Rita the Frog Princess Fairy Read online

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Map

  Poem

  Story Time

  Too Many Frogs

  Jack Frog?

  Trouble in the Kitchen

  Achoo!

  Tea-Party Time

  Teaser

  Copyright

  The Fairy Tale Fairies are in for a shock!

  Cinderella won’t run at the strike of the clock.

  No one can stop me—I’ve plotted and planned,

  And I’ll be the fairest one in all of the land.

  It will take someone handsome and witty and clever

  To stop storybook endings forever and ever.

  But to see fairies suffer great trouble and strife,

  Will make me live happily all of my life!

  “There are so many fairy tales in the world,” Rachel Walker said. “Do you think we’ll ever read them all?”

  “I’m going to try!” promised her best friend, Kirsty Tate. “And I’m excited to hear a new one today!”

  The girls were walking to the garden at Tiptop Castle. They were there for the Fairy Tale Festival. Every day, the organizers had fun fairy tale themed activities for the guests to do.

  Both Rachel and Kirsty loved fairy tales—and fairies, too! They had first met each other—and real fairies—on Rainspell Island. They had been best friends ever since.

  “Look, there’s the storyteller!” said Kirsty, pointing.

  A woman in a long, pale-yellow dress stood in the middle of the garden. She had dark, curly hair with a white flower in it and a frog puppet on her hand. Rose bushes in bloom with tiny pink blossoms surrounded her. Colorful butterflies danced on the flowers.

  Rachel sighed happily. “This whole place is so magical!”

  The girls sat in white chairs set up in the garden for Fairy Tale Time. The other kids there for the festival looked just as excited as they were to hear the storyteller.

  “I just thought of something,” Rachel whispered into Kirsty’s ear. “Jack Frost stole the magic objects from the seven Fairy Tale Fairies. He wants to be the star of every fairy tale. Does that mean that he’ll be in the storyteller’s fairy tale?”

  “I didn’t think of that,” said Kirsty. “We’ll see, I guess.” She shrugged.

  Jack Frost was always trying to cause trouble for the Fairyland fairies. A few days ago, he had taken the Fairy Tale Fairies’ magic objects. Until the objects were returned to the fairies, the characters in those fairy tales wouldn’t be in the right stories. The girls had helped the Fairy Tale Fairies find three magic objects so far. But four more were still missing.

  The storyteller spoke up. “Welcome, everyone! Gather round. I am Sarah the Storyteller. Today I will tell you the story of The Frog Princess, a Russian fairy tale.”

  “I’ve never heard that one before,” Kirsty whispered to Rachel.

  The children in the garden quieted down as the storyteller began.

  “Once upon a time, there were three princes, each looking for a wife. ‘Each of you will shoot an arrow, and where it lands, you shall find your wife,’ ordered the king.”

  “That is a strange way to find a wife,” Rachel remarked in a whisper.

  “The first two princes shot their arrows, which landed by beautiful maidens,” Sarah continued. “But the third prince’s arrow landed by a frog. The king didn’t care. Rules were rules. So the third prince married the frog and she moved into the castle with him.”

  “Then the king ordered a test to see which bride was the best,” said Sarah. “Each princess had to bake him a cake. ‘How can a frog bake a cake?’ the prince wondered. But he did not know her secret.”

  “What secret?” a boy in the crowd asked.

  “The frog was really a princess under a spell,” Sarah explained. “Her name was Vassilisa. When night fell, Vassilisa transformed from a frog back into a princess. She called on her attendants to help her. And then …”

  Sarah frowned. “And then, um, there were some green goblins. I think. But I’m not sure.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, everyone. I can’t seem to remember the story. Can we try again later?”

  The children got up and left the garden, disappointed. Poor Sarah looked very confused.

  Rachel pulled Kirsty aside. “Oh no! I bet Jack Frost is around here somewhere, trying to take over The Frog Princess fairy tale!”

  “We have to stop him!” Kirsty said.

