“It’s Captain Ace!” said Lily. “We met him the last time we came to Friendship Forest.”
Goldie quickly explained the situation to Ace. “Will you give us a ride to the Treasure Tree, Captain?”
“Ace Air Travel at your service,” said the stork, saluting. “Follow me!”
They hurried to a small grassy clearing. In the middle were two wooden benches.
Lily grinned. “This must be Ace Air Travel’s departure lounge,” she said.
The stork gave a small cough. “Ahem. Look up, please, young misses …”
Floating above the trees was a brightly colored patchwork hot-air balloon.
“Wow!” said Jess. “Are we flying in that?”
Goldie grinned. “We are.”
Ace untied a rope from a peg in the ground and pulled. Down came the balloon’s basket, low enough for the girls and Goldie to climb in.
Ace pulled a cord that dangled down into the basket. Whoosh! A stream of bubbles shot up into the open mouth of the balloon.
“It runs on bubble power,” Ace explained. “Mr. Cleverfeather invented it for me. Ready for takeoff?”
“Yes!” the girls and Goldie cried.
The stork saluted again. “Knots away!” he called, untying a second rope and freeing the balloon. The basket bounced gently, then drifted upward.
Ace’s great wings rose and fell lazily as he flew alongside the balloon with the rope in his beak. Goldie and the girls looked down over the treetops. It was like a sea of green, yellow, and gold.
“Look, we’re just passing Sparkly Falls,” said Goldie, pointing to a beautiful waterfall.
Jess looked down at the flash of sparkling blue amid the greenery. “I wish I had time to sketch it! Oh, isn’t Friendship Forest beautiful?”
With a tilt of his wings, Ace changed the balloon’s direction. Ahead was an enormous tree that towered above the rest of the forest.
“And there’s the Treasure Tree!” said Goldie. “I wonder if Molly’s gotten there yet?”
Lily’s eye was caught by a glimpse of sickly yellow among the Treasure Tree’s branches. It looked like dirty, mud-stained fur, and she’d seen it before … “Boggits!” she cried.
“Poor Molly might already be down there,” said Lily. “If she’s run into the Boggits, she’ll be so scared.”
As they got closer to the Treasure Tree, the girls saw that it was much taller than all the other trees, and its leaves shimmered in the sunshine. Different kinds of fruit and nuts covered its branches. There were apples and oranges, raspberries and strawberries, spiky pineapples and plump peaches. Nuts hung among the fruit in shiny clusters.
“Wow,” said Jess with a gasp. “It’s amazing!”
“And the Boggits are ruining it,” Goldie said grimly. “Look!” She pointed to where two of the Boggits had climbed onto one of the lower branches. One of them was ripping off fruit and throwing it onto the ground while another Boggit was yanking on a higher branch. It snapped off with a crack. The Boggit used the broken branch to whack more fruit from the tree.
“Oh, no,” said Lily in dismay. “The more damage they do, the less food there will be for all the animals. We’ve got to stop those Boggits!”
Goldie called to Captain Ace. “Can you set us down somewhere the Boggits won’t see us?”
Ace steered the balloon behind a small hill that was covered in flowering bushes. He lowered the basket and flipped a rope ladder over the side.
The passengers climbed down to the forest floor. “Thanks for the ride!” they said, keeping their voices low so the Boggits wouldn’t hear.
“You’re welcome,” whispered Captain Ace with another salute. “Good luck, Goldie. Good luck, young misses!” He took the rope in his beak and flew silently away.
Goldie led the girls around the hill, creeping from tree to tree. As they got closer to the Treasure Tree, Jess noticed some crumbs on the ground. She looked down.
“Hazelnut chips!” she said softly. “Molly’s definitely here somewhere. I hope the Boggits haven’t noticed her!”
“We’d better make sure we find her first,” whispered Lily.
They peeked out from behind a tree trunk. The Treasure Tree was shaking as the Boggits clambered up its branches. They were as tall as the girls, and wore ragged, filthy clothes. Their rough fur was colored in patches of dingy green, washed-out blue, and sickly yellow, and it was matted with dried mud. They stank of rotting cauliflowers.
