Taffy Trouble

by Helen Perelman

  Rocky blushed. “But you’re Candy Fairies.”

  “And you’re a Sea Fairy!” Dash gushed. “That is supermint!”

  Cocoa saw Rocky smile. She could tell Dash and Rocky were going to be fast friends.

  A few moments later Nillie arrived. The enchanted sea horse was even more beautiful than Cocoa remembered. Her mane was a rainbow of colors, and her body was a beautiful cotton-candy pink.

  “I am so happy to see you all again,” Nillie said. Her big sea-blue eyes were surrounded by long dark eyelashes. “You remember Sprinkle and Bean, right? And I see you’ve met Shelly and Rocky. They will bring you up to the North Sea and help you. Once you are there, you will be able to work out a plan together to stop Gargo.”

  “Sure as sugar,” Cocoa said.

  Nillie turned to her left and nodded at a silver bucket floating up to the surface of the water. “Inside this bucket is magic sea salt from my cave,” she said.

  “I’ve never seen such delicious-looking glimmering salt,” Berry said, peering inside the bucket.

  “This will allow you to swim like a Sea Fairy,” Nillie told them. “But this sea-salt magic is dangerous if you are not careful. You must be back at the surface before Sun Dip tomorrow. The magic will begin now and then last from Sun Dip to Sun Dip.”

  The Candy Fairies all nodded. “Yes, Princess Lolli told us.”

  Cocoa was more nervous than ever. She wasn’t sure they’d be able to catch the troll before the magic ran out. And she was afraid to ask what would happen if their task was not completed by Sun Dip tomorrow.

  “What happens if we don’t make it back here by Sun Dip?” Dash asked.

  All the fairies gasped. Dash had a way of asking the most direct questions.

  “You’ll be a Sea Fairy forever,” Nillie said. “But I am sure that will not happen.”

  Cocoa looked at her friends. I’m not sure I can do this, she worried. This task was much more dangerous than she’d thought.

  Water Wings

  Shelly and Rocky carried the bucket of magic sea salt to the beach. Cocoa and her friends followed.

  “I’ve never read or heard of any Candy Fairy becoming a Sea Fairy forever,” Raina said. “I think if we listen to Nillie, we will be okay.”

  Cocoa believed Raina. She knew Candy Fairy facts and history better than anyone.

  “Raina is right,” Nillie said. “Be back at the surface by Sun Dip and everything will be fine.” She turned to Shelly and Rocky. “Please help these fairies get their swimming wings on. And remember to watch out for Sticky.”

  “Sticky? Who is that?” Melli asked. Her eyes were wide and she started to bite her fingernails.

  “Don’t worry about Sticky,” Shelly said. “He might have eight arms, but he can’t see all that well.”

  “Eight arms?” Dash cried.

  “Sticky is a gummy octopus,” Nillie said.

  “A grumpy octopus,” Shelly added.

  “We try not to bother him,” Nillie said.

  “And we hope he doesn’t bother us,” Rocky told them.

  Cocoa saw that Melli didn’t like that answer. A grumpy gummy octopus didn’t sound like a creature anyone would want to meet!

  “Let’s get you all in the water,” Shelly said. “Who wants to be the first?”

  “I’ll go first,” Cocoa said. She stood in front of Shelly. Her heart was beating so fast! She felt both excited and scared. Holding her breath, Cocoa closed her eyes. She felt the tingle of the magic sea salt on her wings. “It kind of tickles,” she told her friends.

  “Sweet sugars!” Melli gasped.

  “So mint!” Dash exclaimed.

  “What?” Cocoa said, trying to get a glimpse of her wings. She tried to turn herself around to see.

  “Your wings look crystal coated,” Raina said.

  “They look like a Sea Fairy’s wings!” Berry cried. “I want to go next!”

  As each of her friends were sprinkled with the magic sea salt, Cocoa was amazed at how quickly their wings changed. But the big test would be once they got in the water.

  “Now that your wings are safe,” Shelly said, “it’s time to learn to swim!”

  “I want to go first!” Dash said, zooming up in the air.

  Rocky laughed. “Wrong way!” she said. She pointed down into the water.

  Dash giggled. “Oh, right,” she said.

  “What about breathing?” Melli asked. She was staring at the water. “How do we breathe down there?”

