ANNA & BELLA and the Puppy Problem

by Jane E M Atkinson

  “Anna has told me so much about you, too,” Bella replies with a grin.

  I still can’t believe Ishana is here. “Do you live here, Ishana? Are you actually a fairy?” I ask in disbelief.

  “No, Anna. I’m not a fairy,” Ishana giggles. “I’m a girl, just like you and Bella. But I can see how this would be confusing, so let me explain. A few years ago, I found a sparkly pink gem by the bike racks. When I touched it, I felt all tingly and dizzy. The next thing I knew I was zooming through a very colourful pink slide. A few seconds later, I landed with a bump in a field of flowers. Does any of that sound familiar?”

  “Very familiar,” I answer.

  “Very, very familiar,” Bella adds.

  “Well, I met Tulip that day,” Ishana says, squeezing Tulip’s hand. “And we’ve been friends ever since.”

  “Wow! Does this mean Bella and I can come back to Flower again?” I ask hopefully.

  “Absolutely,” Ishana replies. “Today is just the first of many adventures.”

  Ready to Help

  “I’ve been to Flower so many times my gem jar is overflowing,” Ishana says with a laugh.

  “What’s a gem jar?” I ask.

  “It’s a jar where I keep all of my Flower gems,” Ishana explains. “At first, I left the jar on my dresser, but my mom kept asking me where I found all the pretty gems. So now I keep the jar in my sock drawer.”

  Hmm, this could be a problem. Bella and I only have one pink gem. When we get home, who will keep it? And is it my turn to hold the gem yet?

  I give my head a little shake. I really need to stop thinking about that gem and start thinking about how amazing all of this is. I’m a tiny fairy in a magical land called Flower!

  Out of nowhere, a sparkly, pink bird swoops down and hovers beside Tulip. Tulip grins when she sees the bird, but a few seconds later her smile disappears.

  After the bird flies away, Tulip turns to look at Bella and me. “I had planned to introduce you to everyone, however, Flicka, the pink bird that was just here, told me that Princess Keira’s puppy has gone missing. Do you mind if we help her instead?”

  “Of course not,” I immediately reply. “We’d be happy to help.”

  “For sure!” Bella cries from above me. She’s back to doing flips in the air. Jenny and June are with her. All three of them are spinning and giggling.

  “Thank you so much for understanding,” Tulip says gratefully. She looks questioningly at Ishana. “Are you able to join us?”

  “Definitely,” Ishana replies. “I’d do anything for Princess Keira.”

  “Well then, there’s no time to waste. Follow me!” Tulip cries. She flies towards the edge of the forest. Ishana, Bella, and I zoom after her.

  I’m a fairy, on my way to meet a real princess. This is the BEST. DAY. EVER!

  Kate & Keira

  We follow Tulip out of Fairy Forest and along a white, sandy beach. The ocean is the prettiest blue I’ve ever seen!

  Swimming in the water is a girl with a long, brunette braid. A pink dolphin and a blue dolphin are with her. It looks like they’re playing a game of tag.

  When the blue dolphin tries to tag the girl, she dives under the water and swims away. That’s when I notice the girl’s green tail. Green tail! This really is the best day ever. The girl is actually a mermaid!

  I love mermaids almost as much as I love fairies. In fact, the book I’m reading at home right now is all about mermaids.

  “Hi, Anna. Hi, Bella. I’m Kate,” the mermaid yells up to us. “Where are you going?”

  I’m about to ask Kate how she knows our names, but before I can, Bella answers her question. “We’re going to the palace. Princess Keira’s puppy is missing.”

  “Oh, no!” Kate cries. “I hope you find him soon. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Not right now,” Tulip answers truthfully. “But if we think of something, we’ll come back.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Kate says. And with a flip of her tail, she disappears under the water.

  We turn away from the ocean and fly along a rose-lined path. The roses are in every colour of the rainbow. When we reach a fork in the path, we stay to the left.