The Boggits were so busy ruining the tree they didn’t realize they were being watched.
“Haargh haargh!” Sniff laughed from up where she squatted on a branch, her mouth open so wide the girls could see all her dirty teeth. “If Boggits chuck down silly fruit they go smashed and muddy and covered in ants!”
“Hegga hegga!” Reek chuckled. “Grizelda will be pleased with Boggits for ruining animals’ food.”
Whiffy spun around, flinging peaches in all directions. “Grizelda will laugh when Boggits tell her about silly little mouse who wanted to help Boggits, too!”
Jess and Lily both drew a sharp breath. They must be talking about Molly!
Pongo thumped his chest. “Pongo was clever, telling her to fetch drinks from Sparkly Falls for Boggits.”
Sniff laughed so much she nearly fell out of the tree. “Off mouse run to help. But mouse will never be able to do it. Haargh haargh!”
The Boggits whooped and jumped onto the ground. They ran around the Treasure Tree trunk, kicking squashed fruit at each other.
Jess, Lily, and Goldie stared at one another in alarm.
“Poor Molly,” said Lily. “She just wants to help people—even the horrible Boggits. Now she’s even farther from home. And all alone!”
“At least we know where to find her,” said Jess. “Goldie, how do we get to Sparkly Falls?”
Goldie was already heading back around the flowering bushes. “It’s this way, girls! I know a shortcut.”
The two friends set off after the cat. “Once we’ve rescued Molly,” Jess said, “we’ll work out a way to stop the Boggits from ruining the Treasure Tree.”
“But we’ve got to hurry,” said Lily. “Soon the poor animals won’t have any food left!”
Goldie led the way through the forest, turning onto a sloping stony path.
Suppose Molly falls into the waterfall? Lily thought. Can she swim?
Jess looked worried, too. They hurried along the path even more quickly, toward the roar of the waterfall.
They turned a corner and suddenly, right in front of them, there was a sparkling, rushing curtain of water. It tumbled over a steep rock face, foaming and bubbling as it crashed into the pool below.
“Sparkly Falls!” gasped Lily. “It’s beautiful!”
“And dangerous,” said Goldie quickly. “Watch where you step. The water makes everything slippery.”
They clambered over rocks, getting as close to the waterfall as possible.
“The spray’s soaking us!” Jess shouted over the water’s roar. “Molly must be so frightened.” She cupped her hands around her mouth and called, “Molly!”
“Molly Twinkletail!” echoed Lily.
Goldie darted from rock to rock. “Where can she be?” she said anxiously. “Little Molly will be hard to spot.”
“Look!” yelled Lily. “There’s a dark patch behind the waterfall—I think it’s a cave.”
“It is!” cried Jess. “And there’s Molly!”
Lily couldn’t see her at first, but as the water swished and poured she suddenly made out the little mouse’s shape. She was running from side to side in panic.
“Molly, don’t be frightened,” Lily called. “We’ll get you out of there!”
Jess ran over to the jagged rocks at the side of the falls and began to climb, hoping to get behind the curtain of water. But suddenly she slipped and fell, sliding down toward the foaming, swirling pool beneath!
“Jess!” yelled Lily, her dark eyes wide with horror.
She and
Goldie lunged toward Jess as she slithered past. Goldie stretched out a paw to grab her, and together she and Lily pulled Jess to safety.
“Thanks.” Jess gasped. Her heart was hammering with fright.
“Let me try to reach Molly,” said Lily, but Goldie stopped her.
“It’s too dangerous,” Goldie said, pointing at the churning water. “If you fall in, you’ll be swept away.”
Lily felt tearful. “Then what can we do?” She groaned. “If only we could slow the water down, we could get behind it and rescue Molly from the cave.”
“That’s it!” Goldie cried. “And I know who can help. Come on!”
“Don’t worry, Molly. We’ll be back!” Jess yelled, then she and Lily followed the cat upstream. Goldie stopped beside a little yellow cottage with a waterwheel outside.
“Who lives here?” asked Lily.
“The Paddlefoots,” said Goldie, knocking on the door.
