Olympia the Games Fairy Read online

  I want to bike and swim and run,

  And I have to win or it’s no fun!

  But I don’t want to train and have aching feet,

  I’d much rather steal and lie and cheat!

  Olympia’s magic can give me a hand,

  So, goblins, off to Fairyland!

  We’ll steal her magic objects today —

  Then lots of medals will come my way!

  The sparkling swim cap makes you swim fast,

  In the super sneakers I’ll never be last.

  I’ll win with the musical bicycle bell,

  I’m going for gold with this devious spell!

  Find the hidden letters in the sneakers throughout this book. Unscramble all 7 letters to spell a special triathlon word!

  Cover

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Map

  Poem

  The Sparkling Swim Cap

  Swimming Surprise

  Games and Goblins!

  Dragonfly Disguise

  Inside the Otter’s Den

  Olympia’s Lullaby

  The Musical Bicycle Bell

  Bicycle Breakdown

  Super Cyclists!

  Grab That Bell!

  Noise Annoys!

  The Race Begins

  The Super Sneakers

  Ready, Set, Stop!

  Keep on Running!

  Stinking Sneakers!

  A Very Strange Prize

  The Awards Ceremony

  Teaser

  Also Available

  Copyright

  Swimming Surprise

  Games and Goblins!

  Dragonfly Disguise

  Inside the Otter’s Den

  Olympia’s Lullaby

  “This is going to be so exciting!” Kirsty Tate said, beaming at her best friend, Rachel Walker. Kirsty had just arrived in Tippington to stay with Rachel for part of the summer. “It’s the first time I’ve ever been to a —” Kirsty stopped, looking confused. “What did you say this sporting event was called, Rachel?”

  Her friend laughed. “A triathlon,” she reminded Kirsty as Mr. Walker turned the car down a street marked TO THE RIVER. “All the athletes take part in swimming, biking, and running races, one after the other. They don’t even get a break in between! That’s right, isn’t it, Mom?”

  “Yes,” replied Mrs. Walker from the passenger seat. “They go from one event right to the next.”

  Kirsty’s eyes opened wide. “Wow, they must be in good shape!” she exclaimed.

  “I think we’re going to be exhausted from just cheering them on,” joked Mr. Walker, who was searching for an empty space in the packed parking lot.

  The triathlon was taking place in the pretty riverside town of Melford, not far from Tippington. As they all climbed out of the car, Kirsty admired the little thatched cottages and the stone church with its square bell tower. It was a perfect summer day! The sky was bright blue, and the sun beamed down.

  “There are so many people here,” Rachel remarked as they followed the crowd down the street. Up ahead, the girls could see a waterfront area with an old stone bridge spanning the wide river. A set of steps led down to the edge of the river. There, men and women in bathing suits and bright swim caps were standing on the steps, waiting eagerly for the race to start. A big crowd had already gathered. There were spectators sitting on wooden bleachers, and some were also standing on the bridge.

  “How far do they have to swim?” asked Kirsty.

  “See that yellow buoy bobbing around farther down the river?” Mrs. Walker pointed it out to the girls. “The athletes swim around that and come back to where they are now. It’s about a half mile, or 750 meters.”

  “And then they dry themselves off and jump on their bikes for the next part of the triathlon,” Rachel’s dad added.

  Nearby was a roped-off area where there were racks of bicycles with helmets hanging on the handlebars. “The bike race is about twelve and a half miles long.”

  “Oh, I’m getting tired just thinking about it!” Kirsty sighed, making Rachel laugh.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” boomed a voice from a loudspeaker attached to one of the lampposts, “the Melford Triathlon will begin in five minutes! Will all the competitors take their starting positions, please?”

  Rachel and Kirsty watched as the swimmers got into position at the bottom of the steps. The girls also noticed some small boats bobbing around nearby. They were manned by people in white baseball hats with MELFORD TRIATHLON written on the front in blue. Rachel guessed that it was their job to make sure the events ran smoothly.

  “Mom, could Kirsty and I watch from the riverbank?” asked Rachel eagerly. “Then we can get a really good view of the race.”

  Her mom nodded. “We’ll see you back here later,” she told them. “Then we can go and have an ice tea at one of the cafes in Melford.”

  While Mr. and Mrs. Walker found some seats in the bleachers, Kirsty and Rachel hurried along the waterfront to an empty spot near a clump of reeds.

  “Isn’t this magical?” Kirsty remarked. Sunbeams glinted on the water, and the girls could see shimmering blue and green dragonflies dancing across the surface.

  “Speaking of magic, I wonder if we’ll see our fairy friends this summer,” Rachel said with a smile.

  “Oh, I hope so!” Kirsty exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. She and Rachel loved being secret friends with the fairies. They’d had some amazing magical adventures together.

  Just then, there was the sound of a whistle, followed by loud splashes as all the swimmers plunged into the river. There were cheers from the crowd, and Rachel and Kirsty joined in.

  But as the swimmers moved toward the yellow buoy, something very strange happened. Half of the athletes spun around in the water and began heading in the opposite direction! Almost all of the other competitors started swimming around and around in circles without going anywhere at all.

