Tiana smiled. “That’s why I’ve got my restaurant,” she said. As she whisked the sauce, she wondered how Naveen was doing. Monday night was usually pretty quiet, but there was still a lot to do! I just hope he remembers to make the corn bread, she thought. The idea of Naveen baking corn bread was so strange and funny that Tiana laughed out loud.
Then she began to worry. What if he burned the corn bread? What if there was a fire in the kitchen? Tiana stopped stirring the gumbo. Her heartbeat sped up. What if the restaurant burned down? Or, what if the restaurant didn’t burn down, but the customers hated the food? That would almost be worse!
“Child!” Mama Odie said sharply. Tiana jumped and came back to herself. Mama Odie scowled at her. “Quit your frettin’ and bring me some dinner,” she said.
Tiana smiled. Mama Odie was pretty bossy, but she always knew what Tiana needed. And what she had needed just then was a distraction!
Tiana found a small stack of chipped, mismatched bowls on a shelf. She ladled gumbo into five of them and sat down to dinner with Mama Odie, Louis, Alphonse, and Juju. The snake flicked his tail at her in thanks.
For a few minutes, nobody spoke. They just sat together, eating and listening to the evening birds singing in the bayou.
Finally, Mama Odie pushed her chair back from the table. Her spoon rattled in her empty bowl.
“Not bad, not bad,” she said. “I must say, Tiana, it was mighty kind of you to come all this way to make us dinner.”
“But Mama Odie,” Tiana said, “why did you really ask me to come visit you?”
“Maybe I just wanted a good bowl of gumbo,” Mama Odie said. Her eyes were hidden behind the dark glasses she wore, but Tiana felt sure they’d be twinkling if she could see them.
“Somehow I doubt that,” Tiana said. She smiled. “I’ve had your gumbo, Mama Odie, and it’s even better than mine.”
“And that’s a fact!” Mama Odie said. She cackled loudly. Then the smile left her wrinkled face. “You’re right, Tiana. I had another reason to call you here. I need your help.”
Tiana couldn’t believe it. Mama Odie needed her help? Mama Odie, the most magical woman in New Orleans, the terror of the bayou, needed the help of a humble cook?
“Of course I’ll help you however I can,” Tiana said. “But what—”
Tiana’s breath caught. Mama Odie was holding up a pearl. It was beautiful—large and shiny and perfectly round.
“Pretty, isn’t it?” Mama Odie said. “It’s even prettier when it’s glowing.”
“Glowing?” Louis asked. He looked as confused as Tiana felt.
“This pearl has magic powers,” Mama Odie explained. “But it only works when it’s with its sister.”
“Pearls have sisters?” Tiana said.
“Well, this one does,” Mama Odie said. “See, way back when, before you were born, I found these two pearls in an enchanted oyster deep down in the bayou. They were like two peas in a pod. They’ve got big magic, but it only works when they’re together. And just last week, well…one of them was stolen.”
“Stolen!” Louis exclaimed.
“How?” Tiana asked. She couldn’t believe someone would be able to steal from Mama Odie. She might be blind, but she still knew about everything going on in the bayou.
“No idea!” Mama Odie said. She threw her arms into the air in frustration. “Whoever it is, she is sneaky. And powerful, too. It isn’t easy to get in and out of the bayou without me noticing. I asked the pearl where her sister is. All she knows is that the thief has hidden it somewhere in New Orleans.”
“That pearl can make conversation?” Louis asked, his eyes growing wide.
“If you know how to listen,” Mama Odie said. “She says the thief has hidden her sister on a string of normal pearls.”
“So,” Tiana said, “someone in New Orleans is wearing a magic pearl…”
“…and nobody’s any the wiser,” Mama Odie finished. “Hold out your hand, child.”
Tiana obediently put her hand out. Mama Odie dropped the pearl into her palm and closed her fingers around it.
“Take this back with you to New Orleans,” Mama Odie said. “You can use it to find the other one. When they get close to each other, they’ll glow. And watch yourself. You’re probably dealing with bad magic here.”
