“Hot chocolate, please,” said Clover, taking a seat on the couch, which was slowly changing from red to orange.
Marigold bustled off to the kitchen, and Lulu sat down next to Clover. Close up, Clover could see Lulu’s glasses were all wet, and tears streaked down her cheeks.
“Are you okay?”
Lulu sniffled. She took off her glasses and wiped them, then looked across the room and smiled briefly before replacing them. Clover wondered if that’s where the puppy was. But she couldn’t see anything.
A knot formed in Clover’s stomach. She HAD let Lulu adopt the puppy. What if Lulu was upset because she knew Clover would come back for it? Clover could easily imagine how awful it would be to get a new pet and then have to give it up right away.
“Lulu,” she started in her gentlest voice, “I’m here about the puppy. It wasn’t ready for adoption yet. I made a mistake. We didn’t get a chance to fill out the paperwork or anything. I need to…to take it back.”
Lulu shook her head.
“It’s still really little, just a baby,” Clover tried to explain. “You can come later and adopt it if you want, if your parents say it’s okay. In fact, I think you would be a great owner. But right now, will you show me where it is?”
Lulu shook her head even harder.
“Please, Lulu. It’s really important. I promise that you can come later and adopt it if you want. Please show it to me.”
“He’s gone!” wailed Lulu, just as her mom entered with a tray of steaming cocoa.
“Now, Lulu! I told you, no more about that puppy.” Marigold turned to Clover. “I am so sorry. It’s Lulu’s imaginary puppy. Lulu insists that it ran out into the Meadows when it heard the thunder because it was scared. I’ve tried to tell her not to worry.” Marigold sighed. “Lulu’s always seeing things that no one else can. I wish I had as vivid an imagination.”
“Actually it’s not just in her imagination,” Clover began.
Marigold looked confused. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that…” But Clover saw Lulu shaking her head and pointing outside.
Clover understood—it would take too long to explain everything; the puppy needed them. “I’ll have to tell you later,” she said. “Right now I have to find the puppy and I could really use Lulu’s help. Could she come with me? I’ll take good care of her.”
Boom! Thunder crashed.
Marigold jumped, the cups rattling. She set the tray down on the table. “The storm is far too fierce for chasing a puppy, whether it’s real or not. Even experienced rainbow harvesters like Leonard are going to be having a tough time. Why don’t you stay for a nice cup of cocoa, dear, until the sun comes out?”
“I can’t,” said Clover. “I really must find the puppy. And Lulu’s the only one who can help me.”
Lulu looked hopefully at her mother.
But Marigold shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she said.
Lulu’s lower lip began to tremble.
“Don’t worry, Lulu. I’ll find him. I promise.” Clover stood up.
“Oh dear, dear,” sighed Marigold. “Well, if you must go out, then you should take this.” Marigold handed Clover a rainbow-colored umbrella. “Yours looks like it has seen better days.”
“Thank you,” said Clover, taking it. She was about to leave when she thought of something. “Lulu, what’s his name?”
“Just puppy,” said Lulu. “I haven’t named him yet.”
The storm was a monster now—thunder rumbling, wind screeching. At least Marigold’s bright umbrella, although small, was keeping Clover dry, unlike the other one. The minute she stepped off the path and into the muddy Meadows, however, her shoes were soaked. The Meadows looked like the sea, and felt like it too: wet and endless. For all she knew, the puppy might be right in front of her. Far in the distance, through the mist, she could see a wall, rising like a swell on the horizon.
“Puppy! Here, Puppy,” she called.
Clover whistled as loudly as she could above the wind. She reached out her hand, hoping to feel him. She even squinted her eyes, hoping she might see something. But she didn’t.
She kept going. Around the boulders, through the grass. She came to a particularly marshy section and tried looking for paw prints in the mud, but if there were any, the rain had already washed them away.
“Puppy! Puppy! Here, Puppy!” she called until her voice was hoarse, but the wind drowned her out.
