Billie the Baby Goat Fairy Read online

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Map

  Poem

  A Big Day and a Big Problem

  Panic in the Henhouse

  Jack Frost’s Shadows

  Ice-Cold Heart

  Jack Frost’s Perfect Pets

  Open for Visitors

  Teaser

  Copyright

  I want a farm that’s just for me,

  With animals I won’t set free.

  It’s far too slow to find each one.

  Let fairy magic get this done!

  With magic from the fairy farm,

  I’ll grant my wish—to their alarm!

  And if I spoil the humans’ fun,

  Then Jack Frost really will have won!

  The sun was shining brightly on Greenfields Farm, and the fresh early-morning breeze made it the perfect spring day. Butterflies and bees were already busy around the flowers and bushes. Rachel Walker and her best friend, Kirsty Tate, were walking away from the farmhouse, feeling a very special kind of excitement.

  “The big day has finally arrived,” said Kirsty, pausing to take a long, deep breath of fresh country air. “I can’t wait for the grand opening to start!”

  The girls—together with Kirsty’s parents—had been staying at the farm during spring break to help the Tates’ friends Harriet and Niall Hawkins get the farm ready to welcome visitors.

  “I want to be sure that everything is perfect,” said Rachel.

  The girls had been given the very special job of looking after the baby farm animals. They had loved every minute of it, and this morning they had woken up extra early so that they could check on all the baby animals before the grand opening.

  “Let’s visit the ducklings first,” said Kirsty.

  They walked past the barn and along the winding path that led to the duck pond. As soon as they had walked between the trees, they saw the glittering water of the pond, with its tall cattails and its happy ducks. Lots of little ducklings were quacking as they splashed around.

  “They all look fine,” said Rachel. “Shall we check the lambs next? I love the way they bounce around when they see us. It’s as if they’ve got springs in their hooves.”

  In the sheep pasture, the lambs bounced just as lambs should, and Rachel and Kirsty gave them some food and patted their fluffy white wool. Their eager baaing made the girls smile.

  “Foals next,” said Kirsty. “I wonder if they will still be clean after the bath we gave them yesterday?”

  “No way,” said Rachel, laughing. “You know how much they love rolling in all those muddy puddles.”

  Sure enough, when they arrived at the stables, they found all the foals coated in mud, neighing happily as they rolled and splashed.

  “I’m so glad they’re all OK,” said Kirsty. “Thank goodness Jack Frost and his pesky goblins haven’t caused any more trouble.”

  “At least not yet,” said Rachel.

  On their first day at Greenfields Farm, Kirsty and Rachel had met the Farm Animal Fairies and visited the Fluttering Fairyland Farm, a magical farm hovering in midair among the puffy white clouds. The Farm Animal Fairies—Debbie the Duckling Fairy, Elodie the Lamb Fairy, Penelope the Foal Fairy, and Billie the Baby Goat Fairy—showed the girls their magical baby farm animals, who lived at the farm.

  But while the girls were visiting the rest of the animals with Francis the Fairyland farmer, Jack Frost stole the magical farm animals, Splashy the duckling, Fluffy the lamb, Frisky the foal, and Chompy the baby goat.

  “I keep thinking about poor Snowdrop and the mother snow goose,” said Kirsty. “I hope they’re getting a bit more love and attention from Jack Frost now.”

  Jack Frost had taken the farm animals because he wanted his own private petting zoo at his Ice Castle. The snow goose and her baby, Snowdrop, were Jack Frost’s pets, and they loved him to pieces. But Jack had been so busy chasing after the magical baby farm animals that he had been neglecting the snow geese.

  “Me, too,” said Rachel. “But most of all, I’m thinking about Billie the Baby Goat Fairy. The fairies need all the magical baby farm animals to be safe, or they won’t be able to look after baby farm animals everywhere. As long as Chompy is missing, the fairies can’t look after the animals.”

