Jaminta crept a little closer, but her shoe caught on a twig and it broke beneath her foot with an enormous crack.
The earl swung around, his eyes bulging. “You silly princesses! How dare you follow me?”
The other man scowled. “That’s four of them. If you count the ones we saw in the garden, hiding behind that statue.”
The earl ground his teeth. “Stay away from me or I’ll make you regret it!”
“We were just leaving.” Jaminta went pale. “We won’t disturb you.” She and Clarabel started backing away, their hearts thumping.
But the earl wasn’t paying attention. He had caught sight of the panda cub scampering by the river. He strode over to Lucky and snatched up the little cub with one gloved hand.
“I know what will stop your meddling,” he snapped. “See this pathetic creature that you were cooing over when you crossed the bridge yesterday? Well, if you follow me or if you tell anyone at the palace where I’ve gone, then you’ll never, ever see him again!”
Jaminta’s heart turned cold. He was threatening poor Lucky!
The earl’s face twisted into a horrible smile. “Do you understand? If you tell or if you follow me, something bad will happen to this animal.” He tucked the cub under one arm. “And there are some very steep drops on the mountainside, if you know what I mean.” Chuckling to himself, the earl marched into the bamboo forest, with his servant behind him.
Clarabel turned to Jaminta, tears in her eyes. “What are we going to do? He’s taken Lucky and it’s all our fault.”
Lulu and Emily came sprinting across the wooden bridge.
“What happened?” Lulu panted. “We saw Earl Scrant talking to you. What did he say?”
Jaminta brushed tears from her eyes. “He picked up Lucky and took him away. He said if we followed him, we’d never see Lucky again.”
“Oh no!” Emily put her hand over her mouth.
“But we can’t leave Lucky with him. He’s a dangerous man,” cried Clarabel.
Lulu frowned furiously. “I brought some rope in this backpack. Maybe we can capture the earl and tie him up.”
“No, he’s too big. We’d never be able to do that. We’ll have to think of something else.” Jaminta gazed up at the mountain, a feeling of calm settling over her. Suddenly, she knew exactly what she had to do. “I know how we can get Lucky back. All we have to do is offer Earl Scrant something he really wants in exchange.”
“What do you mean?” asked Emily.
Jaminta drew her hand from her pocket and showed them the beautiful star-shaped jewel. “We give him this. We give him the Star Crystal.”
“But, Jaminta!” cried Clarabel. “It’s your new jewel. You wanted to give it to your grandfather for his birthday.”
Jaminta sighed. “I know. But keeping Lucky safe is more important than anything else in the world!”
“Did your lump of crystal really change into that?” Emily’s eyes widened.
Jaminta nodded. “When the earl sees it, I know he’ll want it.”
“But are you sure it’s safe to take your jewel up there?” asked Lulu. “You know what happened last time.”
“I’m totally sure,” said Jaminta firmly.
“Quick! Or we’ll never find Lucky,” urged Clarabel.
The four princesses flung themselves into the forest. Jaminta took the lead, stopping to listen now and then, checking the direction of the men crashing through the bamboo trees up ahead. She leaped over a pile of stones and ran on. It was hard trying to be fast and quiet at the same time, but they had to make sure the earl didn’t hear them until the very last second.
They stopped at the edge of the rocky ravine.
“This is where we crossed the valley yesterday,” said Lulu. “But where’s the rope bridge?”
Jaminta pointed down into the ravine, her cheeks flushing angrily. The rope bridge dangled down against the rocky cliff. “It’s broken. Earl Scrant must have crossed over and then cut through the rope on the other side.”
“What are we going to do?” said Clarabel. “We can’t climb all the way down there. It’s way too steep.”
Jaminta bit her lip. “We have to try something. We have to get to Lucky.”
Lulu took off her backpack, reached inside it, and pulled out a long coil of rope. “I’ll climb over. Then I can tie one end of this rope to a tree and throw the other end across to you.”
The princesses looked across the ravine. The biggest tree on the other side had sturdy branches, strong enough to swing from.