  “What’s happening, Rachel?” Kirsty asked, looking confused.

  “I guess it might have something to do with the currents in the river,” Rachel said. “But they wouldn’t be this bad!”

  The people on the riverbank had stopped cheering and were now murmuring to one another in surprise.

  Everyone stared in amazement as the swimmers bumped into one another. Their arms and legs were getting all tangled up!

  “Look at that boat, Kirsty,” Rachel said. “It’s making things even worse!”

  Kirsty saw that one of the boats was floating around the swimmers, getting in their way and making everything even more chaotic.

  “I thought those people were supposed to be helping!” Kirsty said as the boat chugged past some of the swimmers, forcing them to move out of its way.

  A sparkle on the surface of the river suddenly caught Rachel’s eye, and she nudged Kirsty.

  “There’s one swimmer who seems OK,” Rachel said. She pointed across the water. “See that boy, Kirsty? The one in the shiny swim cap?”

  Kirsty shaded her eyes from the sun and saw one of the swimmers powering through the water toward the yellow buoy. The sunlight was reflecting off his dazzling silver swim cap.

  “I wonder how he can swim in the right direction when everyone else is having trouble.” Kirsty said with a frown.

  “I think that boat’s trying to catch up with him,” said Rachel. The boat had managed to get free of the crowd of swimmers, and it was now sailing toward the one in the sparkly cap. At that moment, there was another announcement over the loudspeaker.

  “Attention, everyone!” it boomed. “Due to unusual currents in the r
iver, the race will be postponed while the organizers check things out.”

  Rachel and Kirsty glanced at each other in disappointment.

  “Oh, I feel so sorry for all the swimmers!” Kirsty sighed.

  “I bet the boy in the shiny swim cap isn’t too happy,” Rachel said. “He was really far in the lead!”

  As the girls watched, the officials began to lower dinghies from their boats to pick up the floundering swimmers. As she waited to see what would happen next, Rachel noticed something very unusual. The clump of tall green reeds next to them was glowing with an amazing golden light.

  “Kirsty!” Rachel whispered, nudging her friend. “See that? I think it really is magic!”

  As Rachel spoke, a tiny glittering fairy peeked out from behind the reeds.

  “Hello, girls,” she called as Rachel and Kirsty both caught their breath in excitement. “I’m Olympia the Games Fairy!”

  Olympia flew over to the girls, fluttering from reed to reed so that no one in the crowd would spot her. Finally she came to rest on the riverbank. The girls sat down on the grass so that they could talk to her without being seen. Her golden hair sparkled in the sunlight and she was wearing a red running outfit with a blue warm-up jacket over it.

  “Oh, girls, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you!” Olympia exclaimed. “I was just at the Fairyland Games, and everything there is such a mess!”

  “The Fairyland Games?” Kirsty repeated. “What are those, Olympia?”

  “We have swimming, biking, and running events,” Olympia explained, “just like you’re watching here today. It’s my responsibility to look after all tournaments in the human and the fairy worlds.”

  “You mean like this triathlon?” asked Rachel.

  Olympia nodded. “I have three magical objects to help me,” she explained. “The sparkling swim cap makes all swimming events safe and fun. Then there’s my musical bicycle bell — that ensures that bike races run smoothly. And the super sneakers make sure that all running events are successful.”

  “So what happened at the Fairyland Games?” Kirsty wanted to know.

  “Well, the swimming event was just about to start,” Olympia said with a sigh, “but when the competitors dove into the water, they all began swimming in circles or heading in the wrong direction! And that’s when I discovered that my sparkling swim cap was missing.”

  Kirsty and Rachel exchanged excited glances.

  “That’s exactly what happened here, too, Olympia,” Rachel told her. “But everyone thinks the currents in the river are causing the swimmers’ problems.”

  Olympia looked worried. “I have to find the sparkling swim cap,” she murmured anxiously. “If I don’t, the swimming events at the human and fairy games will be ruined!”

  “Did Jack Frost and his goblins steal your sparkling swim cap, Olympia?” asked Kirsty. Whenever there was a problem in Fairyland, it was usually because of cold-hearted Jack Frost and his naughty goblins. “Are they up to their old tricks again?”

  “I’m not sure,” Olympia replied slowly. “There were some goblins hanging around watching the Fairyland Games. I overheard them talking about sneaking off to the human world to have some fun, so I followed them here. I don’t know if they have the sparkling swim cap, but I can feel that it’s somewhere close by!”

  “We’ll help you look for it,” Rachel suggested. “I don’t think the race will start again for a while.”

  Kirsty, Rachel, and Olympia glanced across the water. The officials’ boats were still picking up swimmers. Most of the swimmers had been rescued by now, and Kirsty could see that the only one left splashing around in the water was the boy in the shiny swim cap. The boat that had caused all the chaos earlier was now almost even with him. The boy’s silver swim cap was glittering in the sunlight. As he raised his head from the water to look up at the boat, Kirsty caught a glimpse of a long green nose. Shocked, she clapped her hand over her mouth.

