The Amber Necklace

by Paula Harrison

  The baby lemur nibbled the fruit, his tail waving gently. Zina stroked his soft fur and velvety ears.

  “Poor thing! He’s too young to be away from his family.” Scarlett tiptoed over to Zina’s side. “But at least he has us to help him.”

  Lily nodded. “This is definitely a job for the Rescue Princesses! But how can we find the other lemurs? The forest seems enormous and they could be anywhere.”

  “I can sometimes track the lemurs if I listen hard for their movements,” said Zina. “You’re right, Scarlett. A lemur this young shouldn’t be alone in the forest. We have to help him find his family again.”

  Zina crept closer to the baby lemur. She didn’t want to leave him behind while she searched for his family. Would he trust her enough to let her carry him? She held out another guava, saying softly, “Are you still hungry?”

  The little lemur tilted his head and darted forward a few steps.

  “I think he’s starting to get used to us,” whispered Lily.

  Slowly, Zina moved the fruit to her left shoulder. Then she stayed very still, holding her breath. The baby lemur crept forward a little more, his tail swaying. Then at last he jumped on to Zina’s knee and scampered up her arm. Stopping at her shoulder, he began nibbling the delicious green fruit.

  “He likes you!” cried Lily. “Can I stroke him?”

  “It’s better if you don’t just yet,” said Zina quickly. “He’s quite shy and I don’t want him to run away.”

  Scarlett marched across the clearing and ducked under the rope. “I think the lemurs went this way.”

  Lily ran after Scarlett, but Zina followed more slowly. She didn’t want to scare the baby lemur by starting to run. He clung to her shoulder, still nibbling the fruit.

  Zina murmured soothingly to him, “Don’t worry. We’ll look after you.”

  The princesses pushed their way through the undergrowth and leapt across a stream full of croaking frogs. Long vines hung snake-like from the trees and lizards dived into the bushes as they passed. The leaves on the topmost branches of the trees fluttered like a thousand tiny flags.

  Zina put a hand to her amber necklace. This was deeper inside the rainforest than she’d ever gone before. With every step she took, the amber jewel seemed to whisper a little louder. She caught her breath. What did the whispering mean?

  She stopped for a moment and lifted the silver necklace, letting the jewel spin gently. Sunlight breaking through the leaves caught the golden stone and lit up tiny yellow flecks at its centre.

  The lemur chattered softly into her ear, bringing Zina out of her daydream. Scarlett and Lily had gone on ahead.

  “Wait!” she called, hurrying to catch up with them. “We don’t want to get lost. Let’s mark the trees so we can find our way back.” She picked up a castina flower and made a brightly coloured dot on the tree using the flower’s orange pollen.

  Scarlett pushed her dark curls away from her face. “I thought we would have found the lemurs by now but it’s so hard to see through these trees.”

  “The best way to find something in the rainforest is to listen,” Zina told them. “We can’t see very far but we’ll still hear the lemurs if they’re close by.”

  The princesses stood still and listened very hard.

  Lily frowned. “All I can hear is those frogs by the stream. I didn’t realise such small creatures could be so loud!”

  “We should split up and go in different directions,” Scarlett decided. “That way we have more chance of finding the lemurs.”

  “No, we mustn’t!” Zina’s face was serious. “It’s really easy to get lost if you don’t know the forest. Then you could be trying to find your way back for hours! Let’s go a little further and see if we can spot signs of where the lemurs have been.”

  The princesses walked on, straining for the sound of creatures scampering through the trees.

  Zina paused beside a fallen log. “See that fruit peel?” She pointed to the ground. “That looks like it was dropped here today. We could be close!”

  “Isn’t there a quicker way to find them? How about I climb this tree?” Scarlett’s eyes sparkled as she swung herself up into the branches.

  “OK, I’ll wait here.” Zina stroked the baby lemur’s head.

  “I’ll stay too,” Lily said quickly. “The branches might not be strong enough for two people at once.”

  Scarlett clambered on until she disappeared into a mass of leaves and only her feet were visible. “I can see loads from up here. I can see the top of the palace and I can see the part of the road that’s flooded.”