Tiana clutched her fingers around the pearl. It was smooth and slightly warm.
“I’ll do my best, Mama Odie,” she said.
“That’s my girl,” Mama Odie said.
“How are you gonna find that pearl, Tiana?” Louis asked as they made their way through the bayou the next morning.
Tiana swatted a mosquito and sighed. “I don’t know, Louis,” she said. “But as soon as we get home, we’ll start working on a plan.”
“Home?” said a voice.
“But Louis…” said another.
“…we thought this was your home,” finished a third voice.
Tiana and Louis whipped around. The three huge alligators they’d seen before were standing behind them.
“Uh,” Louis said. He waved awkwardly. “Hi?”
Before Tiana could even blink, the three alligators leaped at Louis, who disappeared in a pile of scales and tails.
“Louis!” Tiana screamed.
Tiana grabbed a broken tree branch off the ground. She hefted it and got ready to start swinging. She was going to save Louis, no matter what.
But as it turned out, she didn’t need to.
“We missed you!” one of the alligators said. Tiana lowered her club, confused. The alligators weren’t attacking Louis—they were hugging him.
“And we miss that trumpet of yours,” another alligator said. “Since you left, the bayou is just so quiet!”
“Yeah,” the third one said. “Now the fireflies won’t invite us to their parties. They say there’s no point if you’re not there to play. It’s been so boring here!”
“Sorry we scared you yesterday,” the first alligator said sheepishly. “We just missed you so much!”
Louis finally made it to his feet. “Gosh, you guys,” he said. He was blushing a deep green, and smiling a big, happy, toothy smile. “I missed you, too!”
“Where’d you go?” the smallest alligator asked. Tiana guessed this was Maybelle. “Is there more music where you live now?”
Louis told his friends all about New Orleans. He told them about Tiana’s Palace, and Naveen, and playing the trumpet late into the night while people danced and danced.
“We want to come visit!” the alligators said.
Louis clapped his hands excitedly. He gave Tiana a pleading look.
“Please, Tiana, can they come with us?” he said.
“Actually,” Tiana said thoughtfully, “that’s not a bad idea.” She had a feeling that three extra alligators might just come in handy in the search for the pearl thief.
Walking through New Orleans with one alligator was hard. Tiana knew this from experience. Getting to Tiana’s Palace with four alligators was almost impossible. Tiana and the alligators waited at the edge of town until the sun had set. Then they crept back toward the restaurant.
“I’m hungry,” Maybelle said. “Does this Palace of yours have anything to eat?”
“Just you wait,” Tiana said. “You’re about to have the best meal of your life.” She loved cooking for alligators—they had such big appetites!
The group turned a corner, and there it was. Tiana’s Palace! Tiana breathed a big sigh of relief. Her restaurant hadn’t burned down after all.
“We’ll go in through the back,” Tiana said. “I’ll fetch y’all something to eat in the kitchen.”
But when they walked into the kitchen, Tiana’s heart sank.
A pot of jambalaya was boiling over on the stove. Smoke was pouring out of the oven. And the creamed spinach wasn’t creamed yet—in fact, it wasn’t even washed!
Naveen was running to and fro, trying to get dinner under control. His hair was a mess, and there was soot on his face.
Flour covered his clothing. When he saw Tiana, his face lit up.
“My princess!” Naveen cried. He rushed over and swept Tiana up in a big hug. Now she was covered in flour, too. “You must save me! I have made a terrible disaster!”
Tiana looked around. “I can see that,” she said. Naveen hung his head. “Don’t worry,” Tiana said. “Honestly, I thought it would be worse.” She winked at him and then got to work.
It didn’t take too long to get the kitchen sorted out. The jambalaya was just fine, but the bread was no good. Tiana quickly whipped up some corn bread instead. She set the alligators to work cleaning and chopping the spinach while Naveen made the rice. Before long, dinner was ready!
When all the customers had eaten and gone home, Tiana sat down at the kitchen table with Naveen, Charlotte, and Louis. Louis’s friends had gone to bed already. Tiana had tucked them in under the water lilies in the garden fountain.
