Finn's Fever

In the brightest corner of the Land of Letters lies the Vibrant Valley: violets and ferns, foxgloves and vines, fireflies by night and butterflies by day.

In a flower-covered cottage at its heart live two best friends. F is called Finn — friendly to every fox, every finch, every flower. V is called Vera — lively and vivacious, leaving a little sparkle wherever she goes.

But this morning, the cottage was quiet. Vera found Finn still in bed, cheeks flushed pink, voice small and fuzzy.

"I feel fffff..." Finn tried. "Fffff..."

"I will write to the Alpha Doctor!" said Vera.

But to spell the word, she needed E — twice — and R. Just then the twin E's arrived holding hands, and R came rolling up the path. Together they hurried to the Alpha Doctor's clinic, a snug little place wrapped in vines.

Vera lined up the letter friends. But F and V sound so much alike they kept swapping places.

V. E. F. E. R. "Vefer?" said the doctor. "I have no medicine for vefer."

"I see the trouble," the doctor smiled. "F and V are mouth twins. Watch."

"Rest your top teeth on your bottom lip. Blow soft and quiet, like blowing a dandelion puff." Fffff.

Can you try it? Teeth on lip, soft and quiet. Fffff.

"Now keep your mouth exactly the same — but turn your voice ON." Vvvvv.

Can you feel the buzz? Hand on throat: Fffff is quiet and still. Vvvvv buzzes like a bee in the foxgloves.

"Same mouth. Different voice. F is the quiet twin. V is the buzzing twin."

Vera's sparkle came all the way back.

"Then I know who goes where! The word starts quiet, like Finn's poor tired voice. Finn, you go first!"

So Finn stood first, quiet as a falling leaf. One E came next. Vera took the middle, buzzing proudly. The other E followed. And R rolled into place.

F  ·  E  ·  V  ·  E  ·  R FEVER

"Fever!" cried the Alpha Doctor. "Now THAT I know what to do with!"

Rest, and water, and vegetable soup with herbs from the valley.

By the next morning, Finn's forehead was cool, and fff and vvv were laughing together again.

"That is what friends are for," said Vera. "Quiet days and buzzing days, I am your twin either way."

And the Vibrant Valley bloomed on, more colorful than ever.