“Exactly,” Rachel agreed. “So we are looking for those two things, and they could be anywhere.”
Kirsty nodded. “The goblins actually had the cupcake, so maybe they have the other things, too,” Kirsty thought out loud. “The goblins were holding them when Jack Frost cast the spell that sent them into the human world.”
“That’s right,” Rachel replied. “We should always watch out for those sneaky green guys.”
It was very quiet as the girls made their way along the trail. “It’s such a pretty day,” Rachel commented. “Where is everyone? Your grandparents talked about how many kids come here on vacation. I wonder where they all are.”
“Maybe they’re all in town,” Kirsty suggested. “Because it’s Honeydown’s birthday week, there are lots of things going on.” But when the trail came to an end on Main Street, the girls still didn’t see many people around. When they passed the playground, it was empty.
“Let’s check the town calendar,” Kirsty suggested, pointing to what looked like a large outdoor bulletin board. It had a wooden frame with lots of papers tacked to it.
“There’s a tug-of-war contest at 11:00,” Rachel said. “Fun!”
“And a parade this afternoon,” Kirsty added.
“But not much right now,” Rachel said, looking around at the quiet street and not knowing what to do. “You know what Queen Titania would say?”
Kirsty nodded, “Let the magic come to you.” It was the queen of Fairyland’s reminder that fairy magic would help them out when the time was right. “Maybe we should get a morning muffin and wait,” Kirsty said. “The bakery has such delicious breakfast breads. I love to go there.”
The girls crossed the street and discovered that the bakery was closing. A man in a baker’s hat had just locked the door. “Not enough business,” he grumbled, forcing the keys in his pocket. “Everyone’s eating ice cream instead!” The man shook his fist at a shop down the street.
“That’s weird,” Kirsty said, striding in that direction. “That’s the ice cream store.”
“Even more weird, look at that line,” Rachel said. “Where did all these people come from?” As they turned the corner onto Cranberry Street, the girls saw a line that went out the store and several doors down. “And why do they want ice cream at 10:00 in the morning?”
Pssst. Pssst.
“Did you hear that?”
Pssst. Pssst.
“Look! In that tree,” Kirsty said. “It’s Skyler!”
“Finally!” Rachel said with a happy sigh, and the two girls rushed over to greet their newest fairy friend.
“Everything’s messed up,” Skyler whispered. “No one is enjoying their usual traditions.”
“I think ice cream for breakfast could be a good, new tradition for me,” Rachel said, rubbing her stomach.
“It sounds good,” Skyler agreed, “but look at the people coming out.”
The girls turned and watched as several small groups exited the ice cream parlor. Everyone was carrying a single scoop of vanilla on a wafer cone, and no one appeared to be happy.
“That’s odd,” Kirsty said. “This is one of those fancy ice cream shops where they use homemade brownies and cookie dough and all kinds of other stuff to make exciting flavors. So why is everyone ordering vanilla?”
“That’s a good question,” Rachel said. “Especially if it doesn’t make them happy.”
“Oh, look! There’s Gramps,” Kirsty said, pointing to her grandpa. He was next in line to order. “Vanilla is actually his favorite, so he will be glad when he comes out.” The girls and Skyler watched closely.
The clerk with the scoop shook his head. Gramps immediately left the little shop with a scowl on his face. Skyler hid in Rachel’s pocket as Kirsty waved to her grandpa. “Hey, Gramps! Over here!”
Gramps skulked his way over to the girls. “Just my luck,” he complained. “They ran out of vanilla just as soon as it was my turn.”
“I’m sorry, Gramps,” Kirsty said. “That’s no fun. But can I ask what made you come to town for ice cream in the morning?”
“I don’t know,” he answered with a shrug. “Gran didn’t feel like making breakfast, so we were going to go to the bakery. But then that seemed boring. We do it too much. I guess I’ll just go home.”
Kirsty and Rachel exchanged glances.
Gran and Gramps were tired of their own favorite traditions! This was not good at all!
