Grace Woollyhop's Musical Mystery Read online

  Melody looked worried. “Grace always leaves it here.” She peered around the tree. “But where? I have so many cupboards.”

  The girls looked more closely at the tree, and saw that there were lots of little doors in the trunk. The doors were all different shapes and sizes, and each had a handle shaped like a musical note.

  “We’ll help you search,” said Jess, climbing on the lowest branch and helping Lily up.

  Goldie and Melody joined them, opening all the cupboards. Inside each one was a musical instrument. They found little trumpets, banjos, cymbals, and a circle of tiny drums with ten drumsticks.

  “That’s a bang-a-lot,” Melody explained. “The Twinkletail mice love playing it!”

  Finally, behind a tall narrow door, Jess spotted a little tambourine. “Look!” she cried out.

  “That’s Grace’s!” said Melody, perching on Lily’s shoulder.

  “Hooray!” said Jess. She picked it up. “Oh, yuck! More sticky slime!”

  Melody laughed. “That’s not slime,” she said. “It’s honey! Grace ate lots of it yesterday before her lesson. Her wool was covered in it when she arrived!”

  Lily grinned at Jess. “Honey must be Grace’s favorite food right now. Can we get that from the Treasure Tree?”

  Melody shook her head, smiling. “No, you need to visit the Honey Tree, near Sunshine Meadow,” she said.

  The friends climbed down, thanked Melody, and set off.

  “Good luck!” she trilled after them.

  The path was lined with soft grass that tickled their ankles and made them giggle. They reached the red, orange, and yellow flowers of Sunshine Meadow, and just beyond that saw the Honey Tree, with a little hive nesting in its lower branches. It had flowery curtains hanging in the windows and a doormat outside.

  The air was filled with the buzzing of busy bees flying in and out of the cottage.

  “It’s so pretty!” cried Lily. She hurried toward the Honey Tree. But her foot slid on something wet, and she skidded across the ground. Jess reached out to catch her, but she slid, too.

  “Eeek!” shrieked Jess, as they both tumbled down.

  Lily sat up, examining her hands and knees. “Urgh!” she cried. “Slime!”

  Goldie pulled them to their feet, but all three froze when they heard a voice bleating, “Haa haa!”

  Hopper and Grace Woollyhop stood beneath a nearby tree, giggling at the girls.

  Jess groaned. “Look at Grace’s coat! She looks as messy as Hopper already.”

  The lamb laughed again. “Mess is fun!”

  “The best fun!” said Hopper.

  “We’re making the whole forest lovely and slimy!”

  She hopped into the trees with Grace bounding after her.

  Goldie turned to the girls, looking anxious. “If they keep going,” she said, “no one will be able to get around the forest. It’ll be too slimy.”

  Lily nodded. “We have to lift that spell!”

  “We have to get Grace’s favorite food,” Jess said. “But how?”

  The Honey Tree was completely surrounded by a moat of slippery slime!

  The three friends stared in horror at the revolting moat of slime surrounding the Honey Tree.

  “How can we get across?” said Goldie. “It’s too wide to jump.”

  Jess looked around desperately for something that might help, and spotted a long fallen branch. “There!” she cried. “Let’s use that as a bridge!”

  Lily and Goldie took one side of the branch and Jess the other. Together they lifted it to the edge of the slime and stood it on end.

  “Ready?” said Jess. “One … two … three … drop!”

  They let the top of the branch fall across the slime.

  Gloop!

  “I’m good at balancing,” said Goldie. “I’ll go first to check the branch is strong enough. You don’t want to fall into that horrid slime again!”

  She ran lightly across, then called back, “It’s perfectly steady!”

  Lily went first, then Jess, and soon they were safely on a small, dry, grassy patch close to the tree trunk.

  “Hello!” Goldie called up to the cottage.

  The fluffiest gold-and-brown bee they’d ever seen flew down, landing on Goldie’s paw. She wore a tiny golden crown, and when she spoke, her voice was a soft hum.

  “I,” she said, “am Queenie Bumblebuzz.”

