Bella Tabbypaw in Trouble

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Map of Friendship Forest

  Epigraph

  CHAPTER ONE: Kittens!

  CHAPTER TWO: Strange Sounds

  CHAPTER THREE: Footprints

  CHAPTER FOUR: Boulder Barrier

  CHAPTER FIVE: Glow in the Dark

  CHAPTER SIX: A Terrible Plan

  CHAPTER SEVEN: Monster!

  CHAPTER EIGHT: Home, Stinky Home

  Sneak Peek

  Puzzle Fun!

  Lily and Jess’s Animal Care Tips

  Copyright

  Lily Hart couldn’t tear herself away from the box of kittens her dad had just brought into the examining room. Neither could her best friend, Jess Forester!

  Lily’s parents ran the Helping Paw Wildlife Hospital in Brightley, the town where the two girls lived. Jess and her dad lived in the house across from the hospital. They’d found the kittens that morning in their shed and brought them straight to Helping Paw.

  “I’ll just check them over,” said Mr. Hart.

  He picked up each of the four kittens in turn, checking their eyes and teeth. When he put the smallest one back in the box, she rolled over on her back and meowed, showing the tip of a tiny pink tongue. Lily tickled her tummy.

  “We were amazed to find them,” Mr. Forester said. “Jess heard barking and saw a dog chasing a cat away from the shed. It must have been the kittens’ mother. When she didn’t come back, we looked inside and found the kittens.”

  “We’ve put flyers inside everyone’s mailboxes to find out who the cat belongs to,” Jess added. “But we knew that this was the best place to bring the kittens!”

  “I’m glad you did,” said Lily, picking up one of the soft, wriggling creatures. It batted a paw at her dark hair, making them all laugh.

  “The kittens will be fine with warmth and milk,” Mr. Hart said. He showed the girls how to feed them with drops squeezed from tiny pipettes, then he and Mr. Forester went into the house to join Mrs. Hart for a cup of tea.

  The kittens climbed over one another, trying to reach the milk.

  “They’re hungry!” laughed Jess.

  When they were full, the kittens cuddled together and fell asleep.

  “I wonder who your mother is,” said Lily, stroking a kitten with a white tip on its tail. “We already know one mysterious cat, don’t we, Jess?”

  The two friends shared a smile, thinking of their magical cat friend, Goldie. She came from Friendship Forest, a secret world of talking animals, and had taken the girls on adventures there. An evil witch called Grizelda wanted to drive the animals out of the forest so she could have it for herself, and Lily and Jess had helped stop her on several occasions.

  “I wonder when we’ll see Goldie again,” said Jess.

  As soon as she had spoken, the girls heard a soft tap-tap-tap at the window. They looked up to see a beautiful cat pawing at the glass. She had golden fur and eyes as green as grass in morning sunshine.

  “Goldie!” cried Lily, opening the window. “We were just thinking about you!”

  The cat jumped down and rubbed against her leg, then against Jess’s.

  “You know what this means, don’t you?” said Lily.

  Jess nodded excitedly. “Whenever Goldie visits, it’s time for another adventure in Friendship Forest!”

  Goldie meowed at them. The girls knew she wanted them to follow her!

  “We’re coming, Goldie,” cried Lily. She quickly checked that the kittens were all right and then the girls ran outside.

  They followed Goldie over the stepping-stones that crossed Brightley Stream, and into Brightley Meadow. Goldie ran over to the Friendship Tree and it immediately burst into life. New leaves sprang from the dried twigs and blossoms burst into bloom. Birds sang sweetly among the branches. The girls had seen this happen before, but they still grinned at each other, wide-eyed with delight.

  Goldie patted some letters carved into the tree trunk. Jess and Lily knew what the letters said, and that if they spoke the words aloud, magic would begin!

  They held hands and said together, “Friendship Forest!”

  A door as high as the girls’ shoulders appeared in the trunk. Lily reached for the leaf-shaped handle and opened it.

  Shimmering golden light shone from inside. Ducking down, Jess and Lily followed Goldie through the door. They felt a familiar tingling sensation all over. We’re shrinking, Jess thought excitedly.