“But you can’t go home. There’s going to be a tug-of-war contest and then the parade,” Kirsty reminded him.
“I watch those things every year,” he said. “I don’t need to see them again.” With that, Gramps headed toward the path back to the cottage.
“But that’s the point,” Kirsty said to herself. “He does it every year and he loves it. I wanted to share some of the Honeydown festivities with him.”
“I think it’s a sure sign we need to find my magic objects,” Skyler declared. “Any sign of the goblins?”
“No, none,” Rachel replied. “But I see a whole bag of bunting!”
“They’re putting up all the town decorations!” Kirsty said. “I wonder if the magic bunting is in the bag?”
“Maybe! You’ll know it because it will be extra bright, and it will have a magic glow,” the fairy explained with a spin. “The bunting helps keep people excited about traditions. It keeps the traditions from growing old.”
Kirsty and Rachel knew that was exactly what was wrong with Gramps. She guessed it was why all the other people showed up in town for ice cream, too. “I get it,” Rachel said. “It’s easy to get sick of doing the same thing all the time. But some of these traditions only come once a year. They are tons of fun!”
“You don’t have to convince me,” Skyler said. “Let’s check out that bunting.”
Skyler flew a loop and landed in Rachel’s pocket again, so the girls could approach the workers. “Can we help?” they asked.
Volunteering was the easiest way to get a good look at the various strands of bunting. Using a ladder, they helped string the colorful decorations from one side of Main Street to the other.
“It looks like the sweetest town ever!” Rachel exclaimed.
“I wish there were some people around to see it,” Kirsty said. It was like everyone who came out for ice cream had gone home, grumpy.
“Well, I wish one of those strings of bunting was magic, but none of them are,” Skyler said, folding her arms while her wings flapped behind her. “How are we going to find it?”
“What are these?” Rachel asked as they walked by boxes of sashes, masks, and crowns. There were also hanging racks full of clothes.
“They are for today’s parade,” Kirsty replied. “Usually, the street is crowded with people picking out their best costume by now. Everyone dresses up.”
“I’m not sure there will be much of a parade today,” Rachel said, looking around at the empty street.
“I agree. This town is too quiet,” Kirsty said. “I think we need to try to get people out and about. It’s our best chance of finding the missing objects.”
“You’re right,” agreed Rachel. “Those goblins like to get lost in a crowd, and they love to be part of big events.” Rachel looked at the empty playground and park. “The ropes for tug-of-war are over there. We need a whole crew of kids to take part. Skyler, isn’t there something you can do?”
“My wand just isn’t very strong when my magic objects aren’t in Fairyland,” the fairy explained. “I can use it on one person, or on very small groups. But I can’t send up a big sparkle cloud and get all the kids to come out at once. I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t worry, Skyler,” Kirsty reassured the sad fairy. “There’s something Rachel and I can do,” Kirsty insisted. “We’re going to track down some kids. This is such a fun tradition. We have to make it happen!” Kirsty ran over to the tug-of-war setup. She picked up a bright red bullhorn and pushed the button.
Rachel watched as Kirsty marched over to
a row of houses. “Calling all kids! Calling all kids! Time for tug-of-war!” Kirsty yelled into the bullhorn.
At first, Rachel was embarrassed. Kirsty’s voice was so loud, and no one was coming out. Then, Rachel saw inside one of the houses. A group of kids was sitting in front of a TV screen. “They’re just playing video games,” she mumbled to herself.
Rachel actually liked video games sometimes, but not when there were other, more exciting things to do. “They could do that anytime. They should come outside! Skyler, are you with me?” With Skyler perched on her shoulder, hidden behind her hair, Rachel felt brave. She marched past the station wagon in the driveway and knocked on the door.
“Yes?” A little girl opened the door.
“Hi!” Rachel greeted her. “My name’s Rachel. My friend Kirsty and I want to play tug-of-war. Will you play with us?”