  Over their last few days at Greenfields Farm, Rachel and Kirsty had seen baby farm animals doing some very strange things indeed. The ducklings had acted like puppies, the lambs had acted like kittens, and the foals had acted like piglets. So far, the girls had managed to get three of the fairies’ magical baby animals back from Jack Frost and his mischievous goblins. But Chompy the baby goat was still missing.

  Rachel and Kirsty made their way to the fenced pen where the goats lived. Gilbert, the baby, was always waiting for them at the top of the arched bridge. But today, something was wrong. The bridge was empty.

  “Where is he?” asked Kirsty.

  They hurried over, and then they saw the little goat. He wasn’t prancing around like usual. He was pecking the ground and making a very strange sound.

  “It’s almost like clucking,” said Kirsty.

  She and Rachel turned to each other as they realized what had happened.

  “Gilbert thinks he’s a chicken,” said Rachel. “Jack Frost and his naughty goblins are still causing trouble.”

  “We have to find Chompy,” said Kirsty, looking at her watch. “The farm opens in an hour. There’s no time to lose!”

  Just then, Kirsty let out an excited little squeal.

  “Rachel, look at that bucket of feed in the goat pen,” she said.

  It seemed to be an ordinary metal bucket, but Rachel trusted her best friend. She knew of only one thing that could make Kirsty sound so excited in the middle of a crisis. Fairy magic! She stared at the bucket, and then she saw a little flare of sparkling light. It grew brighter, until the whole bucket was glowing. Then a tiny, glittering fairy shot out of the bucket and high into the air. She whizzed around like a firework, and then swooped down to where the girls were standing.

  “Hello, Rachel and Kirsty,” she said, a little out of breath. “It’s me, Billie the Baby Goat Fairy.”

  Billie was wearing blue overalls with white polka dots and a T-shirt with ruffled, flowy sleeves. Her eyes twinkled behind her glasses.

  “Hello, Billie,” said Rachel. “We’re really glad to see you. Look at poor Gilbert—he thinks he’s a chicken.”

  Billie fluttered down and perched on the top of the wooden fence. As soon as she saw Gilbert pecking the ground, she folded her arms and shook her head.

  “I must get Chompy back home,” she said. “I can’t help any baby goats until we’ve found him. I came to tell you that one of the goblins has brought Chompy here to the farm. Will you help me search for him?”

  “We’re always glad to help our fairy friends,” said Kirsty at once. “Where shall we look first?”

  “It’ll be easier to search the farm if we can fly over it and search for Chompy from above,” said Rachel.

  “Good thinking,” said Billie, snapping her fingers. “No sooner said than done.”

  The girls ducked down behind the gate of the pen. They couldn’t see anyone watching, but they didn’t want to take any risks. Nobody else could find out about the fairies.

  Billie waved her wand, and a flurry of springtime flowers rose up and swirled around the girls, hiding them from view. Surrounded by the magical blooms, Rachel and Kirsty felt themselves shrinking to fairy size. Their hair was sprinkled with petals as their fairy wings grew. Then the flowers fell to the ground and the three fairies flew upward together. From the air, they could see the whole farmyard laid out like a map.

  “There are the pigs, the sheep, an
d the horses,” said Kirsty as they flew over Greenfields Farm.

  “No sign of the goblin or Chompy,” said Kirsty. “There’s Blossom the cow beside the barn—we should check inside.”

  They swooped into the barn, but it was empty. Blossom let out a worried moo, and the fairies paused to pat her.

  “Don’t worry, Blossom,” Rachel whispered in her ear. “We’re trying to help the farm.”

  Blossom nodded her head in the direction of the chicken coop behind the farmhouse. When the fairies flew closer, they heard squawking, flapping, and alarmed clucking.

  “Something is scaring the chickens,” said Kirsty.

  They zoomed across to the chicken coop and landed beside the ramp that led into the henhouse. A baby goat was standing in the entrance, and the golden glow of his coat told them who he was.

  “Chompy!” said Billie.

  Suddenly, Chompy started moving down the ramp, and the fairies saw that a goblin was trying to grab him. Chompy tried to leave the henhouse, but the goblin threw his arms around the baby goat’s neck.

