Poppy Muddlepup's Daring Rescue Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Map of Friendship Forest

  Epigraph

  Story One: A Tiny Feather

  CHAPTER ONE: A Runaway Dog

  CHAPTER TWO: The Flower Festival

  CHAPTER THREE: Grizelda’s Back!

  CHAPTER FOUR: Mrs. Taptree’s Library

  CHAPTER FIVE: Honey Needlenose

  Story Two: Jewel Water

  CHAPTER ONE: A Mysterious Girl

  CHAPTER TWO: A Thorny Trick

  CHAPTER THREE: Desperate for Help

  CHAPTER FOUR: Bottle Blooms

  CHAPTER FIVE: The Treasure Tree

  Story Three: Sunrise Berries

  CHAPTER ONE: A Ride to the Tower

  CHAPTER TWO: A Frightening Climb

  CHAPTER THREE: The Black Vine

  CHAPTER FOUR: Back to the Den

  CHAPTER FIVE: Good-bye, Muddlepups!

  Copyright

  Light snow had just started to fall as Lily Hart spotted her best friend, Jess Forester, coming out of her house across the lane. She ran down the frosty path to meet her.

  “I hope you’re coming to help in the wildlife hospital!” she called, covering her short dark hair with a woolly hat.

  Jess laughed as she pulled her earmuffs over her blond curls. “Of course I am,” she said, checking that the road was clear. “You know I’d come every day if I could!”

  The girls lived across the road from each other in the village of Brightley. Jess, her dad, and Pixie the kitten shared a cottage, while Lily and her parents had a house with a large barn at the bottom of the yard. Mr. and Mrs. Hart had converted the barn into the Helping Paw Wildlife Hospital for sick and injured animals. Lily and Jess helped to care for the animals until they could be released back into the wild.

  “We just rescued some baby woodpeckers!” Lily said, taking Jess past the barn to a new aviary. It was a special enclosure, with room for birds to fly around inside. Mr. Hart was filling a nest box with wood chips, and Mrs. Hart was crouched inside the aviary with a big basket.

  She blew a strand of dark hair away from her eyes and grinned at them. “Hello, you two. These woodpecker chicks have hatched very late in the year. We’re taking care of them until they’re grown. Would you like to introduce them to their cozy new nest box?”

  “Yes, please!” Lily and Jess said eagerly. They peered into the basket.

  The chicks flapped their black-and-white wings, chirping, “Kwick! Kwick!”

  “Brrr, I’m going to make some hot chocolate,” said Mrs. Hart, standing up. “Come up to the house when you’ve settled them. You’ll need warming up.”

  Once the nest box was ready, Jess and Lily gently lifted the tiny woodpecker chicks inside.

  “Kwick, kwick!” they chattered.

  “Can we watch them for a bit, Dad?” asked Lily. “We’ll be very quiet.”

  “Of course,” he replied. “Pop the lid back on when you’re done. We don’t want them getting snowed on!” He waved good-bye as he followed Mrs. Hart back to the house.

  The chicks used their long, pointed beaks to poke about in the wood chips.

  “They’re trying to make a cozy hole to sit in,” said Lily. “Aren’t they sweet?”

  Suddenly, Jess heard barking. “It sounds like there’s a dog in the road,” she said. “I wonder who it belongs to?”

  Lily closed the nest-box lid and the two girls ran to peer over the hedge. A small brown dog was standing underneath a pine tree. Its leash was trailing behind it and it was barking at something up in the branches.

  Jess pointed down the road. A boy she recognized from their class at school was calling, “Barney! Here, boy!”

  “It’s Ollie!” she said. “Let’s catch Barney for him.”

  They quietly crept up behind the runaway dog. He was so busy staring into the tree that he didn’t notice them. Lily grabbed the leash and Jess ruffled Barney’s soft brown ears.

  Ollie came running up to them. “Thanks, you two,” he panted. “Barney, you’re so much trouble.” He tickled the dog’s chin. “Home time for you.” As they went off, Barney left neat puppy paw prints in the newly fallen snow alongside Ollie’s boot-sized ones.

