Molly Twinkletail Runs Away

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Map of Friendship Forest

  Epigraph

  CHAPTER ONE: A Golden Visitor

  CHAPTER TWO: Friendship Forest

  CHAPTER THREE: Grizelda!

  CHAPTER FOUR: Ace Air Travel

  CHAPTER FIVE: Trouble at the Treasure Tree

  CHAPTER SIX: The Paddlefoots

  CHAPTER SEVEN: The Sparkly Falls Plan

  CHAPTER EIGHT: A Bath for the Boggits

  Sneak Peek

  Puzzle Fun!

  Lily and Jess’s Animal Care Tips

  Copyright

  Jess Forester and her best friend, Lily Hart, were in the kitchen of the little house where Jess lived with her dad, finishing their lunch.

  “I’m so full!” said Lily, patting the front of her T-shirt. “Your dad’s pizzas are amazing.”

  Jess grinned. “It’s lucky you live just across the road so you can come over whenever he makes them.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed your lunch,” said Mr. Forester as he came into the kitchen. “Now, what are you up to this afternoon?”

  “We’re going to see the animals, of course!” said Jess.

  Lily’s parents ran the Helping Paw Wildlife Hospital in the converted barn behind their house. Both the girls loved to help look after the animals.

  “An injured fox cub came in this morning,” added Lily. “We should check on him first.”

  Jess nodded, making her blond curls bounce. “Good idea,” she said. “That’s the best thing about summer vacation—spending lots of time with the animals!”

  “Wait!” said Mr. Forester. “Where do dirty plates go?”

  “In the sink,” chanted Lily and Jess.

  As they stacked the dishes, Jess heard a soft scratching noise. “Listen,” she said.

  Skkks skkks skkks …

  “It sounds like it’s coming from under your sink,” said Lily.

  The girls crouched down to take a look. Lily pushed her bobbed dark hair behind her ears as she eased the cupboard door open. “Oh!” she whispered.

  Inside was the most adorable tiny brown mouse, with ears so pink and pale the girls could almost see through them. It blinked its bright little eyes, then scurried behind the dustpan.

  “It’s so cute!” whispered Lily.

  Mr. Forester laughed. “It certainly is,” he said, “but it can’t stay there. We’ll need to catch it!”

  He rooted around in a cupboard and produced a long plastic box with a little door at one end. “See?” he said. “Once the mouse is inside, the door will close behind it. Then we can release it somewhere safe. But first,” he went on, “we need something to tempt it into the box.”

  “Mice like chocolate,” suggested Jess.

  “And peanut butter!” said Lily. “Let’s try some of each.”

  After they’d set the trap and put it back in the cupboard, the girls said good-bye to Mr. Forester and walked across Brightley Lane to the wildlife hospital.

  They passed through Lily’s yard, pausing at the rabbit run. A bunny with a bandaged foot hopped slowly to the fence and gazed at them.

  “Look at that snuffly little nose,” Jess cooed.

  Lily smiled. “He reminds me of another rabbit—little Lucy Longwhiskers! I still can hardly believe that we had an adventure in a magical forest!”

  Jess nodded. “It was amazing, wasn’t it?” She sighed. “All those adorable animals talking—and their cute little houses. And Goldie, too!”

  Goldie was a magical cat who had once been a patient at Helping Paw. She had taken Lily and Jess into the secret world of Friendship Forest to help defeat Grizelda, a nasty witch. Grizelda wanted to drive out all the animals so she could have the forest for herself.

  The girls passed the burrow Mr. and Mrs. Hart had built for the injured badgers. Next to it was a grove of trees where two fawns lay in the shade, each with a plaster cast on one leg. They stirred, blinking up at something with their long-lashed eyes.

  Jess followed their gaze. There was a flash of gold in one of the trees.

  “Look!” she cried. “It’s Goldie!”

  A cat with golden fur darted through the branches. She leaped down beside the girls and they kneeled to stroke her silky head.

  “It’s lovely to see you,” said Lily. She turned to Jess. “Goldie said she’d find us if Grizelda was up to no good again. Is that why you’re here, Goldie?”