Tiana told Naveen and Charlotte all about Mama Odie’s mission. She reached into her pocket and brought out the pearl.
“Woo-ee!” Charlotte said. Her eyes were wide. Charlotte loved jewelry more than anyone else Tiana knew. “That’s a beauty.”
“Someone in New Orleans has the other one right now,” Tiana said. “But how on earth are we going to find it?”
They stayed up late that night, eating beignets and planning.
“How about this,” Naveen said. “We buy a hot-air balloon and dangle the magic pearl from it on a long string—”
“No,” Tiana said. She was afraid of heights. There was no way she was getting in a hot-air balloon.
“Why don’t we hire another magic woman to find the missing pearl for us?” Charlotte suggested.
“No,” Tiana and Naveen said together. They loved Mama Odie, but they’d both had trouble with magic. Tiana didn’t want to end up as a frog again—or worse. It was bad enough knowing that the thief had magic powers.
“We could get jobs as jewelry cleaners,” Tiana said.
“I am not cut out for cleaning anything,” Charlotte said. “Not even jewelry.”
“Are pearls magnetic?” Louis asked. “We could get a giant magnet, and—”
“Pearls aren’t magnetic,” Tiana said. The alligator huffed, and they all fell into silence.
Then Charlotte sat bolt upright.
“I’ve got it!” she gasped. “We’ll throw a party!”
Naveen brightened up. “I love parties!” he said.
“How would a party help us find the pearl?” Tiana asked.
“It’s perfect,” Charlotte said. “We’ll plan a gala at Tiana’s Palace. The theme will be pearls. The food, the decor—it will all have to do with pearls. Everyone will get dressed up and wear their pearls to the party. That way, all of the pearls in New Orleans will be in Tiana’s Palace for one night. You’re the hostess, so you can get close to every guest. You can use the magic pearl to sniff out its missing sister.”
Tiana was impressed. That wasn’t a bad plan. “But what if the thief doesn’t come to the gala?”
“Leave that up to me,” Charlotte said. Charlotte was the queen of New Orleans high society. If anyone could make the party a success, she could. “I’ll make sure that everyone who’s anyone comes to our party. Even thieves.”
“All right,” Tiana said, nodding. “Let’s do it. I’ll plan the menu first thing tomorrow.”
“And I’ll plan the music!” Louis said.
“I’ll help Louis!” Naveen said.
“And I’ll handle the decorations!” Charlotte said. “When I’m done with Tiana’s Palace, it’ll be fit for a princess!”
Naveen kissed Tiana’s cheek. “Then it’s a good thing we have one to show off!”
Tiana dreamed of pearls that night. The next morning, she was still thinking of pearls.
Naveen waved a hand in front of her face. “Hello, Tiana!” he said playfully. “Can you hear me?”
“Sorry!” Tiana said, jumping. She’d been a million miles away! “I was thinking about the menu for the gala.”
“Here,” Naveen said. He slid a cup of hot chocolate and a warm beignet across the breakfast table. “Maybe breakfast will help your thinking.”
Tiana smiled and sipped happily at the hot chocolate.
“I’ve been thinking about the music, myself,” Naveen said. “Do you think Louis’s friends can play any instruments?”
“You want more alligators in that band?” Tiana said.
“Just for the Pearl Gala,” Naveen said. “I’m thinking…tambourines! They’re small, white, round—the pearls of the music world!”
“Well,” Tiana said, “I’m pretty sure anyone can play the tambourine, even an alligator.”
“Perfect,” Naveen said happily. He ate his beignet in two bites. “What’s on the menu?” he asked Tiana, his voice muffled by his food.
“You know, for a prince, you have awful manners,” Tiana said. “You really shouldn’t talk with your mouth full.”
Naveen chewed and swallowed. “Princes don’t have to have manners,” he pointed out. “That’s why it is good to be a prince.” He winked at Tiana, and she realized he was teasing her. She rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help smiling. Naveen could always make her smile.