A moment later the door opened and a family of beavers rushed out. They were wearing boots, and between them they carried rugs and several picnic baskets.
“Goldie!” the beavers cried. “What a lovely surprise!”
“This is Mr. and Mrs. Paddlefoot,” Goldie said, “their children Bobby and Betsy, and Grandpa and Grandma Paddlefoot.”
“And you must be Jess and Lily!” said Mrs. Paddlefoot. “We’ve heard all about you, haven’t we, children?”
Bobby and Betsy bounced excitedly. “You beat Grizelda!” they chanted.
“Quiet, little ones,” said Mr. Paddlefoot. “Goldie, we’re off to the fair. Aren’t you three going, too?”
Goldie quickly explained about Molly. “We need your help, Mr. Paddlefoot. If you could build a dam to block the waterfall, we could rescue her.”
The adult beavers dropped everything. “Ready and willing we are, Goldie,” said Mr. Paddlefoot. “The Twinkletails are old friends of ours.”
“Bobby and Betsy will help, too, won’t you, children?” added Mrs. Paddlefoot.
“Yay!” they cried.
Mrs. Paddlefoot chose a spot a little upstream, so their cottage wouldn’t be flooded when water built up behind the dam. Lily and Jess ran back downstream and shouted their plan to Molly over the thunder of the waterfall. The little mouse nodded her head to show she’d understood.
“We’ll save you as soon as we can,” Jess yelled. “We promise!”
The girls and Goldie helped the beaver family gather sticks, twigs, and stones, which Mr. and Mrs. Paddlefoot then put across the stream to start the dam. The two grandparents packed mud between the twigs to hold them together.
“How will the dam work, Goldie?” Jess asked, dropping another load of branches on top of the growing pile.
“Water will build up behind the dam instead of flowing down toward the waterfall,” Goldie explained. “The thick branches will support it at the front.”
Soon the dam had almost blocked the stream, and a pool had formed behind it.
“Go and check the waterfall, please, girls,” called Mr. Paddlefoot. “It should have almost stopped.”
Lily and Jess ran to the waterfall. The rush of water had slowed to just a trickle.
Jess jumped up and down in excitement. “The dam’s working!” she yelled.
Lily cheered. “Now we can save Molly!”
Lily and Jess clambered down the slope to where the curtain of water had been falling before.
“Molly!” Lily cried.
The little mouse was shivering inside the cave. The girls climbed over the rocks toward her, easily keeping their balance now that they didn’t have to fight against the waterfall.
Molly gave a delighted squeak as Jess picked her up. “You s-s-s-saved me!” she said, her tiny teeth chattering with cold.
“You’re safe now,” murmured Lily, stroking Molly’s little pink ears.
The girls climbed back to the water’s edge, where Goldie and the whole Paddlefoot family gave a big cheer.
“Here,” said Goldie, taking her scarf off. “Wrap Molly in this.”
Lily wrapped Molly in the scarf and cuddled her against her chest. She could feel Molly stop shivering as the little mouse warmed up.
Jess spotted Molly’s bag of hazelnut chips on the river bank and picked it up.
“I left them there so they wouldn’t get wet,” explained the little mouse. “Help yourself. It’s the only way I can thank you for saving me.”
Everyone was delighted that Molly was safe. But Lily noticed that Molly’s whiskers were drooping.
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
The little mouse sighed. “I was trying to help those hairy creatures by fetching them a drink of water from Sparkly Falls,” she said. “I saw Jenny Littlefeather the wren and she flew me here on her back. But after Jenny flew off, I got stuck behind the water. The creatures will be so thirsty.”
“Molly,” said Goldie, “those hairy creatures are Boggits and they were playing a cruel trick on you.”
“Oh, no!” squeaked Molly, covering her eyes with her tiny paws.
“It’s okay,” said Lily gently. “We won’t let them do it again.”
“We’d better get back to the Treasure Tree,” said Goldie, “before the Boggits ruin all the food.”
Jess was looking thoughtfully at where the waterfall had been. “You know the Boggits love being dirty and smelly,” she said slowly. “Well, maybe we can use all the water behind the dam to make them so lovely and clean that they forget about ruining the Treasure Tree.”
