And with that, Gretta hugged McJiggle so tightly, it looked as though she might squeeze the life right out of him.
“OKAY, I FEEL THAT NOW,” said Florence, wincing. She shuffled and wriggled. “MOVE UP, TANGINE!”
“I can’t!” Tangine snapped. “Your huge behind is in the way! Hey, Amelia, can’t you move up?”
“There’s no room!” she said as Grimaldi squealed. “I’m going to fall off! Stop pushing!”
And then there was a SNAP as the branch gave way beneath them.
Amelia, Florence, Tangine, Grimaldi and the pumpkins fell to the ground. Amelia braced herself for a very sore behind but soon realized they hadn’t actually fallen very far.
They were normal size once again!
McJiggle, still hugging Gretta, gasped.
“The curse has been broken!” Amelia yelled.
“AND SO HAVE OUR BACKS!” Florence moaned.
Gretta gazed at McJiggle. “I swore the curse would break if you came back to me.”
“Ah, yes.” The leprechaun smiled. “I hear you’ve made quite an impact on this island….”
Gretta blushed. “They were picking our plums!” Then she softened. “I’m sorry. All I had left of you was the Sugarplum Tree.”
“IT’S ALL RIGHT,” Florence cut in. “GUESS WITHOUT THE CURSE, WE WOULD NEVER HAVE FOUND McJIGGLY, EH?”
Gretta giggled. “I don’t know how to thank you for bringing my McJiggle back,” she said sincerely.
“Maybe by NOT sweeping us up and chucking us out into the rain?” said Tangine.
“Tangine!” Amelia hissed, putting her head in her hands.
Gretta’s eyes widened. “Oh deary dear,” she said. “My eyes aren’t too great these days. I did think it was a little odd when that jam jar fell over and smashed!”
Everybody laughed before the sound of hooves and rustling was heard in some nearby trees. Suddenly, two flustered-looking unicorns appeared.
“Ricky, Graham!” said Amelia, running over to them. “We thought you’d left!”
“Galloping gooseberries!” Ricky said as Amelia threw her arms around him. “Thank the stars you’re safe! We’d all sailed around to the other side of the island to find you when some king corn-bum-number-eight—”
“He’s a bum-bleeee-corn, actually,” Graham corrected him.
Ricky frowned. “Yes, that’s what he said. Anyway, the king baggicorn came along with a WHOLE kingdom’s worth of bugs and surrounded us!”
“Ricky thought they were gonna attack us,” said Graham, rolling his eyes.
“You thought it too! And STOP interrupting my story!” Ricky added defensively. “But anyway, it was only to get our attention, and he told us what had happened—that you’d fallen into the sea! We were beside ourselves! Jamie the bumbaborn guided us here to find a gnome named Gretta who’d done a curse or something.”
“You said it wrong again, Ricky,” Graham said. “King Jamie is a bumpy-corn!”
“Bumblicorn,” said a very small but familiar voice. “But you can just call me King Jamie. And it’s really not worth squabbling over.”
The Nectar Carriage bobbed up and down in the air. Queen Denise was sitting in the back, fanning herself. “Coo-eee!” she called happily.
“KING JAMIE!” Amelia and her friends shouted in unison.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he said. “What happened?”
“Don’t worry!” said Amelia with a grin. “We were taken care of by a mer-pire called Nurse Bubble—there’s a whole other kingdom under the Sea of Sparkles!”
“Really? I never knew about that!” said the bumblicorn.
“It’s where we found McJiggle! He’s been living under the sea all this time,” said Amelia.
The king gasped. “And THAT’S why you’re big again! And you’re not the only ones. The curse has been broken! There are creatures all over the island popping up out of nowhere. They’ve all returned to their normal size!”
Frankie came running through the trees, shouting, “AMEEEEEELIA! Where are you? I’m sorry for always being such a SNOOT. Ameeeeelia? Amelia’s frieeeeends? Prince Booooy?”
When she appeared and saw Amelia standing next to Ricky and Graham, she stopped in her tracks. “Phew!” She smiled with relief. “I mean, WHERE have you been?! Running off so that WE have to go on a wild-gooseberry chase looking for you ALL night!” she harrumphed. Then she added quietly, “I’m glad you’re okay, though. It’s boring when there’s no one to compete with for badges and grades.”
