“What can we do?” asked Lumiere.
“Belle told me about a special charm bracelet her father made for her,” Mrs. Potts explained. “What if we make Belle a new charm bracelet? She can wear it tonight. And perhaps it will help her to think of the castle as her new home…and us as her new family.”
“But the ball is today!” Cogsworth cried. “How could we make it in time?”
“Belle’s bracelet had five charms—a star, a snowflake, a winter rose, a sprig of holly, and a teacup,” Mrs. Potts said. “If we each make one charm, then we might be able to finish it in time. And Belle ought to be busy enough today helping us clean and set up for the ball that we can make the charms without her finding out about them!”
“I could make the rose charm,” the Beast volunteered.
“I’ll make the snowflake!” Chip said excitedly. “I know Belle loves to take long walks in the snow.”
“That’s a great idea,” Mrs. Potts replied. “I think I’d like to make the teacup, if that’s all right with everyone else.”
“I will make the star!” Lumiere announced.
“And I, the holly!” Cogsworth declared.
“What are we waiting for?” asked the Beast. “We’ll find everything we need in the Royal Jewelry Chamber. Follow me!”
The chamber was located on the top floor of the West Wing. Mountains of rainbow-colored jewels sparkled in the golden sunlight: red rubies, yellow topazes, green emeralds, blue sapphires, purple amethysts, white diamonds, and black onyx. Long strands of gold chains and shiny pearls swooped along the walls. The jewelry was absolutely stunning!
“There’s no shortage of jewels in here,” Mrs. Potts said in awe. “Everyone gather what you need and try to finish by four o’clock. Then we can present the bracelet to Belle before the sun sets…and the ball begins!”
As everyone else searched the Royal Jewelry Chamber for supplies, Mrs. Potts picked out a delicate gold chain for the bracelet. “This bracelet is just the right shade of gold,” she said. “It will match Belle’s dress perfectly!” Then she scooped up a small sack of jewels before hurrying back to the kitchen.
“Mama, wait! Wait for me!” Chip called as he scurried after her. “Can I help you?”
“Why, of course, my dear,” Mrs. Potts said. “I’ve never made jewelry before. I’ll need all the help I can get!”
When they arrived in the kitchen, they carefully placed all of the jewels on the counter. “Those are pretty, Mama,” Chip said. “What kind are they?”
“The pale blue ones with the colorful specks are called opals,” Mrs. Potts replied.
“They look like they have rainbows in them!” Chip exclaimed.
“That they do,” Mrs. Potts agreed. “The purple ones are called amethysts. And the pink ones are rose quartz.”
“Oh, Mrs. Potts?” a voice called from the doorway. It was Belle!
Instantly, Chip and Mrs. Potts scurried in front of the jewels so that Belle wouldn’t see them.
“Y-yes, child?” Mrs. Potts asked nervously.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but I was hoping I could get a little snack,” Belle said. “All the preparations for the ball are making me hungry!”
“Why, of course, my dear,” Mrs. Potts replied in her usual friendly voice. But she gave Chip a worried look. He understood why. If Mrs. Potts moved away from the jewels, Belle would see them!
Chip took a deep breath and leaped into the air, turned a double somersault, and landed upside-down…right over the jewels!
Belle started to clap. “What amazing acrobatics, Chip!” she exclaimed. “I guess we’re all excited about the ball, aren’t we?”
“Here you go, my dear,” Mrs. Potts said quickly as she offered Belle a scone with raspberry jam.
“Scones, my favorite. Thank you!” Belle replied as she left the kitchen.
As soon as she was gone, Chip and Mrs. Potts sighed with relief.
“That was close!” Chip squealed. “So, what should we do with these jewels, Mama?”
“I’m not sure yet,” Mrs. Potts said. She tried to move the jewels into the shape of a teacup. But they looked more like a sparkling flower.
“Maybe you could glue them to something that looks like a teacup,” Chip suggested.
“That’s brilliant!” she exclaimed. “I know just the thing, too. Wait here.”