She trudged on, sinking down in the mud, nearly losing a shoe. She had just rescued it when the wind snatched Marigold’s umbrella from her hand, flinging it away in a swirl of colors, up, up, and out of sight. It wasn’t even hers to lose. Within seconds, she was truly soaked.
Her thin summer dress clung to her body and her shoes made slurpy sounds. Her hair was blowing into her eyes and she wiped it away, forgetting that her hand was covered in mud from pulling her shoe out of the muck. Now there was mud in her hair and on her face.
“PUPPY! HERE, PUPPY!” she called desperately.
Boom! replied the storm.
At last, Clover reached the crumbling stone wall at the end of the Meadows. It was only slightly taller than her, but still high enough to block her view of what lay beyond, and stretched as far as the eye could see to the right and the left. The wall was too high for a puppy to get over. But it did provide some shelter from the wind. Maybe the puppy was huddled up against it?
FLASH—a bolt of lightning lit up a hole between some of the stones. It was just big enough for a large puppy—or a small girl.
Clover squeezed through, though the last bit was tight. Puffing, she emerged to a terrible sight. The wall didn’t mark the end of the Meadows!
Below her, stretching out for as far as she could see, were more Meadows, ten times larger than where she’d already been, with trees and boulders and grass. She would never be able to search it all. She would never find the puppy—even if she could see him!
CRACK! A zigzagging bolt of lightning struck one of the trees in the distance. The tree fell over with a sickening crash. Clover jolted and tripped over a rock. She tried to catch her balance, but slipped and slid down the slope into the Meadows.
“OH!” she cried. Down, down, down until—THUMP! She landed at the bottom, in a muddy, miserable heap.
She felt very alone, and very scared. If only she had Lulu’s magic to see the invisible puppy. If only she had magic of any sort! Suddenly, all she wanted was her parents, a warm bath, and Dipity on her lap. Tears filled her eyes.
She got up and stumbled to some nearby boulders. Two leaned together, forming a little cave. She crawled into the dry space, wet and trembling.
She thought of the puppy, how he too must be wet and trembling. She imagined him curled up in a little ball, shivering and scared.
If she couldn’t find him, if she gave up, would he die?
The thought was too horrible. Clover began to cry harder. It was hopeless—ridiculous, really—searching for something that you can’t even see. She should just give up!
But she couldn’t.
She wasn’t magic, but maybe she didn’t need to be. Maybe it didn’t matter. What really mattered was that she loved the magic animals, so she would never give up. Even when things were tough. And things did get tough. Like right now.
But she had figured out Dipity’s magic and found homes for Coco and Hickory. A litter of kittens was safe and sound because of her. A fairy horse loved her so much that it didn’t want to be adopted. She would find the lost puppy. She felt it in her heart.
And just as she felt it in her heart, that’s when she felt it beside her too….
There was something in the dry space in front of Clover. She could feel the heat from its body. And when she listened very hard, she could hear soft whimpering too.
But she couldn’t see anything.
She reached out her hand—slowly, hopefully—and touched wet fur, but only for a moment. The creature quickly pulled away.
Clover gasped. It had
to be the puppy!
He clearly wasn’t like most puppies, not loud and barking. She remembered stepping on something in the pen….Had it been his tail? She’d probably scared him. And then the big booms, the knocking of the giants, those must have scared him too. He must be shy, just like Lulu, thought Clover.
“It’s okay,” she said softly. “It’s just a storm. Don’t worry. I’m here to help you.”
Clover remembered the treats she had brought and pulled one out. It was soggy, but it was better than nothing.
“Here, look. For you,” she said, holding it out, hoping it was in front of him.
She heard the puppy sniff (very softly again—he was almost as hard to hear as he was to see) and all of a sudden an invisible tongue licked the treat out of her hand.
Clover heard some soft munching and saw some crumbs, and shifted closer, reaching out her hand again. This time the puppy flinched, but didn’t shy away. Carefully, she petted him.