“Will you be able to do it?” Emily looked down at the steep cliff.
Lulu grinned. “Of course! I love climbing!”
She clambered carefully down the rock face, finding handholds and footholds in the rough cliff. Little by little, she lowered herself down.
“You’re doing great!” Jaminta called softly as Lulu reached the bottom and began climbing up the other side.
At the top, Lulu tied the rope firmly to a tree and threw the other end across to them.
Jaminta caught it. “Who wants to go first?”
Clarabel’s face turned pale. “I can’t! It’s too far.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll help you.” Jaminta put the rope into her hand. “Ready?”
Jaminta and Emily stood behind Clarabel. With a huge push, they swung her across the ravine to Lulu, who caught her safely on the other side. Clarabel hugged Lulu in relief and waved to the others.
Emily swung across next. Then Jaminta stood alone on the edge of the cliff. She took the rope, trying not to look down. There was no one left to push her. She would have to jump hard enough to swing herself all the way across. She lifted her chin. Lucky was probably really scared by now. She would do it for him.
She jumped. The ravine opened out below her, a steep drop filled with jagged rocks. She swung closer to the other side, and just as she wondered if she would make it, three pairs of arms grabbed her.
“Wow!” she gasped, her feet thudding on the ground. “That was pretty scary.”
“Right, let’s keep going,” said Lulu. “We don’t want to lose track of the earl.”
They hurried on, slipping in and out of the trees, and at last they heard the men moving up ahead. The earl sounded even grumpier than before.
“Hurry up, Drudger!” he snapped. “I want to dig up my jewels and then escape from Onica as fast as possible. But you are slowing me down!”
“The shovel is heavy, Your Grace,” came the panted reply.
“Shovel! Just be thankful you’re not carrying this wretched, squirming animal,” said the earl. “If it wriggles again, I’ll drop it off the mountain. I’d drop it right now if I could be sure that those frilly princesses aren’t following us. But they’re tricky! They may have found another way around that ravine.”
“But, My Lord? Do you know the right way back to the palace now that you’ve cut the rope bridge?”
There was a pause.
“I brought you here to dig, Drudger, not to think. I can figure out the way back myself.” The earl coughed uneasily. “This is the right place. I’m sure I buried my lovely Heart Crystals here. Start digging at once!”
The princesses crept forward and peered through the bamboo trees into the clearing. The earl still held Lucky carelessly under one arm. The little cub twisted anxiously and let out a tiny whimper. Jaminta longed to hug him and make him feel better.
“I wish we could tie up that nasty earl,” hissed Lulu.
“Isn’t this where we came before? When we first saw Lucky and that rockslide happened?” whispered Clarabel.
Jaminta glanced around the clearing and nodded. The skin on the back of her neck tingled. Something important was about to happen here. Somehow, she just knew it was.
“Do you really think you should take the crystal in there?” said Emily.
Jaminta drew the Star Crystal from her pocket. Inside its diamond-clear shape, the flame burned brightly. “This is the only thing I’ve got that the earl w
The others nodded. Together, they stepped out of their hiding place into full view.
“You again!” yelled the earl. “This time you will be sorry —”
But Jaminta interrupted him. “Stop! We’ve come to ask for the panda cub in exchange for this crystal.” She held the Star Crystal out for him to see.
The earl’s eyebrows rose. “What? Where did you get that from?”
“Never mind where we got it!” said Jaminta, her voice trembling. “It’s a Star Crystal and you can have it if you hand over the cub right now.”
The earl strode toward her and snatched the Star Crystal out of her hand, dropping Lucky on the ground without a second thought.
Jaminta ran to Lucky, gathering the little cub into her arms and feeling his soft black-and-white fur against her cheek. “Lucky!” she whispered. “I’m so glad you’re safe!”
Lucky squeaked happily and snuffled into her ear.
The earl’s face broke into a twisted smile of delight as he gazed at the sparkling Star Crystal. “This will truly make me rich!” He turned to his servant. “Now, Drudger! Tie up these nosy princesses!”