Just as Rachel asked the question, Skyler sent a single stream of sparkles that swirled all around the girl. The girl’s frown lifted and she smiled. “I’m Rose,” she said.
Still, the little girl glanced back in the house, toward the TV room.
“It’s OK, Rose,” her dad called from the other room. “You should go out and play. I’ll send the others.”
“Thanks, Dad,” she said, and she smiled again at Rachel.
“That’s perfect,” Skyler whispered in Rachel’s ear. “If we can convince a few kids with just a little magic, maybe a whole lot more will join us.”
Happy with her success, Rachel approached other houses that looked like there might be kids at home. If there were bikes in the front yard or balls on the porch, Rachel knocked on the door. Each time, the kid looked very bored and tired. Skyler’s magic always perked them right up.
“We love tug-of-war,” a pair of red-headed twins declared in unison. They stormed out of their cottage and toward the park. Kirsty kept calling out on the bullhorn. Soon, kids started to show up on their own. After a little while, they had a real crowd!
Rose’s father had joined the group, and he helped organize the teams. Kirsty gave the bullhorn to him. There were three ropes, and enough kids for six teams. Just right! Rachel and Kirsty noticed the little boy from earlier in the week, as well as the feisty girl with the braids. They both looked ready to compete.
Rachel and Kirsty were ready, too. Skyler was now hidden in a pocket of Kirsty’s shirt. “Keep an eye out for goblins,” the fairy whispered.
Luckily, the girls ended up on the same team. They took positions at the end of the rope. “I like to be anchor,” Kirsty said. “It’s a very important role.” The girls lined up at one of the ends. The rope was braided and very thick.
The girl and the boy from the cupcake social were lined up in front of them. They introduced themselves. “I’m Sandy,” said the girl with the braids.
“I’m Carter,” said the boy. The red-haired twins, Milo and Arlo, were also on their team.
“The other team is all boys,” Sandy said. “We’ll show them.” She put her hands on her hips, just like at the social.
“I don’t think I know any of those kids,” said Carter. “It’s hard to tell, with those big bills on their baseball caps.”
Big bills on baseball caps? Kirsty and Rachel had seen that before! “Goblins!” they whispered to each other. They tried to get a better view of the other team, but Rose’s dad called everyone into position.
“Ready, set, tug!” he yelled.
In the anchor spot, Kirsty held tight. Rachel was right in front of her. “Can you see them?” Kirsty grunted.
“No,” Rachel responded. “We’ll have to wait.”
“They aren’t that big,” Sandy said through gritted teeth, “but they’re strong.”
The whole team stumbled forward, and Milo and Arlo fell across the line.
“We won! We won!” the other team all chanted together. “We are the winners, and you are the losers. We won!”
“They are not very nice winners,” Carter said, looking hurt.
“No, they are not,” Kirsty said, scowling at the band of big-billed and even bigger-footed bullies on the other team.
Now that she could see the other team, it was clear that they were goblins. “I think I should have a word with them.” Kirsty began to march over to the group, but Rachel grabbed her by the elbow.
“Hold on,” her best friend begged. “They don’t know we’re here yet. I think that gives us a better chance of finding the magic objects.”
Skyler peeked out of Kirsty’s pocket. “Can you see one of my magic objects?” she asked hopefully.
Both girls craned their necks to get better views.
“No,” they both answered, shaking their heads.
“Then I think Rachel’s right. Unless you can see signs of one of my magic objects, we should just keep track of the goblins. Don’t go after them until you know they have one of my objects with them.”
Kirsty looked frustrated. “What if they hid them somewhere and aren’t going to bring them out?” she worried out loud. “The big firework display is tomorrow night. We have to find both objects before then, or it could be a disaster.”
“That’s a good point,” Skyler said, scratching her chin with one finger. “But let’s give this a try. If one of the objects is close, its magic will help the goblins enjoy all the fun traditions even more. I don’t think they’ll be able to resist taking part in all the festivities.”