  Rachel looked thoughtful. “If Jack Frost is taking over the fairy tale, then maybe Vassilisa, the Frog Princess, is here, too.”

  Kirsty nodded and looked up at the sun. “It’s daytime, so she would be in her frog form. So we need to look for frogs!”

  “Frogs like water,” said Rachel. “And Tiptop Pond isn’t far from here. Let’s go!”

  The girls ran across the castle grounds until they came to Tiptop Pond. The pond’s blue water sparkled in the afternoon sunlight. Green lily pads floated on the pond’s surface.

  “This is the perfect place for frogs,” said Kirsty. “I’m sure we’ll find her.”

  The girls shaded their eyes from the sun and looked across the water.

  “What’s that? On that lily pad over there?” Rachel asked.

  “It looks like a frog!” Kirsty said excitedly, and they walked around the pond to get closer.

  They stood on the shore and peered out at the frog.

  “Is that frog wearing clothes?” Kirsty asked.

  Rachel nodded. “A jacket with tails, and a shirt with a ruffled collar. But that’s not something a princess would wear!”

  “That’s because I’m not a princess!” the frog said. He hopped onto the shore. Then he stood on two legs and bowed. “Bertram the Frog Footman, at your service.”

  “Bertram! Of course! It’s nice to see you again!” said Rachel. She and Kirsty had met Bertram many times before in Fairyland.

  “The King and Queen of Fairyland sent me here to help find Vassilisa the Frog Princess,” Bertram said. “As you can see, I am especially qualified for the job.”

  Suddenly, a sparkling light filled the air.

  Poof! Rita the Frog Princess Fairy appeared.

  “Yes, you are perfect for this fairy tale, Bertram!” she said. “Who better to help find a Frog Princess than a Frog Footman?”

  Kirsty and Rachel had met Rita when they visited Fairy Tale Lane. She had long, wavy hair and wore a green dress with puffed sleeves.

  “Hi, Rita!” said Rachel.

  “Rachel and Kirsty, you two were very smart to come looking for the Frog Princess at the pond,” she told them. “I have been looking everywhere for her. Can you help me find her?”

  “Of course!” the girls both said at once.

  “There are lots of places around the castle where frogs might go,” said Rachel. “Like the moat.”

  “Or the fountain,” Kirsty suggested.

  Bertram hopped between them. “If you don’t mind, I think I have an idea,” he said.

  “We don’t mind at all,” said Kirsty, smiling at the frog.

  Bertram cleared his throat. Then he made a very loud sound.

  “Ribbit! Ribbit!”

  The sound echoed all over the castle grounds. Seconds later, replies came from echoing back.

  “Ribbit! Ribbit!”

  Rachel’s eyes widened. “Look!” she cried. “There are frogs everywhere!”

  Every frog at Tiptop Castle had heard Bertram’s call. They hopped across green lawns and stone walkways toward the pond.

  “There are a lot of frogs!” said Kirsty. “How will we know which one is the princess?”

  “I can help with that,” said Rita, fluttering her wings.

  As the frogs
got closer, Rita flew over them, waving her wand. Glittering, tiny green frogs and stars sprang from it.

  “Where are you, Vassilisa?” Rita asked, waving her wand again.

  The shimmering frogs and stars floated through the air and landed on one of the frogs.

  “Over here!” Rita cried.

  Kirsty and Rachel made their way over to the glittering frog, careful not to step on any other frogs. Kirsty picked her up. She looked a little bit different than a normal frog. Her green skin was very smooth, and her eyes were a pretty shade of blue.

  Rita happily clapped her hands. “We did it! We found the Frog Princess!”

  Rachel got a closer look at the frog in Kirsty’s hand.

  “She’s a very pretty frog,” said Rachel.

  “And a very lovely princess,” added Rita, flying above the Frog Princess. “But unless I can get her back into her fairy tale, the story will no longer be about her. It will be about that horrible Jack Frost!”

  Rachel looked around. “He must be around here somewhere. What magic object of yours did he take?”

  “My silver mixing bowl,” Rita replied. “With it, I can bake the tastiest treats!”