Amelia grinned. The rest of the Rainbow Rangers gradually appeared, covered in twigs and mud and various bugs.
The last to make his way to the scene was Kevin, who looked very uncomfortable.
“I am SO sorry,” he said. “Um, I didn’t realize the thing buzzing around my face last night was you.”
“In a weird and twisted way, you helped us,” Amelia said kindly. “If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have fallen into the water and found McJiggle, and then reunited him with Gretta Grubbikins over there.”
McJiggle gave a friendly wave. “Well, isn’t this grand! Has anyone had breakfast yet?” he called over the chitter-chatter.
The young creatures mumbled and shook their heads. Amelia gave her rumbling tummy a rub. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was after their long night of adventuring.
“I hear there’s some delicious fruits in these parts,” McJiggle said as he picked a handful of sugarplums from the tree. “C’mon, there’s plenty here for everyone!”
Amelia, Florence, Grimaldi and Tangine looked a little awkward. “Um…are they safe to eat now?” Grimaldi said.
Gretta and McJiggle laughed. “Why, yes, of course!” Gretta said. “The curse is broken!”
“The only curse these plums are responsible for now is the curse of being FAR TOO DELICIOUS!” McJiggle said, taking a bite.
And soon all the Rainbow Rangers were picking plums from the tree and gobbling them down.
* * *
After a whole day of munching sugarplums and dancing around the Sugarplum Tree, Ricky and Graham took the Rainbow Rangers back to the campsite.
McJiggle and Gretta joined them to share stories around the campfire. Kevin sat farthest away from the fire. McJiggle told the tales of his time under the sea, while the Rainbow Rangers roasted Midnight Marshmallows and dipped them in Gretta’s famous Sugarplum Jam.
“Ricky,” Graham said. “We should have made a BROKE A CURSE badge, shouldn’t we?”
“Well, it’s not really your everyday activity, is it?” Ricky said.
“But they broke a whole curse,” Graham said. “That’s pretty big.”
Ricky and Graham eventually decided to present Amelia and her friends with three brand-new badges that they made from bits of scrap paper and leaves: the BROKE A CURSE badge, the BE TINY AND BRAVE badge and the FIND A LOST LEPRECHAUN badge.
Amelia, Florence, Grimaldi and Tangine had all the Rainbow Rangers listening in awe as they retold their adventures of the previous night. Tangine took it upon himself to act out the whole story.
“I think we should raise a sugarplum to Nurse Bubble,” McJiggle said.
“TO NURSE BUBBLE!” the group cheered.
“And also to my new friends, Amelia, Florence, Grimaldi and Tangine. For bringing me home!”
“TO AMELIA! TO FLORENCE! TO GRIMALDI! TO TANGINE!” cheered the Rainbow Rangers.
“And to Gretta,” Amelia added.
“FOR CURSING US?” Florence asked.
“Well, what I was going to say was…to Gretta,” Amelia said. “For a future full of happiness, love and many, many sugarplums!”
During the rest of the half-moon break, Amelia’s sash filled up with badges. She earned the FOOD FORAGING badge, the HOP UP THE MOUNTAIN badge and, with King Jamie’s help, she achiev
ed the BOMBASTIC BUGS badge.
Florence was the only one to get the FOOD THAT FARTS badge, and every Rainbow Ranger got a BUILD A SUMMERHOUSE FOR RICKY AND GRAHAM badge.
By the end of the week, Amelia felt like she’d learned a lot and found she hadn’t thought about being homesick once. While she still missed her mom and dad, she was having so much fun with her friends—and as long as she had them, she was home.
Frankie Steinburg ended up as the Rainbow Ranger Captain, much to Tangine’s disappointment, but Amelia didn’t mind. It didn’t matter how many badges she had, because she had achieved something far bigger and better. She had played a part in bringing together two creatures who had been apart for years and finally lifting the Curse of the Sugarplum Tree.