“Well,” Tiana said, “I’ve been thinking about the pearl theme. We’ll have tapioca pearls for dessert.”
“Naturally,” Naveen said.
“And oysters for the appetizer,” Tiana went on.
“Perfect!”
“And pearl onions in cream sauce as a side dish.”
“Delicious!”
“But what should I make for the main course?” Tiana asked. “I’m stumped.”
“Hmm,” Naveen said thoughtfully. “Maybe Charlotte will have an idea.”
But Charlotte was nowhere to be found.
“Have you seen Charlotte?” Tiana asked Louis. He was polishing his trumpet and chatting with Willie, Maybelle, and Vincent.
“Nope,” Louis said. “Sorry, Tiana.” Then he turned back to his friends. “Hey, do y’all remember back when we thought that crazy old stork was really Santa Claus?”
The alligators all laughed. Willie slapped his knee, and Vincent softly jangled his tambourine.
Tiana left them to their reunion and went back into the restaurant.
“Naveen, have you seen Charlotte?”
Naveen was sitting at the kitchen table with sheets of music spread out in front of him. He was chewing on a pencil and frowning in concentration. Tiana thought he looked adorable.
“Hmm?” Naveen said absently. “Charlotte?”
“Yes,” Tiana said. “She was supposed to meet us here an hour ago. To discuss the decorations, remember?”
“Oh,” Naveen said. “Yes, that’s odd. Charlotte is usually early.”
“I know!” Tiana said. “I hope she’s all right.”
Just then, Charlotte burst in.
“Tiana!” she cried. “Sweetie, I am so sorry.”
“It’s fine!” Tiana said. She hugged Charlotte. “I was just worried, Lottie. I thought maybe something had happened.”
“You had the right idea,” Charlotte said. She wiped her forehead with a handkerchief. “My cousin Lucinda has been runnin’ me ragged. First her room was too hot. So we put fans in the windows. Then it was too loud. So we oiled the gears in the fans. But she doesn’t like the smell of the oil. I swear, there is no pleasing that woman.”
Tiana was glad she didn’t have any second cousins visiting. She had enough to deal with already.
Charlotte slumped dramatically into a chair. “And she is so strange. She eats sassafras leaves for breakfast! She makes tea out of catnip!”
“That is strange,” Naveen said. “Did you know this about her before she came to visit?”
“No!” Charlotte said, throwing her hands up in the air. “I never met the woman before in my life! I didn’t even know I had a second cousin. But she’s not all bad. She gave me these gorgeous earrings!”
Tiana whistled.
“At least she has good taste,” Naveen said.
“She does at that,” Charlotte replied. She sat up straight and clapped her hands, all business. “Now. I have some ideas about the decorations for our gala, and I want to tell you all about them…”
Soon, the night of the Pearl Gala arrived. Charlotte had been talking about the party to anyone who would listen. All of New Orleans knew about it, and Tiana had a feeling that almost everyone in the city was planning on coming.
Tiana’s Palace had never looked so splendid. Charlotte had hung strings of fake pearls from the rafters. White candles glowed on the tables. Iridescent seashells glittered in artful arrangements around the candles. Children from the neighborhood were stationed in the corners of the restaurant, blowing soap bubbles into the air. It was like walking into a royal treasure room filled with pearls.
Tiana was glad she’d taken care with her outfit—she didn’t want to be outdone by her restaurant! A simple tiara sat on her head, and she wore a flowing white lace gown trimmed with tiny seed pearls and satin shoes in the lightest shade of ivory.
Around her neck, Tiana wore Mama Odie’s magic pearl. It was strung on a simple, elegant silver chain so thin you could barely see it.
Naveen gasped when Tiana walked into the restaurant. He was on the stage, playing with Louis and the Firefly Five in one last rehearsal. He dropped his ukulele and leaped off the stage.
“My princess!” Naveen said. He twirled Tiana into a quick dance across the restaurant floor. Back on the stage, the band kept playing. Louis blew his trumpet, and his alligator friends banged their tambourines for all they were worth.
The Stolen Jewel Page 2
