The Magic Fox

by Paula Harrison

  Little-paw seemed to like the cake too, and her red fur got covered in chocolatey crumbs. “This cake is even nicer than the last one!” she barked.

  “So let’s meet by the crossroads at midnight,” decided Natasha. “Then we can sneak out of town.”

  “We can pretend we’re gathering the night flowers that my aunt uses for some of her candles,” said Poppy. “I’ll bring my basket.”

  “Thanks for the cake!” Natasha knelt down and hugged Little-paw.

  Poppy noticed how gentle she was with the fox cub. “Bye! See you at midnight!” She watched from the front window as the other girl made her way down the path. She remembered how Natasha’s quick thinking had saved the cub from Sir Fitzroy. “It’s been a day full of surprises,” she told Little-paw. “And the biggest one has been Natasha!”

  Chapter Six

  Waiting for Midnight

  Poppy took Little-paw upstairs. Her aunt and uncle would come back from the workshop soon and she didn’t want them to find the fox cub in their kitchen. She knew they’d love Little-paw just as much as she did, but it didn’t seem fair to get them into trouble with Sir Fitzroy.

  The sun began to set. Little-paw fell asleep on Poppy’s bed with her tails curled around her. Poppy went downstairs to have dinner.

  “Are you all right, my dear?” said her aunt as she served the chicken pie. “You’re very quiet.”

  “She’s tired from selling all those candles, I expect,” said her uncle.

  “I’m fine!” Poppy smiled. “This pie is delicious. Could I have another piece?” When her aunt and uncle weren’t looking, she carefully wrapped the extra pie in her handkerchief to take upstairs to Little-paw.

  After eating the pie, Little-paw gazed out Poppy’s window. “Is that shiny thing the river? Is that where my mummy, daddy, Quick-eye, and Sleepy-tail have gone?”

  “Yes, that’s right.” Poppy sat beside her. The river looked like a shining blue ribbon catching the last rays of the setting sun. “Soon you’ll be there with them. We’ll wait till it’s dark and quiet and then I’ll take you away from here.”

  Little-paw’s nose quivered. “I liked it in our old den. It smelled like home!”

  “I’m sure the new home your mummy and daddy have chosen is nice too,” said Poppy, tickling her under the chin.

  Little-paw climbed on Poppy’s lap and fell asleep again. As she dreamed, parts of her changed color. One tail went leafy green, then her feet turned white and one ear went blue like the river. Poppy stroked her fur. She hoped the little cub was dreaming about something nice.

  Poppy tried not to close her eyes. She was worried that if she went to sleep she wouldn’t wake to meet Natasha at midnight. She read a story to herself. Then Little-paw woke up and she read a book to her. The story was all about a crafty fox who tricked a mean lion.

  Little-paw got quite excited and made her read it three times. “I love it, Poppy!” She bounced on the bed, her tails swishing. “Especially the part where the fox scares the lion and eats all the pie!”

  “That is a good bit!” Poppy noticed the time on her clock. “Oh, it’s five minutes to midnight. We need to go!” She put on her cloak and shoes before showing Little-paw the basket. “Hop in here, Little-paw.”

  The cub jumped into the basket and Poppy laid a green cloth over the top.

  “You need to stay in here until we’ve left town,” she whispered. “No one must see you.”

  “It’s bumpy in here!” said Little-paw fretfully. “I don’t like it.”

  “It won’t be for long.” Poppy stroked the cub’s ears gently. “We’ll be down at the river soon.”

  Closing her door quietly, she tiptoed down the stairs. Her aunt and uncle had turned out the lamps and gone to bed long ago, but the fire in the hearth was still burning. Poppy took the lantern that hung on a hook by the door. She lit a candle from the fire and put it inside the lantern, closing the glass hatch firmly.

  Bong! The church clock began to chime midnight. Natasha would be waiting!

  Poppy slipped out the door into the darkness as the clock went on chiming. She held the basket carefully, keeping Little-paw steady. She was glad to find the streets completely empty. She needed to act as if she was going to gather night flowers, just in case someone came along.