  Lily explained that they needed honey. “It’s to save a little lamb called Grace Woollyhop, Your Majesty—”

  “Bzzzzz,” Queenie interrupted. “Of course you may have some honey! What sort does Grace like? We have lavender honey, blueberry honey, orange blossom honey, and many more. See?” She pointed out lots of little hives dotted around the Honey Tree.

  Jess sighed. “They all sound delicious,” she said. “But we don’t know which one is Grace’s favorite.”

  Goldie’s whiskers drooped unhappily. But then Lily gave a cry.

  “Yes, we do!” she said, holding out the tambourine. “Grace’s favorite honey is all over this!”

  Queenie flew over to the tambourine and tasted the sticky honey. “Why, it’s clover honey,” she said. “We have plenty of that!”

  She flew into the hive, and in moments, she came out again with a group of cheerful buzzing bees who were carrying a little wooden bucket full of golden honey.

  “Thanks so much,” Jess said, gently taking it from them.

  “It’s our pleasure to help,” said Queenie. “Grace is a dear little lamb. We’re looking forward to seeing her at the concert in Harmony Hall.”

  “Are you going?” asked Lily.

  “I am the leader of the royal bee band,” said Queenie proudly. “We’re called the Honey Buns. We’ll be performing the Bumble Boogie!”

  “We’ll look forward to that!” said Lily. She had a thought. “Queenie, do you know anything about Grace’s secret?”

  “No,” said the bee, “but Buzz Busywing is her friend, and he was behaving very strangely this morning. He left for Harmony Hall, but he wouldn’t tell anyone what he was doing. We bees have been buzzing about it all morning—it’s a mystery! Perhaps it could be something to do with Grace’s secret?”

  “Maybe,” Jess said. “We’ll go and find him. Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  The friends made their way back across the branch and through the forest. “Where is Harmony Hall, Goldie?” Lily asked.

  “This way!” Goldie led them through the forest up to a curtain of glossy green ivy. The sound of sweet voices singing came from behind. “Welcome to Harmony Hall,” she said, pulling back the curtain.

  “Wow!” said Jess and Lily.

  They stepped into a beautiful outdoor theater. The curved stage was surrounded by stone benches carved from shimmering pink rock that sparkled in the sunlight.

  A choir was rehearsing onstage, with wooden stands holding their song sheets.

  “Some of our friends are here already!” whispered Jess in delight.

  The singers were Lola Velvetnose the mole, Sophie Flufftail the squirrel, and Emily Prickleback the hedgehog. Singing along with them was a bee.

  “He must be Buzz Busywing,” Jess whispered. “That’s what the musical mystery was … a choir!”

  “Excuse me, everyone,” said Lily, as they looked at the choir of little animals.

  Buzz Busywing flew into a spin. “Oh, no!” he cried. “Someone’s found us! Our surprise will be ruined!”

  Lola, Sophie, and Emily turned around, looking wide-eyed, with their paws to their mouths. Then they smiled.

  “It’s OK, Buzz,” called Sophie. “Lily, Jess, and Goldie are our friends. They’ll keep our secret!”

  She bounded over for a hug, with Emily and Lola scurrying after her.

  “It’s lovely to see you,” said Lola, as Lily dropped a kiss on her head.

  Jess carefully scooped Sophie up.

  “That song is a surprise for the concert,” the little squirrel explained.

  “We’re havin
g our last rehearsal before the audience arrives,” said Lola.

  As the little animals talked excitedly, Lily noticed there were five music stands, but only four singers.

  “Who’s missing?” she asked.

  Lola shuffled her feet and Sophie became very interested in fluffing her tail.

  “It’s Grace Woollyhop, isn’t it?” Jess said. “She’s in the choir! That’s her secret!”

  Sophie, Lola, Buzz, and Emily looked at one another anxiously.

  “We understand you want to keep Grace’s secret,” Goldie said gently, “but we really need to know.” She explained about Hopper and the spell. “Grace needs our help,” she finished.

  Sophie and Lola gasped, and Emily’s prickles stood up in horror.

  “Poor Grace,” said Buzz, his wings drooping.

  “The only way we can save Grace is by casting a spell,” explained Lily. “But first we need to know her biggest secret.”

  “We’ll tell you!” cried Lola. “You’re right, singing is Grace’s secret. Her family thinks she just plays the tambourine. They don’t know that she likes singing, too.”