The gang did, however, each receive a special SEA OF SPARKLES badge, hand-painted by McJiggle himself. Creatures of the Light who had once been cursed and now returned to their normal size cheered on Amelia and her friends as McJiggle presented them with their new badges. Gretta even promised Tangine that she would build a shiny new restaurant on the island to remember them by.
“May I request you call it the Tangenius Temple of Tantalizing Treats?” Tangine asked. At which the crowd burst out laughing, and Gretta accepted his request, then gave him a great big hug.
“I’m going to be sad to leave this place,” said Grimaldi as the Rainbow Rangers packed their bags.
A BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ echoed through the air as King Jamie flew down to join Amelia and her friends. He and Queen Denise had visited them every day over the week and brought tiny sacks of honey especially for Squashy.
“It was such a pleasure to meet you all!” King Jamie said.
“I’ll miss your Hall of Garments,” Tangine said sadly. He still wore his frilly outfit with pride.
“DENISE,” Florence said. “YOU’RE THE RAREST BREED OF SLUG I’VE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF TALKING TO.”
“And you are definitely NOT a beast.” Denise smiled.
Grimaldi bowed. “Thank you for helping us, King Jamie,” he said shyly.
“You were very brave,” the bumblicorn said. “If you were a bug, I’d have you as one of my loyal knights!”
Grimaldi went all silly and blushed.
“Amelia Fang,” King Jamie the Eighth started to say, “you and your friends will always be welcome to visit us in Buggingtonshire!”
Amelia giggled. “We might be a little bit big,” she said. “But of course we will!”
“Just as long as you don’t try to sit on me again,” Denise said. “Especially now!”
* * *
“What a week!” Amelia sat happily in her little stripy boat with Squashy right next to her. This time, Grimaldi joined her at the opposite end, as his swirly boat was being used to transport all the jam Gretta had given to the Rainbow Rangers as a goodbye gift. The other Rainbow Rangers were all gathered together, ready to sail back to the Dazzling Docks. “I can’t wait to tell Mom and Dad all about it…although, they probably wouldn’t believe the part where we got cursed and were the size of bugs AND then hung around in an underwater kingdom with fishtails…. Tangine looked so funny with those tentacles, didn’t he?”
But Grimaldi was curled up at the end of the boat, snoring lightly. Amelia didn’t blame him. It had been a very eventful half-moon break.
Amelia rowed and rowed across the Sea of Sparkles as the sun began to set in the sky, marking the end of the half-moon break. She looked down at her sash full of badges and smiled. She would cherish it forever.
Amelia’s arms began to grow tired. She was so close to the Dazzling Docks…but then, as she shifted the heavy oars in her hands, they slipped into the water with a PLOP PLOP.
“Oh, pottering pumpkins!” she said, trying to reach them, but the oars were floating away.
Just as Amelia was about to shout for Ricky and Graham, she felt the boat begin to move forward faster and faster until it was almost flying along the water. Clinging to the side of the boat, she peered over the edge and thought she saw a glimpse of squiggly white hair.
Amelia let the warm evening breeze brush over her until the boat sailed into the Dazzling Docks.
Grimaldi woke up and stretched. “Oh, we’re back already?” he said, looking a little embarrassed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Thanks for rowing us all the way, Amelia.”
Amelia raised her eyebrows and smiled. “I didn’t do a thing.”
As she stepped out of the boat and lifted her pumpkin backpack, she looked out to the Sea of Sparkles and whispered, “Thank you, Nurse Bubble.”
On the horizon was Sugarplum Island, now filled with creatures, as it had been all those years ago. The sun had almost set, casting a deep purply-red shadow on the island, but on its peak was one small beacon of light—the glow of the Sugarplum Tree.
After the best break she had ever had, Amelia felt braver than ever before. She smiled as she watched the Sugarplum Tree glow in the distance, and thought of the two creatures who would be dancing around that tree every morning and every night, for as long as they lived.
I GOT THERE FIRST
*BADGE*
HOW TO EARN YOUR BADGE:
BE THE FIRST RAINBOW RANGER TO GET FROM ONE POINT TO ANOTHER POINT WITHOUT CHEATING.