  The cat mewed, then darted toward Brightley Stream, which flowed at the bottom of the Harts’ garden. She paused and looked back at the girls.

  “She wants us to follow her,” cried Jess. “She must be taking us back to Friendship Forest!”

  Goldie jumped across the stepping-stones that crossed the stream and the girls skipped after her. They followed Goldie to the middle of Brightley Meadow, where a bare oak tree stood. As the cat reached it, leaves and blossoms sprang from its branches, bringing the tree to life. Bees buzzed among the flowers and birds sang from the branches.

  Goldie touched a paw to the letters carved around the trunk.

  “We both have to read it, remember?” said Lily, excitement fluttering inside her.

  Jess nodded and counted, “One, two, three …”

  “Friendship Forest!” the girls sang out together.

  Instantly, a small door appeared in the tree trunk, as high as the girls’ shoulders. Jess reached for the leaf-shaped handle and opened it. A shimmering golden light shone from inside.

  With a meow, Goldie leaped through the door.

  Jess grinned at Lily. “Ready?”

  “You bet!” said Lily. They held hands and ducked inside, following Goldie into Friendship Forest.

  Dazzling golden light surrounded the girls, and their skin tingled all over. “We’re getting smaller!” said Jess.

  When the light faded, the girls were in a sun-dappled forest clearing, surrounded by tall trees. Bright flowers nodded in the breeze, their scents filling the air. They gasped with delight as they saw, once more, the little cottages that edged Toadstool Glade.

  “Welcome back,” said a soft voice. Lily and Jess turned to see Goldie smiling at them. She was standing upright now, and a glittery scarf was looped around her neck. Because the girls had shrunk slightly, their friend was almost as tall as their shoulders.

  “Goldie!” cried Lily, hugging her.

  “It’s even more magical than I remember,” said Jess. “Look, Lily! There’s the Toadstool Café!” She pointed to a little red-painted wooden building with white spots on its roof. It belonged to the Longwhiskers—a family of rabbits the girls had met when they first came to the forest.

  The café door opened and a tiny rabbit came running out, her white tail bobbing behind her. “Hello, Lily, hello, Jess!” Lucy Longwhiskers hugged their ankles. “It’s so nice to see you again.”

  “Hello, Lucy,” Lily said, kneeling to stroke the little bunny. “You’ve got flour on your ears!”

  Lucy giggled and shook her ears so the flour came off in a cloud. “I’m helping my mom and dad make seed cakes,” she explained. “We’ve got lots more baking to do. See you soon!” With an excited squeak, she hurried back indoors.

  All sorts of animals were scurrying through Toadstool Glade, calling hello to the girls as they passed by. A mole waddled along with a basket of berries over one paw, and a young hedgehog was pushing a little wheelbarrow filled with pine nuts, walnuts, and sweet chestnuts.

  “It’s Harry Prickleback,” Jess remembered. “Hi, Harry!”

  He waved a paw at them.

  “Goldie,” Lily asked, “why did you bring us here? Is Grizelda back?”

  The cat shook her golden head. “Not yet, I’m happy to say!�
� She smiled. “I’ve brought you here because there’s a fair in Sunshine Meadow today. I thought you might like to come.”

  The girls looked at each other excitedly. “We’d love to!” Lily said.

  “So that’s why everyone looks so busy,” exclaimed Jess. “They’re getting ready for the fair!”

  Harry was pushing his wheelbarrow back across the clearing. It was now filled with so many nuts that he couldn’t see over the top, and his steering was off. As the girls and Goldie dodged out of Harry’s way, Jess’s little sketchbook fell from the pocket of her shorts.

  She bent to pick it up, but a tiny golden-brown mouse got there first.

  “I’ll get it!” the mouse squeaked.

  Lily held her breath as the mouse struggled to lift the sketchbook. She’s so small, I could hold her with just one hand, she thought to herself.

  “I’m doing it! I’m doing it!” panted the mouse. She managed to lift the book by one corner, and Jess reached down to take it. The girls kneeled beside her.

  “Thank you,” Jess said. “What’s your name?”

  “Molly,” said the mouse, sitting on a tuft of moss to get her breath back. “Molly Twinkletail.”