  “Sea Fairies breathe underwater just like we breathe on land,” Shelly said. “The sea-salt magic will let you breathe just like we do.”

  “Come on in,” Rocky called.

  Cocoa and the Candy Fairies stood on the beach, looking out at the water.

  “I’m going in,” Cocoa said. She moved into the water, up to her waist. She felt the cool water on her wings and turned back to see her friends. They were all right beside her!

  “Let’s do this together,” Raina said. She reached out to the other Candy Fairies, and they all held one another’s hands. “One, two, three!” she counted.

  Cocoa felt the water on her body and she shivered a little. Then she opened her eyes and was amazed at all the colors and candies surrounding her. There were reefs of rainbow-flavored candy coral and schools of multicolored gummy fish swimming. Cocoa let go of Raina’s and Melli’s hands so she could explore a little. A gummy sea horse nodded to her, and she was amazed at the bright colors of the salted caramel coral.

  “Dash!” Cocoa said. “Slow down!” Her minty friend was making tons of waves by zooming around. Cocoa was surprised. “I can talk!” she said.

  Raina smiled. “I hear you loud and clear,” she said.

  “And I can breathe normally,” Melli said. She turned to Shelly. “This is sugar-tastic!”

  Rocky motioned for the fairies to follow her. “We have a surprise for you,” she said. “All the Sea Fairies wanted to meet you.”

  She dove through a sugar coral reef ring and the Candy Fairies followed. Cocoa couldn’t believe her eyes—there were hundreds of Sea Fairies gathered together.

  “Sweet caramel!” Melli said.

  “I’ve never seen anything so delicious,” Dash said, taking in all the candy.

  “This is a supersweet welcome,” Raina added.

  “Nothing salty about this,” Berry mumbled.

  Rocky waved her hands. “This is all for you!”

  The Sea Fairies had prepared a feast! The candies were different from those in Sugar Valley, but Cocoa noticed chocolate candies as well as rock candy and gummy candies. Everything was so colorful, and the Candy Fairies wanted to try everything. The Sea Fairies were so generous and kind!

  “So mint!” Dash exclaimed as she munched on a mint chocolate candy. “And did you try the saltwater taffy and this chocolate clam?” She held up a piece to Cocoa.

  Cocoa took a bite of the clam. “I can see why a troll would want to take this,” she said. “This is choc-o-rific.”

  Shelly clapped her hands. “We’re so glad that our guests from Sugar Valley could come join us, but this isn’t a celebration . . . yet.” She looked around at her new friends. “We’ve got some plans to make.”

  The Candy Fairies gathered around Shelly.

  “We are going to take you to Great Sugar Reef,” Shelly said. “That is where we plan to catch Gargo. He is moving up the North Sea, and that reef is likely to be his next snack.”

  “Great Sugar Reef is where we make our saltwater taffy,” Rocky explained.

  “We are here to help,” Cocoa said. “You are very sweet to make us feel so welcome.”

  “And to give us so many sweet treats,” Dash added.

  Shelly and Rocky led the way to Great Sugar Reef in the North Sea. Now more than ever Cocoa felt how important this trip to help the Sea Fairies was. While it was fun for the Candy Fairies to be underwater, they knew there was serious work to be done. They had to trick the troll and stop his stealing!


  The Plan

  When the fairies arrived at Great Sugar Reef, Cocoa was amazed. The sparkling reef stretched far and wide. Shelly and Rocky settled down near a large rock at the bottom of the North Sea.

  “Tell us about Gargo,” Berry said.

  Cocoa looked at her Fruit Fairy friend. Even underwater Berry’s hair was still perfect! Cocoa gathered up her long hair and twisted it into a bun like Shelly’s and Rocky’s. She understood now why the Sea Fairies had their hair tied up. Her long hair got tangled up and floated in her face.

  “The more we know about the troll, the better to make a plan to trap him,” Raina added.

  “He is a large troll with an even larger appetite,” Shelly said.

  Dash smiled. “Just like Mogu! He eats more than I ever could!”

  “And he is greedy and sloppy,” Rocky added. “He doesn’t really swim, either. He waddles.” She got up and waddled around the rock.

  Cocoa laughed. “Yup, he is just like Mogu!”

