“I’m not waiting around for that monster to bite me!” he declared.
He ran off, and the girls sighed with relief.
“Thank goodness he’s gone!” said Rachel.
“Can you take my tooth now that you have the endless coin back?” asked Kirsty hopefully.
Brianna’s big smile faded slightly.
“I’m sorry,” she said, “but I can’t do anything with your tooth until I get the enchanted pouch back.”
“We’ll help you find it,” said Rachel. “Where should we start?”
At that moment, the girls heard Mrs. Walker calling their names. Kirsty put her hand over her mouth.
“We just ran out without telling your mom where we were going!” she said to Rachel. “She must be worried about us.”
“You should go home right away, and I should take the endless coin back to Fairyland,” said Brianna. “But I’ll be back as soon as I can, and then we can start our search for the enchanted pouch.”
She waved her wand and disappeared in a flurry of golden sparkles. Kirsty picked up the fallen scooter, and Rachel patted Buttons. “Come on, boy, let’s go home,” she said. “Brianna promised that there would be a nice bone waiting for you!”
The girls and Buttons hurried back to Rachel’s house. They stopped on the way to return the scooter to the little boy, whose tears dried at once.
Mrs. Walker was standing in the front yard, pruning a tree.
“Did Buttons run off?” she asked. “I thought it was strange that you didn’t say where you were going!”
Rachel and Kirsty just smiled. She wouldn’t believe the real story! They went into the kitchen to finish their breakfast. Buttons discovered a large, juicy bone waiting for him in his bowl.
“What a great start to the day!” said Kirsty, pouring milk on her cornflakes.
“We helped Brianna find the endless coin, and it’s not even nine o’clock yet!” said Rachel with a laugh. “I have a feeling that this is going to be a very good day!”
Brianna’s Request
A Toothache and a Teddy Bear
Uncle Jack Frost!
A Brave Patient
The Magic of the Pouch
“Good shot!” Rachel exclaimed.
“You win!”
She picked up the badminton birdie and grinned at Kirsty. They had been playing badminton over an old tennis net in the backyard all afternoon.
“Another game?” asked Kirsty. “We’ve each won five now. This can be the deciding match.”
Mrs. Walker leaned out of the kitchen window. “Would you girls like a drink?” she called.
“In a minute, Mom,” Rachel replied. “We’re going to play one more game.”
It was Kirsty’s turn to serve. She held out the birdie, aimed, and then hit it with her racquet. The birdie flew higher … and higher … and higher!
“Wow!” said Rachel, looking up and shading her eyes from the sun. “That was an amazing shot!”
“I can’t even see it,” said Kirsty, peering into the clear blue sky. “I’ve never hit a shot like that before.”
“There it is,” said Rachel. “It’s coming back down.”
“I don’t think that’s the birdie,” said Kirsty. “It’s a different shape.”
“You’re right!” said Rachel in excitement. “It’s Brianna!”
Brianna the Tooth Fairy swooped down and perched on the top of the net. She fluttered her wings slightly to keep her balance.
“Hi, girls!” she said with a bright smile. “I’ve come to ask you a big favor.”
Rachel and Kirsty dropped their racquets on the grass and ran up to the net.
“It’s great to see you, Brianna,” said Kirsty. “Have you found out where your enchanted pouch is?”
“Not exactly,” said Brianna. “But I’ve been thinking about what the goblin said this morning. He wanted to take me and your loose tooth back to the Ice Castle. I’m sure that Jack Frost must have the enchanted pouch there with him.”
“That makes sense,” said Rachel. “The enchanted pouch is where your Tooth Fairy magic is kept. He must want to keep it as safe as possible.”
“Yes,” Kirsty agreed. “He thinks it will stop his toothache. How can we help?”
“Will you come to the Ice Castle with me?” asked the little fairy. “I have to find my enchanted pouch, but Jack Frost’s castle is a scary place. I know you’ve both been there before, so I thought you might know the best places to look.”