  Less than a minute later we arrive at the palace. Tulip veers away from the massive front doors and heads towards the courtyard, where three girls are looking under tables and behind chairs. When the girls notice us, they stop what they’re doing and wave.

  Tulip flutters down and lands on a courtyard table. Ishana lands on the ground in front of Tulip. Tulip reaches into her pocket and pulls out her light-pink bag. Then she sprinkles Ishana with raspberry glitter.

  Immediately a flash of light surrounds Ishana. The light is so bright that I have to turn my head away. When the light fades, I turn back around and see Ishana hugging a blonde-haired girl.

  Bella and I glance at each other, then zoom down to the courtyard.

  “Are you ready?” Tulip asks.

  “Ready,” Bella and I say in unison. We flash each other a secret smile.

  As soon as Tulip sprinkles glitter over my head, I immediately feel myself growing bigger and bigger. I glance over my shoulder, looking for my fairy wings, but they’re gone.

  Bella and I join Ishana, and the other three girls.

  “Anna and Bella, this is Princess Keira,” Ishana says, introducing us to the blonde-haired girl.

  Princess Keira steps forward. “I’m so happy to finally meet both of you,” she says warmly. “But please, just call me Keira.”

  “Hi, Keira. It’s nice to meet you,” I say. Bella grins and waves.

  Next, Keira introduces us to her friends. “This is Lauryn,” Keira says, pointing to a girl with black hair. “And this is Amy,” she adds, pointing to a brown-haired girl. “They’ve been helping me look around the palace grounds for Pogo, but we haven’t found any sign of him.”

  Keira pulls a photo out of her pocket and hands it to me. “This is Pogo.”

  Pogo is a cute, little puppy, with fluffy, white fur. Around his neck is a purple collar. I pass the photo to Bella.

  “Aww, he’s adorable,” Bella cries.

  “He really is,” Keira says, with tears in her eyes. “I took him to the dog park this morning, and when I came back to get him, he was missing.”

  Ishana gives Keira a comforting hug. “He has to be somewhere,” she says.

  Lauryn nods her head in agreement. “We’ll just keep looking until we find him.”

  “Where do you want to look next?” Tulip asks.

  “I’d like to go back to the dog park,” Keira answers. “Just in case we missed something.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Amy says, linking arms with Keira and Lauryn.

  The three of them take the lead, with Bella and Tulip close behind. Ishana and I are at the back of the line, which is perfect, because I have a few questions for her.

  A Clue

  “How does everyone in Flower know my name? And Bella’s name too?” I ask Ishana.

  Instead of answering my question, Ishana asks, “Do you remember your last day of kindergarten?”

  I have no idea what my last day of kindergarten has to do with Flower, but I answer, “Of course I do. You came to my class and read my favourite fairy book.”

  “Each time I finished the book you begged me to read it again,” Ishana says.

  “I remember that,” I say fondly, “You must have read that story five times.”

  “At least five times,” Ishana says with a laugh. “But something else happened that day. After I read the story for the third time, a pink gem appeared beside me.”

  A thought pops into my head. If Ishana went to Flower, then I must have been frozen in place. Just like all the kids and teachers Bella’s Kindie area.

  As if reading my mind, Ishana laughs. “Yup. You would have been as still as a statue.”

  I shake my head in amazement. “I don’t remember that at all. H
ow long was I a statue?”

  Ishana shrugs. “I don’t really remember, but probably a few hours? And you wouldn’t remember because time stands still when we travel to Flower.”

  There are so many thoughts zooming around in my brain, but all I manage to say is, “Wow!”

  Ishana continues her story. “When I arrived in Flower that day, Tulip asked me if I knew of anyone else who might enjoy visiting Flower. Right away I thought of you, and I told Tulip all about you.”

  That explains how everyone in Flower knows my name, but what about Bella? “Did you choose both Bella and me, or just me?” I ask.

  Ishana smiles. “Every time you and I were together, you always talked about Bella. I knew if you came to Flower you wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret from her. Tulip agreed with me, and decided that both of you should come.”

