The Stolen Jewel

by Calliope Glass

  The movie The Princess and the Frog copyright © 2009 Disney, story inspired in part by the book The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker copyright © 2002, published by Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.

  Copyright © 2013 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Published by Disney Press, an imprint of Disney Book Group. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. For information address Disney Press, 1101 Flower Street, Glendale, California 91201.

  ISBN 978-1-4231-9858-1

  For more Disney Press fun, visit www.disneybooks.com

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Preview of Merida: Legend of the Emeralds

  Tiana looked around her restaurant’s kitchen and smiled. A pot of gumbo bubbled on the stove. Loaves of fresh-baked bread steamed on a cooling rack. A bright pile of carrots sat on the cutting board, ready to be cut up. Amazing smells rose from every corner of the kitchen. The scene made Tiana’s heart glow…and her nose twitch.

  Outside, the first customers were arriving at Tiana’s Palace for Sunday dinner. It was the restaurant’s busiest night of the week. Tiana wanted to make sure that everyone got a great meal. She bustled around the kitchen, checking on all the dishes.

  “Needs lemon juice,” she decided, tasting the gumbo. She sliced a lemon in half and squeezed some juice into the pot.

  She sampled it again and sighed happily. “There, perfect.”

  Next Tiana lifted a loaf of bread off the rack. She tapped her finger on its crusty bottom, smiling at the hollow thunk it made. It was ready to eat.

  Tiana sifted some fine white sugar over the beignets as a finishing touch. Now they were ready, too.

  Gazing around the kitchen, Tiana did a final tally. “The gumbo is ready. The soup is done. The bread is baked. We’ve got hot beignets and cold sweet tea.…”

  Dinner was nearly ready. All that was left to prepare was the salad and the carrots.

  Tiana quickly rinsed some salad greens and set them aside. Then she began chopping the carrots. She hummed a little as she worked. Music was a big part of Tiana’s life—especially jazz music. After all, she lived in New Orleans. You couldn’t walk down the street here without stumbling across a jazz band playing a tune.

  But Tiana’s life had more music in it than most, even for New Orleans. Her friend Louis, an alligator, was the best jazz trumpeter around. And her husband, Naveen, played the ukulele with Louis’s band at Tiana’s Palace.

  Naveen wasn’t just a musician, of course. He was also a prince…and that made Tiana a princess. She still wasn’t used to it. “Princess Tiana!” Tiana laughed as she tossed the chopped carrots into a hot pan. What a strange twist of fate! But that was life. Tiana had learned that no matter how much you planned, you could never guess what was coming.

  All her life, Tiana had worked as hard as she could, saving up money to open a restaurant. She’d had it all planned out. But her plan had not included being turned into a frog…or falling in love with another frog, who was really a human prince! Luckily, Tiana and Naveen had become human again, with the help of Mama Odie, a magic woman who lived in the bayou.

  No wonder my plan went astray, Tiana thought. Nobody could plan for Mama Odie. She was just too odd! Tiana shook her head and started humming again. The carrots sizzled in the hot butter as though they were humming along with her.

  Suddenly Tiana realized it wasn’t just the carrots—another voice had joined hers. She turned around. Prince Naveen had come into the kitchen and was singing along with Tiana.

  “Hello, my sweet princess,” Naveen said, swooping down for a quick kiss.

  Tiana smiled up at him. “You know I’m happy to see you,” she said, “but shouldn’t you be out there?” Tiana pointed to the dining room, where Louis’s band, the Firefly Five, was playing for the guests.

  “Louis is playing a solo,” Naveen explained. Tiana smiled again and rolled her eyes. Louis’s solos could go on for a while. “So I have plenty of time,” Naveen said.

  “Then do me a favor,” Tiana said. She fished a soft-cooked carrot out of the pan. “Taste this. How is it?”

  “Hmm.” Naveen chewed thoughtfully. “Well…”

  “Yes?” Tiana prompted.

  “It’s just…” Naveen trailed off. He frowned.

  “What?” Tiana demanded. “More salt? Too much salt? More dill? Pepper? What?” She was getting worried.