  “I can’t imagine Jack Frost making anything tasty,” said Kirsty.

  “We must find that rascal, then,” said Bertram.

  “What should we do with Princess Vassilisa?” Kirsty asked, looking down at her hand.

  “We can bring her to our room,” suggested Rachel. “She’ll be safe there.”

  “Good idea,” said Rita. “You girls do that, and Bertram and I will start looking for Jack Frost.”

  “We won’t be long,” Rachel promised, and the girls raced back to the castle. They crossed the bridge that passed over the moat. They went through the beautiful grand entryway of the castle and climbed up the stairs to the top of one of the castle’s tall towers.

  Rachel pushed open the door to their room. It contained two four-poster beds draped with pretty canopies. Kirsty set the Frog Princess on top of the polished wood dresser.

  “That doesn’t look very comfortable,” Rachel remarked.

  Kirsty took a pillow from her bed and placed it on the dresser. The frog hopped on it.

  “That’s better,” said Kirsty. “But maybe she needs some water.”

  “And she might be hungry,” said Rachel. “Let’s go to the kitchen.”

  Kirsty waved to the Frog Princess as they left the room. “We’ll be right back!” she promised.

  The girls ran down the stairs to the kitchen. A cook in a white jacket greeted them with a friendly smile.

  “May I help you?” she asked.

  “Yes, please,” said Rachel. “May we have a snack?”

  The cook looked thoughtful. “Well, it’s awfully close to dinner …”

  “It’s for a friend of ours … who missed lunch,” Kirsty said. It wasn’t really a lie. She just didn’t mention that her friend was a frog!

  “In that case, there’s some fruit in the refrigerator,” she said. “Help yourself.”

  “Thank you!” the girls said, and they opened the refrigerator.

  “What kind of food do frogs eat?” Kirsty whispered.

  “Bugs, mostly,” Rachel said. “But she is a Frog Princess, so I’m sure fruit will be fine. Let’s get grapes. Everybody loves grapes.”

  They put some grapes in a small bowl and went back up to their room. Rachel put the grapes next to the frog and Kirsty filled the bowl with water from the bathroom sink. The Frog Princess happily ate one of the grapes. Then she drank some of the water.

  “I think we’re all set,” said Rachel. “Let’s go find Jack Frost!”

  The girls went back outside. They were on their way back to Tiptop Pond when they saw a frog hopping toward them. But this wasn’t an ordinary frog. It was a very big, very ugly frog!

  “Ribbit! Ribbit!” the frog said. “I am a frog, but tonight I will turn into a princess.”

  Rachel and Kirsty exchanged a confused look. That voice sounded very familiar …

  “That’s no frog. That’s Jack Frost dressed in a frog costume!” Rachel whispered.

  Kirsty took a step toward the strange-looking frog. “We know it’s you, Jack Frost.” Kirsty bravely called out. “Give us Rita’s magic mixing bowl!”

  “Never!” he said and he began to hop faster, away from Rachel and Kirsty. “Goblins! Deal with these pesky girls!”

  Four goblins, who were also wearing frog costumes, came out of the bushes and hopped toward Rachel and Kirsty.

  “Where are Rita and Bertram?” Rachel wondered.

  “I don’t know,” said Kirsty. “But we have to get that mixing bowl. Come on!”

  She and Rachel chased after Jack Frost. But his legs were much longer than theirs and he could hop surprisingly fast. The four goblin frogs ran between Jack Frost and the girls. One of them stuck his big frog foot in front of Kirsty. The other stuck his foot in front of Rachel.

  Whomp! The girls tripped and fell onto the grass. They could hear the goblins giggling as they hopped away.

  “Oh, dear! Are you all right?”

  Rita appeared in a cloud of shimmering fairy dust, looking worried.

  Kirsty and Rachel stood up, brushing grass off themselves.

  “I’m okay,” Rachel replied. “What about you, Kirsty?”

  “I’m fine,” Kirsty said, “except that Jack Frost has gotten away!”