  Jess started back to the wildlife hospital, but stopped when she realized Lily was still looking up into the pine tree. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “I was wondering why Barney was barking at the tree,” said Lily. “Then I thought I saw a flash of gold … Yes, look!” she cried, pointing up to where a beautiful green-eyed cat stepped lightly along a branch toward her. “It’s Goldie!”

  The cat leaped into her arms, purring and rubbing her head against Lily’s chin. The girls knew Goldie well. She was a magical cat who lived in Friendship Forest, a secret world full of talking animals! Goldie had taken the girls on four adventures there.

  “We haven’t seen you in so long, Goldie!” Lily said. “We missed you.”

  Jess stroked the cat’s golden fur. “I wonder why she’s come back here today? Maybe Friendship Forest is in danger again!”

  Lily shuddered. “I hope not!”

  The girls had worked with Goldie to stop a nasty witch named Grizelda from taking over the forest. At the end of their last adventure, the girls had made a new home in the swamp for Grizelda’s helpers, the Boggits. This had convinced the creatures to stop helping the witch with her plan to drive the animals out of their forest.

  The cat jumped out of Lily’s arms and turned toward the Harts’ garden, meowing loudly.

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

  Excitement fluttered inside the girls as they hurried after Goldie. She led them past the wildlife hospital, then toward Brightley Stream, which flowed at the bottom of the yard. The girls stepped carefully on the stones, which were slippery with snow.

  In the middle of the frosty meadow stood an oak tree. It looked bare and lifeless, but as they drew near, something magical started to happen …

  Suddenly, dark-green leaves sprang from every branch, and scarlet berries gleamed in the winter sun. Red-breasted robins swooped from all directions to chirp sweetly in the high branches.

  “Wow!” gasped Lily. “We’ve never seen it like this before, have we? There are snowflakes drifting around it, instead of butterflies and bees.”

  “It’s as if it’s put on a winter coat!” exclaimed Jess.

  The purring cat stretched up a paw to touch the words that had magically appeared on the tree trunk.

  “Ready?” Jess asked her friend.

  Lily nodded, and together they read the words aloud. “Friend … ship … For … est!”

  A door, as high as the girls’ shoulders, appeared in the trunk. In the center was a leaf-shaped handle. When Jess opened the door, golden light poured out, and Goldie sprang inside. Jess took Lily’s hand and they ducked through into the shimmering, magical glow.

  Both girls felt a familiar tingle, and knew that they were shrinking. When the glow faded, they found themselves in a sunlit forest clearing. Tall trees rustled in the warm breeze, and the familiar scent of cotton candy flowers filled the air.

  “We’re back in Friendship Forest!” said Lily. “And it’s sunny!” She started shrugging off her jacket. “I don’t think we’ll need these warm clothes,” she said with a grin.

  She added her earmuffs to the pile of jackets, scarves, hats, and gloves they made in a hollow beside the tree. The girls exchanged an excited glance. Now that they were back in Friendship Forest, who knew what kind of adventure—and magic—lay ahead?

  “At last I can talk to you,” sighed a soft voice happily.
r />   Jess and Lily turned to see Goldie holding out her paws to them. She was standing upright, as tall as their shoulders now that they had shrunk, and wearing her golden scarf. Like all the Friendship Forest creatures, she could talk.

  “Oh, Goldie, it’s wonderful to be in Friendship Forest again!” cried Lily as the cat hugged them.

  “Is that horrible witch, Grizelda, back?” asked Lily anxiously.

  Goldie shook her head. “No,” she said, “but I do need your help.” She sat on a mossy tuffet and the girls settled down beside her.

  “Do you remember that I was once a stray in the human world,” Goldie began, “before I found my way here to Friendship Forest?”

  Jess and Lily nodded.

  “A young dog was very kind to me then,” said Goldie. “You know him. He’s named Barney.”

  “So that’s why he was barking at the pine tree,” said Lily. “He wasn’t chasing you—he was excited to see you!”

  “That’s right,” said Goldie. “And today is Barney’s birthday, so I want to visit him. But every year, I judge the Friendship Forest Flower Festival, and guess what?”

  “That’s today, too?” asked Jess.

  Goldie nodded. “Would you two take my place and be the festival judges?”

  Lily’s eyes shone. “Of course!” she said.