  “What about the lemurs?” called Lily.

  “There are some branches swaying to the left, but I don’t know if it’s just the wind moving them.” Scarlett climbed down before leaping to the ground.

  Zina pushed aside some fallen leaves with her toe. “There’s more fruit peel just here. That’s two clues that point us this way!”

  The princesses sped up, squeezing past bushes and clambering over knobbly tree roots. The baby lemur nestled close to Zina’s ear and wrapped his tail around her neck. Then suddenly his ears pricked up and he gave a little squeak.

  “Did you hear something?” Zina whispered to him.

  A moment later she heard it too. Leaves rustled and there was the faint sound of lemurs calling.

  Zina gathered the baby lemur in her arms and ran. She was determined to find his family before they moved on again.

  As the girls raced into the clearing, the creatures squawked to each other and sprang higher into the trees.

  Breathlessly, Zina set the baby lemur down on the ground and slowly backed away. Lily and Scarlett crept backwards too.

  The little lemur squeaked and his mother sprang down from the trees. The baby jumped on to her back, chattering happily. The other lemurs slowly came out of hiding. They slipped down from the branches and went on searching for food on the forest floor.

  “They seem different – almost like they’re sad.” Lily’s brow wrinkled.

  “They’re not talking to each other as much as usual. Maybe that’s why it took us so long to hear them.” Zina watched the creatures worriedly. Were they unhappy about being chased away from the tamarind trees? If the trees were cut down tomorrow, it would leave the lemurs without enough food. “We have to do something!” she burst out.

  “About the lemurs and their special trees, you mean?” asked Lily.

  “Yes, we can’t let those workmen take the trees away. The lemurs need them!” Zina’s mind whirled. “Maybe we could move the rope they tied around the trees. Then, when they return, they won’t know which ones to cut down any more.”

  “Why don’t you talk to your mum and dad, Zina,” suggested Scarlett. “They could order the workmen to change the route for the carnival.”

  Zina bit her lip. Her parents got so busy at carnival time that it was hard to get their attention. With visitors staying at the palace it would be even worse. But this was so important to the lemurs, she had to try. “I’ll talk to them,” she told Scarlett. “Come on – the palace is this way.”

  By the time Zina, Scarlett and Lily reached the palace, they were hot and tired, and had bits of leaves stuck to their hair. Zina left her friends drinking lemonade on the terrace and went to look for her mum and dad. At last she found them in the royal kitchen talking to the cook. “Mum … Dad … something awful has happened,” she began.

  “Just a minute, Zina.” Her mum was scribbling on a pad of paper. “So that’s roast lamb with fried mango, and chicken pie with tarragon. But what about dessert?”

  Zina sighed and tried not to look impatient.

  “Perhaps we could have star fruit pancakes with strawberry sauce,” said King Tomas. “I’m sure everyone will like that.”

  “Hmm, perhaps.” Queen Tali’s forehead wrinkled. “But does it really go with the roast lamb for main course?”

  “Mum, can I talk to you about something?” asked Zina.

  “Yes, just a mome
nt.” The queen stared at her scribbled menu. “Thank you, Cook. I’ll think about it a little longer but we should definitely have the roast lamb for the main course.” The cook bobbed a curtsy and hurried away.

  The queen turned to her daughter and her smile dropped. “Zina, what happened to your hair? And what are those marks on your dress?”

  Zina combed her fingers through her tangled black hair and brushed the earth off her dress. “We went into the rainforest to look at the lemurs. We thought it would give us some ideas for decorating the float.”

  “Did you get any good ideas?” asked her dad, smiling.

  “Well, not yet.” Zina noticed that her mum was still frowning, but she carried on. “And we ran into some carnival workers. They’re changing the route of the carnival because of the flooded road. They plan to chop down the tamarind trees, which is an awful idea. They’re the only trees that give the lemurs food all year round.”

  “Oh, yes.” Her mum glanced back at her menu.

  “Can’t you stop them?” said Zina desperately. “The lemurs love those trees and without them they’ll find it hard to get enough food.”