  “Olympia, I can see a goblin in the water,” Kirsty said, “and I think he’s wearing your sparkling swim cap!”

  Olympia took a long look at the lone swimmer in the water, and then her face broke into a huge smile.

  “You’re right, Kirsty,” she declared. “Nice job!”

  “What now?” asked Rachel. “We need to get the sparkling swim cap from that goblin! But how?”

  “I’ll turn you into fairies,” Olympia decided. “Then we can fly out to the goblin and try to grab the cap before the boat picks him up. Does that sound like a good plan?”

  “That’s a great idea,” Kirsty replied.

  Rachel looked a little worried. “There are a lot of people here to watch the triathlon,” she pointed out. “What if someone sees us?”

  “I’ve already thought of that,” Olympia replied with a grin. “See all the dragonflies fluttering over the surface of the water? Well, we’re going to be dragonflies, too!”

  Olympia pointed her wand at Kirsty and Rachel, and a mist of magical fairy dust surrounded them. The girls felt themselves shrinking down so quickly that it left them breathless! In just a few seconds, they were the exact same size as Olympia. Kirsty and Rachel each had their own pair of delicate fairy wings on their backs. But as they fluttered up into the air with Olympia, the girls saw that with every movement, all their wings glittered with shiny blue and green metallic sparkles.

  “My fairy magic made us a dragonfly disguise!” Olympia laughed. “Now let’s go and stop that goblin from getting away with my sparkling swim cap!”

  Olympia zoomed off across the river, and Rachel and Kirsty followed. They flew as fast as they could, skimming the surface of the water and dodging around the real dragonflies on the way. But they weren’t quite fast enough! Ahead, they could see that the officials’ boat had already reached the goblin swimmer.

  “Oh, no!” Olympia exclaimed as they flew closer. “Look, girls! Those people on the boat are goblins, too. See the big green ears poking out from under their baseball hats?”

  Rachel’s heart sank as she realized that Olympia was right. Two of the goblins on the boat were struggling to untie the dinghy, while the third and biggest goblin was leaning over the side, shouting at the swimmer.

  “It’s my turn to wear the sparkling swim cap now,” the big goblin yelled. “Hand it over!”

  The goblin swimmer was treading water, looking annoyed. “No way!” he muttered.

  The big goblin glared at him. Suddenly, he reached over the side and pulled the sparkling swim cap right off the other goblin’s head!

  “Give that back!” the swimming goblin howled as Olympia, Rachel, and Kirsty hovered silently above them. The other two goblins on the boat saw what was happening. They abandoned the dinghy and rushed over to the big goblin.

  “I want to wear the sparkling swim cap!” one of them roared, trying to grab it from him.

  “No, me!” the other shrieked. Meanwhile, the goblin in the water was climbing up the side of the boat. He jumped onto the deck and tried to snatch the sparkling swim cap back from the big goblin. As all four goblins fought over it, the swim cap slipped from their fingers and flew over the side of the boat. It fell into the river with a splash, then bobbed up and down in the water.

  “Come on!” Olympia whispered to Rachel and Kirsty. “Now’s our chance!”

  “You fools!” the big goblin shouted. “Quick, someone dive in and get it!”

  Olympia, Rachel, and Kirsty swooped down to the water, their eyes fixed on the sparkling swim cap. They were determined to get it before the goblins did. But then Kirsty spotted a sleek brown shape gliding silently through the water. It was an otter — and it was heading straight for the sparkling swim cap!

  With one smooth movement, it grabbed the cap in its teeth, turned around, and swam off again.

  “Oh, no!” Olympia cried. “Girls, we
have to follow that otter!”

  The three friends flew after the otter, skimming low across the surface of the water. Behind them, they could hear the goblins grumbling and groaning, all blaming one another for losing the sparkling swim cap.

  “I wonder why the otter wants a swim cap,” Rachel said. The otter was swimming toward the opposite bank of the river with the sparkling swim cap still clutched firmly in its mouth.

  “I have no idea,” Olympia admitted. “I just hope we can persuade the otter to give it back!”

  The otter reached the riverbank. She scrambled out of the water and slipped out of sight into a hole among the tree roots.

  “She went into her holt,” said Olympia, fluttering around outside the hole. “That’s what an otter’s home is called. We’ll have to follow her inside.” She put a finger to her lips. “We need to be very quiet, because we don’t want to scare her.”

  Rachel and Kirsty nodded. Olympia flew into the holt, and the girls followed her.

  It was dark inside, but Olympia used her magic to light their way. As they flew through some interconnected passages, Kirsty was impressed by how well-made the holt was.

  Suddenly, the three friends saw a faint silver light ahead of them. They had reached a big central chamber at the heart of the otter’s den!

  The otter was laying the sparkling swim cap on the ground and smoothing it out with her paws. Olympia, Rachel, and Kirsty smiled when they saw five adorable baby otters curled up in a ball together, watching their mother with big brown eyes.

  “Come along, children,” the otter said. “I’ve found you a nice, cozy new bed!” She patted the swim cap with her paw.