  “That’s all right,” said Rita. “If I know him, he won’t go far. I’m just glad that you two are okay.”

  “Where is Bertram?” Rachel asked.

  “I don’t know,” Rita answered. “We split up to find Jack Frost and I haven’t seen him since.”

  Then one of the fairy tale organizers stepped out onto the bridge. All of the organizers dressed like fairy tale characters for the festival, and he was dressed like Puss-in-Boots.

  Rita quickly flew behind Rachel so she wouldn’t be seen.

  “Dinner, everyone!” the festival organizer called.

  “We need to go in,” Rachel said.

  Rita nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay close by.”

  The girls headed inside the castle and ate in the big dining room with the rest of the kids attending the festival. They kept an eye out for Jack Frost, but didn’t see anything unusual.

  After a yummy meal of Snow White’s Spaghetti with Friendly Giant Meatballs, they went back outside to look for Jack Frost. The sun was setting, and the sky was growing dark.

  “We should get back to our room and check on the princess,” Rachel said.

  The girls headed back up to their room high in the tower. As they walked down the hall, Rachel noticed a weird glow coming from under the door.

  “Rita? Is that you?” she whispered, pushing open the door.

  But it wasn’t Rita. Bright light filled the room. When it faded, a woman stood in front of them. She wore a long, green dress and a golden tiara that glittered on her dark hair.

  Rachel glanced at the dresser. The frog wasn’t there. That’s when she realized what had happened.

  “The frog has turned back into a princess!” she cried.

  The Frog Princess looked around, confused.

  “My room seems different than usual,” she said.

  “That’s because it’s our room,” Rachel explained. “It’s kind of a long story. You see—”

  “I don’t have time for a long story. I have to bake a cake before the sun comes up!” the princess said, and she rushed past the girls and out of the room.

  “We’ve got to help her!” Kirsty cried, and the two girls ran after the princess. Suddenly, two goblins jumped in front of them.

  “Stop right there! We’re under orders to keep you from messing up Jack Frost’s fairy tale,” they said.

  “It’s not his fairy tale!” said Kirsty. “He stole it!”

  Poof! Just then, Rita the Frog Princess Fairy appeared in front of them. She waved her wand at the two goblins.

  “You two are
not being very nice,” she said. She waved her wand again and tiny frogs hopped through the air toward the goblins. There was a shimmer of fairy magic and they were transformed into two very startled-looking frogs!

  Rita turned to Rachel and Kirsty. “We need to hurry. They won’t stay like this for long. Let me turn you into fairies,” she said, and she waved her wand again.

  The sound of tiny bells filled the air as the fairy dust worked its magic on the girls. They shrunk down to fairy size and could feel fairy wings sprout on their backs.

  “I love being a fairy,” Rachel whispered.

  Kirsty nodded in agreement as she turned to follow Rita.

  “The princess should be in the kitchen, so we’ll look for her there,” Rita said.

  They flew past the frog goblins, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. The cooks had cleaned all the counters and it was shut down for the night. Rita motioned for the girls to be quiet. The Frog Princess was nowhere in sight—but Jack Frost was!

  Jack Frost was no longer wearing his frog costume from the afternoon. Instead, he wore a gold tiara on his head and stood in front of a stainless steel worktable. The table was a mess of baking supplies: flour, sugar, eggs, measuring cups, spoons, and bowls.

  Rita, Rachel, and Kirsty flew behind some cans of food on a shelf so they could watch Jack Frost without being seen.

  “Time to bake a cake!” he said. Then he called out, “Royal attendants, come here and bake me a cake!”

  “Who is he talking to?” Rachel asked.

  “It’s from the fairy tale,” Rita explained. “Vassilisa says it after she transforms from a frog into a princess. Her attendants help her bake the cake.”

  But no royal attendants came into the kitchen. Instead, four goblins came in, shoving and pushing each other.

  “Bake me a cake!” Jack Frost barked.

  “But we don’t know how to bake a cake,” one goblin whined.