Carnival Chaos

by Shannon Penney

  Contents

  Title Page

  Map

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Look back at Cutiecorns #1: Heart of Gold

  About the Author

  The Cutiecorns Series

  Copyright

  “Bow wow, Sparkle, that was puptastic!” Twinkle cheered, clapping her paws. On either side of her, her friends Glitter and Flash barked and whooped in agreement.

  Up onstage, Sparkle took a graceful bow. Her golden fur shimmered in the spotlight—and so did the golden horn between her ears. After all, Sparkle, Twinkle, and their friends weren’t regular puppies. They were Cutiecorns! The colorful horns on their heads gave them pawsome magical powers. But Sparkle had just wowed them with no magic at all!

  “I had no idea you could sing like that!” Glitter said, giving Sparkle a hug as she stepped down from the stage.

  “Me neither,” Flash barked, racing in excited circles. “That was incrediwoof!”

  Sparkle blushed, but a happy smile stretched across her snout. “Thanks! I’ve been practicing doggone hard.”

  “This talent show is going to be the best thing Puppypaw Island has ever seen!” Flash cried. “Just think how impressed our visitors will be!”

  Twinkle couldn’t help grinning at her friend’s enthusiasm. Flash never missed an opportunity to yap on and on about something! Even though Twinkle pretended to be grumpy about it sometimes, it was one of the things she liked best about the little Yorkshire Terrier—she was a bundle of energy and excitement! Plus, the talent show was definitely something to bark about.

  “It is pretty ter-ruff-ic that we get to host Cutiecorns from far and wide this weekend,” Twinkle said with a nod.

  Sparkle danced on her paws. “Yup, turns out something good did come from those mischievous little kittens who showed up here! Everyone wants to get to know one another a little better,” she said. “The first-ever Cutiecorn Carnival and Talent Show is going to be a grrrrrreat success. I just know it!”

  Twinkle peered around the auditorium from her seat in the first row. In front of her was an impressive stage with heavy red curtains and bright lights. Behind her, rows of padded seats stretched on and on into the darkness. Of all the rooms at the pups’ school, Cutiecorn Academy, Twinkle thought this one must be the grandest. It was nice of Mrs. Horne, the head of the school, to let them stay after and practice on the big stage!

  “My turn,” Glitter said quietly, climbing up the steps. She cued some music, took a deep breath, and began dancing, twirling, and leaping across the stage. Twinkle knew that her friend had been taking ballet lessons ever since she was a little pup, but she’d had no idea that Glitter had turned into such a barking good ballerina!

  Sparkle and Flash both looked at Twinkle with wide eyes. They were surprised, too!

  When the music faded, Glitter posed pawfectly still for a moment. Then she curtsied as her friends erupted into a flurry of barks and cheers.

  “You’re so graceful!”

  “Hot dog, what a performance!”

  “You’re a puptastic ballerina!”

  This time, it was Glitter’s turn to blush as she stepped down from the stage. “I love to dance,” she said with a happy sigh. “It’s my favorite thing in the whole world!”

  Twinkle smiled along with the rest of her friends, but inside, she felt her heart squeeze a little. It would be nice to have something she enjoyed doing that much! Twinkle didn’t really have any special talents. She worked hard at learning her magic and being a good friend, and there were plenty of things she liked to do—there just wasn’t anything that made her stand out.

  She felt Glitter’s paw on her shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t want to perform in the talent show, Twinkle?” the little white Maltese asked quietly. Glitter was especially good at caring magic. She could tune in to Twinkle’s feelings better than anyone! Twinkle should have known that her smile wouldn’t fool Glitter.

  “Oh, I’m sure,” Twinkle said with a shrug. “I don’t like the spotlight. The idea of getting up in front of so many Cutiecorns is totally fur-raising!”

  Sparkle shuddered. “I hear what you’re barking,” she said. “Just thinking about performing in front of a big crowd tomorrow makes my stomach do flip-flops!”

  “Don’t worry,” Twinkle reassured her friend. “I’ll be right here in the front row, cheering you on. Just look for this friendly snout!” She flashed a huge, silly smile, and the rest of the pups all dissolved into giggles.

