Then the tallest goblin removed the ring and held it out. Brianna fluttered over to him and took it. Instantly, the ring shrank to fairy-size, and Brianna slipped it onto her finger.
“Now give us what you promised!” demanded the goblin with sunglasses.
Brianna waved her wand and said a spell.
“Chatter, natter, grind, and chew,
These goblins all want something new.
Give each one a set of teeth
To take back to their icy chief.”
With a golden, sparkling flash, each goblin had a set of plastic windup teeth in his hand. They laughed and squawked with delight as the teeth jumped around and chattered.
“Let’s get out of here before those tricky humans try to stop us!” shouted the goblin with the sunglasses.
One by one, the goblins leaped out of the open window and ran away. Brianna cleaned up the exam room with one swish of her wand. Then she darted into Kirsty’s pocket, and Kirsty walked back out to the waiting area.
“All done,” she called to Rachel, giving her a thumbs-up.
“Thank you for the magazines,” said the receptionist.
Rachel and Kirsty hurried down the steps and hugged each other. Brianna popped out of Kirsty’s pocket and wiggled her hand around in delight. The moonstone ring sparkled in the sunshine.
“You got the ring back!” Rachel exclaimed. “Good job!”
“Does this mean you can take my tooth now?” Kirsty asked.
“I’m sorry, Kirsty, but I can’t,” said Brianna. “I still need the endless coin and the enchanted pouch — and the goblins still have those.”
“Then we’ll just have to find them as fast as we can,” said Rachel, giving her friend’s hand a comforting squeeze.
“Put the tooth back under your pillow,” Brianna told Kirsty. “You have both been so wonderful. I’m sure that with your help, we’ll find the endless coin and the enchanted pouch very soon.”
“We’ll do our best!” said Kirsty.
“I have to return to Fairyland now,” said Brianna, “but I’ll be back as soon as I have any news.”
As the moonstone ring gave a final flash, she twirled into the air and disappeared in a puff of golden fairy dust.
Rachel and Kirsty looked at each other and smiled.
“Let’s go home and put that tooth back under your pillow,” said Rachel. “I have a feeling that Brianna will be able to take it very, very soon!”
Things That Go Bump in the Night
Buttons Barks a Warning!
The Bad-Tempered Bundle
Goblin on Wheels
Four-Legged Hero
Kirsty opened her eyes and blinked a few times. The bedroom was completely dark, and she could hear Rachel’s steady breathing on the other side of the room. It was the middle of the night, and she wasn’t sure what had woken her up.
She heard a soft rustling noise and felt her pillow lift up slightly. Someone was in their room!
“Hey!” she exclaimed, sitting bolt upright.
There was a muffled squawk from beside her bed, and something bumped into the nightstand.
“What’s the matter?” asked Rachel, instantly awake.
Kirsty had recognized the squawk.
“Rachel, I think a goblin just tried to steal my tooth!” she said.
Rachel gasped and switched on her bedside lamp. The girls looked around the room, but everything seemed to be normal. There wasn’t a goblin in sight.
“Are you sure you weren’t dreaming?” asked Rachel.
“I don’t think so,” said Kirsty.
She leaned over the side of the bed and peered into the darkness underneath. The light from the lamp was dim, so at first, she couldn’t see anything. Then she spotted two greenish eyes glaring at her from the shadows.
“He’s under here!” she cried.
Rachel jumped out of bed as the goblin scurried out of his hiding place. He dived for the door, but his feet got tangled in the lamp cord. There was another yell and a crash, and the light went out. The girls heard the goblin groan. He had knocked the lamp onto his bony head.
“Don’t let him get away!” said Kirsty. She got out of bed and felt around the floor in the dark, trying to grab the goblin’s feet.
“I don’t know where he went!” Rachel replied, stretching out her hands at goblin height.
“I found the lamp,” said Kirsty, pressing the switch. “And it works!”
The room was flooded with light again, and the girls looked around. The goblin was nowhere to be seen.