“Good idea, Jess!” said Lily. “But how can we get the Boggits to come to Sparkly Falls?”
Everyone thought hard. Suddenly, Goldie grinned.
“I’ve got just the plan. We’ll send them a message!”
“But how?” Lily asked.
“Easy,” Goldie said. “We just need a flyer.”
She made a butterfly shape with her paws, and fluttered them like wings. Instantly, a purple butterfly darted along the riverbank and came to rest on a nearby flower.
“Hello!” said the butterfly’s tiny, tinkly voice.
Jess and Lily were thrilled. A talking butterfly!
“This is Hermia,” said Goldie. “She and her friends deliver messages for all the animals. Hermia, are you brave enough to take a flyer to the Boggits?”
The butterfly’s wings turned pale and droopy. “I’ll be brave,” she said, “if it helps stop them from hurting the Treasure Tree.”
Jess grinned. “Thank you, Hermia. I know just the kind of message we should send …”
She pulled her sketchbook from her pocket, flipped it open, and began to write.
Lily peered over her shoulder. “ ‘Dear Boggits,’ ” she read. “ ‘You’ve done enough good work ruining the Treasure Tree. It looks truly terrible. Now go to Sparkly Falls and chuck lots of mud and garbage in the water. It’s disgustingly clean. From Grizelda.’ ”
Everyone grinned.
“That should do the trick,” said Jess. She rolled up the note and held it out so Hermia could carry it.
“Good luck, Hermia!” the girls cried as the butterfly fluttered away.
Lily turned to the Paddlefoots. “When the Boggits get here, can you pull the dam away?”
Mrs. Paddlefoot rubbed her paws. “It will be our pleasure to help teach those Boggits a lesson, won’t it, everyone?” she said to her family. “Let’s get in position by the dam and stay out of sight.”
“We won’t move until you give us the signal!” Mr. Paddlefoot said to the girls.
The beavers hurried back to the dam, while Lily, Jess, and Goldie lay down on the grass at the top of Sparkly Falls. Molly sat beside them, sharing her hazelnut chips as they waited for the Boggits to arrive.
They all froze as they heard the sound of stomping, stamping feet, and the rough, gruff voices of the Boggits.
“They got Hermia’s message,” said Goldie.
They watched the Boggits come out of the forest, staring and scratching their grubby heads.
>
“Water be gone,” said Pongo. “Where be the water?”
“Boggits find out,” said Reek with a growl.
The four hairy creatures stepped onto the rocks.
“Now!” shouted Lily and Jess.
Mr. Paddlefoot gave the girls a thumbs-up, then the beavers rolled away the logs that supported the dam.
Whoosh!
Jess and Lily watched in amazement as a torrent of water gushed all over the shrieking Boggits. Molly’s whiskers twitched with excitement.
The Boggits roared and gasped as they tried to escape the downpour. They stumbled and spluttered, sliding over the slippery rocks in their panic to get to dry land.
But when they got there, they had another shock.
They were clean! All the mud and filth had been washed away, and their multi-colored fur was gleaming.
“Boggits is wet,” Sniff said with a shiver. “Lovely mud has gone. Boggits is cold.”
“Urgh!” grunted Pongo. “Boggits must get muddy again.”
Whiffy squeezed water from her skirt, wailing, “Whiffy’s clothes is clean and nasty.” She bent over and gave a horrified bellow. “Whiffy’s skirt is clean!”
Reek charged into the trees. “Run! Boggits must go back to Grizelda’s tower and get in mud pool!” he roared.
The others crashed after him through the forest.
“Hooray!” shouted the girls and their animal friends. Molly Twinkletail squeaked and clapped her tiny paws.
Goldie grinned. “The Boggits will be so busy getting dirty again that they’ll forget all about the Treasure Tree,” she said. “And I’ve got an idea for how we can fix the mess they’ve made …”
A little while later, all the animals had helped move the fair from Sunshine Meadow to the area around the Treasure Tree. Woody Flufftail and the other animals were upset when they saw how many nuts and pieces of fruit the Boggits had pulled from the tree.
Molly Twinkletail Runs Away Page 2