“You’re right,” Rachel agreed. “We’ll just have to watch them very closely.”
“We won’t let them out of our sight,” promised Kirsty, and she took her friend by the hand.
“Great job, everyone!” Rose’s father announced through the bullhorn. “Now, let’s switch up the teams, just for fun.”
Kirsty gave Rachel’s hand a tug and the two rushed over to the other end of the rope. “Hi!” Kirsty said with a friendly wave. “We’d love to be on your team this time around. You guys are really good.”
“Oh,” a goblin with high cheekbones said. “Well, thank you. We just love tug-of-war. We love all these old yard games, don’t we?” he said to his teammates. “Such great memories.”
“Yes, so much fun!” said another goblin who was wearing sunglasses. “Please join us. You can be at the end.”
“They’re being so nice,” Rachel said under her breath to Kirsty.
“They didn’t seem that way when we were on the other team,” Kirsty pointed out. “But they seem excited to have us on their team.”
“Yes,” whispered Skyler. “They are very enthusiastic. They love the game so much, I suspect that my bunting might be close by. It helps people cherish old traditions even more.”
“OK then,” Kirsty said in a hushed voice. “We’ll be on the lookout, and we won’t give ourselves away.”
“Great!” Skyler said.
All three friends felt good having a plan, but it wasn’t easy pretending they didn’t know who the goblins were.
Kirsty and Rachel thought it was funny that most people did not recognize that the goblins were … well, goblins. They were dressed like regular kids in jeans and long-sleeve sports jerseys, but they had enormous feet, long noses, and bright green skin! Lucky for them, Jack Frost’s magic helped them seem normal to people in the human world.
“New teams, please take your places,” Rose’s dad directed.
“Are you ready?” the high-cheeked goblin asked. “It’s too bad you don’t have on cleats. They keep you from slipping in the slimy mud.”
“Also, we wear gloves,” said another goblin. “With gloves, the rough rope doesn’t hurt our hands.”
“Those are good tips,” Rachel said.
“We’ll do our best,” Kirsty added. “They really want to win,” she said to Rachel and Skyler in a low tone.
“That’s another sign that they have the bunting,” Skyler said. “They are super excited and well prepared. The magic bunting helps with that.”
From where she was standing, Rachel could see almost all the goblins. The
re were some who were playing tug-of-war. Others were just cheering on the sidelines. But no one was holding the colorful decoration with triangles. “No sign of it yet,” Rachel said.
“Ready, set, tug!”
Rachel and Kirsty gripped the rope. They pulled back. Without trying very hard, they found they could take a step back. “We’re pulling the other team over,” Rachel said.
“Yes, we’re winning!” Kirsty said excitedly.
“Heave,” the goblins chanted in chorus. “Ho.” Each time they called out, they gave a giant tug. “Heave,” they chanted again. “Ho.”
It seemed that they were just seconds from getting the other team across the line—and winning—when Kirsty tripped on a large root. She lost her balance and fell to the ground. Rachel tumbled on top of her. Then the goblin right in front of Rachel stumbled backward. “Yikes!” he yelled. “Grab the rope!”
But it was too late, All the goblins began to drop, one by one. And each one dropped the rope as he fell. Soon, the goblin with the high cheekbones was the last one standing. He didn’t realize that the rest of his team was out of the game.
“Heave,” he yelled all alone, but no one else pulled. It was the other team that managed to make a mighty yank. That team dragged the lone goblin over the line.
Their team members gathered in a tight huddle to celebrate.
The goblins all scowled.
“You!” a goblin snarled, pointing at Kirsty and Rachel. “It’s your fault we didn’t win!”
The girls were still on the ground. “I’m really sorry,” Kirsty replied. “I tripped.”
“It’s more fun when we win,” the goblin pouted.
“It’ll be OK,” the high-cheeked goblin said. “There are other fun things to do today. It’s almost time for the parade!”
Skyler the Fireworks Fairy Page 3