  “That’s a pretty name,” said Lily. “You’re very kind.”

  “I love helping people,” Molly said. “I’ve got a mommy and daddy and nine big brothers and sisters, and I help them all!” She twitched her whiskers. “I’m too little to help at our stall at the fair, though, so I’m helping anyone else I can. Are you hungry?” She opened her little bag and showed them what was inside. “Hazelnut chips,” she said. “Try some.”

  Molly tipped the chips into Lily and Jess’s outstretched hands. They were each the size of a grain of rice.

  “Yum!” the girls said together, nibbling the chips.

  “Have some more,” offered Molly.

  “But you won’t have enough left for yourself,” said Goldie.

  “Don’t worry,” said Molly. “I’ll go home and fill my bag again. All this helping is making me hungry!”

  She ran to a nearby tree, scampering up the stairs carved into the trunk and onto a branch where a pretty little cottage stood. A delicious aroma wafted from its open windows.

  “Will you wait and take me to Sunshine Meadow with you?” Molly called down.

  “Of course,” said Goldie. “Just ask your mom and dad if it’s okay first.”

  Molly scurried indoors. A moment later, Jess and Lily saw nine little mouse faces at the windows. Molly’s brothers and sisters!

  They waved, then Molly herself ran out, followed by a smiling mouse wearing an apron who introduced herself to the girls as Molly’s mother.

  “What’s that delicious smell?” asked Lily.

  “We’re dipping blueberries in toffee,” explained Mrs. Twinkletail. “Look for us at the fair, won’t you? Don’t get into any trouble, Molly. Good-bye, everyone!”

  Holding her bag of hazelnut chips, Molly settled happily in Lily’s hands. The four friends set off for Sunshine Meadow and the fair.

  Goldie led the girls through the trees. A bush of pale pink roses grew beside the path and Lily stopped to admire the delicate flowers. Molly leaned out of her pocket and wriggled her nose.

  “They smell just like my mom’s strawberry pancakes!” she squeaked.

  “All the flowers look beautiful, Goldie,” said Lily, looking around them. “Does that mean the Blossom Briar is better now?”

  The Blossom Briar grew beside the cave where Goldie lived. As long as it was covered in blooms, all the flowers in Friendship Forest would thrive. Grizelda had tried to destroy it, but luckily the girls and Goldie had stopped her.

  The cat nodded happily. “It’s covered in new buds!” She led them out of the trees. “Now, here’s Sunshine Meadow!”

  The girls gasped as they stepped into a field of lush green grass. It was dotted with blooms of orange, yellow, and deep red.

  “It’s beautiful,” Jess cried.

  “The flowers are all the colors of sunshine,” said Lily. She set Molly Twinkletail on the ground and handed her the bag of hazelnut chips.

  “Thanks for the ride,” said Molly. “I’m off to do some more helping. See you later!”

  They waved good-bye to the tiny mouse, and watched as the meadow began to fill with animals preparing their stalls and games.

  Goldie pointed to where a squirrel was setting up an apple-bobbing game—but his apples had fallen onto the ground. “I think Woody Flufftail needs a hand,” she said.

  They went over to Woody’s stall and helped him gather up the runaway fruit.

  “These look delicious,” Lily told him as she picked up a rosy apple from under the table.

  “Here, try one!” Woody said. He held out an apple in each paw to Lily and Jess.

  “Mmm,” said Jess, biting into the crunchy fruit. “It’s the best apple I’ve ever tasted!”

  “They’re from the Treasure Tree,” Woody explained. “That’s where we get all our food from.”

  Before the girls could ask Woody more about the Treasure Tree, Lily spotted Molly scurrying toward them.

  “I helped Agatha Glitterwing the magpie set out all the shiny prizes for her raffle,” she said breathlessly. “And I helped Lucy Longwhiskers arrange her seed cakes.”

  “Goodness—” Lily began, but Molly Twinkletail took a breath and carried on.

  “And I helped Mr. Cleverfeather set up his Bubble-Blower machine,” she said. “He’s an owl and a brilliant inventor.”

  The girls grinned at each other. “We met Mr. Cleverfeather last time we were here—in his inventing hut,” said Jess.