  “They’ll be so surprised,” added Lola.

  “It’s really special for Grace,” said Emily, “because she wrote our song, and Harmony Hall is her favorite place.”

  The girls looked at each other in sheer delight, and Jess planted a kiss on Emily’s turned-up nose. “Thanks!” she said. “Now we know Grace’s secret is singing, and her favorite place is right here! We’ve found everything we need to break the spell!”

  Just then, Buzz zoomed upward. “Someone’s coming!” he cried.

  The ivy curtain swished, and Hopper and Grace appeared. The little lamb was carrying a bucket around her neck, and behind her were all the Witchy Waste creatures.

  “Let’s slime this place!” said Hopper.

  Grace giggled as she sloshed slime from her bucket across the floor.

  Masha and Snippit flicked green goo all over the pink rock seats.

  Everyone stared, shocked at the mess.

  Buzz fluttered down to rest on Lily’s dark hair. “What’s happened to Grace?” he buzzed.

  “Jess, we have to do the spell now!” said Lily. “We have to save Grace and the theater, or there’ll be no concert!”

  They darted around horrible puddles of slime as they placed the tambourine, clover honey, and Grace’s song sheet on the stage.

  “That’s everything we need to turn her back into her normal self,” said Jess.

  The little lamb was helping Hopper spread slime on the stage. Beside them, Peep, Masha, and Snippit were giggling with glee.

  “Remember the spell,” Lily said. “If someone names those things aloud, yourself once more you’ll be.”

  “Grace’s favorite hobby,” chanted Jess. “Playing her tambourine!”

  “Grace’s favorite food,” Lily added. “Clover honey!”

  “Grace’s secret!” finished Goldie. “Her surprise song!”

  “In Grace’s favorite place,” they chanted together. “Harmony Hall!”

  Purple sparks flashed all around the little lamb. She suddenly dropped her bucket and looked around. “What’s happening?” she asked, and shook herself. Her coat, no longer covered with slime, was as soft and snowy as ever.

  “We’ve done it!” cried Lily.

  “Hooray!” cheered the animals.

  “I feel so funny,” Grace said. “I want my maa!”

  The girls rushed to hug her.

  “You’ve been under a spell,” said Jess, kissing Grace’s sweet little face, “but you’re OK now!”

  They heard a miserable croak and turned to see Hopper with her head drooping. Behind her, Peep’s wings sagged, Snippit’s feathers flopped, and the flower in Masha’s hat looked droopier than ever.

  “I guess our fun’s over,” said Peep. “I loved playing with Olivia Nibblesqueak when she was under my spell.”

  “It was great playing with Chloe Slipperslide,” squawked Snippit.

  “And I miss Evie Scruffypup,” squeaked Masha.

  Hopper looked sadly at Grace. “I’m going to miss playing with Grace, too,” she said. “I know what will cheer us up. Let’s go home to the Witchy Waste, where it’s nice and messy!”

  Snippit gave a happy squawk, and jumped in one of the slime puddles. It splashed over Masha and Peep, who squeaked with delight.

  Lily couldn’t help smiling as she, Jess, and Goldie watched the Witchy Waste creatures play. “They’re not bad, are they?” she said. “They just really love being messy. No wonder Grizelda thought they would ruin the forest.”

  Jess nodded. “We ought to teach that horrible witch a lesson,” she said. “And I’ve got an idea how!”

  The girls, Goldie, and the Witchy Waste creatures watched from a clump of bushes as Grizelda’s yellow-green orb floated away from her tower.

  “Phew, she’s gone!” said Goldie, and they all crawled out of their hiding place.

  Jess gazed up at the gloomy tower. “We’ll need a lot of help to make an enormous MESS,” she said.

  “We’ll help!” said Masha.

  “And I’ll go and get some more helpers!” said Goldie, darting away into the trees.

  Jess explained the plan to the Witchy Waste creatures. “We’re going to make Grizelda’s dreary gray tower a nice, bright, colorful mess!”

  The Witchy Waste creatures squeaked, squawked, and croaked with excitement.