  Jess was already on her feet. “I can’t wait!” she said. “We’ll see all our animal friends again!”

  “Thank you,” Goldie said, smiling. “I knew I could rely on you two. The festival is in Sunshine Meadow. Come on, I’ll take you there!”

  They followed Goldie through the forest to Sunshine Meadow. Red, yellow, and orange flowers glowed brightly in the grass. A long table was set up in the middle, covered with shiny prizes made by Agatha Glitterwing, the magpie. Animals were setting out floral arrangements on smaller tables dotted all around the meadow.

  Jess sniffed. “Those flowers smell so lovely!” she said.

  Just then, Woody Flufftail, a young squirrel, cried out, “Look, everyone! Goldie’s brought Jess and Lily!”

  In a few moments, the girls were surrounded by the friends they’d made on their adventures in Friendship Forest. Lucy Longwhiskers and the rest of her rabbit family hopped up and down in excitement, while Ellie Featherbill, the duckling, quacked with joy.

  Molly Twinkletail, the mouse, darted toward them. “You’re back! You’re back!” she squeaked. She was so little that Lily could scoop her up in one hand for a cuddle.

  Bella Tabbypaw, the kitten, waved as she skipped over to them. “It’s the girls! Hooray!” she cried, hugging Lily’s and Jess’s legs.

  “Hello, Bella!” said Jess, stroking the kitten’s striped head. The girls had helped rescue Lucy, Molly, Ellie, and Bella from Grizelda and her terrible helpers. It was so nice to see them safe and happy.

  Goldie explained to Agatha, the festival organizer, that the girls were going to be the judges instead of her.

  “Welcome, girls!” said Agatha with a flap of her wings. “It’s nice to meet you. Come on, everyone, let’s get our flowers ready for the contest!”

  The animals ran off, squealing and squeaking in excitement.

  “I’ll be back soon,” Goldie told Lily and Jess as she hugged them good-bye. “Have a wonderful time!”

  “Bye, Goldie!” they called. “Have fun with Barney!”

  While some of the animals were setting up displays of flowers, others were running food stalls or organizing games. Mrs. Twinkletail, Molly’s mother, gave them each a piece of cake from her stall.

  “Yum,” said Jess, taking a bite. “It tastes like roses! There are even sugared rose petals on the icing.”

  Lily pointed out a group of young animals who were using an enormous daisy chain as a jump rope. “Look—everything at the festival involves flowers!”

  Jess noticed two puppies bounding between the stalls. They were as tall as the girls’ knees and had very waggly tails. She and Lily hadn’t met them before.

  “They’re so cute!” Jess whispered to Lily. Then she said to the puppies, “Hello! Who are you?”

  “I’m Poppy Muddlepup,” said one. Her fur was sandy-colored and she wore a red, heart-patterned bandanna around her neck. She was holding a little bag with flowers peeking out of it. “This is my twin brother, Patch.”

  Patch looked just like Poppy, except for the brown patches in his sandy fur. His bandanna was blue and was covered in stars instead of hearts.

  “Goldie told us about you,” said Patch, looking up at the girls. “We’re glad you came. It’s going to be so much fun!”

  Across the meadow, Agatha Glitterwing jangled a bell.

  “Ooh, it’s time for the judging,” said Poppy.

  The first competition was for the biggest bloom. Jess and Lily chose a pale yellow moonflower as the winner. They were delighted to find that it belonged to Captain Ace, the stork. He and his hot air balloon had helped them rescue Molly Twinkletail.

  Next, Jess and Lily measured the entries for the tallest-flower competition, and gave the prize to Mr. Silverback, the badger, for his climbing dandyrose.

  Molly Twinkletail and her nine brothers and sisters won a special award for their beautifully woven flower baskets. There were prizes for flower arrangements, and for the loveliest scent, and one for the best bouquet. The girls awarded the prize for the flowers with the most petals to Poppy and Patch Muddlepup. Their red twisting twirls won easily. They had far too many petals to count!

  “Would you like one?” Poppy asked. She picked a twisting twirl each for Lily and Jess. “You could put them in your hair,” she suggested shyly.

  The long red flowers rustled softly, as if they were whispering.