  “No.…” Naveen said. His frown became more of a scowl. “It’s—what’s the word…?” He waved his hands helplessly.

  “Overcooked?” Tiana guessed. “Not cooked enough? Awful? Disgusting?” Now she was really panicking.

  “Perfect!” Naveen cried. “That’s the word. Perfect!”

  Tiana heaved a sigh of relief. She found Naveen’s broken English charming…most of the time. But Sunday dinners always made her nervous. There was just so much that could go wrong!

  “Thank you,” she said, kissing his cheek.

  “Thank you,” he said, winking. “I think Louis is finally finishing his solo.” Out in the dining room, Tiana could hear Louis playing his heart out.

  “Get out there, then,” Tiana said. She pushed Naveen playfully. “Shoo!”

  “Torn between my two great loves…” Naveen said. He put his hand over his heart dramatically. “Music and my princess!”

  Tiana blew him a kiss. Then she turned back to her carrots. She gave them one last stir before she turned the flame off. Her life wasn’t what she’d planned for…it was even better. Her restaurant was a hit. Her best friend, Charlotte, was always there for her. And her husband was a prince—literally.

  “Well,” Tiana said to herself as she started preparing bowls of salad, “Time for dinner!”

  But dinner was not ready to be served after all. As Tiana picked up the first salad bowl, a flamingo flew through the window and landed right in her basket of fresh, hot beignets.

  “My beignets!” Tiana cried. Now what would she serve for dessert?

  “Oh my goodness gracious, child, I am so sorry about that,” the flamingo said. He hopped to his feet and shook his feathers out. Powdered sugar flew everywhere. “I’m never this clumsy,” the flamingo went on, “but I’ve been flying ever so long! I am just plum tuckered out.”

  Tiana remembered the manners her mama had taught her and said, “Don’t you worry about it one second more.” She reached out a hand to steady the flamingo, who was wobbling on his long legs. “You look exhausted. Please, sit down. I’ll get you some sweet tea.”

  It was not every day that Tiana had a conversation with a flamingo. She did talk to other animals, though. Ever since she’d been turned into a frog, she could understand animals—and they could understand her. It was the same for Naveen.

  “You must be Tiana,” the flamingo said. He flopped into a chair.

  “That’s me,” Tiana said. She sat down at the table with the flamingo and poured him a cool glass of iced tea. He dipped his bill in it, drinking thirstily. “I’m Alphonse,” he said when he came up for air. “I’m awfully pleased to make your acquaintance.”

  “What brings you to Tiana’s Palace?” Tiana asked politely. She tried not to fidget, but she was nervous about the time. It would be rude to get up and start serving dinner in the middle of her conversation with Alphonse, but she didn’t want to keep her guests waiting! She hoped whatev
er he had to say was brief.

  “Well, it’s a terribly long story,” Alphonse said. “I do hope you have lots of time.”

  “Um…” Tiana said. “I mean…”

  Just then, the door to the kitchen banged open. It was Tiana’s best friend, Charlotte. She dined at the restaurant every Sunday night.

  “Tiana, sweetie, what’s the holdup?” Charlotte asked. “My second cousin Lucinda is visiting from out of town, and I told her this is the best restaurant in all New Orleans, but we’ve been waiting for ages, and she’s getting cranky! Crankier, really. She’s a bit of a crank already. Is everything okay back here? All your waiters are, well, waiting for you!”

  Then Charlotte saw Alphonse. “Oh, my stars! Why is there a flamingo in your kitchen?” Charlotte paused. Then she whispered, “Is it going into the gumbo?”

  “Lottie, thank goodness you’re here!” Tiana cried. She’d never been so happy to see her friend in her whole life. “Can you help me out? I really need to get the salad served, but Mr. Alphonse here has just arrived.” She pointed at the flamingo. “I think he has something to tell me.”

  Charlotte rolled her eyes and smiled. “Your life is very strange, cherie,” she told Tiana. “But that’s why I love you! Leave it to me.”

  Tiana smiled back. Charlotte was the best friend she could ask for. True, she was a bit of a chatterbox, and she got distracted rather easily, but she was loyal to the core.