  Flash jumped to her paws and raced onto the stage. “Ladies and gentlepups,” she announced in a booming voice, “now presenting the one, the only, Flash the Magnificent!” She winked. “Lucky for you, she’s not nervous at all.”

  With that, Flash launched into a wooftastic gymnastics and acrobatic display, full of flips, tumbles, and even paws-free juggling! (Flash was best at shifting magic, and she’d been working hard to use only her magic to move the balls through the air. Twinkle had to admit, it was a spectacular sight!)

  Down in the audience, Twinkle, Glitter, and Sparkle clapped and howled. Twinkle couldn’t help giggling. Even though she still felt a little left out of the talent show, she was lucky to have friends who always made her feel wanted, no matter what. And they had the whole Cutiecorn Carnival to look forward to, not just the talent show.

  Bow wow, it was going to be an exciting few days!

  Once Flash had finished practicing her performance, the four friends headed for the Furmusement Park. There was so much to do to prepare for the big weekend, and the pups were ready to lend a paw!

  As they trotted through Barking Bay and toward the water’s edge, Twinkle couldn’t help marveling at how many pups were out and about. It seemed like all of Puppypaw Island was helping prepare! Pups were cleaning, hanging decorations, and arranging big pots of colorful flowers. Some of the adult Cutiecorns used their magic to get the job done, while others worked by paw. Twinkle still felt a rush of excitement every time she saw magic at work, even if it was just a mop moving across the cobblestones on its own!

  Twinkle’s mom had been helping to organize the whole weekend, so Twinkle knew just how much work went into it. Since their guests would be arriving first thing in the morning, now it was all paws on deck!

  “Hey, pups!” A Collie with a bright green horn waved from the side of the main walkway. He held a roll of bright blue streamers in his other paw.

  “Hi, Fuzz!” Sparkle barked, trotting over to their classmate with her friends on her tail. “Need some help?”

  Fuzz grinned. “Fur sure! We’re just hanging streamers between these lampposts, all along the walkway to the Furmusement Park.” He pointed a paw a bit farther along. “Flip and Scooter are down that way. Maybe you guys can start on the other side of the walkway?”

  “You bet!” Flash yipped, bouncing on her paws. She grabbed an armful of streamers and tossed a colorful roll to each of her friends. “Dibs on purple, to match my horn!”

  Twinkle rolled her eyes, giggling. She climbed up on a railing, pausing to tilt her face toward the blue sky. The sun felt so good on her fur! Twinkle and her friends had gotten caught in a massive storm not long ago, so she was especially grateful that the weather was so beautiful for carnival weekend.

  Flash danced back and forth along a railing, using her shifting magic to twist and twirl her streamers overhead. “There are a lot of exciting things about this weekend, but the best part is going to be meeting all the different Cutiecorns, paws down!”

  Glitter smiled, tying the end of her stre
amer around a lamppost. “Other than those rascally kittens who stowed away on your dad’s boat, Flash, I’ve never met any Cutiecorns that weren’t pups before.” Flash’s dad was an explorer. He often traveled to far-off places and met all different kinds of Cutiecorns. The last time he’d gone on an adventure, four Cutiecorn kittens had come back with him—and caused chaos all over Puppypaw Island with their magic!

  “Me neither,” Sparkle said thoughtfully. “Twinkle, has your mom told you who is officially coming?”

  Twinkle nodded. They’d sent out lots of invitations to Cutiecorns far and wide! “Just about everyone we invited is planning to come—bunnies, hedgehogs, birds, hamsters, cats, and goats. The sea Cutiecorns, like the dolphins, can’t really be on land long enough to attend the carnival, but it sounds like they were happy to be invited anyway.” Twinkle felt a little flutter of excitement in her belly just talking about it … and some nerves, too!

  Flash did a backflip off the railing, landing on her paws with a flourish. “Goats? I’ve heard they’ll eat anything! My dad once had a pair of binoculars that turned into a goat’s lunch!”

  The other pups laughed. Twinkle giggled along with them, but she couldn’t shake that feeling in her belly. All of these different Cutiecorns probably had different customs, traditions, and behaviors, too. Would they all be able to get along on Puppypaw Island together? Twinkle’s mind spun with things that could go wrong: Goats eating all the ride tickets! Hedgehogs accidentally popping all the balloons! And what if the mischievous kittens came back?