“Of course we’ll come,” Rachel said immediately.
She looked up at the kitchen window. Her mom was inside, washing dishes. Rachel knew that they wouldn’t be missed, because fairy magic would make time stand still in the human world while they were away.
“Let’s go down to the edge of the yard,” said Kirsty. “No one will be able to see us there.”
As soon as they were out of sight, Brianna raised her wand. A stream of glittering fairy dust whooshed into the air. It curled around the girls like a golden ribbon.
They felt a warm glow as the fairy magic started to work. Gauzy wings appeared on their backs, and the world around them disappeared.
A few minutes later, the sparkles faded and they found themselves flying over a forest of snow-covered trees. Spiky towers glittering with ice rose up in the distance.
“Look, there’s Jack Frost’s castle,” said Rachel. “We’re almost there!”
Rachel, Kirsty, and Brianna fluttered down to the edge of the forest. Their feet crunched on fresh snow as they landed.
“It’s so cold!” said Brianna, rubbing her bare arms.
Rachel and Kirsty were already shivering. Brianna flicked her wand, and instantly, they were both snuggled into thick faux-fur jackets.
“That’s better,” said Kirsty. “Now, how are we going to get into the Ice Castle?”
They peered up at the towers of Jack Frost’s chilling home. Goblin guards paced up and down, keeping watch.
“I’ve never seen so many guards here before,” said Rachel. “Jack Frost must have something very important inside — something that he wants to protect.”
“My enchanted pouch is definitely here,” said Brianna, tightening her lips.
Kirsty gazed at the highest snowcapped tower and noticed a window being flung open.
“Up there!” she exclaimed. “Someone just opened a window. Come on — that’s our way in!”
“What if one of the guards sees us?” asked Brianna.
“The goblins are usually too busy arguing with one another to pay much attention,” said Rachel. “Besides, I think it’s a chance we have to take.”
Brianna nodded in agreement. The three friends rose up into the air and flew as fast as they could toward the highest tower. Blue curtains decorated with silver ice bolts billowed out of the open window. Rachel, Kirsty, and Brianna quietly landed on the window ledge and slipped inside. They could hear voices and a high-pitched whining sound.
“I wonder where we are,” said Rachel.
She peered around the side of the curtain and drew in her breath sharply. She turned to Kirsty and Brianna and motioned them over.
“We’re in Jack Frost’s bedroom!” she whispered.
Kirsty and Brianna gasped and peeked around the side of the curtain. Jack Frost was sitting up in bed. A white cloth was wrapped under his chin and tied on the top of his head in a large bow. He clutched a spiky teddy bear and whimpered loudly.
“That’s the teddy bear that Sabrina the Sweet Dreams Fairy gave him,” said Kirsty. “What’s wrong with him?” Rachel asked.
“He needs to have that tooth pulled,” said Brianna. “Poor Jack Frost — he looks like he’s in a lot of pain.”
“I bet that hasn’t made his temper any better,” said Kirsty. “Look how the goblins are keeping their distance from him!”
At the farthest end of the room from the bed, three goblins argued in loud voices. They all wore white coats that were too big for them.
“Thos
e are dentists’ coats,” said Rachel. “I bet they stole them from the dentist’s office.”
“He needs a special potion,” said the first goblin. “I think we should make a magic brew of weeds, mud, onion peel, and moldy berries.”
“That won’t help a toothache,” scoffed the second goblin. “That’s for hiccups! He needs hot-water bottles strapped to his ears.”
“Nonsense!” squawked the third goblin. “That tooth has gone bad. It needs to be pulled out.”
“Yes!” said the first goblin. “How should we do that?”
“I know,” said the second goblin. “We need to use his wand and take the tooth out with a magic thunderbolt!”
“No, no,” the third goblin said, putting his hands on his hips. “We just have to tie a piece of string around his tooth. Then we pull it out by tying the other end to a door handle.”