  Lily laughed. “Everyone start gathering flowers! We want to cover the whole tower in pretty petals!”

  “Pretty?” Hopper made a face.

  “I mean messy!” Lily said with a grin. The Witchy Waste creatures nodded.

  They’d made a huge heap of flowers around the bottom of the tower when Goldie returned with Olivia Nibblesqueak the hamster, Chloe Slipperslide the otter, and Evie Scruffypup. “The butterflies are coming, too,” she said.

  Peep hugged Olivia with his wings, while Masha squeaked delightedly when she saw Evie. “Hi, Chloe,” squawked Snippit, and the otter threw her paws around his feathery neck. Grace, Olivia, and Evie wove flower garlands. As each one was finished, Peep and Snippit flew up to drape it between the tower windows.

  Masha and Chloe swept petals over the path with their long tails, while Hopper used her slime to stick colorful flowers to the tower’s grimy windows.

  Goldie dragged out a couple of old cauldrons, and Jess and Lily filled them with flowers, right to the top.

  Snippit pecked the words HOME SWEET HOME into a piece of bark, and hung it up over Grizelda’s creepy-looking door.

  Just then, a colorful cloud of butterflies fluttered high up above the roof, arranging themselves into a beautiful, shimmering rainbow.

  Everyone stood back to admire the colorful tower. “It looks fantastic!” said Jess. “What a pretty mess!”

  Goldie nudged her nervously. “Look!”

  The familiar yellow-green orb was floating toward them.

  “Grizelda!” cried Grace. She ran to hide behind the girls.

  The orb exploded into spitting yellow sparks, and Grizelda appeared. She stared in horror at the beautiful heaps of flowers that lay all around her tower. Her face turned purple with anger.

  “My tower!” she shrieked. “It’s ruined!”

  “See, it’s not nice when people change your home,” Jess told her.

  “It’s your doing!” she screamed at them. “You meddlesome, interfering humans!” She turned to glare at the Witchy Waste creatures. “And why haven’t you ruined the forest like I told you? You’re as much use as cracked cauldrons!”

  She stamped in rage and stretched her bony hands toward them.

  “Oh, no!” Lily gasped. “Quick, we have to distract her!”

  “How?” said Jess.

  “Grace!” Lily whispered. “Sing!”

  The little lamb’s voice wobbled at first but as she sang, it grew stronger. The sweet sound rang out:

  “Always together

&n
bsp; Friends are forever

  Helping and sharing

  Kindness and caring …”

  “Everyone sing!” cried Grace, and they all—except Grizelda—joined in the chorus.

  “Together forever

  Forever together …”

  Grizelda clapped her hands over her ears. “Stop that dreadful racket!” she shrieked, glaring at the Witchy Waste creatures. “You’ll never get another magic spell from me. Ever!”

  The witch stormed into her tower. As the door slammed behind her, the HOME SWEET HOME sign fell down with a crash.

  “Hooray!” everyone cheered.

  “That was fun!” squawked Snippit.

  “I don’t think Grizelda will ask you to do her horrible spells again now,” said Goldie, smiling happily.

  When Grace and the other the forest animals had hurried away to prepare for the concert, Goldie turned to the girls. “Let’s take the Witchy Waste creatures home,” she suggested.

  Jess held Peep’s and Snippit’s wingtips, and Goldie held Masha’s paw. Hopper wiped the slime off her foot on a pile of flowers and took Lily’s hand.

  They walked along the water’s edge to the Witchy Waste. It was in a terrible state, with old boxes, apple cores, rags, and all kinds of rubbish everywhere.

  The girls stared.

  “That’s the biggest mess I’ve ever seen,” gasped Lily.

  “Isn’t it wonderful?” said Snippit proudly.

  “We’re sorry for causing trouble,” said Masha the rat.

  “When we said we’d help Grizelda, we didn’t realize how mean she was,” added Peep the bat.

  “That’s right,” croaked Hopper. “We felt sorry for the forest animals living somewhere so tidy. We thought they’d love some mess.”

  Lily smiled. “Everything’s fine now,” she said, “but we have to go. We’ll come and visit you, though!”

  The creatures hugged Goldie and the girls, then clambered over the rubbish into the Witchy Waste.