  “Does he have any Chuchies?” Melli asked.

  Shelly and Rocky looked at each other. “What are Chuchies?” they asked at the same time.

  “They are little creatures who help Mogu and steal our candy,” Cocoa explained. “We’d need to know if there were creatures helping Gargo.”

  Raina sighed. “If I had the Fairy Code Book, I would show you,” she said. “But that was not something I could bring underwater.”

  Rocky and Shelly whispered back and forth. Shelly shook her head. “Well,” she said, “there is no one else in the sea who takes candy like Gargo. He usually eats alone.”

  Cocoa picked up a small chocolate clam. “We heard he loves these,” she said. She studied the chocolate shell. “Oh, the shell is so pretty!”

  Shelly lowered her head. “This whole area used to be covered with chocolate clams,” she said. “Now there are hardly any left. The same goes for the salted caramel coral that used to be here. And without those clams and coral, our water has been losing salt.”

  “Salt you need for the taffy, right?” Berry asked.

  “Yes,” Rocky replied. She pointed to the droopy taffy plants around the rock. “This used to be our biggest crop of saltwater taffy,” she explained. “But when Gargo steals the clams, he upsets the balance of the water.”

  “And that is trouble for your saltwater taffy,” Raina said.

  Shelly nodded. “Yes,” she said. She swam over to the rock and held up strands of dull-colored taffy. “This used to be a healthy taffy plant,” she said. “Now look at it.”

  Cocoa’s heart ached. She knew how hard it was for the Sea Fairies to see their candy looking so troubling.

  “And what about these?” Dash asked. She swam over to a sugar coral reef that had thick licorice vines.

  “That is sea licorice,” Shelly replied.

  Dash touched the vine. “And strong and thick! Just as I hoped,” she said.

  The Candy Fairies shared a knowing look.

  “We can use the licorice to make a trap,” Cocoa explained. “Strong and thick licorice is good for catching a troll!”

  Melli pulled on the thick vine. “That should hold a troll,” she said.

  Rocky swam over to the vines. “But how are you going to tie him? He is huge!”

  “It’s tough to tie up a moving target,” Berry said. “But if we get Gargo some sweet treats, he will surely stand still long enough for us to tie him up.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Shelly said. “The faster we stop him, the better. If we can stop Gargo soon, we will be able to save the taffy.” She looked down at the taffy plant. “But if he keeps up his snacking habit, we won’t have any more taffy to save.”

  “We won’t let that happen,” Berry said.

  “Sure as sugar!” Dash exclaimed.

  “That’s why we’re here,” Cocoa added. “We’re going to wrap up this Gargo problem.” She started to pull the licorice vines to set the trap. “When does Gargo usually come?”

  “He snacks the most in the mornings,” Rocky said.

  “Perfect!” Cocoa exclaimed. “We have tonight to set up the trap.”

  “We will be ready for him first thing in the morning,” Berry said.

  The Candy Fairies placed the last few chocolate clams up on the sugar coral reef. Gargo would be sure to see the clams up there.

  “When he reaches for these, he will be in for a surprise,” Cocoa said. She showed Shelly and Rocky how to tie the vines in order to loop Gargo’s leg and string him up when he stepped toward the chocolate clams on the reef. “He will be looking up at the clams,” she said, “and not down at his feet.”

  “Sweet,” Shelly said. “I hope this works!”

  “I can’t wait to see Gargo’s face,” Rocky said.

  “We only have one shot,” Raina whispered to Cocoa. “Remember, we need to be at the surface by Sun Dip tomorrow.”

  Cocoa looked down at the salt-crystal orb around her neck. Princess Lolli was watching out for them—and counting on them to save the day. But would this plan work?

  “We have to try,” Cocoa said. “Come on, let’s get ready to catch a troll.”

  Coral Adventure

  Cocoa stood back and admired their troll trap. “Now is the hardest part,” she told Shelly and Rocky. “Waiting!”

  “I can’t believe I am going to say this,” Shelly said, “but I can’t wait for Gargo to come!” She started laughing.

  “He is going to be a very surprised troll,” Rocky told Cocoa.

  “Sure as sugar!” Dash exclaimed. “Now let’s have some snacks! I’ve been hoping for some more sea candy treats.”

