Fablehaven

Kendra talks to Lena while Lena gardens in a rainstorm. Though Kendra enjoys the conversation, she becomes more suspicious of Lena’s strange habits, appearance, and accent that can’t quite be placed. After the weather clears, Seth returns from another trip to the woods. He convinces Kendra to come with him by saying that their grandpa is hiding a beautiful park all for himself. They two sneak through the woods to a pond surrounded by gazebos, manicured plants, and fruit trees. There is a tiny island in the center of the pond.

When they return to the house, their grandfather reveals that he knows they went into the woods. Originally, he said that if they broke any rules, they would have to stay in their room for the rest of their trip. However, he reveals that he lied about the real reason behind his rules. Now he tells Kendra and Seth that there are dangerous endangered animals living on the preserve. Because they were misled about the true danger, the siblings manage to convince their grandfather to give them a lighter punishment: They will only be confined to their room for the next 24 hours.

Stuck in the playroom, Kendra finds the final keys to unlock the Journal of Secrets. Disappointed by what initially appears to be a blank journal, she eventually realizes that someone has written “drink the milk” in tiny letters on one of the pages. Unsure of what that means after being warned by Dale about the dangers of unpasteurized milk, she decides to trick Seth into trying it first. Seth tries it, and when she realizes what it does, Kendra drinks some too.

After drinking the milk, both children see that the bugs that inhabit the garden are in fact fairies. Grandpa Sorenson explains that the “dangerous animals” on the property are magical creatures, and he warns the children of staying in the designated safe spaces and not antagonizing any of the creatures. He stresses that if they follow these rules, the magical creatures cannot harm them. Grandpa Sorenson confirms that the woman Seth met was indeed a witch named Muriel Taggert, a mortal woman who was led astray by dark magic. He tells them that the pond in the forest is full of murderous naiads and provides several other anecdotes to warn the children. However, he is unable to dampen the children's excitement.