He certainly didn’t feel invisible. He was very tiny and very wet. But even so, she could feel two floppy puppy-like ears and a wet puppy-like nose. He even had a puppy-like tail, which thumped softly on her shoe. As she felt down his back, she gasped. Something feathery and delicate was folded up near his shoulders: two very un-puppy-like wings, which trembled with every breath he took. He wasn’t just an invisible puppy—he was a winged puppy, too!
That’s how he reached the Wish Book, thought Clover. At least now she could explain what happened to Mr. Jams. Surely he’d understand. After all, it was hard to be mad at an invisible winged puppy!
She fed the puppy another soggy treat, which he gobbled up eagerly.
Clover had to get the puppy back to the Agency, dry him off, and give him a proper meal. The rain was still pouring outside of their shelter. They could try and wait out the storm, but who knew how long it might last? It was best to leave now. Clover reached for the leash in her pocket but realized that, in her hurry, she’d forgotten a collar. She’d have to carry him.
She reached to pick up the puppy, but with a whimper, he backed away.
“It’s okay,” Clover said again, crawling toward him. She took the last biscuit from her pocket and held it out. He gobbled it up, then licked her hand, as if looking for more.
“I’m sorry. That’s it,” she said. “But there are more treats at the Agency. Would you like to come with me?”
He licked her hand again.
“Good,” said Clover. “But I need to pick you up, okay?” Slowly Clover tried again. She slipped her arms under him, murmuring more words of encouragement all the while. This time he didn’t back away.
Nestled in her arms, he seemed even smaller. She could feel his little heart beating next to hers. She sat like that for a moment, holding him tight. Every time the thunder rumbled, the puppy’s heart raced. “Shhh, shhh,” comforted Clover. “Nothing will hurt you. But we have to leave here, okay? Remember the treats?” The puppy licked her arm. “Let’s go and get some.”
And so, with the puppy tucked in her arms, Clover crawled out of the shelter of the boulders and headed into the storm and the muck of the Meadows.
Although it was still raining, inside she was beaming, happy and bright like the sun.
On the way back, Clover paused as she passed Lulu’s house to show her that the puppy was safe. And sure enough, Lulu was pressed against the window. When she saw Clover and the puppy, she broke into a big grin and waved furiously. Hickory was perched on the windowsill. But Lulu seemed to be holding something in her arms too. Could it be one of her invisible animals? Clover remembered what Leonard had said—a feathered fish, a bunny with antlers. And what else might she have? Possibilities blossomed in Clover’s imagination.
She noticed Lulu’s glasses were sitting on top of Hickory’s cage. She remembered all the times Lulu had taken them off at the Agency and how many times Leonard had said, “You can’t see anything without them.”
He was wrong, thought Clover with a smile. Lulu can see lots without them. Clover decided she would have to visit Lulu again soon, and meet all of her animals. She waved good-bye and hurried on.
By the time she reached the MEADOWS signpost, the storm had calmed down and so too had the puppy. He was no longer trembling, but instead wiggling—wiggling so enthusiastically, in fact, that he almost slipped right out of Clover’s arms!
She wished she had a collar for the leash! Then she had an idea and sat down by the side of the path, with the wiggling puppy in her lap. She pulled off her hair ribbon and, with difficulty, tied it around the puppy’s neck. It was extra tricky since she couldn’t see where his neck was. Once the ribbon was secured, she clipped the leash to it. The ribbon did the job, and Clover let the puppy go, watching the ribbon bounce along, just above the path.
And then suddenly there was a tug on the leash as the ribbon floated up high—as high as the first branches of the trees. Clover gasped. He couldn’t stay airborne for very long—after all, he was only a puppy—and dropped to the ground. But then he flew again. Clover watched as the ribbon rose up and down as though it were moving along a teeter-totter, all the way back to the Agency.
The gnome stood at the front door with his arms crossed.
Clover patted his hat. “Good job,” she said. “I could never have found this puppy without you.”
Then the gnome did something he had never done before. He mumbled! Clover was sure he said, “Gump.”