  “Since we have some time,” Rocky said, “do you want to come with me to see how taffy is made?”

  “Raina, Berry, and Melli said they wanted to see how the salted caramels were growing,” Shelly said.

  “And I want to taste some chocolate taffy,” Cocoa said, winking at Dash.

  “Me too!” Dash agreed.

  “Let’s be back here at Great Sugar Reef tonight so we can be ready for an early morning trap,” Cocoa said.

  “That sounds perfect,” Berry said. “Then we have all day tomorrow to watch the trap.”

  “Until Sun Dip,” Raina said, correcting her. “Remember, we have to be back at the surface before the sun dips.”

  Raina, Berry, and Melli swam off with Shelly to see how the salted caramels were growing. And Rocky showed Cocoa and Dash how taffy was made.

  “This is how the taffy grows,” Rocky said, pointing to the coral. “Sea Fairies take the taffy and pull and knead the candy to make it smooth and soft.” She gently took off a colorful piece of taffy and stretched it before placing it back on the coral.

  Dash rubbed her tummy. “Delicious!” she added.

  Rocky showed Cocoa and Dash how to pull the gooey candy and wrap it around the coral.

  “This is hard work,” Cocoa said. “You have to have strong muscles.”

  “The best taffy has been stretched for a few days,” Rocky told her. “The more you work the piece, the better. Sea Fairies take turns pulling the candy and leaving it out on the coral for another’s turn.” Rocky hung the taffy she was working with on the coral. “This reef used to be covered in taffy,” she said with a sigh.

  “Don’t worry,” Cocoa said. She placed her piece of chocolate taffy back on the coral. She wrapped her arm around her new friend. “I know this plan will work and we’ll catch Gargo. This place will be filled with taffy again.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Rocky said. She spun around. “Where’s Dash?”

  Dash zipped by them and waved her hands. “Look at me!” she cried. “These water wings are supermint fast!”

  Rocky and Cocoa laughed as Dash did flips in the water.

  “I guess Dash is getting the hang of her water wings,” Cocoa said.

  “Come check this out,” Dash called. She waved her arms. “Cocoa, you have to come see this!”

  “I’ll finish up this piece of taff
y,” Rocky said, reaching for the piece that Cocoa was working on. “You can go.”

  Cocoa smiled at Rocky and took off after Dash. She found her in front of a sugar-tastic gummy reef. The colors were bold and glimmered in the water. “Sweet sugars!” Cocoa exclaimed. “Look at the red, purple, orange, and yellow!”

  “It’s the only gummy coral that I’ve ever seen,” Dash replied. “And look over here!” In a flash, she swam around the coral and disappeared.

  “Wait!” Cocoa said. She swam after Dash, who was in the middle of a school of gummy fish. It looked as if Dash was swimming in a moving gummy rainbow! “Come over here!” Cocoa called.

  “Holy peppermint!” Dash cried.

  “And check out how the coral wraps around here,” Cocoa said.

  “Be careful!” Dash called.

  Cocoa kept going deeper into the coral. It was a sugar maze of colors and designs she had never seen. This underwater world was amazing!

  “Cocoa!” Dash shouted. “Where are you?”

  Cocoa peeked her head out of a hole in the coral. “This is sugar-tastic!”

  Dash pulled at Cocoa’s arm. “I think we should get back to the sugar coral reef,” she said.

  “We have to show this coral to Berry, Raina, and Melli,” Cocoa called to her.

  All of a sudden Dash squealed. “But I don’t want to show them that!” She pointed behind Cocoa.

  Cocoa looked over her shoulder and saw a large green gummy octopus. “I bet that’s Sticky!” she cried. “We’d better get out of here!” She touched the salt-crystal orb around her neck. She didn’t want Princess Lolli to worry—or to see that she had found some trouble!

  “Follow me!” Dash called. She dipped into a small opening in the coral.

  “Dash! You are smaller than I am! I won’t make it,” Cocoa shouted. There was no way she was going to fit through the tiny hole Dash had swum into. But then Cocoa looked up and saw a larger opening. Just as a green gummy tentacle waved past her leg, she swam through. She jetted through the coral maze until she came out the other side. Finally, she was out of the coral and safely away from Sticky! She turned around. “Dash?” she called.