BOMBASTIC BUGS
*BADGE*
HOW TO EARN YOUR BADGE:
FIND AND RECORD AT LEAST TEN TYPES OF BOMBASTIC BUG. BOMBASTIC BUGS ARE USUALLY POMPOUS IN ATTITUDE AND OFTEN CARRY A SMALL CANE.
FOOD THAT FARTS
*BADGE*
HOW TO EARN YOUR BADGE:
FIND FIVE EDIBLE SOURCES OF FOOD THAT FART. FARTS MUST BE LOUD AND SUSTAINED BUT NOT NECESSARILY SMELLY.
HOP UP THE MOUNTAIN
*BADGE*
HOW TO EARN YOUR BADGE:
MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE TOP OF THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN BY HOPPING. ONLY ONE FOOT CAN TOUCH THE GROUND AT ALL TIMES.
CREATURES WITHOUT LEGS CAN USE ONE ARM. CREATURES WITH NO ARMS OR LEGS CAN USE THEIR HEAD.
FOOD FORAGING
*BADGE*
HOW TO EARN YOUR BADGE:
FIND ENOUGH EDIBLE SOURCES OF FOOD FROM YOUR NATURAL SURROUNDINGS TO SUSTAIN YOU FOR ONE WEEK.
BROKE A CURSE
*BADGE*
HOW TO EARN YOUR BADGE:
IF YOU HAPPEN TO BECOME CURSED…BREAK IT.
RAINBOW RANGER CAPTAIN
*BADGE*
HOW TO EARN YOUR BADGE:
AWARDED TO THE RAINBOW RANGER WHO EARNS THE MOST BADGES DURING THEIR CAMPING TRIP.
BUILD A SUMMER HOUSE FOR RICKY AND GRAHAM
*BADGE*
HOW TO EARN YOUR BADGE:
WORK AS A TEAM TO BUILD A SUMMERHOUSE BIG ENOUGH FOR TWO HANDSOME UNICORNS.
HOT TUB ENCOURAGED BUT NOT ESSENTIAL*
*GRAHAM SAYS IT IS ESSENTIAL.
FIND A LOST LEPRECHAUN
*BADGE*
HOW TO EARN YOUR BADGE:
FIND A LOST LEPRECHAUN AND HELP HIM TO RETURN TO HIS BELOVED AND DANCE AROUND THE SUGARPLUM TREE ONCE AGAIN.
BE TINY AND BRAVE
*BADGE*
HOW TO EARN YOUR BADGE:
WORK TOGETHER WITH FELLOW RANGERS TO SUCCESSFULLY SURVIVE CHALLENGING SITUATIONS SUCH AS RAIN, FLYING AND THE SEA, ALL WHILE BEING THE SIZE OF A BUG.
SEA OF SPARKLES
*BADGE*
HOW TO EARN YOUR BADGE:
EXPLORE AND ADAPT TO LIFE IN THE SEA OF SPARKLES.
SUPER DUPER TEAMWORK
*BADGE*
HOW TO EARN YOUR BADGE:
AWARDED TO FOUR OF THE BRAVEST AND FRIENDLIEST CREATURES IN THE KINGDOM OF THE DARK AND THE LIGHT FOR WORKING TOGETHER AND NE
VER GIVING UP HOPE.
IN THE BRIGHTEST DAY AND THE GLOOMIEST NIGHT,
WHETHER I’M A CREATURE OF DARK OR OF LIGHT.
I WILL BE PATIENT AND GRATEFUL AND KIND,
AND NEVER LEAVE A FELLOW RANGER BEHIND.
I’LL STRIVE TO KEEP LEARNING.
I’LL TREK AND EXPLORE,
AND PROMISE TO KEEP THE RAINBOW RANGER LAW.
When she’s not trying to take over the world or fighting sock-stealing monsters, Laura Ellen Anderson is a professional children’s book author and illustrator, with an increasing addiction to coffee. She spends every waking hour creating and drawing, and would quite like to live on the moon when humans finally make it possible. Laura is the creator of Evil Emperor Penguin and the illustrator of Witch Wars, as well as many other children’s books. Amelia Fang is her first series as an author-illustrator.
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Amelia Fang and the Rainbow Rangers Page 7