  I grab Ishana’s hand and give it a big squeeze. “Thank you so much for choosing us Ishana. Flower is amazing!”

  “You’re very welcome, Anna,” she says, then adds, “I know you’re going to love it here.”

  When we arrive at the dog park, Keira and her friends are waiting for us by the gate. Bella and Tulip are already inside the fence.

  Bella is sitting on the ground, playing with three adorable brown puppies who all want her attention. The smallest puppy jumps up and gives Bella’s face a wet lick. Bella laughs as she wipes away the doggy slobber. The other puppies roll onto their backs, hoping Bella will rub their bellies.

  Amy glances down at her watch in surprise. “I’m so sorry, Keira, but Lauryn and I have to go. We have a music lesson in five minutes.”

  “We’ll come back as soon as the lesson is over,” Lauryn promises, “even though I’m sure you’ll have found Pogo by then,” she adds confidently.

  After the two girls leave, Ishana, Keira, and I join Bella and Tulip inside the fence. A teenaged girl comes over to greet us. She looks friendly, but also worried.

  Keira introduces us to the girl. “This is Aditi. She helps take care of the dogs.”

  “It’s really nice to meet you,” Aditi says with a warm smile, but I can tell she’s still worried about Pogo.

  Keira gives Aditi a quick hug. “Please don’t worry. I know we’ll find him,” she assures Aditi.

  Aditi flashes Keira a grateful smile.

  We split into pairs. Bella and Tulip. Keira and Aditi. Ishana and me. We agree to meet back at the gate in ten minutes.

  For the first few minutes, Ishana and I wander aimlessly around the park, hoping we’ll see something.

  “If I was a tiny puppy, where would I go?” Ishana thinks out loud.

  I glance at the fence surrounding the dog park. “Let’s look around the perimeter of the park,” I suggest.

  “Good idea,” Ishana says.

  While walking beside the fence, we keep our eyes glued to the ground. After a few minutes, I find a small hole under the fence. I bend down to take a closer look.

  “Did you find something, Anna?” Ishana asks eagerly, bending down beside me.

  I show her the hole. “I’ve never met Pogo, but you have. Is he small enough to fit through this hole?”

  Ishana sticks her arm into the hole, and her hand pops out on the other side of the fence. “Pogo could definitely fit through this hole. Great detective work, Anna.”

  We rush back to the gate, and Ishana checks her watch. “Eight minutes have passed,” she informs me. “The others will be back in less than two minutes.”

  The Beach

  “I think Pogo escaped because he wanted to find Keira,” I tell the others, showing them the hole under the fence. I look over at Keira. “Do you and Pogo have a special place? Somewhere just the two of you like to go?”

  A hopeful smile brightens Keira’s face. “Pogo and I love to visit the beach. We can spend hours splashing in the water and digging in the sand.”

  “Then that’s it! Pogo must be at the beach,” I say excitedly. “Let’s go get him!”

  Aditi wishes us luck, then heads off to find supplies to fix the hole. She doesn’t want another dog to escape.

  We follow Keira out of the park and over to a path. Roses, in all the colours of the rainbow, line each side of the path. It looks just like the path we followed earlier.

  After walking for a few minutes, we arrive at the beach. Everyone immediately starts looking for paw prints. If we follow the paw prints, we’ll find Pogo. Easy peazy, lemon squeezy.

  The thing is, there are no paw prints.

  “Did you find Pogo?” a hopeful voice calls from the water. It’s Kate, the mermaid we met earlier.

  I shake my head sadly. “No, we haven’t found him.”

  “I’ve been looking up and down the beach,” Kate tells us, “but I haven’t seen any sign of him either.”

  “Well, we may not know where Pogo is, but at least we know he’s not here,” Keira says.

  “I’ll keep looking for him,” Kate adds, “just in case he does come to the beach.”

  “I really appreciate your help. Thanks, Kate,” Keira says gratefully.

  Kate waves goodbye, then disappears under the water.

  “I know Pogo has to be around her somewhere,” Ishana says. “But where?”