  The light faded. They were in a sun-dappled clearing surrounded by tall trees. Around the edge were the little cottages where the animals of Friendship Forest lived.

  “We’re back!” said Lily, her brown eyes shining.

  “And we’re so glad you are,” said a soft voice.

  The girls turned to see Goldie standing upright, wearing a glistening scarf. Because the girls had shrunk, she now stood as tall as their shoulders.

  Beside Goldie was a family of three tabby cats—two adults and a little kitten. Their silvery fur was swirled with dark gray. The girls recognized the kitten—they had met her on their very first visit to Friendship Forest. She carried a backpack on her back, and a pair of odd-looking binoculars dangled around her neck. She stared at the girls in amazement.

  Goldie hugged Jess and Lily, then introduced them to the cats.

  “This is Mr. and Mrs. Tabbypaw,” she said. “As you girls know, I was once a stray in the human world. When I first found my way to Friendship Forest, the Tabbypaws looked after me. You’re all very special to me, so I wanted you to meet each other.”

  “We’re so pleased to meet you, Jess and Lily,” said Mrs. Tabbypaw. “You’re such wonderful friends to all the animals.”

  “Yes, indeedy,” said Mr. Tabbypaw. “We heard you stopped that witch from ruining our lovely forest. Three times, in fact!”

  “Dad! Dad!” said the kitten.

  “Oh, this is Bella,” said Mr. Tabbypaw. “She’s excited to meet you, too!”

  “I saw you when you first came to Friendship Forest!” said the kitten. “We live far away in Buttercup Grove, and guess what? Tonight I’m having my first ever sleepover in Goldie’s grotto!”

  Mr. and Mrs. Tabbypaw had to leave so they’d be home before dark. They hugged and kissed Bella.

  “Good-bye, Jess and Lily,” they said. “It was wonderful to meet you. Bye, Goldie!”

  They disappeared into the trees.

  “Let’s go to the Toadstool Café,” Goldie said.

  “Ooh, yes!” said Bella. “Jess and Lily, can you come, too? And to the sleepover? Can you? You could tell me stories about your world. I love hearing about new things. Please?”

  “You would be very welcome,” smiled Goldie.

  Jess looked at Lily. “What about it?” she said. “Time stands still while we’re in Friendship Forest, remember? We can stay as long as we like.”

  “We’d love to!” said Lily.

  Bella danced around in a circle and cheered. “Hooray!”

  Bella chattered as they made their way to the Toadstool Café.

  “I love exploring,” she said, peering at the wild flowers growing around the clearing. “Ooh! A bumblebee! Have you ever seen so many stripes?”

  “Take a closer look with your binoculars,” Lily suggested.

  Bella giggled. “These aren’t binoculars,” she said. “They’re night goggles, for seeing in the dark. Mr. Cleverfeather, the owl, invented them.”

  “When Bella grows up she’ll have perfect night vision, like me,” Goldie explained, “but she can’t see properly in the dark yet.”

  Lily was about to reply when she heard a grunt. “What was that?” she asked. “It came from behind that starflower bush.”

  Jess went to lo
ok, but didn’t see anyone. “That’s strange,” she said.

  Soon they arrived at the Toadstool Café. The tables and umbrellas that dotted around outside were too small for the girls, so they sat on the mossy ground instead. As Bella ran around exploring the glade, Goldie came over to talk to the girls.

  “Jess, Lily,” she said quietly. “Remember that grunt we heard, from behind the starflower bush?”

  They nodded.

  “Earlier today,” Goldie continued, “the Tabbypaws and I heard strange sounds in the forest, rather like that grunt.”

  Jess frowned. “Could it have been the Boggits?”

  The Boggits were the mean, filthy helpers of Grizelda the witch. She’d promised the Boggits a dirty, muddy new home if they helped her get rid of all the animals in Friendship Forest.

  Before Goldie could reply, there was a loud crash from inside the café. She ran inside, while Jess and Lily kneeled to peer through the doorway.

  Mr. and Mrs. Longwhiskers, the owners of the café, were scratching their ears and staring at a heap of saucepans on the floor.