“Let’s check under the beds again,” Rachel suggested.
They looked carefully, but the goblin wasn’t hiding under the beds this time. Rachel pulled the curtain aside and noticed that the window was open.
“Maybe he climbed out the window and down the tree,” she said. “Did he take your tooth?”
Kirsty felt under her pillow and smiled.
“No,” she said, “it’s still here.”
Just then, the bedroom door opened and Mr. Walker’s head appeared around it. He blinked sleepily.
“Are you girls all right?” he asked. “We heard a crash.”
“Sorry, Dad,” said Rachel, climbing back into bed. “The lamp got knocked over, but it’s not broken.”
“Well, turn out the light and go to sleep,” Mr. Walker said. “It’s the middle of the night, you know.”
He went back to bed, and Rachel switched off the lamp. No one noticed that the wardrobe door was now slightly open. Kirsty and Rachel lay down and closed their eyes.
The girls woke up late after their midnight adventure. They dressed quickly and hurried downstairs for breakfast. Mr. and Mrs. Walker had already eaten, and Mr. Walker was putting on his shoes to go to work.
“Morning, Dad,” said Rachel, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Sorry we woke you up last night.”
“You must have been having a very exciting dream to knock your lamp over in your sleep!” he said with a laugh.
Rachel just smiled. She couldn’t admit that it was really a goblin who had caused all that trouble. Her dad would never believe that a goblin had knocked over the lamp!
Just then, Rachel’s dog, Buttons, started to bark upstairs.
“Quiet, Buttons!” called Mr. Walker. He turned back to Rachel and Kirsty. “I have to leave for work now. Bye, girls!”
Rachel and Kirsty said good-bye and then went into the kitchen. Rachel poured some cereal, and Mrs. Walker went out into the backyard to hang up some laundry. As Kirsty reached for the cornflakes, the little white milk jug on the breakfast table began to glow. The girls knew immediately that something magical was about to happen!
A puff of golden fairy dust sparkled around the top of the jug. Brianna the Tooth Fairy popped out and twirled in the air! She landed softly on the table in front of Rachel, and a little fairy dust sprinkled onto the tablecloth.
“Good morning!” she said in a bright voice. “I’ve come to tell you some news from Fairyland.”
“Have you found your other magical objects?” asked Kirsty.
“Not yet,” said Brianna. “But I have an idea where they might be. Fern the Green Fairy was visiting a tree near the Ice Castle, and she overheard some goblins talking. Jack Frost has sent one goblin to the human world with the endless coin. He’s ordered him to pose as me and steal any teeth that children leave out for the Tooth Fairy.”
Rachel gave a little gasp.
“Brianna, there was a goblin in our room last night,” she said.
They explained what had happened in the middle of the night. The little fairy’s eyes lit up with hope.
“If he was trying to take your tooth, he must have had the endless coin,” she said. “It’s impossible to take teeth from under pillows without it.”
“Why does Jack Frost want the goblin to pretend to be the Tooth Fairy?” asked Kirsty.
“He wants to use my stolen objects to harness my Tooth Fairy magic,” Brianna explained. “He thinks it will cure his tooth
ache and protect him from getting one in the future.”
Rachel opened her mouth to ask another question, but just then, Buttons started to bark again. The girls exchanged a worried glance.
“That’s Buttons’s warning bark,” said Rachel.
“Something must be wrong,” Kirsty exclaimed, quickly jumping to her feet. “Come on!”
They raced up the stairs two at a time, and Brianna flew above their heads. Buttons was getting more frantic. He gave a series of deep barks that echoed through the whole house.
“He’s in your bedroom, Rachel!” said Kirsty, racing into the room.
Buttons stood in front of the wardrobe, barking with all his might. All the hair on his neck was standing up.
“What’s wrong, Buttons?” Rachel asked, putting her hand on the dog’s soft head.