  “I wish I knew,” Keira sighs sadly. Then a second later, her eyes light up and she exclaims, “I have an idea! Maybe he’s taking a nap. He really loves to cuddle in his new doggy bed.”

  “We need to get back to the palace!” Tulip cries, fluttering towards the rose-lined path.

  When we reach the palace, the five of us race up the front steps. The massive front doors swing open, and a tall lady, who looks a lot like Keira, steps outside. She wraps her arms comfortingly around Keira, and greets Ishana and Tulip. Then she turns to us and smiles.

  Keira makes the introductions. “Anna and Bella, I’d like you to meet my mom, Queen Katherine. She’s been looking forward to meeting you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I tell Queen Katherine, giving her my best curtsy. I nudge Bella, and she curtsies, too.

  “Those were wonderful curtsies, girls,” Queen Katherine says. “But it’s really not necessary.”

  I glance over at Bella. Her cheeks are bright pink. I’m guessing mine are, too. We’ve never met an actual queen before, but I thought I’d read people were supposed to curtsy for a Queen. I guess things are different in Flower.

  Queen Katherine turns to Keira. “I’m guessing you haven’t found Pogo yet?”

  “Not yet, but I think I know where he is,” Keira tells her mom excitedly. “I think he’s in my room, taking a nap.”

  Queen Katherine nods her head. “Good idea. Let’s go check!” She leads us through the front doors, up a white marble staircase, and down a rose carpeted hallway. She stops in front of two bubble-gum pink doors.

  Keira steps forward and opens the doors to her room. When I step inside, I can’t help but gasp. Her room is amazing! She has a craft table, doll house, lots of books, and the most amazing train set I’ve ever seen. In front of a large picture window is a comfy looking couch, with at least ten huge pillows. To my right is a beautiful canopy bed. Beside the bed is a matching doggy bed, but unfortunately, the doggy bed is empty.

  “Oh no! I really thought Pogo would be here,” Keira cries. “Where in the world is that puppy?”

  I really wish I could help, but I have no idea where to look. After all, this is the first time I’ve ever been to Flower.

  Out of the corner of my eye I notice Bella tapping her chin with a finger. She does this when she’s thinking.

  “I think I know where Pogo is,” Bella declares.

  New Hope

  Keira smiles hopefully at Bella. “Where do you think he is?”

  “At the dog park,” Bella states.

  Keira’s hopeful smile vanishes. “But we’ve already looked there. Twice.”

  “I know. I know. But I really think he’s there,” Bella says confidently. “I�
�m kind of an expert on missing things because I’m always losing stuff.”

  I can’t help but grin. Bella really does misplace stuff all the time. “Let’s give Bella’s idea a try,” I say supportively.

  Bella continues, “Most of the time, I find what’s missing in the first place I looked. That’s why I really think we should go back to the dog park.”

  Keira pauses for a moment, then nods her head in agreement. “You know what? You’re right, Bella. The first place I look is usually where I find my missing things, too.”

  All of us, including Queen Katherine, rush back to the dog park.

  When we arrive, Bella stops me at the gate. “Does the dog park remind you of anywhere?”

  I take a good look around. There are dogs everywhere. They’re running through the front door of a playhouse and jumping out the windows. They’re climbing ladders and balancing on rocks. Some of the dogs are even trying to help Aditi fix the hole under the fence. The dog park is a busy, busy place.

  Suddenly, I feel a tickle in the back of my brain. Now that I think about it, the dog park does remind me of somewhere. Actually, it seems quite familiar. But how can that be? This is the first time I’ve been to Flower.

  I continue to watch the dogs zoom around inside the fence. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a large, brown dog digging in the sand. Sand is flying everywhere!

  Then it clicks. I know exactly why the dog park seems familiar.

  “Bella, the dog park reminds me of your kindie area at school,” I tell her excitedly. “But . . . how does that help us?”

  “I knew you’d see the similarity,” Bella says triumphantly. “It reminds me of school, too. I love playing outside because there is so much to do. But sometimes, it can get really loud and busy.”