  “What happened?” Mrs. Longwhiskers wondered aloud. “They were on the draining board by the window a second ago.”

  The cat’s ears twitched thoughtfully as she came back outside to join the girls. “Something strange is going on in Friendship Forest,” Goldie said. “I wonder what.”

  An hour later, Goldie, Bella, and the girls arrived at Goldie’s grotto. It was a cave in another beautiful clearing. Beside the cave grew the Blossom Briar, a tall bush with colorful flowers as big as footballs. The girls knew that the Blossom Briar was connected to every flower in Friendship Forest. As long as it was healthy, the flowers would bloom, too.

  Goldie opened the red front door that had a window the shape of a letter G, and they all went inside. On the mossy floor was a comfy bed, a squishy armchair, a table, and a fat, round footstool.

  They ate pumpkin and pine nut soup with wild garlic bread, then curled up on the floor in a nest of quilts, blankets, and piles of soft cushions. Bella put her night goggles into her backpack and hung it on a hook, then clambered onto Jess’s lap.

  “It’s so cozy and comfortable,” said Jess, stroking the kitten.

  Bella started to purr. “Tell me stories about the human world!” she said.

  Lily told Bella all about the wildlife hospital. When she finished, Bella said, “More!” so Jess told tales about school and the funny things their teacher said.

  “More! More!” said Bella.

  “I know,” said Goldie, “I’ll tell you the legend of Friendship Forest.”

  “What’s a legend?” asked Bella.

  “A very old story,” said Goldie, “but we don’t know if it’s really true.”

  “Ooh!” said Bella.

  So Goldie began. “Deep beneath Friendship Forest are many long-lost tunnels …”

  “Wow!” said Bella, eyes wide. “Who lives there?”

  “Nobody knows,” said Goldie. “The legend tells that the tunnels are filled with wonderful jewels, some as small as apple seeds, and some as big as a kitten!”

  “I’d love to explore the tunnels and find some jewels,” said Bella dreamily. She yawned and wriggled into a tighter ball. In a moment, she was asleep.

  Goldie giggled. “I’ll finish that legend another time.”

  Jess carefully lifted Bella out of her lap and onto a quilt. Her paws twitched. “I think she’s dreaming,” Jess whispered with a grin.

  The girls and Goldie snuggled down, too. They were just drifting off when they heard a rough, gruff sound outside.

  “Hegga hegga!” it went.

  Jess and Lily sat bolt upright. What was that?

  Goldie’s ears pricked. “Girls,” she whispered. “I think something’s outside!”

  Jess leaped up and ran outside, followed by Lily and Goldie. She spotted a shadowy shape among the trees.

  “Over there!” Jess pointed, but the shadow had gone.

  They went back inside, and Goldie made mugs of hot honey-milk.

  Bella snuffled softly. She hadn’t heard a thing.

  “That was strange,” Lily murmured as they settled back among the blankets. She stroked the sleeping kitten anxiously. “I hope Grizelda and her Boggits aren’t back in the forest.” Her mind whirring, Lily drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

  The next morning, Lily woke first. When she saw the cave roof, she wondered where she was. Then she remembered.

  Goldie’s grotto, she thought with a smile. I wonder if Bella’s awake yet.

  She rolled over to see. But Bella wasn’t there.

  Lily shook Jess and Goldie awake. “I can’t find Bella,” she told them.

  “She’s probably burrowed under the covers,” said Goldie.

  They searched among the quilts and blankets and called Bella’s name. But there was no sign of the little kitten.

  Jess’s hands flew to her mouth. “She’s gone!” she cried.

  Lily pointed to an empty hook. “Her backpack’s gone, too,” she exclaimed.

  Lily went pale. “Remember the noises we heard last night? Maybe Bella woke up and heard them, too, and went to find out what was making them!”

  Goldie’s whiskers twitched with worry. “Let’s hurry back to Toadstool Glade,” she said. “If Bella’s gone off exploring, someone might have seen her.”

  She grabbed her scarf. Outside, they saw that it had rained heavily in the night. Raindrops sparkled on the leaves of the Blossom Briar.

  “I hope poor Bella didn’t get soaked,” said Lily as they hurried after Goldie.