  She rounded a corner and caught a sudden movement. A black cat turned its bright-yellow eyes toward her before slinking away. Poppy carried on toward the crossroads.

  A figure with a lantern stepped out of the shadows. “Hurry up!” hissed Natasha. “I’ve been waiting for ages.”

  “Did anyone see you walking here?” asked Poppy, glancing round nervously.

  “No one at all!” Natasha reached into the basket and scratched Little-paw behind the ears. “Everyone’s asleep.”

  The girls followed the road out of Penlee. As they passed the last house, they turned onto a smaller track that wound down the valley toward the river. A sprinkling of tiny stars glistened in the black sky.

  Poppy and Natasha held their lanterns out in front of them and carefully picked their way down the stony path. As they passed a clump of bushes, Poppy caught sight of the river at the bottom of the slope.

  “Who’s there?” someone growled.

  Natasha jumped and grabbed Poppy’s arm, almost making her drop the basket.

  One of Sir Fitzroy’s guards peered at them in the lantern light. “Hey! Aren’t you the girl with all the candles? What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?”

  Poppy’s hand shook and her lantern wobbled. “Sometimes I come out to pick the night flowers that grow by the river,” she told him. “They’re used for our Purple Dream candles that help people sleep. You can only pick them in the middle of the night otherwise their scent is lost.” She didn’t add that her aunt and uncle were usually the ones who picked the flowers.

  “And I came to help her,” added Natasha.

  The guard’s face twisted suspiciously. “So what’s in that basket then?”

  “Nothing!” Poppy took a step back. “I haven’t picked any of the flowers yet.”

  “Why is it bulging then?” The guard pointed to the wrinkled cloth. Before Poppy could stop him, he snatched the cloth off the basket and peered inside.

  There was nothing there.

  Poppy’s eyes widened. Where had Little-paw gone? Then she noticed a tiny movement at the bottom of the basket.

  The guard tossed the cloth back on. “Hurry up and get your flowers then, but don’t get in anyone’s way.”

  “We won’t!” Natasha pulled Poppy’s arm.

  Poppy longed to look in the basket again, but glancing back she saw the guard was still watching them. As soon as the path curved behind some trees, she stopped. “Little-paw?” she whispered, lifting the cloth. “Are you there?”

  Something shifted inside—something that was exactly the same brown color as the basket itself. Three little tails flicked from side to side.

  “I’m still here,” said the cub. “I changed color all over!”

  “You did it!” Poppy beamed. “Well done, Little-paw! That was just in time too.”

  “Shh! You’ll make that guard come down here,” Natasha warned Poppy before smiling down at the basket. “She’s such a clever thing! I’d never have spotted her if I wasn’t looking closely.”

  Little-paw’s red ears appeared first, which looked very strange. Gradually the rest of her changed from brown to red too. “I closed my eyes and wished really hard,” she said solemnly.

  “You learned how to use your magic,” said Poppy. “I bet your family will be just as proud as we are!”

  Chapter Seven

  The Riverbank Den

  Holding their lanterns high, Poppy and Natasha carried on down the slope to the river. Little-paw wanted to walk the rest of the way. As there was no one in sight, Poppy decided it was perfectly safe.

  On the riverbank, Natasha spotted some purple night flowers. “We should pick some. Then if we meet anyone e
lse our story will seem more real.”

  A breath of wind rocked the flowers, making their sweet scent rise into the air. The girls knelt down and gathered several handfuls for Poppy’s basket.

  “I can smell them!” Little-paw danced round, flicking her tails.

  “They smell lovely, don’t they.” Poppy lifted the flowers to her nose.

  “No! Not the flowers!” Little-paw sprang away down the bank. “My family are here.”

  “Wait, Little-paw! We have to be careful,” said Poppy, but the little fox had already vanished.

  “Where did she go?” Natasha looked all around. The lantern cast warm light over the sandy bank and the dark, flowing river. “I hope she hasn’t changed color again or we might never find her.”

  “Maybe she went in there.” Poppy pointed to a row of holes in the bank. “Scarlet foxes are supposed to have a really good sense of smell. She’d know the right hole straightaway.”

