“I’m Bethany,” the chick said, her voice trembling, “and Evie’s my friend. I really want her back to normal!” She gave a sob.
“Don’t worry,” said Jess. “We’ll help her. But we have to find out about her secret present.”
“I’m sorry,” Bethany said sadly, wiping her eyes with a wing. “I don’t know what it is.” Her face brightened. “But I think I know where it’s hidden!”
“That’s wonderful!” said Lily. “Do you think you could show us?”
Bethany gave another tremble, but then she puffed up her feathers. “Yes,” she said determinedly, “I’ll show you. I’d do anything to save Evie.”
“Thank you!” said Goldie, stroking the chick’s bright blue and orange feathers.
“Mom, I’m going to help Evie!” Bethany called.
“Please be careful!” Mrs. Blueflash called back.
“We’ll take care of her!” Jess promised. And they hurried away after Bethany, dodging the balls of mud that whizzed all around them.
Chapter Seven
A Secret in Petal Dell
Bethany led Goldie and the girls back toward Petal Hill. Mr. and Mrs. Scruffypup and Hattie were waiting anxiously outside their den.
“I’ve got the blossom drops from Olivia,” said Hattie, holding up a full basket. Her eyes were wide with worry. “Have you found all of Evie’s favorite things yet?”
“Just one more to go,” said Jess. She turned to the kingfisher chick. “Bethany’s helping us!”
The kingfisher fluttered over and perched on Jess’s outstretched hand. “It’s this way!” she chirped.
Hattie tucked the basket over her paw. “I’m coming to help,” she said. “I miss Evie so much!”
Bethany zoomed up Petal Hill. Goldie and Hattie followed, bounding easily between the blossom-laden bushes.
A surprise awaited them. At the top of the hill, the ground dipped into a hidden flowery dell. It was like a little sheltered valley, and the scent of jasmine hung in the warm air. The grass was soft and cushiony and in the middle was a copse of blossom-covered pear trees. Petals fluttered down as the branches swayed in the breeze.
“This is Petal Dell,” said Bethany.
“Over here!” Goldie called.
The girls and Hattie ran up the slope to join her. Goldie pointed at the flowers. Most of them were yellow, but in the middle, dark blue flowers were arranged into shapes.
“They’re planted in the shapes of letters!” Lily cried.
Hattie gasped. “They’re spelling out a word—my name! Look, they say ‘Hattie’!”
Then Bethany called from the pear trees. “Come and see!” she chirped.
Goldie and the girls ran down past the flowers, into the trees. Bright balloons and streamers hung from every branch.
“It’s decorated for a party!” said Jess.
Lily spotted something glinting beneath a starflower bush and picked it up. It was a beautiful little crown, made of golden willow leaves and decorated with brilliant jewels.
“This must be what Evie was making,” she said, showing the others.
Jess gave a cry. “Oh! Now I know what the surprise is! Evie was planning a party for you, Hattie!”
Hattie clapped her paws together in delight.
“And this must be a crown she made for you,” Lily smiled, placing it gently on Hattie’s head.
“Blossom Day is the day before my birthday,” Hattie said, her eyes shining. “I always feel a little sad because everyone’s always tired after the celebrations, so my birthday doesn’t feel very special. I’ve never told Evie, but she must have guessed!”
“And so she decided to give you a secret surprise party,” said Lily.
Bethany nodded. “Evie thinks this is the prettiest place in the whole of Friendship Forest,” she chirped. “That must be why she decided to have it here.”
Hattie smiled. “Evie’s the best little sister a puppy could have.”
“And thanks to you,” Jess said, “we’ve got everything we need to turn her back into her normal puppy self.” She took the basket of blossom drops from Hattie and put it down. “Her favorite food!”
Lily added the basket of jewels. “Her favorite things.”
“Her secret is the surprise party for Hattie,” said Goldie, as Hattie lay down the crown, “and her favorite place is Petal Dell.” Her ears pricked up. “Can you hear giggling?”
The girls listened. A moment later, they heard it, too.
“Evie and Masha must have followed us again,” Lily whispered.
“They’re probably planning another horrible, messy surprise,” Jess said softly. She drew a sharp breath. “Shhhh! They’re coming!”
Masha and Evie scurried out from the bushes nearby.
“What’s going on?” Masha demanded. She sat up on her back legs, chattering her teeth, and Evie did the same. Her fluffy, scruffy coat was now as dirty as Masha’s dirty fur. Hattie gave a cry of horror as she saw her sister.
Lily hugged Hattie. “Don’t worry, we have all of Evie’s favorite things. We’ll save your sister!”
But Evie scooped up a big pawful of mud from the ground. Squelch! The mud splattered over her favorite things.
“That was fun!” giggled Evie, and she and Masha laughed loudly at the mess.
“She doesn’t even recognize them,” Jess said, her stomach twisting with worry. “What if we’re too late?”
Chapter Eight
Party Time!
“We can’t give up now,” said Goldie. “Let’s do the spell—and quickly!”
As Evie and Masha scooped up more mud, Jess chanted, “Evie’s favorite hobby... collecting jewels!”
“Evie’s favorite food,” shouted Goldie. “Blossom drops!”
“Evie’s secret... a special surprise party!” added Lily.
They joined hands and said together, “In Evie’s favorite place—Petal Dell!”
Purple sparks flew from Evie. Her fluffy fur stood all on end for a moment, and then the dirt disappeared so that her white stomach was as snowy white as before. She blinked a couple of times, then her tail began to wag.
“Hooray!” cried Lily and Jess.
“Evie’s herself again,” Goldie said, with tears of joy in her green eyes.
For a moment, the puppy seemed confused. She looked at Masha, then at the girls, then at Hattie. Finally, she gave a yap and bounded over to her sister. “What happened?” she asked.
Lily ruffled the white fluff above Evie’s nose. “Naughty Masha put a spell on you,” she explained, “but everything’s fine now.”
Masha’s teeth chattered angrily again. “This is no good,” she grumbled. “Evie’s no fun anymore.”
Goldie looked at Masha sternly. “It’s not nice to mess up the forest,” she told the rat.
“But it’s so much fun!” said Masha. Her face brightened. “I’m going to go and find my other friends so we can keep being messy!”
She scurried down Petal Hill.
Goldie sighed. “If only we could make the Witchy Waste creatures go home again,” she said. “But I just can’t think how.”
Bethany had flown high up to watch Masha leave. She suddenly did an about-face and zoomed back. “Something’s coming!” she said, and perched on Lily’s shoulder, gripping tightly with her little feet.
A yellow-green orb appeared over the top of the hill. Lily and Jess knew what that meant. Grizelda!