  At Toadstool Glade, Goldie jumped on a log and called to all the animals. “Has anyone seen Bella Tabbypaw?”

  “Not since yesterday,” said Mrs. Twinkletail the mouse.

  Mrs. Longwhiskers nodded. “The last time we saw her was when she left for the sleepover.”

  Goldie frowned thoughtfully. “Has anyone heard anything strange in the forest? Or seen anything odd? It might help us find out where Bella is.”

  A duckling wearing red boots waddled forward. It was Ellie Featherbill! The girls had stopped Grizelda and her Boggits from ruining Willowtree River, where the Featherbills lived. Ellie’s seven brothers and sisters, also wearing brightly colored boots, waddled after her.

  “We’ve just been playing in puddles,” Ellie said shyly. “My brother Stanley saw footprints in the mud. Big ones! Come and see!”

  When Goldie and the girls reached the spot in the forest where the ducklings were playing, they found four sets of large footprints and one set of tiny paw prints.

  They stared at one another in horror.

  “There’s only one kind of creature that could have made those big prints,” said Goldie grimly. “Boggits!”

  “Four Boggits and Bella,” said Lily in dismay. “Do you think they’ve kidnapped her, like they did to Lucy Longwhiskers?”

  “I’m afraid it looks like it,” said Goldie.

  “Come on,” said Jess. “We’ve got to get Bella back!”

  They thanked the Featherbill ducklings for their help and set off to follow the prints through the forest. They were soon deep among the trees.

  “Let’s hurry,” said Goldie, glancing up at the sky. “It looks like it’s going to rain again.”

  Sure enough, moments later, fat raindrops began to fall.

  “We’ll be soaking wet soon,” said Lily, shaking water from her bangs.

  Jess stopped and pointed. “Oh, no—the rain’s washing the footprints away!”

  To their dismay, the prints were disappearing before their eyes. They hurried on, now unsure if they were going the right way.

  “Where can Bella be?” Lily wondered aloud. “She must be so scared.” She stopped to peer through the falling rain. “There aren’t so many trees here, are there? It’s almost as if we’re coming to—”

  “The edge of Friendship Forest!” said Goldie in alarm. “I’ve never been this far before. Oh, girls, I’m so sorry. I don’
t know where Bella is, and I don’t know where we are, either! This place smells horrible.”

  Jess comforted the tearful cat while Lily took a look around. She pushed through straggly bushes and gasped as her foot sank into something squishy.

  Before her was a vast, oozing pool of runny, yellow-brown mud. Bubbles rose to the surface and popped, sending up stinking greenish clouds of gas. It smelled like old drains.

  “Help!” she cried. “My foot’s stuck in a swamp!”

  “Lily! Hold on!” Jess cried.

  Goldie grasped Jess around the waist to stop her from slipping into the swamp, too, and Jess reached out a hand to Lily. Lily clutched it. Together, Jess and Goldie pulled her free of the swamp.

  Lily pushed back her dripping hair and wiped mud off her pants with wet leaves. “Thank you!” she said. “But now we’re filthy, as well as soaked!”

  Jess used a stick to scrape her sneaker clean, and Goldie shook glistening water droplets from her fur.

  “Now what?” Lily said. “We can’t go any farther, because of the swamp.”

  “The Boggits and Bella can’t have come this way, either. Let’s go back to where we last saw footprints,” Jess suggested.

  It had stopped raining, but they had to splash through lots of puddles on their way back to where the prints had been.

  “I definitely saw a print here,” said Jess, stopping.

  The path split into three directions. One led to the swamp and another went back to the Toadstool Glade.

  Goldie pointed down the third path. “They must have gone down there. Come on!”

  The three friends ran along the path. It took them past thick, stumpy trees, across a leafy glade, and alongside a bubbling stream. They skittered down a slope between prickly berry bushes, but found their way blocked by a huge heap of large gray boulders.

  “It’s a dead end,” groaned Lily. “They’re not here.”

  “All this way for nothing,” Jess said sadly. She went to sit on the nearest boulder.

  “Stop!” Lily cried, pulling her back.