Buttons looked up at her and gave a little woof. Then he stared back at the wardrobe. The girls could now see that the door was slightly open. They exchanged a worried look. Rachel bravely stepped forward and pulled the door wide open.
“EEEEEE!”
A squealing, wailing bundle fell out of the wardrobe, rolled across the floor, and landed at Rachel’s feet!
The bundle jumped up, and the girls saw that it had two spindly green legs, two scrawny green arms, and a very bumpy green head.
“It’s a goblin!” cried Kirsty.
He didn’t look like a normal goblin. He was wearing three skirts, two dresses, four pairs of pants, a knitted hat, and a cardigan sweater.
Rachel cried out in surprise. “He’s wearing all my clothes from inside the wardrobe!” she exclaimed.
“Take those off right now! They don’t belong to you.”
The goblin scowled at her.
“No,” he said, sticking out his tongue out at her. “I’m not going to let that monster bite me! Its fangs will never get through all these protective layers.”
“Buttons isn’t a monster — he’s just my pet dog!” said Rachel. “He would never bite anyone.”
“I don’t believe you,” replied the goblin. “Go away and leave me alone. Take that monster with you.”
“You can’t order Rachel around in her own bedroom,” said Brianna. “You’re the one who doesn’t belong here.”
“What are you going to do about it, you silly fairy?” the goblin demanded with a sneer. “You can’t do anything, because I’ve got your magic coin. HA!”
He stuck out his tongue at her, touching his thumb to the tip of his crooked nose and wiggling his fingers.
“Take off those clothes right now and give Brianna back her endless coin,” said Kirsty, putting her hands on her hips. “It’s wrong to take things that don’t belong to you.”
“You can’t tell me what to do,” said the goblin, sticking out his bottom lip. “You’re not the boss of me. I’m on a special mission for Jack Frost!”
Buttons took a step toward the goblin and growled. He didn’t like anyone shouting at Rachel or Kirsty. The goblin shrieked in terror and jumped back into the wardrobe.
“Get it away from me!” he wailed. “I’ve been trapped in this tiny closet for hours. My neck hurts and my back hurts and I haven’t found even one tooth for Jack Frost yet!”
“Give me back the endless coin and I’ll use my magic to give you something for Jack Frost,” said Brianna.
The goblin peered out of the wardrobe suspiciously.
“Really?” he asked.
“I promise,” said Brianna.
The goblin grabbed one of Rachel’s purses from inside the wardrobe and opened it. Then he held up the glimmering endless coin and dropped it into the purse.
“Come and get it, then,” he said.
As Brianna darted toward the purse, the girls saw the goblin smirk. What was he planning?
“No!” cried Rachel.
“It’s a trap!” Kirsty shouted at the same instant. “Stop!”
They were both too late. Brianna flew into the purse, and the goblin snapped it shut with a cackle of triumph. The Tooth Fairy was now his prisoner!
“Why did you do that?” Rachel cried. “Brianna was offering to help you!”
“I don’t want her help,” the goblin said. “Yesterday she sent three goblins back to Jack Frost with some windup teeth that weren’t even real. I’m not making the same mistake as they did! I’m too smart for you humans and fairies. You can’t trick me!”
“Let her go right now,” said Kirsty.
“No way,” said the goblin. “I’m taking her to the Ice Castle with me. Jack Frost will keep her prisoner until she agrees to give him all the loose teeth she collects from children.”
Buttons growled again, and the goblin trembled. That gave Rachel an idea. She put her hand on Buttons’s collar.
“I’ll take Buttons into the other room if you’ll let Brianna go,” she said.
The goblin nodded eagerly. Rachel opened the bedroom door and took Buttons into her parents’ room. But as soon as the dog was out of sight, the goblin whooped and pushed past Kirsty. She fell back onto Rachel’s bed. The goblin lunged over to Kirsty’s bed, scooped up her tooth, and dashed out the door.
“Stop!” cried Kirsty furiously. “We had a deal!”