“That sounds like fun!” said the second goblin. “Let’s try it!”
“I can’t let them do this!” cried Brianna.
Before Rachel or Kirsty could stop her, she darted out from behind the curtain and fluttered into the center of the room to face the goblins.
“Stop!” she demanded. “I am the Tooth Fairy, and I can’t let you go through with this terrible idea. You’ll just make things even worse.”
Jack Frost loosened the cloth around his head.
“It hurts so much!” he bellowed. He clutched his jaw and groaned. “It can’t GET any worse!”
“A fairy!” yelled the goblins. “A fairy in Jack Frost’s bedroom! Get her!”
“You need to go to the dentist,” said Brianna, turning to Jack Frost. “That’s the only way you’ll feel any better.”
“I’m not going to let a silly dentist torture me!” Jack Frost screeched.
Rachel and Kirsty flew out to join their friend.
“You should listen to Brianna,” Kirsty said. “She knows a lot more about teeth than these goblins.”
“No she doesn’t!” shouted the first goblin. “She doesn’t even have a white coat!”
“Listen to me,” said Brianna, flying over to Jack Frost and landing on the blanket in front of him. “A dentist won’t hurt you. They take care of your teeth and make you feel better!”
Jack Frost stared at her. He was wincing in pain. “I’m scared,” he said in a small voice. Rachel and Kirsty suddenly felt very sorry for him. They landed on the bed beside Brianna.
“Listen,” said Rachel. “I’ve been going to Tippington Dental Care all of my life, and the dentist has never hurt me.”
Jack Frost looked at her suspiciously.
“Really?” he asked.
“I love going there,” Rachel continued. “They use a cool special dye that makes your teeth turn blue where you haven’t brushed well enough.”
“Yes, and they use toothpaste that tastes like bubblegum,” Kirsty added.
“And they give you a ‘good patient’ sticker at the end,” said Rachel.
“We could take you to the Tippington dentist right now,” said Brianna. “You could be feeling better in half an hour.”
Jack Frost’s eyes shone, and then he winced in pain.
“All right!” he said. “I’ll go. But if they hurt me, I’ll blame you!”
“Fine,” said Brianna. “First, you need to look like an ordinary human.”
She brushed her wand over Jack Frost’s head like a hairbrush. His spikes smoothed down until they looked like hair, and his pajamas were replaced by a T-shirt and jeans.
Then Brianna waved her wand in the air. A flash of bright golden light lit up the bedroom, and Rachel and Kirsty closed their eyes. When they opened them again, they were hovering next to Brianna in an alley, close to Tippington Dental Care. Jack Frost stood in front of them, still clutching his teddy bear.
“Are you ready to go in?” Brianna asked him.
Jack Frost shook his head. “I can’t,” he wailed. “It’s too scary!”
“Brianna, I have an idea,” said Kirsty. “If you turn us back into humans, we can pretend to be Jack Frost’s nieces. Then we can go in with him and help him feel more brave.”
Brianna waved her wand and returned the girls to human-size. Kirsty and Rachel each took one of Jack Frost’s arms. They marched him out of the alley, up the steps of the dentist’s office, and into the waiting room.
“Hello,” said Rachel to the receptionist. “We need an emergency appointment, please. Our uncle has a terrible toothache!”
Jack Frost was very nervous. He paced up and down in the waiting room, squeezing his teddy bear. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait very long. The door to the exam room opened, and the dentist looked out.
“Mr. Frost?” she asked.
Jack Frost didn’t move, but Rachel and Kirsty took his arms and led him gently into the exam room. The dentist raised her eyebrows. She raised them even higher when she saw the spiky teddy bear, but she didn’t say anything about it.
“Let’s see if I can help you feel better today, Mr. Frost,” she said with a warm smile.
She guided him into the chair. There was a sailboat mobile dangling from the ceiling, with red and blue boats swirling slowly around.