  “They’re gorgeous,” said Lily. “Are they hard to grow?”

  “Not for us,” said Patch. “We know lots about growing flowers. If you come to our family den in Garden Grove after the festival, we’ll show you why.”

  Jess and Lily looked at each other. They’d love to spend more time with the puppy twins! “Great!” Jess cried.

  Everyone cheered as they presented the rest of the prizes. When the festival came to an end, the girls said good-bye to their friends and followed Poppy and Patch to Garden Grove. The two puppies were bouncing with excitement.

  They led the girls into a sun-dappled clearing. A wooden den stood in the center, surrounded by beds of strange and beautiful plants. Mr. and Mrs. Muddlepup came outside to greet the girls and admire the prize Poppy and Patch had won—a silver bowl. “Well done, you two!” said Mrs. Muddlepup proudly.

  Jess wandered over to a plant with long blue leaves and lemon-scented berries. She touched a leaf, then snatched her hand away. “It moved!” she cried.

  The puppies rolled on the floor in laughter. “Our plants are magical,” Poppy said. “Jess, touch the small curly plant with your shoe.”

  Jess did so, and both girls gasped when her white boot turned pink.

  “That’s a color-clover. It makes things change color,” Poppy explained. “Watch the bubbling buttercup send out bubbles,” she gabbled, “and just look at what the pom-pom puffball does.” She blew on one of the purple flowers. The puffball dissolved into bright pink smoke that wafted away on the breeze.

  “Wow!” said Lily. “These are fun!”

  “They’re helpful, too,” said Mr. Muddlepup. “We use them in potions to help sick animals feel better.”

  Poppy held up her flower bag. “I always keep some with me, just in case I need them,” she explained. “Come and see the rest of the garden!”

  Jess was about to follow her when she spotted a familiar and very unwelcome sight. An eerie orb of yellow-green light was floating into Garden Grove. She nudged Lily.

  “Oh, no!” Lily whispered miserably. “Grizelda’s back!”

  “I wish Goldie was here,” Lily whispered. “We’ve never had to face Grizelda without her help before.”

  “Well, we’re going to have to now,” Jess said grimly.

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bsp; They stood in front of the Muddlepups, shielding them from the wicked witch. The orb of light grew bigger, then … Cra-ack! It exploded, spitting out angry yellow-green sparks.

  The sparks faded and revealed the tall, thin witch. She wore a black cloak over a shiny purple tunic and black pants. Long green hair swirled wildly around her head. Her black boots had high heels and sharply pointed toes.

  “Ha!” she shrieked. “I might have known you girls would be here. Interfering, as usual! Go away!”

  “You go away,” Jess said bravely.

  “There’s nothing for you here, Grizelda!” said Lily.

  Grizelda’s laughter echoed around Garden Grove. “Nothing? Nothing?” she cackled. “I want those magical plants for a powerful potion, and I’m going to have them.”

  She reached for a bubbling buttercup, but Patch sprang in front of it and stood his ground, trembling.

  “Yap! Yap! Grrr!” he barked.

  Grizelda smiled a snarly smile, took a deep breath, and blew.

  Whooosh!

  Patch was blown backward by the witch’s icy breath. He rolled over and over, yelping in fright.

  “Patch!” Mrs. Muddlepup cried out. “Leave my puppy alone!”

  Lily ran to scoop up the frightened puppy. He lay in her arms, shaking, as she comforted him.

  “We won’t let you take the plants from the Muddlepups!” Jess shouted at the witch. “We won’t!”

  Grizelda turned her gaze on Jess. “We’ll see about that,” she sneered. “I’m too clever for you.”

  She spread her cloak wide, looming over Patch and Lily. Her lips moved as she muttered to herself.

  “She’s casting a spell!” cried Jess. “Run, everybody!”

  But it was too late. Lily felt Patch’s little body sag in her arms. She looked down to see his eyes close as he fell into a deep, magical sleep.

  “Oh, no!” Lily glared at Grizelda. “What have you done?”

  “Ha!” shrieked Grizelda. “You’ve got until sunset to work it out. Give Garden Grove and its magical flowers to me, or the puppy will sleep … forever. Haaa!”