*Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick…Tick…Tick........Tick* As the spaceship slows its pace, the petronauts inside take a collective breath. Through all of the galaxy they have journeyed, exploring astounding new planets, meeting pets in all shapes, sizes, and colors. But here they dock to begin again – a new world, a new adventure to delight in, new sights, sounds, and tastes to indulge. With great excitement, they crack the door and take a step…

And what’s that twinkling over there? A gem unlike any they’ve seen before, deepest blue, the bluest blue, a new blue, shimmering. The adventure begins!

Once, long, long ago in PnF Land there lived a tribe of Ogres among the sweet and good-natured pets. The Ogres were nice enough though, if just a little grumpy by nature. But, one bitter winter’s day, one Ogre, a particularly nice Ogre at that, was left heartbroken when a sharp-eyed vulture made off with his only company, a small brown lab, who answered to the name of Oaf. Angry and hopeless after days of search, the Ogre decided if he could not feel happiness of any kind, nobody would ever again.

The Ogre stole all the beloved pets throughout PnF Land, his most prized capture the rare and otherworldly beautiful unicorn called Wishes. Each night, the Ogre would sit in the barn, fiercely guarding the pets he had claimed, to hide his grief. But, having them, even the graceful and sweet tempered Wishes, did not ease his suffering. It was one such night that the Ogre was crying monstrously loud that he felt a soft plop upon his arm and then another upon his shoulder. He was amazed to see through his terrible anguish, the small gems that were collecting around him. They were the palest violet and glowed with a satiny sheen.

The Ogre looked up to find that Wishes had come to stand at his back, her head poking through the slats of the iron bars holding her prisoner. And, the Ogre watched with amazement as three more gems slid from the unicorn’s damp eyes. The unicorn’s tears. He didn’t know why, but those precious tears filled him with a peace he’d not known since he had lost Oaf. He made up his mind that night to return all of the pets, even Wishes.

When at last the Ogre returned Wishes to her proper home, she whinnied softly and lay her head to his arm, as if to tell him thank you. He watched from afar as Wishes was reunited with her family and then prepared to go back to his own home, even though it might be empty without Oaf.

But, it was then that the Ogre felt something wet flick against his toes and with a gasp he looked down to see the tiniest chocolaty brown puppy, a tumbling ball of fur, eagerly hoping for his attention. He scooped the small bundle up and looked around, seeing no one to claim her. He only saw, from a distance, Wishes standing at her gate, looking his way. He knew without a doubt, somehow, some way, she had granted him his deepest wish, a friend to heal his heart, fill the loneliness. And so the bundle of puppy became Fluff and the small unicorn’s tears were kept, treasured, for all of the Ogre’s days, a reminder that sometimes wishes do come true.

Let me tell you a story, it’s a short story, and won’t take very long. There’s this dragonfly by the name of Joy and boy Oh boy does Joy bring…well…JOY! One day the intrepid local reporter wanted to interview Joy, ask her where she came up with all that good cheer – was it sunbeams? Was it six Zipping Zingers a day?

Joy laughed and laughed and said, “Oh no! It’s not those things, well, it is those things, but not my favorite things. My favorite things are the purple rocks!”

“The purple rocks?” The reported asked, very confused, for he knew of no purple rocks in all of PnF Land.

“Sure! I’ll show you.” And she flew. And, he followed, glad the tank on his wingpack was full.

She chattered on, “Wait until you see them. They’re just over the Summer Hill, where the land meets the sea, on a stretch of the prettiest violet sands. Mama said once, ‘those rocks just like Joy’s Eyes!’ when I showed the family!” (Do you see that Joy is also Quite the talker?!) She explained, “So many think that my eyes are black, but really they’re purple, they just need a little bit of sunshine to light them up! And, don’t we all? That’s all we need, a little bit of sunshine!”

And lo’ and behold on that day, on that hidden violet-sand beach, the Joy’s Eye Gem was ‘discovered’, in piles and strips of glowing deep purple beauty, as abundant and beautiful as Joy’s JOY in giving.

There's only one place in the world you'll find me, and that is Derbyshire in England (where I am quite plentiful). I'm often banded with yellow, hence my name; it comes from the French 'bleu jaune', meaning 'blue yellow'.