“You CAN talk!” she said, surprised. “Gump—is that your name?”
But the gnome just blinked.
Clover smiled. “Gump. I like that. It suits you.”
After making sure the puppy was dry and fed, Clover decided she needed to dry off too.
She took off her soggy dress in the washing room and, after a quick wash, wrapped herself in a big clean towel. She scrubbed as much of the mud from her dress as she could, then laid it over a corner of the salamanders’ tank.
She was waiting for her dress to “bake,” watching the kittens play, when the phone rang. Clutching the towel around her tightly, she hurried to the front room.
“Hello, the Magical Animal Adoption Agency. Clover speaking,” she said.
“Oh, the new girl,” replied a gruff voice. “Dr. Nurtch here. You called about a sick unicorn? Wish I could’ve called sooner, but I had a dragon with a bad case of dunglehop to deal with. And then a poor hippogriff whose owner tried to fix his split claw with a spell. A complete disaster! Sense, not spells—and care, of course—that’s what I tell folks. But do they listen? No, of course not. So, about your unicorn…?”
“O-Oh,” stammered Clover. “Coco is fine now. She just had an allergic reaction. Sorry to bother you.”
“Took care of it yourself, did you? Well, Mr. Jams did say you were a keeper.”
“He did?” Clover couldn’t believe it. A keeper! Mr. Jams thought she was a keeper. Clover was so surprised she almost forgot to ask about the kittens. “Oh, one more thing,” she added. “We also got in a litter of magic kittens that needs to be examined.”
“Ah, a new batch of kits, eh? I can soar by tomorrow to check them out. Does that work?”
“Yes,” said Clover. “Mr. Jams should be back then too.”
“Good, good. He does make a mean piece of cinnamon toast. Magic folk often rely too much on wands, when a simple toaster does the job best.” There was a loud bleating in the background. “Well, must be off. Sense, not spells. Remember that, Clover.”
And with that, Dr. Nurtch hung up, leaving Clover rather befuddled, but very happy. Mr. Jams said she was a “keeper.” Sense, not spells. That was her.
As Clover changed into her dry dress, she felt tingly warm, inside and out.
In the front room, the puppy and Dipity were curled up together on the couch—well, it looked like Dipity was sitting next to a floating ribbon—and the sun was shining through the window. Clover opened it a crack to let in a breeze. So many wonderful things had happened that day, so many mysteries had been solved
. She wanted to share it all with someone.
There was one person.
Of course, she couldn’t tell Emma exactly what she had discovered at the Agency, but she could tell her exactly what she had discovered about herself.
She sat down and pulled out a piece of paper from the desk. She still had to rewrite the card for the kittens, and now she could do one for the puppy too, but first she wanted to write to her friend. She took out the quill pen. She knew it would be messy, but she didn’t mind. Emma would like that she had written with a real quill pen. And this time, Clover would remember to blot the ink.
Hi Emma,
I miss you too. Guess what? I haven’t lost any animals so far. Instead I found one that was lost! Can you believe it? I’m actually good with animals after all!
–XOXO, Clover
P.S. I’m using a real quill pen!
By the time she was finished with the letter and the cards, more than a breeze was drifting in through the open window. The delicious smell of chocolate cupcakes was, too.
Clover watched through the window in the front room as Monsieur Puff floated up Dragon’s Tail Lane. Sunbeams streamed through his body. Beside him trotted Coco. On her back, she balanced a large wicker basket.
Clover scooped up the puppy and opened the door, greeting Monsieur Puff as he came up the path.
“Clover!” exclaimed Monsieur Puff. “Just the person I wanted to see.”
“What can I help you with? Is there a problem with Coco?”
“Nothing—no, no. You have already helped me enough. You provided me with the most—how shall I say?—divine of pets. Why, it has only been two days, and already I can’t imagine what I would do without her.” Monsieur Puff rubbed Coco’s nose, and the unicorn swished her tail proudly.
The Enchanted Egg Page 6