But the other man wasn’t listening. He dropped his shovel and looked around with wide eyes. A sound began to rise above the bamboo trees, clear and sweet. The Star Crystal had started to sing.
Jaminta backed away, holding Lucky tightly in her arms. The other princesses edged backward, too.
“What’s going on?” moaned the earl.
The song became higher and more haunting, weaving around them like the wind. The earl dropped the Star Crystal and put his hands over his ears. The rocky outcrop behind the men began to shudder. The earth trembled. An enormous splinter of stone broke off and shattered on the ground below.
“The mountain’s falling down!” cried the earl.
The two men ran away, stumbling over rocks and crashing through trees as they fled back down Cloud Mountain.
The princesses stood their ground. Jaminta held on to Lucky even tighter, while he buried his head in her shoulder.
The Star Crystal sang a final, piercing note, which made the earth rumble and opened up a gaping hole in the ground. Then the song faded away to nothing and the mountainside stopped shaking. One last swirl of dust rose from the fallen stones and floated away.
Jaminta breathed deeply in the sudden silence. She looked around, stroking Lucky’s soft fur. She was so glad that he was safe and no one had been hurt.
“That was weird,” said Emily. “I felt like the Star Crystal wanted something. Like it was talking.”
Clarabel nodded. “I thought that, too.”
Lulu darted forward to look inside the hollow that had opened in the ground. “Come and see this! There’s something in here.” She climbed down into the hole and picked up a small brown sack lying at the bottom.
The girls gathered around as Lulu undid the string at the top and turned the sack upside down. Four beautiful heart-shaped crystals tumbled out onto the grass. Each one was sparkling and transparent, but with a tiny flame in the center.
Clarabel picked one up. The Heart Crystal sparkled between her fingers.
“The Onica Heart Crystals!” Jaminta gasped. “Grandfather will be so happy that they’ve been found!”
“So will Ally!” said Emily. “I can’t wait to tell her!”
“You were right, your crystal wasn’t a bad jewel at all,” said Lulu. “We should have believed you, Jaminta.”
Jaminta smiled back at them. “I knew it couldn’t be bad. It must have been trying to find the Heart Crystals all along. It was singing to set them free.” She gave Lucky a squeeze and patted his furry head.
Emily picked up the Star Crystal from where the earl had dropped it and laid it next to the Heart Crystals. The five gems glowed together for a second. “Look! They’re like sister jewels.”
Behind them came a loud rustling, and the mother panda lumbered into the clearing. Lucky let out a soft squeak and licked Jaminta’s hand.
“There you go, little Lucky.” Jaminta set him gently down onto the ground.
“He’s safe now that the earl has run away,” said Emily.
Lucky ran over to his mother, who nuzzled him lovingly.
Jaminta smiled as she watched them amble away across the grass. Lucky turned to look at her one more time before he followed his mother into the forest.
Jaminta picked up the jewels and gave one Heart Crystal to each of her friends.
“Let’s go back to the palace and show these jewels to my grandfather,” she said. “It will be a perfect birthday present for him!”
The princesses hurried through the palace gate. It had taken them a long time to find a way back that avoided the rocky ravine with its broken rope bridge. A loud cheer rose as they walked into the garden. The girls looked at one another in surprise, but the crowd of people standing on the grass was all facing the other way.
“What’s going on?” whispered Clarabel.
Jaminta tried to peer through the mass of people, but she could only see arms and legs.
“Your grandfather’s standing next to his birthday cake,” called Lulu, who had climbed halfway up the soldier statue. “I think we’re going to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him next.”
Jaminta’s mom noticed the girls and frowned at the sight of their muddy dresses. “Princesses! Where have you been? Jaminta, you’re absolutely covered in dirt and leaves. Go upstairs and change at once!”
“But, Mom! We found something really amazing,” said Jaminta, trying to show her the Heart Crystal. “And I don’t want to miss Grandfather’s party.”