  “Stop clucking,” the goblin wailed. “I want to cuddle with you!”

  But Chompy butted him and disappeared. The squawking of the hens grew louder.

  “Why is Chompy playing around the henhouse?” Rachel asked.

  “Maybe he wants to sit on a nest like the hens,” said Kirsty. “After all, he is acting like a chicken.”

  Suddenly, an idea popped into Rachel’s head.

  “That’s exactly what we need,” she said. “A nest! Billie, can you make one big enough for Chompy to sit on?”

  Billie waved her wand and a large nest appeared on the ground outside the henhouse.

  “It’s the perfect size for Chompy,” said Rachel in delight. “Chompy, over here!”

  Chompy scampered over and sat down on the big nest, clucking happily.

  “Chompy,” said Billie, fluttering toward him. He looked up at her and gave a confused little frown.

  Rachel and Kirsty held hands and smiled. Any moment now, Chompy would be back to his normal self. But suddenly, there was a loud crack, and a bolt of icy blue magic zigzagged through the sky. And then Jack Frost was standing in front of the nest.

  Jack Frost dove for Chompy, but the magical baby goat lunged out of the nest and ran, squawking like a frightened chicken.

  “Come back!” Jack Frost roared.

  He raced after Chompy, and the fairies chased them both as fast as they could. Rachel glanced back over her shoulder and saw a flurry of feathers as the goblin sat down among the chickens, wailing. Rachel almost felt sorry for him. Then she looked ahead again and saw Jack Frost charging after Chompy, yelling.

  “They’re going to cause chaos,” Rachel said with a groan.

  Harriet and Niall had spent the day before putting up signs and banners for the visitors. There were signs to direct people to the pigs, the sheep, the horses, and the goats, as well as the barn and the welcome center. There were banners advertising tractor rides, donkey rides, bottle-feeding the baby farm animals, pig races, and baby-animal cuddles. Hay bales had been placed here and there for visitors to sit on.

  But as Chompy hurtled across the farm, he wasn’t looking where he was going. All he cared about was getting away from Jack Frost. He bumped into the signs and knocked them down. He ran straight at the banners with his head down, ripping them and scattering them across the farm. Jack Frost stampeded after him, flinging hay bales out of his way to the left and right.

  The fairies fluttered overhead, feeling helpless. There was nothing they could do to stop the rampage.

  “He’s ruining everything,” said Kirsty. “All the hard work we’ve been doing will be undone. If the visitors see the farm looking like this, they will never come back. We have to stop Jack Frost and save Chompy.”

  “I don’t understand why Jack Frost is still so set on stealing baby animals for his petting zoo,” said Kirsty. “He’s got his own baby goose, Snowdrop, back at his Ice Castle—and his other snow goose, too. They love him. Why is he so greedy for more?”

  “He is never happy with the things he has,” said Rachel. “Jack Frost always wants what other people have.”

  Just then, something caught her eye and she looked away from the chase. Two white shapes were following Jack Frost like shadows as he weaved across the farm.

  “It’s Snowdrop and her mother,” said Kirsty. “They must have followed Jack Frost all the way from the Ice Castle.”

  “They really love Jack Frost,” said Billie. “They don’t stop caring about him just because he’s trying to find other animals.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” said Kirsty. “We need to show Jack Frost what he’s missing—and the snow geese can help us.”

  The three fairies hovered close together and Kirsty whispered her plan. Feeling hopeful, they all flew down to land in a field behind the barn. The snow geese were waddling toward them, a long way behind Jack Frost and Chompy. Billie waved her wand, and a bowl of crisp green lettuce appeared beside the snow geese. They noticed it, and hurried over to nibble on the lettuce.

  The fairies fluttered down beside them and spoke in soft voices.

  “We want to talk to Jack Frost,” said Kirsty. “Will you help us?”

  The snow geese honked and nodded. Gently, the fairies climbed onto the mother snow goose’s back, scooping Snowdrop up with them.