“Just lean back, look at the mobile, and try to relax,” said the dentist. “Open wide.”
“Is it all right if we stay?” asked Kirsty. “Our uncle is a little nervous.”
“Of course,” the dentist replied, peering into Jack Frost’s mouth. “Goodness, what spiky teeth you have, Mr. Frost! But I see the problem tooth. I can fix that right up for you.”
It was all over very quickly. The dentist pulled out the bad tooth and gave Jack Frost some blue liquid to rinse out his mouth. Then she dropped the tooth into his hand.
“There you are,” she said with a smile. “How do you feel now?”
“The pain’s completely gone!” said Jack Frost. “I was very brave, wasn’t I?”
The dentist hid a smile. “Yes, you were very brave,” she agreed.
“Where’s my ‘good patient’ sticker?” Jack Frost demanded.
“They’re usually just for our younger patients….” the dentist began.
“I AM young!” roared Jack Frost.
“He’s back to his normal self already,” Rachel whispered in Kirsty’s ear.
The dentist gave Jack Frost a large “good patient” sticker, and he stuck it proudly on his T-shirt.
“One for Teddy, too,” he snapped.
The dentist gave the teddy bear a sticker, too. Then she handed Jack Frost a little bag.
“There is a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, and some mouthwash in there,” she said. “I would like you to brush your teeth twice a day from now on and eat less sugar. I don’t want to have to pull out any more of your teeth, Mr. Frost!”
“Thank you very much,” said Rachel, realizing that Jack Frost wasn’t going to be polite enough to say it.
The dentist opened the door and followed them out into the waiting room.
“Has my next patient arrived?” she asked the receptionist.
“No,” the receptionist replied. “That’s the third person who hasn’t showed up today. You’ve gotten three more calls from patients you saw this morning, saying that their teeth have been hurting.”
The dentist groaned, and Kirsty and Rachel looked at each other. They followed Jack Frost out of the dentist’s office and down the steps.
“Things are going wrong for the dentist because you still have the enchanted pouch,” Kirsty said to him.
“It’s really unfair of you to keep it after the dentist and Brianna helped you so much today.” Jack Frost was only half listening. He held up his tooth so that it gleamed in the sunshine, and gazed at it lovingly.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” he said. “Nice and spiky! I’d much rather have this tooth than some pesky fairy’s silly pouch.”
“Do you mean that?” asked Rachel in an eager voice.
This might be their chance to get Brianna’s enchanted pouch back!
The girls pulled Jack Frost into the alley where Brianna was waiting for them. He narrowed his eyes.
“If I give back the pouch, what do I get out of it?” he asked.
Rachel and Kirsty groaned. He was back to his old mean self. But Brianna smiled at him.
“That’s a wonderful tooth,” she said. “It’s one of the best I’ve ever seen.”
Flattered, Jack Frost gave a smug little smile. “If I had my enchanted pouch back, I could make you an icy display stand for the tooth,” Brianna continued. “But I would need to use the special magic that’s in the enchanted pouch.”
Jack Frost reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet pouch. It glowed as he held it out to Brianna.
“Take it,” he said. “I want a display stand!”
Brianna took the pouch and shrank it to fairy-size with her wand. She pulled on the gold braid that held the pouch closed and took a pinch of fairy dust from inside. Then she recited the words of a spell.
“Tooth magic old and tooth magic new,
Use your power strong and true.
Give this tooth a place to sit
Where icy light can shine on it.”
Brianna threw the fairy dust up, and it drew itself together, making a shape in midair. The shape grew more solid and formed an amazing display stand, which landed on the ground in front of Jack Frost. It was a miniature version of his Ice Castle, complete with towers and icicles. On the central tower sat a tiny, blue velvet cushion. Jack Frost gasped with delight and placed his tooth on the cushion.
“I think he likes it,” said Kirsty with a laugh.
Brianna the Tooth Fairy Page 3
