A pair of fluffy lambs skipped by, carrying balls of pretty raspberry-pink wool to the loom.
“Hello!” the smaller lamb cried as she spotted Goldie and the girls.
The other lamb and the two sheep looked up, smiling.
“Welcome to our shop!” the biggest sheep called. “I’m Mr. Woollyhop.”
The two lambs ran over to Jess and Lily.
“I’m Grace Woollyhop,” said the smaller lamb. “That’s my big brother Hamish and our Ma and Pa.”
Jess grinned. “This is Lily, and I’m Jess.”
Mrs. Woollyhop bustled over. “Can we help you?” she asked.
“We hope so,” said Lily. She quickly explained about the creatures from the Witchy Waste. “Have you seen Hopper the toad nearby? She’s been spotted around here.”
The Woollyhops shook their heads.
“We haven’t seen Hopper, but we’ll look out for her,” Mrs. Woollyhop said.
“Please don’t let her in the shop,” said Jess. “Hopper’s very messy. She might ruin all your lovely wool!”
“She stole Goldie’s scarf,” added Lily. “May we choose another one for her?”
Grace skipped up and down, her fluffy tail swishing. “We can make a new one on our magical loom!” she cried.
“Magical?” asked Jess.
“Mr. Cleverfeather the owl invented it,” explained Mr. Woollyhop. “It’s very fast. We’re making fluffy blankets for today’s concert, so everyone can be comfy and cozy while they enjoy the show.”
Grace showed the girls the loom. It was a wooden frame, with strings stretched across it like a harp. It had a silver tube and a cone-shaped funnel at the back, and a large tray at the front.
“What color would you like your scarf to be?” asked Grace.
“Glittering gold, please,” said Goldie, “just like my old one.”
Hamish tipped balls of sparkling golden wool into the funnel. Then he spoke into the silver tube. “Scarf!”
With a click and a clunk and a shwoop shwoop shwoop, the loom began its work. It was so fast that Lily and Jess could hardly see what was happening. Then out of the front appeared a length of golden fabric. It grew and grew until, with a final shwoop, the finished scarf dropped into the tray.
“Wow!” Jess gasped.
“That is magical!” said Lily.
Grace draped the scarf around Goldie’s shoulders.
The girls were just admiring it when Hamish said, “Yuck! What a stench!”
Dirty yellow sparks flew around the loom. Smelly ones!
Jess glanced at Lily and Goldie. They all knew that Grizelda the witch made smelly sparks!
Click, clunk, shwoop shwoop shwoop went the loom.
“That’s funny...” said Hamish. “It’s started working without any wool!”
They all watched the magical loom curiously. Soon a woolly purple object dropped into the front tray.
Lily picked it up. “It’s a hat!”
“Not just any hat...” added Goldie. “I think it’s a witch’s hat!”
“Oh, no!” cried Jess. “Grizelda’s definitely here somewhere!” As she spoke, something bright caught her eye. “Look!”
An orb of yellow-green light hovered in the doorway, then exploded in a huge shower of stinky sparks.
The sparks cleared to reveal the bony witch, wearing high-heeled, pointy-toed boots, a purple tunic, and tight black pants. Her green hair swirled around her head like octopus tentacles.
The sheep family huddled behind a rack of woolly sweaters, but Lily, Jess, and Goldie bravely faced the wicked witch.
“What do you want, Grizelda?” Jess demanded.
“Ha! The interfering cat and the meddling girls!” the witch snapped. “Well, this time you won’t be able to stop my plans! Friendship Forest will be mine!”
Chapter Three
Hopper’s Spell
Grizelda snatched the woolly hat and put it on. Her hair dangled limply beneath it like wet seaweed. “Ha-ha!” she cackled. “When this shop is mine, I’ll make myself new clothes every day!”
Mrs. Woollyhop gave a sad bleat from behind the rail of sweaters. “Our shop is for all the animals, not just you!” she said.
Grizelda cackled again. “Now the fun starts!” she sneered.
She turned to the girls and clicked her fingers. There was a puff of smoke that smelled like rotting cabbage.
When it cleared, there stood the four creatures from the Witchy Waste—Masha the rat with her ragged straw hat, Snippit the crow in his scruffy waistcoat, and Peep the bat with his wonky tie. Hopper the toad, wearing her necklace, waddled toward the girls, leaving a trail of green slime across the floor.
Goldie pulled Jess and Lily away.
Grizelda scowled. “You girls and that cat stopped my other creatures’ spells from working, but you won’t stop Hopper.” She turned to the toad. “Cast your spell!”
Just then a ball of wool rolled out onto the floor in front of the toad. Grace poked her head out from behind the sweaters. “Oops,” she whispered.
“Hide, Grace!” called Goldie.
But it was too late. Hopper had spotted her! The toad sprang toward Grace and she froze, looking terrified.
“Grace, run!” shouted Jess.
But the lamb’s legs were shaking too much. “Maa!” she bleated.
Before anyone could move, Hopper’s long, flat tongue flicked out. Immediately, purple sparks showered over poor Grace.
“Oh, no!” cried Lily. “Hopper’s cast her spell. Now Grace will start making messes just like a toad!”
The sparks faded. For a moment, the lamb’s sweet woolly face looked surprised. Then she grinned and bounded around the shop, knocking over the rest of the balls of wool that were stacked up in neat piles. They tumbled down and unraveled, making a tangled mess all over the floor.
“Maa!” Grace bleated.
Hopper gave a croaky laugh, and Grizelda cackled nastily.
Mr. Woollyhop reached out to catch Grace, but she slipped under the loom and out the other side.
“My poor little Grace!” bleated Mrs. Woollyhop. “Look what that toad has done to her!”
The Witchy Waste creatures headed for the door, followed by Grace. The girls dived to catch her as she passed, but the little lamb wriggled free, and the five creatures raced outside.
“Go!” Grizelda shrieked. “Make the forest a slimy mess!” She snapped her fingers and disappeared.
Mrs. Woollyhop burst into tears.
“Paaaa,” Hamish bleated, “bring Grace back!”
Mr. Woollyhop shook his head. “I don’t know what to do,” he bleated. “She’s under a spell.”
“Don’t worry, we know a spell, too!” said Jess. “It can break Hopper’s magic and turn Grace back to her normal self!”
“We used it to help Olivia Nibblesqueak the hamster and Evie Scruffypup,” said Lily.
“And Chloe Slipperslide the otter,” added Jess. “Let’s hope it works for Grace, too!” She pulled her little sketchbook from her pocket and read out the spell.