“Jaminta! You can’t stand here with twigs in your hair!” said the queen of Onica sternly.
Jaminta swept a hand over her dark hair and pulled out a clump of twigs. She made a face and turned toward the palace.
“Is that my lovely granddaughter?” called Emperor Cho from the front. “Come up here, Jaminta!”
Jaminta brushed the leaves off her dress and made her way through the crowd until she stood next to her grandfather. “Happy birthday, Grandfather!” she said, hugging him. “I have a special present to give you!”
Her grandfather’s eyes twinkled. “Is it a surprise?”
Jaminta grinned. “I guess it is! You see, I tried to make a beautiful crystal to give to you, and it finally worked.” She dropped the Star Crystal into his wrinkled hand. “And then this star jewel helped me find these crystals as well.” She dropped one of the Heart Crystals into his hand, too.
Emperor Cho stared at the magical crystals in silent amazement. Lulu, Emily, and Clarabel came to the front and showed him the other three heart-shaped gems.
“Happy birthday, Grandfather!” said Jaminta softly.
“The stolen crystals!” said the emperor, gazing at the sparkling jewels. “How did you find them after all this time?”
“They were buried on the mountainside,” explained Jaminta. “The thief hid them there, planning to dig them up later.”
“But who hid them?” The emperor looked all around, as if he was expecting the thief to jump out of the crowd.
“It was Earl Scrant, Your Majesty!” said Emily, with a curtsy. “We saw him trying to dig up the jewels today.”
“Really? Earl Scrant?” echoed the emperor in astonishment.
The kings and queens muttered to one another and shook their heads.
“Look! There he is!” someone called, and the crowd turned to look at a tall, thin figure that was hurrying toward the palace gates with a suitcase.
“Guards! Arrest him!” called Emperor Cho.
Earl Scrant saw the guards chasing him and began to run. He dropped his suitcase, which sprang open. Jaminta’s tiara fell out onto the walkway. The crowd gasped. The earl was caught by the guards and taken away.
“Well, this is a day of big surprises!” said the emperor. “I’m so very proud of you, Jaminta. You discovered something that has been lost for ten years.”
The queen sniffed. “I suppose you did very well to find them, even though your dresses are very dirty.”
Jaminta chewed her lip. “But … I nearly gave all these jewels away to save a panda cub.”
Her grandfather burst out laughing. “That’s because you’re a kind-hearted girl. Have I ever told you the true power of these Heart Crystals?”
Jaminta shook her head.
Emperor Cho gave her the heart-shaped jewel back. “Blow on the crystal very gently. You try it, too, girls.”
The princesses all blew gently on the Heart Crystals. As their breaths touched the jewels, their transparent surfaces filled with beautiful color. Jaminta’s gem turned green, Emily’s was red, Clarabel’s was blue, and Lulu’s was bright yellow. A murmur of astonishment rippled around the crowd.
“They’ve turned the same colors as our rings,” whispered Jaminta.
“These crystals show the true nature of a person’s heart,” said the emperor. “I suspect if Earl Scrant blew on one of these gems it would turn black, revealing him for the scoundrel he is. But each of you has a very good heart indeed.”
The crowd clapped and cheered.
“I want you to keep this star jewel, Jaminta,” the emperor continued, “to remind you of this special day. Having these Heart Crystals back is enough of a birthday present for me.”
“Thank you, Grandfather!” said Jaminta.
“Well done, princesses!” whispered Ally, who had come to see the celebrations. “Ten years after they vanished, the Heart Crystals are finally back where they belong.”
Emperor Cho asked his guards to put the Heart Crystals away safely in a display cabinet in the banquet hall. Then they all sang “Happy Birthday” and ate several slices of cake. The twelve-tier birthday cake kept everyone happy, with its layers of chocolate fudge, cherry, ginger, lemon, toffee, and many other flavors. Emily’s little sister, Lottie, ate a slice from all twelve tiers and then had to sit very still on a garden chair to settle her aching stomach.
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