Pans banged and clanged as Mrs. Potts looked in one of the cupboards. “Here it is,” she finally said. “This old cookie sheet is covered in burn marks. I can’t use it to bake cookies anymore. So we can cut a teacup shape out of it instead! We just need one more helper to get the job done. Stove, would you do the honors?”
“Of course,” Stove replied. He had a fiery temper, but was always happy to help as long as it didn’t interfere with his cooking masterpieces!
Mrs. Potts and Chip balanced the cookie sheet on the counter. Then they held it in place while Stove used a pair of sharp kitchen scissors to cut out a teacup shape.
“Look, Mama!” Chip cried. “It looks just like a real teacup—only really tiny.”
“Well done, Stove,” Mrs. Potts said. “Now all we need is a little glue to attach the gems.”
“There’s glue in the study,” Chip said eagerly. “I can get it!”
“You’d better take the tea cart,” Mrs. Potts said. “We need to leave enough time for the glue to dry before the ball!”
Chip zoomed off on the tea cart to the study, where he found the bottle of glue right away. But there was just one problem. Lumiere was already using the glue—and a lot of it! There was glue on the desk, glue on the floor, and even glue on Lumiere!
“Is everything okay?” Chip asked.
“I seem to be having some difficulty,” Lumiere admitted.
“What happened?” Chip said.
Lumiere sighed. “I want my star charm to twinkle, just like a real star in the sky,” he explained. “So, I cut a star out of paper and tried to glue these flakes of gold onto it. But the glue is too gooey and gloopy. The gold flakes are too clumpy and lumpy. And then my paper star tore in half. Now I have made a tremendous mess in the master’s study, and I have nothing to show for it!”
“Maybe I can help,” Chip said. “I was helping Mama make her charm. That’s why I came to borrow some glue.”
“That would be wonderful,” Lumiere said gratefully.
“I’ll be right back,” Chip promised.
“I will clean up this mess while you’re gone,” Lumiere said, flinging his arms out wide—and sending even more drops of glue flying through the air. “And then I will clean up myself!”
A few moments later, Chip raced into the kitchen. “Mama! Mama!” he yelled. “I brought the glue!”
“Very good, dear,” Mrs. Potts said. “I’ve arranged the gems in a pattern. What do you think?”
A giant grin crossed Chip’s face as he looked at the teacup charm. “Belle is going to love it!” Chip announced.
“Oh, I do hope so,” Mrs. Potts replied. She carefully applied a drop of glue to the charm. Then Chip nudged a jewel into place and pressed it onto the glue. They worked together to glue every gem onto the tin teacup.
“That should do it,” Mrs. Potts said finally. “Now we’ll let the glue dry.”
“Mama, can I go back to the study?” Chip asked. “I told Lumiere that I’d help him make his charm, too.”
“Of course,” Mrs. Potts said. “Remember, you still have to make your charm.”
“I know! I’ll have plenty of time!” He jumped onto the tea cart. Whoosh! It zoomed across the polished floor.
“No speeding in the castle!” Mrs. Potts called after Chip.
Chip knew he had to get back to the study right away. But what Chip didn’t know was that Belle was on her way to the study, too!
“Whoa!” Belle cried as the tea cart nearly ran into her. “Where are you going in such a hurry?”
“Sorry, Belle!” Chip exclaimed.
“That’s okay,” Belle said. �
�I just finished filling the ballroom with poinsettias. Since there were a few extra, I thought I’d put them in the study.”
Chip gulped. If Belle went to the study, she would see Lumiere working on her charm…and the surprise would be ruined!
“That’s where I’m going,” Chip said quickly. “I’ll take them for you.”
“Oh, would you?” Belle asked. “Now I can get back to decorating the ballroom!”
When Chip rolled into the study with the tea cart full of poinsettias, there was no sign of the mess that had been there earlier. There was also no sign of Lumiere!
“Lumiere?” he called. “Where did you go?”
“Under here, monsieur!” Lumiere’s voice called from beneath the desk. Chip peeked under it and found Lumiere mopping up the last drops of glue with a damp rag.
“Phew! I am finally finished,” Lumiere sighed. “And I am exhausted!”
“I brought the glue back,” Chip said helpfully, pointing at the tea cart. “Do you want to cut out another star and try again?”