  While Charlotte bustled about putting together dishes for Tiana’s customers, Tiana turned back to Alphonse, who began his very long story.

  “…and that’s when I knew I had found the right place. The neon lights were the final clue. So I flew in the window, and the rest is history! Sorry again about your beignets.”

  Tiana gaped at him. The flamingo was chattier than Charlotte! He had been talking nonstop for the last forty minutes.

  “So, let me get this straight,” Tiana said. “Mama Odie sent you because she wants me to visit her.”

  “Precisely!” Alphonse said. His head bobbed at the end of his long, long neck.

  “But why?”

  “I’ve got absolutely no idea! But did I mention it’s terribly urgent?”

  Tiana stood up and clapped her hands. “All right,” she said. “I’ve got to finish the dinner rush. After we close, we’ll tell Naveen and Louis all about it.”

  “We’re goin’ back to the bayou?” Louis exclaimed. He was sitting in the kitchen with Tiana, Naveen, and Alphonse. They were sharing the last of the beignets Tiana had made to replace the ones Alphonse had landed on. The dinner guests had all gone home full and happy, and Tiana’s eyelids were starting to droop. Sunday dinner always wore her out.

  “Well,” Tiana said, “if you’re willing. I surely would like the company.”

  “You bet!” Louis said. “Oh, how I’ve missed the bayou! The swampy air…the greasy water…the mosquitoes…the snakes.…”

  Naveen shuddered. “You really miss those things?” he asked.

  “Well…no,” Louis admitted. “But there’s no way I’m lettin’ Tiana go back there alone. She’ll be safer with me.”

  “Very true,” Alphonse said, nodding earnestly. “Nobody wants to tangle with an alligator. All those long, crooked, sharp teeth. And they have awful breath. Why, gators are just the absolute worst!”

  There was an awkward pause. “Uh, no offense, Louis,” Alphonse added.

  “None taken,” Louis said politely. “I’ll watch out for you, too, Alphonse.”

  Alphonse ruffled his feathers. “I’m much obliged to you, my snaggle-toothed friend,” he said, “but I’ll be flying back to Mama Odie’s. There aren’t so many hungry things with claws up in the air.”

  “I could go with you,” Naveen said to Tiana.

  Tiana reached out and took his hand. “You have to stay,” she said. She squeezed his fingers. “I need you to run the restaurant while I’m gone.”

  “Me?” Naveen gulped nervously. “What about Charlotte?”

  Tiana shook her head. “Lottie’s second cousin Lucinda is visiting. She’ll be busy playing hostess.”

  “Well,” Naveen said, “all right. But you will leave me a list, yes? So I don’t forget anything.”

  “Oh yes,” Tiana said. “I will definitely leave you a list.”

  “This is not a list, Tiana,” Naveen cried. “It is an encyclopedia!”

  Naveen waved the bundle of pages at Tiana. He had a panicked look on his face.

  “It’s as short as I could make it,” Tiana said apologetically. “Running the restaurant is complicated!”

  She picked up her suitcase. Beside her, Louis hefted his trumpet and a picnic basket—his only luggage for the trip.

  “Just don’t forget to clean the oven,” Tiana reminded Naveen.

  “I won’t—” Naveen began.

  “And remember to put fresh candles on all the tables!”

  “Yes, Tiana—”

  “And today is market day! Make sure you get enough crawfish for the gumbo.”

  “All right—”

  “And don’t worry!” Tiana said. She waved good-bye as she and Louis left. “It’ll be fine!”

  Naveen waved back. He looked worried.

  When they were out of earshot, Louis turned to her. “You really think it’ll be fine?”

  Tiana nodded brightly. “Of course!”

  Louis looked skeptical. “Really?”

  “No,” Tiana sighed. “Not really.”

  Honestly, Tiana didn’t like leaving Naveen alone to run the restaurant. She didn’t like having anyone but her run the restaurant. But she had no choice. Mama Odie wanted her to visit. And Mama Odie wasn’t the sort of person you said no to.