  “Don’t worry,” her dad told her. “There’s lots of fruit in the forest, especially at this time of year.”

  “But in a few months’ time that fruit will be gone. Only the tamarind trees will still have fruit and leaves.” Zina’s voice rose. Her parents didn’t look worried at all. Why didn’t they understand? “Please! If you tell Mr Hazzam that the route is wrong we can stop the trees from being destroyed and save the lemurs.”

  “That’s enough, Zina!” her mum cut in. “I think you’re being a little silly. Just because you feed the lemurs every morning doesn’t mean they’re your pets. I’m sure they’ll be absolutely fine.”

  “And you don’t know for sure that those are the only tamarind trees in the forest, do you?” her dad put in.

  Zina’s cheeks blazed. “No, but I’ve never seen any others.”

  “I’m sorry, my darling, but we’re just so busy sorting out menus for the banquets and then there’s the carnival to organise.” Queen Tali gave Zina a quick smile as she swept out of the kitchen. King Tomas patted her arm before following the queen out of the door.

  Zina tried to swallow but there was a lump in her throat. She knew there were lots of other trees in the forest but the tamarind trees were special and the lemurs needed them. She walked slowly back to meet her friends.

  Lily jumped up as she came on to the terrace. “Oh no! Is it bad news?” she asked.

  Zina nodded. “My parents think there are plenty of other places for the lemurs to live. They don’t understand that those trees are special.”

  “Then we just have to find another way to save the trees.” Scarlett drank the rest of her lemonade in one gulp. “All we need is a plan!”

  Just then, Queen Tali came outside with Scarlett’s parents, the King and Queen of Deronda. Behind them was a maid carrying a tray of coffee cups.

  Zina thought quickly. “I haven’t shown you my room yet,” she said to the other girls. She needed to talk to Lily and Scarlett without the grown-ups hearing!

  Lily understood straightaway. “I’d love to see your room. Have you got many tiaras?”

  “I’ve got four. Come and see.” Zina led them inside. The palace corridor was made from smooth white marble, and tropical plants with huge, hand-shaped leaves were dotted all over the place.

  Zina’s room was at the end of the corridor. Her bed was scattered with brightly coloured cushions and she had special shelves above her dressing table piled high with tiaras and other jewellery.

  “I love this one.” Scarlett picked up a silver tiara dotted with diamonds.

  “Thanks.” Zina smiled. “But I really wanted to bring you here so we could talk about what to do. How can we stop those carnival workers from chopping down the lemurs’ trees?”

  They were all silent for a moment.

  “Maybe there’s a magic jewel that can help us,” said Scarlett at last. “We could make one that scares the loggers away.”

  “I don’t think any jewel – even a magic one – could do that,” said Lily. “But perhaps we could build a bridge over the flooded road.”

  Zina curled her hair behind her ear. “I think that would be tricky. The flood sounds really bad.”

  They were all silent again. Then an idea popped into Zina’s head. “Maybe we can ask them to change the path through the forest. We just have to make them care about the lemurs. Then they’ll understand how important the tamarind trees really are!”

  Scarlett plonked herself down on Zina’s bed. “But they wouldn’t listen today so they won’t be any different tomorrow.”

  Zina’s mind was spinning. Ando, the leader, had been very polite. He just hadn’t understood why the trees were important. “We have to show them the lemurs – make them see what amazing animals they are.”

  Lily’s eyes lit up. “You could tell them lots of facts about the lemurs – how they live in groups and what they like to eat. You’d need to make sure the lemurs don’t run away again.”

  Zina thought hard. “If we take them lots of fruit they’ll definitely stay! I know what they like because I take them breakfast every morning.”

  Scarlett frowned a little. “It all sounds like a lot of talking. I like it better when we climb trees and wade across rivers.”

  “You will help, won’t you, Scarlett?” asked Zina.

  Scarlett grinned. “Of course I will! Rescue Princesses always have to work as a team.”

