Maybe, because I’m looking right at the fir tree and I can’t see you,” Daisy said.
    “Well, look a little harder,” Jesse said, popping back into view as he walked toward Daisy.
    Daisy said, “Whoa! Wait a sec, Jess.” She held up her hand.
    Jesse stopped.
    “Back up to the ferns again,” Daisy said.
    This struck Jesse as a pretty strange request,but he backed up. The ferns made a swishing sound around his ankles. He stood there and watched her face. There was a look of amazement on it.
    “Jess, this is completely incredible!” she said, jumping up and down and flapping her hands. “I see the ferns moving, but I don’t see you. You’re invisible!”
    “I’m
what
?” he asked.
    “When you stand in the ferns, you’re one hundred percent
invisible
,” she said. “Let’s change places and see if it works for me.”
    Jesse stood where Daisy had been and Daisy went to take his place in the ferns. Jesse watched as his cousin simply slipped out of sight.
    “Do you realize how great this is?” Daisy’s voice said.
    Jesse thought it was cool, but it was also kind of creepy. What was causing it?
    “Come here, Jesse,” said Daisy. “Help me choose a couple of nice, fat ferns. The bigger and bushier, the better.”
    Jesse hesitated and then joined Daisy in the fern bed. He still couldn’t see her, but he heard her breathing right next to him. He asked her, “Why are we fern-picking?”
    Daisy said, “Because ferns have magical properties,Jess. I read about it in one of my plant books, and you
proved
it.” Before he could stop her, she had launched into one of her botanical lectures. “The fern is one of the most ancient plants on the earth. In medieval times, people thought the fern could make them invisible. The Green Man, a mythical character that dates back practically to cave days, covered his face with a mask of ferns to make himself invisible.”
    “So you’re thinking that Emmy’s hatching made the ferns magic again, like in olden days,” said Jesse thoughtfully.
    “Exactly!” said Daisy. “And the reason St. George hasn’t sucked the magic out of them is ’cause