  “We’ll follow Chompy and Jack Frost together,” said Kirsty. “And when we reach them, we’ll find a way to make Jack Frost see what wonderful pets he already has.”

  They soared into the sky and zoomed over the farm. It was delightful to be surrounded by the soft, white feathers of the snow geese.

  “It’s like sitting inside a cloud,” Rachel said with excitement.

  The farm was a terrible mess, but the fairies were looking for just one thing—a little baby goat. At last they spotted him, and the snow goose changed direction. Chompy was in the goat pen, standing in the middle of the arched bridge. Jack Frost had his arms around the little goat and was cuddling him tightly and cackling with laughter.

  “Stop struggling,” Jack Frost was saying. “You’re my pet now. You’re going to live in a lovely icy home. You’ll like it. Yes, you will.”

  Chompy wasn’t listening. He was wiggling, squawking, and flapping his legs as if they were wings. But Jack Frost kept holding on, stopping him from getting away.

  The snow goose let out a sad little honk and fluttered downward, perching on the railing of the bridge. The fairies fluttered down to stand beside her, and Jack Frost stared at them all in surprise.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked the snow goose. “And why are you hanging around with those pesky fairies?”

  “They’re allowed to have friends,” said Billie.

  “Oh, no, they’re not,” Jack Frost snapped. “They’ve got me. They don’t need anyone else.”

  “Of course they are allowed to have other friends,” said Billie. “And so is Chompy. He belongs at Fluttering Fairyland Farm with the other magical baby animals.”

  “You’re not going to get him back, ever,” said Jack Frost. “He belongs with me now.”

  He cuddled Chompy even more tightly. Chompy gave a grumpy squawk.

  “He doesn’t belong with you,” Rachel said. “He belongs with Billie. He’s not his true self without her.”

  “I’m taking Chompy to my petting zoo at the Ice Castle,” Jack Frost shouted. “That’s where the snow geese should be, too. And once we’re all there, no silly fairies are going to stop us.”

  The mother snow goose gave another miserable little honk, and Rachel looked into Jack Frost’s cold eyes.

  “Perhaps the snow geese came to find you here because they’ve been missing you,” said Rachel.

  Kirsty saw the sad look on Snowdrop’s face and nodded.

  “Maybe they think that you don’t love them anymore,” she said. “You’ve been so busy trying to get animals for your petting zoo that you’ve stopped t
hinking about the snow geese.”

  Chompy struggled again, dragging Jack Frost across the bridge.

  “He doesn’t want to be your pet,” Kirsty called out. “But there are two animals here who do want to be with you.”

  Jack Frost stared at her, still clasping Chompy as tightly as he could. The mother snow goose nodded her long neck in agreement, and Snowdrop fluttered up to sit on Jack’s shoulder.

  “The baby farm animals don’t want to be part of your petting zoo,” Rachel said. “But the snow geese truly love you.”

  The other fairies held their breaths as they watched. Could the geese touch the Ice Lord’s cold heart?

  Jack Frost looked at the mother snow goose, who tilted her head to one side. Snowdrop nuzzled his cheek with soft, white feathers. Chompy was still pulling away from him, but his snow geese were longing to be with him.

  Very slowly, Jack Frost loosened his long, bony fingers from Chompy’s wiry hair. He took his arms away from Chompy’s neck. The little goat hurried away, and Billie fluttered over to him. As soon as she touched him, he shrank to fairy size and bleated happily.

  “No more chicken noises,” said Rachel, smiling. “He’s back to his normal self.”

  “Yes,” said Billie. “And it’s all thanks to you, Rachel and Kirsty.”

  “You’re welcome,” said Kirsty. “We’re just happy that you have Chompy back.”

  Jack Frost patted little Snowdrop, who sat on his shoulder, and walked over to pet the snow goose. She lifted her head, and he stroked her gently. As Rachel and Kirsty watched, they saw his chin wobble. He sniffed, and then a tear rolled down his cheek.

  “I’m so glad you love me,” he said.

  “Because I I-I-I … ”