Lumiere shook his head. “I have seen enough glue for one day! We will have to find another way to make the charm for Belle’s bracelet.”
“Okay,” Chip said. “But how can we make the gold flakes stick to the charm without glue?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Lumiere. “We will have to think of a way.”
“Think, think, think,” Chip said to himself as he hopped around the study. He spotted a roll of stamps on the desk. “Stamps are sticky on the back!” he exclaimed.
“But only on the back,” Lumiere pointed out. “I think the star charm should have gold on both sides. Don’t you?”
Chip nodded. “Think, think, think,” he said again. “Look! There is a bottle of ink in this drawer! Ink is sticky!”
“But ink is black,” Lumiere said. “If the gold flakes get covered with black ink, the star will not sparkle and shine.”
Chip knew that Lumiere was right, but he wasn’t about to give up. Even so, as he searched the study, Chip had trouble finding something that they could use to make the charm. A feather pen, a stack of books, a pair of reading glasses, a lamp? None of these would work.
“Wait a minute,” Chip suddenly said. He hopped over to the lamp and peeked at the waxy candle under its colorful glass shade. “I know what we can use!”
“What?” Lumiere asked excitedly.
“Wax!” Chip replied. He bounded over to the supply closet in the corner, where cakes of yellow beeswax were stacked on a shelf.
“You are a genius!” Lumiere cried. “Wax is just what we need to make this charm!” He pinched off a small piece of wax and gently heated it with his candles.
“Mmm,” Chip said, breathing in deeply. “It smells like honey!”
When the wax was warm, Lumiere molded it into the shape of a star. Then he and Chip dusted the star with gold flakes. As the wax cooled, the gold stuck firmly to the charm.
Lumiere held the star charm up to the light. “Look how it gleams!” he said proudly. “This is just what I wanted to make for Belle. Thank you, Chip! You are an artist!”
Chip grinned at him. “I like to help,” he said. “Do you think anyone else needs me?”
“You should check with Cogsworth,” Lumiere replied. “I am sure that that overgrown pocket watch could use a hand!”
“Don’t worry, Cogsworth,” Chip yelled. He jumped onto the tea cart. “Here I come!”
Chip zoomed up and down the halls of the castle, loudly calling for Cogsworth. Finally, he heard a familiar voice reply, “I’m in here! Come in, come in!”
Chip followed the voice to the greenhouse. Rows and rows of exotic plants filled the room.
“Hi, Cogsworth,” Chip said. “Lumiere told me that you might need help making your charm for Belle’s bracelet.”
The clock hands on Cogsworth’s face started to twitch. “That old wax-head!” he sniffed. “What does he know about it?”
Chip shrugged. “I don’t know,” he replied. “But I helped him make his charm, so I thought maybe I could help you, too.”
“Oh, well, in that case,” Cogsworth said quickly. “I suppose I could use a little help.”
He stepped aside to show Chip a long line of leaves that he’d made out of jewels. “I came into the greenhouse for inspiration,” Cogsworth explained. “And I’ve certainly been inspired…to make every plant except a sprig of holly! Look at all of these leaves! This one even has an acorn made out of rubies!”
“But you’re supposed to make some holly,” Chip reminded him. “Just like the charm on Belle’s other bracelet.”
“I know,” Cogsworth said, sighing. “But there isn’t any holly in here! And when I see other leaves, I forget what holly looks like—and make a different leaf instead!”
“There’s a big holly bush outside, next to the fountain. I can get some holly for you,” Chip said.
“Splendid idea!” Cogsworth cried.
Chip zoomed toward the large doors at the entrance to the castle. But on the way, he ran into his mother.
“Where are you going in such a rush?” asked Mrs. Potts.
“I’m going outside, Mama!” Chip said proudly. “Cogsworth needs a sprig of holly to make his charm.”
Mrs. Potts shook her head. “The area around the fountain is covered in ice. It’s much too slippery for you. No, my dear, you’ll have to find another way to help Cogsworth.”
“But, Mama—” Chip began.
“No buts, my dear,” Mrs. Potts said firmly.