  Little-paw’s face appeared at the farthest hole. “My family were here—I know they were! But now they’ve gone. Why did they go away?”

  “Maybe they just went to find some food,” suggested Poppy. “I’m sure they’ll be back soon.”

  Natasha blew out her lantern. “Put out your candle, Poppy! There are people down there.”

  Poppy saw lights moving near the bridge and quickly blew out her lantern. “I didn’t see them before,” she whispered. “They must have been hidden by those trees as we came down the track.”

  “There are at least four lanterns,” said Natasha. “Who would come down here at night? I think we should find out what they’re up to.”

  Poppy pulled a face. She thought they should stick to finding Little-paw’s family, but before she could say so, the fox cub darted away again. “Little-paw, don’t run off!”

  The girls raced after her and found the cub hiding behind a huge rock close to the bridge. Poppy crouched down, putting an arm round Little-paw. “We have to stay together, okay?”

  Little-paw pressed against her side. “All right, Poppy. I’ll stay close to you.”

  Poppy peeked over the top of the boulder and her heart dropped like a stone. Four men stood round a large metal cage. Sir Fitzroy was leaning down, looking through the bars. Inside the cage were four scarlet foxes—Long-shanks, Bright-fur, and the other two cubs.

  Poppy wasn’t close enough to tell what the knight was saying, but she could hear the men laughing. Sir Fitzroy held the magical-animal detector up high and its arrow gleamed in the lantern light.

  “We’re too late,” she whispered. “They must have used the machine to follow the foxes’ trail out of town.”

  “I want my mummy and daddy!” whined Little-paw, and Poppy held her tight.

  “We have to get the foxes out of there.” Natasha bit her lip. “If we can get the guards away from the cage, then we can sneak over and set them free.”

  “They’ll never leave the cage alone. I bet they’ll load it onto a cart and take the foxes back to town to show everyone.” Poppy rubbed her forehead. “The only thing that’d get their attention is another magical animal. Maybe that’s it! We could get them away from the cage by showing them another magical creature.”

  Natasha’s eyes widened. “Not this little cub? She could get caught.”

  “No, not Little-paw!” Poppy stroked the cub. “It shouldn’t be a real magical creature at all. We can make one up!”

  “Do you think that will work?” said Natasha doubtfully. “What creature should it be?”

  Poppy thought hard for a moment. “How about a dragon? I can fetch a Red Flamer candle. It has a glowing flame that looks just like dragon’s breath. We just need a way to get the candle into the air.” Poppy frowned.

  Natasha bit her lip. “It has to be really convincing otherwise the guards will never fall for the trick.”

  “They’ll definitely notice the candle,” said Poppy. “Red Flamers always look so bright in the dark.”

  “I’ve got an idea!” Natasha’s eyes lit up. “I have a dragon kite at home. It’s red and orange, and there are spines all the way down its back. In the daytime you’d know it was a kite straightaway but in the dark it might just trick them!”

  “Brilliant!” Poppy’s heart thumped faster. “Maybe if I tie my lantern to a long stick then I can get the candle flame high into the air too.”

  “We’d better fetch everything quickly.” Natasha glanced at the guards. “Sir Fitzroy might move the foxes into town soon.”

  Poppy set the basket down behind the rock. She knew she’d be faster with less to carry. “Little-paw, we’ve got to fetch some things so we can rescue your family. Can you run?”

  “I can run fast!” The cub leapt to her feet.

  The girls dashed up the slope with Little-paw running on ahead. Once they reached Penlee, Poppy tucked the cub under her cloak in case they met anyone on the street. First they went to Natasha’s house and fetched the dragon kite from her shed. The brightly colored material and scary dragon eyes made the kite look fierce in the lantern light.

  Hurrying down the street, Poppy led Natasha and Little-paw to her aunt and uncle’s workshop. Taking the key from under the mat, she unlocked the door and went inside.

  Natasha looked around in wonder as Poppy lit the lamp. “It’s amazing in here!” She crossed the wooden floor, gazing at the tubs where the wax was heated. There were strings of multicolored candles hanging from the rafters.