  The two friends moved as fast as they could. Tiana wanted to reach Mama Odie’s houseboat before nighttime. It wasn’t long before they were deep in the swampy heart of the bayou.

  “Hey, Tiana!” Louis said. He pointed a scaly finger at a bog. “Remember this spot?”

  Tiana squinted. She thought it looked just like every other pond they’d walked by. But then she spotted a familiar-looking hollow tree.

  “Yes!” she said. “Louis, isn’t this where we first met?”

  Tiana and Naveen had been frogs at the time. And they’d been terribly frightened of Louis. But Louis had admired Naveen’s musical talent, so instead of eating the frogs, he’d made friends with them. Music was everything to Louis.

  “It sure is!” Louis said. He looked around fondly. “This used to be my home,” he said. Then he sighed. “I wonder if anyone even noticed that I left.”

  “Did you have any friends here?” Tiana asked.

  Louis brightened up at the question.

  “Well,” he began, “there was Willie, and Maybelle, and Vincent—”

  “Stop right there!” a voice yelled. Three huge, mean-looking alligators were swimming toward Tiana and Louis…fast!

  “It’s Louis!” one of them yelled. “Don’t let him get away!”

  “Freeze!” yelled another one. “Don’t you move one inch!” The alligators sped up. Tiana could see sunlight glinting off their sharp teeth. Their tails lashed in the muddy water.

  “Uh-oh,” Louis said. He grabbed Tiana’s hand and the two of them ran for it. They crashed through broken reeds. They got tangled up in tree moss. They slipped on rotting leaves. But when they stopped to catch their breath, they were alone. They had outrun the other alligators.

  “Who was that?” Tiana asked, gasping for breath.

  “That was Willie, and Maybelle, and Vincent,” Louis said glumly.

  “I thought they were your friends?” Tiana said.

  “I guess not,” Louis replied. He looked sad.

  “Oh, Louis,” Tiana said. “I’m so sorry.” She hugged her friend.

  Louis shrugged, putting on a brave face.

  “Where are we, anyway?” he said, looking around.

  “Right where I want you!” a raspy voice called.

  It was Mama
Odie! Tiana looked up and saw the old woman. She was standing in her house, an old boat stuck in the branches of a huge tree. Poking his long neck out of the window next to Mama Odie, Alphonse waved a feathered wing at Tiana.

  “Mama Odie! Hello!” Tiana cried, waving.

  “Glad you could make it, child!” Mama Odie called down. “Alphonse here told me you’d be comin’ along as fast as you could scramble. And here you are!”

  “Scrambling is about right,” Tiana said, brushing twigs out of her hair. “We’ve had a fine time of it!”

  “Sounds like you could use a hot meal,” Mama Odie said.

  “Oh my, yes,” Louis said. Tiana nodded eagerly.

  “How would you like a nice, spicy bowl of gumbo?” Mama Odie asked.

  Tiana’s stomach rumbled. In all of the confusion with the alligators, she and Louis had completely forgotten to eat lunch! She couldn’t wait to sit down and eat something. “That would be wonderful,” she said.

  “Then come on up here and make us some dinner, child!” Mama Odie yelled. She waved a wooden spoon at Tiana and disappeared into the house.

  Tiana smiled and shook her head. Then she started up the stairs. After all, Mama Odie wasn’t the kind of person you said no to.

  Tiana tied an apron around her waist. She was tired, but not too tired to cook. In fact, Tiana was never too tired to cook. She hummed to herself, just as she always did, while she chopped the celery, peppers, and okra.

  Louis was sprawled in an armchair near the fire. As Tiana sang, he played along softly on his trumpet. Mama Odie tapped her foot in time, while her snake, Juju, bobbed his head sleepily.

  Tiana had been making gumbo as long as she could remember. It came naturally to her. And it always reminded her of her father. He’d been the best cook Tiana had ever known. Right now, she could practically hear her father’s warm voice. She could almost feel his strong arms around her. Making gumbo was like being with him again. It made her feel loved.

  “Look at you go,” Mama Odie said. “I never met a girl who loved feedin’ people the way you do.”