Chip frowned, but only for a minute. He knew two things: Cogsworth needed a sprig of holly, and he couldn’t get it for him. He would have to find someone who could.
Just then, Chip heard a clatter. It came from the West Wing…the one place in the castle where he was forbidden to go.
And that gave him an idea!
Chip glanced around to make sure no one was looking as he hopped up the stairs to the West Wing. I won’t really go inside, Chip thought. I’ll just stand outside and ask the master to come out.
But when Chip arrived at the West Wing, the heavy oak door was closed. He knew that even if he yelled as loud as he could, the Beast probably wouldn’t hear him.
So Chip took a deep breath and nudged the door open an inch at a time, until he could squeeze in. But he never had to call for the Beast—the door’s squeaky hinges gave him away!
“Who goes there?” yelled the Beast. He leaped out from the shadows. “Who dares to disturb me in the West Wing? You know that you are forbidden to enter. Get out!” the Beast roared.
“I’m sorry,” Chip whispered.
When the Beast realized that it was only Chip, his face softened. “My apologies,” he said. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I was just worried about the enchanted rose. It’s already begun to wilt, so I don’t want anything to happen that could make its petals fall even faster. What can I do for you, Chip?”
“Cogsworth needs a sprig of holly to make his charm, but Mama won’t let me go outside because it’s too icy,” Chip said.
“I can get it,” the Beast replied as they went downstairs. “A walk outside would do me good right now. It will be nice to take a break. And maybe I’ll figure out how to finish the rose charm I’ve been working on.”
“Do you need some help?” Chip asked.
“I might,” the Beast admitted. “I just can’t figure out how to make my charm look like a winter rose. Maybe the snow and ice outside will inspire me.”
“I have an idea!” Chip exclaimed as the Beast opened the castle’s front door. But neither one of them expected to see Belle on the other side of it!
“I was just hanging this wreath on the door. Where are you two going?” Belle said cheerfully.
“I need to get some holly for Cogsworth,” the Beast said nervously. “But I think it might be too slippery outside for you, Chip.”
“I can come with you—if you’d like company,” Belle offered.
“Of course,” the Beast re
plied, trying not to show how nervous he was. The Beast glanced back over his shoulder at Chip. “We’ll be back soon.”
“Bye!” Chip called as the heavy door closed behind them. He rushed toward the Royal Jewelry Chamber for a very important mission of his own!
When the Beast and Belle got back from their walk, it was time for Belle to start getting ready for the ball.
“Oh, my!” Mrs. Potts cried as the coat rack started to brush Belle’s hair. “Look at all these snowflakes in your hair!”
“Your hair will dry soon enough,” Wardrobe told Belle. “Have you thought about how you’d like to wear it tonight?”
“I was thinking that maybe we could pull the sides into a bun, and leave the rest of my hair down,” Belle suggested. “What do you think?”
“How elegant!” Wardrobe cried.
Belle sat still as the coat rack started styling her hair. Mrs. Potts laid out Belle’s shoes, while Wardrobe made sure that Belle’s ball gown was pressed and ready. But a soft sigh made Mrs. Potts look up.
“Everything all right, dear?” she asked Belle.
Belle tried to smile. “Oh, yes,” she replied. “I was just thinking about my father. I wish he could be here tonight. I think he would’ve had a wonderful time at the ball.”
“I know he would’ve,” Mrs. Potts replied. “And I know he would be very proud of you, too. Why, there wouldn’t even be a ball tonight if not for you! And that reminds me that I still have a few things to do. I’ll be back soon in case you need anything.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Potts,” Belle said softly.
Mrs. Potts knew that she couldn’t bring Belle’s father to the ball. No one was allowed to leave the castle. But it was almost time to give Belle the charm bracelet—and she hoped that it would help her understand how special she was to everyone!
Meanwhile, the Beast had just entered the greenhouse, holding several sprigs of holly.
“Splendid, just splendid!” Cogsworth cried in excitement, spotting the holly. “To add the berries, I need two rubies of equal size,” he said, as he began arranging some emeralds in the shape of holly leaves. “Can you help me find just the right jewels, Chip?”
The Charming Gift Page 2