  Poppy picked up a Red Flamer candle and a long taper for lighting it. As candlemakers, her aunt and uncle had taught her how to light candles safely.

  “How do those Red Flamer candles glow with such a bright-red color?” asked Natasha.

  “My aunt and uncle use special ingredients like chili powder,” Poppy told her. “Can you find me a long stick from the garden?”

  Natasha dashed outside and came back a minute later with a long, straight branch. “I found this at the bottom of your garden.”

  While Natasha stripped the leaves off the branch, Poppy looped string through the handle of the lantern and tied it to the end of the stick.

  Natasha smiled widely. “I think we’re ready!”

  Poppy picked up Little-paw and hugged her. “Let’s try out this made-up dragon. I hope it gives that horrible Sir Fitzroy a fright!”

  Chapter Eight

  The Flight of the Candle Dragon

  When Poppy and Natasha got back to the river, the guards had begun loading the cage containing the scarlet foxes onto a cart. Sir Fitzroy was joking loudly that the foxes’ magical invisibility could not defeat his amazing detector machine.

  “Stay here until the men start chasing us,” Poppy whispered to Little-paw. “Then go to your family and tell them we’re going to set them free.”

  Natasha held the kite ready while Poppy used a taper to light the Red Flamer. She lifted the long stick into the air with the lantern tied to one end.

  The Red Flamer lit up the night with a bright-red glow. Quickly, Natasha threw the dragon kite into the air and worked the strings. Once it unfurled, the kite looked nearly as big as a real dragon. The girls gazed upward. They had to keep the lantern and the kite close together to make the dragon trick work.

  Swooping high, the dragon’s tail fluttered from side to side. The creature’s black eyes shone as they caught the glow of the candle. Its fierce jaw hung open, filled with pointed teeth. Natasha hurriedly tugged the left string as the kite blew sideways in the breeze. Poppy lifted the lantern higher.

  There was a shout from farther down the riverbank.

  “A dragon!” yelled one of the guards.

  “It’s breathing fire!” called another.

  “Catch that beast!” bellowed Sir Fitzroy. “I want that dragon.”

  “They’ve fallen for it!” gasped Natasha.

  “I know!” cried Poppy. “Run!”

  The girls raced down the riverbank. Poppy went first, leading the way with her Red Flamer. Natasha followed so that a dragon with a spiky tail
streamed out behind the lantern.

  Poppy’s chest felt tight and her heart pounded. She could hear the men running. They mustn’t let the guards catch up with them!

  “Poppy!” gasped Natasha. “Put the candle out now. That way we’re harder to find.”

  Poppy brought the branch down and quickly blew out the flame. Natasha ran on, pulling the kite behind her.

  The men shouted to one another. They sounded closer.

  Poppy’s foot caught on a bramble but she managed to keep her balance.

  “Throw the ropes!” bellowed Sir Fitzroy. “Catch the beast!”

  Loops of rope came snaking through the air but they missed the girls completely. Poppy dashed round a bend in the riverbank and nearly ran straight into Natasha.

  “I’ll carry on!” gasped the other girl. “You go back and free the foxes.”

  “Are you sure?” panted Poppy.

  “I’ll keep them chasing the dragon kite for as long as I can,” said Natasha. “Go!”

  Poppy watched while Natasha sprinted away, the dragon flying high in the air behind her. Poppy ducked beside some water rushes as the guards chased after her friend. A minute later Sir Fitzroy stumbled after them.

  When she was sure they were gone, Poppy crept out of her hiding place and stole back to the bridge. Little-paw was waiting by the cage. The cub put her front paws against the metal bars and whined.

  “Stay calm, dear,” said Bright-fur. “Here’s Poppy now.”

  Poppy reached for the bolt high up on the cage door. The catch was stiff and it wouldn’t move. She took hold of it with both hands. At last it slid back and Poppy swung the door open. Quick-eye and Sleepy-tail bounded out first, followed by their parents.

  Bright-fur nuzzled Little-paw’s face. “I was so worried about you, little one. We tried to go back and look for you, but then those men came.”