  “Bother!” Woody exclaimed suddenly.

  “What’s the matter?” asked Lily.

  “I’ve only got big apples for my game,” he said. “I completely forgot to pick small ones for the little animals!”

  Molly clapped her front paws together. With an excited squeak, she scurried away again.

  “Molly, where are you going?” Jess called, but the little mouse had already disappeared.

  Just then, a glint of light above the forest caught Lily’s eye. A glowing yellow-green orb was floating toward the meadow. The girls had seen it before, when they first came to the forest …

  Lily felt her tummy flip over. She nudged Jess. “It looks like Grizelda has decided to join the fair, too,” she said nervously.

  Jess gasped. “Oh, no!”

  As the orb got closer, all the animals stopped what they were doing to watch. When it had reached the center of the meadow, there was a cra-ack and a shower of green sparks. When the sparks cleared, the girls saw a tall woman in a shiny purple tunic and tight black pants. She had cold, dark eyes and a thin, bony nose.

  “Stay back!” Goldie warned everyone. “Grizelda the witch is here!” All the animals squeaked in fear.

  Grizelda squashed some yellow flowers with the pointy toe of her high-heeled boot. “Well, well.” She sneered. “It’s the cat and her interfering humans.”

  “Go away, Grizelda!” Jess shouted. “Go back to your tower and leave Friendship Forest alone!”

  Grizelda pointed a finger at Woody’s pile of apples, and they disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. With gasps and shouts, the forest animals shrank away from her. Some of them huddled together in groups, with big ones shielding the little ones. Some were crying, and others ran to hide behind the stalls.

  “The poor animals,” whispered Lily. “It’s the first time they’ve seen Grizelda. They’re so frightened!”

  Grizelda’s eyes glittered. “Having a nice time at your little fair, are you?” she screeched. “You should be more careful. I’ve seen your Treasure Tree, with its silly fruit and nuts. While you’re here enjoying yourselves, my Boggits are destroying it. Soon you won’t have anything to eat!”

  The animals gasped with horror. Lily, Jess, and Goldie looked at one another in dismay. They’d met the Boggits—Grizelda’s filthy, horrible helpers—once before.

 
“Ha-ha!” shrieked Grizelda. “You’ll all have to leave Friendship Forest and I’ll make it lovely and gloomy and move here instead!”

  The animals whimpered with fright.

  Jess stepped forward. “Grizelda,” she said bravely, “we stopped you before and we’ll stop you again!”

  The witch glared down her pointed nose. “Think again, humans. This time there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”

  She snapped her fingers. With a flash and a shower of sparks, Grizelda disappeared.

  Jess turned to Lily. “We need to get to the Treasure Tree and stop those Boggits!” she cried.

  Just then, the girls heard a voice say, “Excuse me!”

  They looked around. The whole Twinkletail family was clustered around their ankles!

  Goldie frowned. “Where’s Molly?” she asked the mice.

  “That’s what we came to tell you all! We don’t know!” cried Mrs. Twinkletail, wringing her tiny paws. “We haven’t seen her all afternoon. I’m so worried about her. It’s not safe with Grizelda and the Boggits around.”

  Lily thought hard. What was happening when she saw Molly scurry off? Woody had been saying that he didn’t have any small apples …

  “Oh, no!” she cried. “I think Molly’s gone to the Treasure Tree to collect apples for Woody.”

  Jess groaned. “But that’s where the Boggits are!”

  The Twinkletail family squeaked with panic.

  “What if the Boggits snatch her?” said Mrs. Twinkletail, her whiskers quivering. “Oh, dear, oh, dear! My poor little Molly!”

  Jess and Lily looked anxiously at Goldie. She nodded as if she could tell what they were thinking.

  “We’ll find Molly, Mrs. Twinkletail,” Goldie said. “We’ll bring her home safely, I promise!”

  Goldie took hold of the girls’ hands and led them across Sunshine Meadow.

  “I know a way to get to the Treasure Tree in no time,” she said. “Come with me!”

  On the other side of the meadow, they found a tall stork wearing a flying helmet with a badge that read ACE AIR TRAVEL.