  A familiar bark interrupted Twinkle’s thoughts. “Look at all these helpful paws over here!” Twinkle’s mom walked up with a clipboard and a big grin. “Now I can mark down that the streamers are almost all hung up and ready to go, thanks to you.”

  “How’s the rest of the setup going?” Glitter asked.

  “Furbulously!” Twinkle’s mom said. “The Furmusement Park is all set up for a full day of fun tomorrow. There will be more food, rides, and games than you can shake your snout at. I’m heading over to the auditorium now, to make sure we’re ready for tomorrow night’s talent show. With all the different Cutiecorns we have joining us, it’s going to be a full house!”

  Sparkle’s eyes widened at the mention of a big, packed auditorium. She swallowed hard. Glitter put a paw around her shoulders, and Twinkle gave her an encouraging smile. Flash, meanwhile, couldn’t keep her paws still. She raced circles around Twinkle’s mom, barking excitedly about their performances.

  Twinkle’s mom laughed. “Hot dog, I can’t wait to see!” She waved a paw as she trotted off down the walkway. “Keep it up, pups—see you for dinner, Twinkle!”

  Twinkle and her friends waved back.

  “I think I’m too excited to eat dinner tonight,” Glitter said, wagging her tail.

  “Plus, you have to save room,” Flash barked. “Just think of all the carnival food we’ll have tomorrow! Cotton candy and ice cream and french fries and fried dough …”

  Twinkle clutched her belly, laughing. “Bow wow, you’re giving me a stomachache!”

  The next morning, Twinkle woke with a start. Her eyes popped open, and then she squinted at the bright sunshine streaming through her window. Hot dog, it was carnival day!

  Twinkle leaped to her paws. Cutiecorns from far and wide were due to start arriving soon, and she wanted to be there to greet them!

  She raced down to the empty kitchen, grabbing a granola bar from the counter. Her most prized possession, the golden charm bracelet she’d gotten at the Enchanted Jubilee, jingled on her wrist. She glanced down at it, admiring the charms that dangled there. Each one reminded her of a different adventure where she’d learned to use her magic!

  Happy barks and laughs echoed outside in the yard. Twinkle stepped out the back door and spotted her dad pushing her younger twin siblings, Tumble and Trot, on the tire swing that hung from the big old maple tree.

  “Good morning!” her dad called, waving a paw. “These two rascals have been up for hours, so we moved the party outside.” He rolled his eyes dramatically, and Twinkle giggled. She definitely got her eye-rolling skills from her dad.

  “Higher, Daddy! Higher!” Tumble cried, her ears flapping in the breeze.

  Twinkle glanced around the yard. “Did Mom already leave?”

  “You bet your bark she did,” her dad said. “She and her clipboard were out of here at the crack of dawn. It’s a big day!”

  Twinkle nodded, bouncing on her paws with a combination of excitement and nerves. It was a big day! Who knew what might happen? Like her mom, Twinkle enjoyed being prepared for what was coming. But how could she possibly prepare for meeting so many new and different Cutiecorns?

  “I think I’ll head down to the docks,” she said. “I want to be there when the boats start arriving.”

  Her dad grinned. “Can’t wait to meet our guests, huh?” He ruffled her fur. “Go on, then. I’m sure you’ll find Mom down there. We’ll join you at the carnival a little later!” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “If we go too early, these crazy pups will eat all the cotton candy before the carnival even gets started.”

  “Cotton candy?” Trot yipped. “Did you say cotton candy?”

  “Get out while you still can!” Twinkle’s dad whispered with a wink.

  Laughing and blowing kisses to her brother and sister, Twinkle raced around to the front of the house and down the lane. She ran as fast as her paws would take her, kicking up a cloud of dust in her wake. It felt good to run! When her paws were pounding against the dirt, Twinkle could ignore the funny fluttering feeling in her belly.

  “Hey, wait up!” a familiar voice barked behind her. Flash darted up, with Glitter right on her tail. Flash coughed dramatically, waving a paw in front of her snout. “Bow wow, Twinkle, it was like a dirt tornado behind you!”