  Zina woke up the next day buzzing with excitement. She felt sure the plan to save the lemurs’ special trees would work. She woke Scarlett and Lily, and they sneaked downstairs to the kitchen.

  “Goodness me – three princesses!” said Cook. “You’re up very early. Couldn’t you wait any longer for breakfast?”

  “We came to get the fruit for the lemurs,” explained Zina.

  Just then, Lily’s stomach gave an enormous gurgle. “But maybe we could take some breakfast with us too,” she said, giggling.

  Zina always chopped the lemurs’ fruit herself each morning. Today she put in lots of mango and bananas because she knew the lemurs loved them. Lily helped her gather the fruit salad into a wooden bowl and they added it to the picnic basket that Cook had filled with rolls and pastries.

  “I see the lemurs get extra fruit today,” said Cook, smiling. “I hope they enjoy it.”

  “Thank you, Cook.” Zina took the basket and closed the lid. But when she reached the back door, she spotted Lily’s mum and Scarlett’s parents walking round the garden.

  “What shall we do?” she whispered to the others. “I’m not supposed to go out into the forest each morning until I’ve done two pages of neat handwriting and practised my curtsies a hundred times.”

  “But we have to go – it’s an emergency!” Scarlett frowned. “We could use ninja moves and then they won’t see us.”

  Lily’s eyes lit up. “I brought ninja clothes for all of us in my suitcase – I made them with my mum’s sewing machine. We could wear them right now.”

  “You actually made them?” Scarlett’s eyes widened. “Can we try them on?”

  The princesses dashed upstairs to Lily’s room and changed into the dark-green tops, which were decorated with a leafy pattern, and black leggings. Then they admired the ninja clothes in the mirror.

  “These are great, Lily!” cried Scarlett. “We’ll be really well camouflaged against the trees.”

  “Thanks for making them.” Zina smiled at her friend. Lily had found ninja moves quite tricky to learn when they’d first become Rescue Princesses. Zina thought it was really sweet of her to sew the ninja clothes. It would make creeping around without being seen a lot easier!

  Lily grinned. “They work really well!”

  “We’d better hurry.” Zina picked up the basket again. “We have to get to the clearing before the carnival workers do.”

  The princesses crept downstair
s and out of the back door. Keeping a sharp eye on the grown-ups, they slipped across the garden one by one. Zina sprinted over to a tall tree and ducked behind the trunk. Then she beckoned to Lily to follow her. Scarlett hid behind a nearby statue.

  They waited for a long time while Scarlett’s parents studied a yellow butterfly fluttering around the palace wall. Then at last the grown-ups turned away and the girls tiptoed through the silver palace gates.

  Zina glanced up at the palace wall as they left. It was too early for the lemurs to be here. The creatures would be so surprised when she brought their breakfast into the rainforest for a change!

  “Shall I carry the basket?” said Lily. “Then you can lead the way.”

  “Thanks!” Zina passed her basket to Lily and looked around for the right path. She took them through a narrow archway of trees where bright-red and purple flowers dotted the forest floor like jewels. A bird with beautiful blue feathers fluttered to a nearby tree and watched them curiously.

  “What’s that, Zina?” Scarlett pointed to the bird.

  “It’s a blue coua. They’re pretty, aren’t they?” replied Zina. “And look, there’s a panther chameleon. They can change colour to match their surroundings.”

  The pink-and-yellow-striped lizard swivelled one eye in their direction before running down a tree trunk and disappearing into the undergrowth.

  As the princesses walked deeper into the forest, the trees grew closer and their leaves wove together like an emerald-green roof. Branches bobbed in the wind and flecks of sunlight danced across the forest floor. Zina’s amber jewel whispered to the rustling leaves.

  “What was that?” asked Lily curiously. “Did your necklace make a sound?”

  “Look – lemurs!” interrupted Scarlett.

  A troop of ring-tailed lemurs bounded through the trees. Zina’s heart skipped a beat as she led the way into the clearing and set the picnic basket down on the ground. “I’m so glad we got here before the carnival workers.”

  “Shall we give the lemurs their breakfast now or wait till those people come?” asked Scarlett.