The goblin didn’t reply. He ran down the stairs at top speed, clutching the purse with Brianna in it to his chest. Kirsty pulled herself up and ran out into the hallway, just in time to hear the front door slam shut.
“Rachel, come quickly!” she called. “He’s getting away!”
Rachel dashed out of her parents’ room. “We have to follow him!” she said. “We can’t let him take Brianna to the Ice Castle. Come on!”
The girls raced downstairs, pulled on their shoes, and rushed outside. They peered up and down the street.
“He’s already gone!” said Kirsty in alarm. “We’re too late!”
“No, there he is!” Rachel cried, pointing to the far end of the street. “I just saw him duck down behind that big garbage can.”
They sprinted up the street, and the goblin realized that he had been spotted. He started to run, too, but his thick layers of clothes slowed him down. He had pulled Rachel’s knitted hat down low over his ears and was clutching her purse tightly to his chest. He looked like an eccentric little old lady, and people turned around in surprise as he waddled past them. The sun was already shining brightly, making the goblin look very hot and uncomfortable.
“We’re faster than he is,” said Kirsty, panting. “We’ve almost caught him!”
The goblin looked over his shoulder and screeched in alarm. He ran up to a little boy playing with his scooter in the driveway of a house.
“Give me that!” he shouted, wrenching the scooter out of the boy’s hands.
“That’s mine!” wailed the little boy.
“Mine now!” sneered the goblin.
He jumped onto the scooter and disappeared around the corner at top speed. Kirsty and Rachel stopped beside the crying boy and caught their breath.
“That old lady took my scooter!” the little boy sobbed.
“Don’t cry,” said Rachel, feeling very sorry for him. “We’ll try to get it back for you.”
Kirsty frowned. “How are we going to do that?” she wondered. “We’re not fast enough to catch up to him.”
Rachel and Kirsty looked at each other in dismay. What were they going to do now?
WOOF! WOOF!
There was a loud bark from behind the girls, and then Buttons raced past them. His ears streamed out behind him as he chased the goblin. He ran as fast as he could. In seconds, he had disappeared around the corner.
“Go, Buttons!” shouted Rachel. “Come on, Kirsty!”
Buttons knew that the girls wanted to catch the goblin. He was clearly determined to do his best to help them! They sprinted after him and ducked around the corner. They were just in time to see Buttons take a flying leap at the scooter!
The goblin clattered to the pavement. He was so bundled up in Rachel’s clothes that he bounced three
times before rolling into the gutter. He lay there on his back, waving his arms and legs helplessly like a beetle. He couldn’t get back onto his feet! Buttons stood next to him, panting with his mouth hanging open.
“He looks just like he’s laughing!” said Kirsty as she stopped to catch her breath. “Good boy, Buttons!”
The purse was lying on the pavement next to the scooter. Rachel ran to open it and Brianna flew out. She had her wand in one hand, and the endless coin in the other. Brianna returned the coin to fairy-size and beamed from ear to ear.
“I knew you would rescue me!” she exclaimed.
“It wasn’t us,” said Rachel with a smile. “Buttons stopped the goblin and knocked him off the scooter.”
Brianna gave Buttons a fairy kiss on the tip of his nose.
“Thank you, brave Buttons,” she said. “You’re my hero!”
Then she turned to the goblin and waved her wand at him. She said a quick spell.
“Stealing Rachel’s clothes was wrong,
So send them back where they belong.
And give this dog a juicy bone
To have for a snack when he gets home.”
The layers of clothes disappeared instantly, leaving the goblin dressed in his own short, ragged outfit. He growled and jumped to his feet, shaking his green fists at them all.
“I want that tooth!” he shouted. “I stole it fair and square!”
“This tooth belongs to Kirsty,” said Brianna in a firm voice.
She placed the tooth in Kirsty’s hand, and the goblin shrieked. Then Buttons growled, and the goblin’s knees knocked together.
Brianna the Tooth Fairy Page 2