  Twinkle laughed and helped brush the dirt from Flash’s fur. “Sorry! I’m just excited to get down to the docks.”

  “Carnival day is finally here!” Glitter said, giving Twinkle a sweet smile. Twinkle knew that, even without using her magic, her friend could tell she was nervous. But as always, having Glitter by her side made Twinkle feel better!

  “Hey, pups! Are you coming, or what?” Sparkle’s bark carried from farther down the lane. “I can hear you woofing away up there!”

  The other pups giggled and raced off down the hill. “Catch us if you can!” Flash cried, breezing right by Sparkle. Sparkle jumped to her paws and took off, barking and laughing all the way.

  Before long, the four friends reached the main docks. They plopped down, panting. “Next time we decide to do that, remind me that I don’t really like to run,” Twinkle said with a smirk.

  Pausing to catch their breaths, the pups looked around. What a pawsome sight! The docks were bustling with pups of all ages, ready to greet their guests. Streamers lined the docks and the walkway as far as the eye could see. Colorful balloons bobbed from every lamppost, and the water glistened in the morning sunlight. The air rang with excited barks and chatter.

  Twinkle caught sight of her mom, standing at the end of the longest wooden dock. She waved a paw, and her mom waved back with a ter-ruff-ically big smile on her snout.

  Suddenly, a low, long sound cut through the air. The pups all looked at one another with wide eyes.

  “That sounds like a boat horn!” Sparkle woofed, standing on her tiptoes to get a better view.

  Sure enough, a big green ship was approaching Puppypaw Island from one direction, and a yellow ship from another. Far on the horizon, Twinkle could make out two or three others. She pointed a paw, nudging her friends. It was happening! Their guests were arriving!

  The pups watched breathlessly. The green ship drew closer and closer, giving Twinkle and her friends a clearer view. It was like no ship Twinkle had ever seen! The decks were covered with thick grass, and flowering vines twisted around the railings.

  “Look!” Flash cried. “See the name?”

  The name of the ship was pain
ted in swirling white letters along the side: HOPALONG EXPRESS.

  A murmur ran through the crowd as all the pups peered intently at the ship. There were no passengers in sight! What kind of Cutiecorns would ride on a ship like that one?

  Twinkle could feel her heart pounding. “Do you think it’s—”

  “Bunnies!” Glitter barked as fuzzy little faces, colorful horns, and tall, pointy ears appeared over the railing.

  Twinkle’s heart thudded as the Hopalong Express pulled alongside the dock and coasted to a stop. Glitter and Sparkle stood close on either side of her, while Flash danced around them, jumping to try and get a better view of the bunnies.

  Dozens of bunnies grinned and waved shyly from the boat. There were bigger adults and smaller kids, all with dazzling, colorful horns! Some of the bunnies had floppy ears, while others had ears that stood straight up. Twinkle had to smile at the way they twitched their noses.

  “My mom said the different Cutiecorns will stay on their boats until everyone has docked,” Twinkle told her friends. “Then they’ll all disembark for the Welcome Parade down to the Furmusement Park.”

  Glitter sighed happily. “It’s so puptastically exciting!”

  Over the next half hour, the pups watched as boat after boat docked in Barking Bay harbor. The hamsters’ boat was the smallest, and was covered with clear tubes and spinning wheels for the tiny hamsters to run in. The hedgehogs were all snuggled up in nests on their boat, which was dark and shaded. Twinkle remembered her mom mentioning that hedgehogs were nocturnal, so they usually slept during the day! The goats arrived next, jumping and bounding around their multitiered boat. Many goats were perched on the highest tier, looking down at the crowds below. Then came the cats, who walked effortlessly on the thin railings of their boat, looking sleek and graceful.

  “Is that everyone?” Sparkle wondered aloud.

  Glitter pointed a paw. “Almost—look!”

  Off in the distance, the pups could see something high in the blue sky. It came closer by the moment, and soon Twinkle realized just what it was—a flock of colorful Cutiecorn birds! Birds of every color and size flapped their wings in perfect unison, swooping through the air. They landed in a neat row along the top of the WELCOME, CUTIECORNS! banner hanging above the docks.