The puppy’s tail gave a small wag.
Lily asked the girl, “Excuse me, but—are you human? Like us? We didn’t think anyone else came here.”
“Mmm,” said the girl. “I live not far away.” She waved her arm vaguely. “I’m visiting the pretty forest, too.”
“I’m Jess, and this is Lily,” said Jess. “And this is Poppy Muddlepup, our friend. What’s your name?”
“Oh, um, my name’s... Gretchen,” said the girl. “Gretchen, that’s it.” She moved closer. “I couldn’t help overhearing you say you’re looking for jewel water.”
“Oh?” said Lily eagerly. “Do you know where some is?”
“Yes,” said Gretchen. “I’ll take you there. On the way you can tell me why you want it. Come on!”
Jess and Lily looked at each other, thrilled. They were going to have everything they needed to break Grizelda’s spell in no time!
“That’s great, Gretchen, thanks,” said Lily. “It was lucky we bumped into you!”
“Yes, it was, wasn’t it?” said Gretchen. She looked very pleased, too.
Poppy bounced around impatiently. “Let’s go!” she said.
Gretchen skipped ahead and the others followed. Everyone was feeling much more cheerful. Now there were four of them working to save Patch!
Chapter Two
A Thorny Trick
As they hurried along, Lily explained about the witch’s spell.
“We have to make the Rise and Shine potion, and give it to Patch before sunset,” said Jess, “otherwise the poor little thing will sleep forever.”
“Oh, that’s so sad,” said Gretchen, stopping for a moment.
“We’ve already got one ingredient,” said Poppy happily.
Gretchen smiled. “That’s interesting, puppykins,” she said. “Very interesting indeed. Where is it?”
“In Jess’s pocket,” said Poppy, dashing ahead impatiently. “Can we go on now?”
Gretchen skipped ahead, singing, “I love the flowers, I love the bees, I love butterflies with dusty knees...”
Lily and Jess grinned. “I think she loves the forest even more than we do,” Lily whispered to her best friend.
“I wish she’d go faster,” said Poppy, as Gretchen stopped by a ring of thick bushes covered in pale blue blossoms. “Oh, no, she’s smelling more flowers now. We’ll never find that jewel water!”
But then Gretchen beckoned to them. “Come on, everyone.” She pointed to the middle of the circle of bushes. “You’ll find what you want in there. Go on,” she said, “go on in.”
“Thanks, Gretchen!” cried Jess, dashing into the center. Lily and Poppy followed, then all three stood, looking and listening for the sound of water.
Jess turned to speak to Gretchen, who had stayed outside the flowery ring. Why isn’t she following us? she wondered.
Lily was puzzled, too. “Gretchen, can you show—?” she began, then stopped as she realized Gretchen was speaking. No, not speaking—she was chanting!
“Branches twist in thorny curls,
Make a cage for nasty girls!”
At once, the bushes sent out hundreds of thin, spidery branches that sprouted sharp thorns as long as sewing needles. The branches twisted, curled, and knotted until they were too dense to see through.
In no time at all, Jess, Lily, and Poppy were surrounded by a thick, prickly cage!
“We’re trapped!” cried Lily. “But why?”
“Gretchen, what have you done?” asked Jess, horrified.
The pretty face appeared above the spiky cage. Gretchen seemed to have grown taller. Then, to the girls’ horror, yellow-green sparks crackled around her. The wavy red hair turned green, and the pretty dress became a swirling black cloak.
“It’s Grizelda!” cried Lily. “Gretchen was the witch in disguise. She tricked us!”
Grizelda’s awful cackle echoed round the forest. “Haa haaa haaaa! You fools! You’re always visiting Toadstool Glade, so I knew that if I waited there you’d show up before long. And now you’ve told me exactly what you’re up to!”
Jess and Lily stared at her in horror.
The witch laughed again. “You won’t find the jewel water, and you’ll never find the Sunrise Berries. Even if you did, you’d never dare try to reach them. Haaa!”
She snapped her fingers and disappeared in a shower of evil-smelling yellow sparks.
Jess and Lily turned to comfort Poppy. The little puppy’s eyes were brimming with tears. “We can’t save Patch,” she whimpered, “and we’re trapped here. I’ll never see my family again.”
Lily picked her up and pressed her cheek against Poppy’s. “Don’t you worry,” she said. “We’ve beaten Grizelda before and we’ll do it again. We’ll think of something,” she added. “Won’t we, Jess?”
Her friend put on a big smile. “Of course we will,” she said.
But the girls exchanged nervous glances. It looked like Grizelda really had beaten them this time.
Chapter Three
Desperate for Help
“I should have guessed there was something funny about Gretchen,” Lily said with a sigh. “Goldie always said we’re the only humans who can visit Friendship Forest. We should have been more careful.”
Poppy put a paw into her hand. “It’s not your fault,” she said.
“There is one good thing,” Jess realized suddenly. “Grizelda told us what the third ingredient is!”
“Sunrise Berries,” said Lily. She glared at the thorny cage. “We could keep on searching, if we could just get out of here.”
“But how?” Jess asked. “We don’t have scissors or—”
“Ssh!” said Poppy. Her ears pricked up.
“What can you hear?” asked Jess.
“Rustling,” said Poppy. “Very close by.”
Jess clenched her fists. “Not that witch again,” she muttered.
“No,” said Poppy. “It sounds like paws pattering... and squeaks...” She listened again, head to one side. “Mice!” she cried. “Maybe they can help!”
The girls leaped to their feet.
“Hey!” called Jess.
“Yap! Over here!” called Poppy.
“Behind the thorny bushes!” shouted Lily. She lay down on the ground and peered beneath the branches. “It’s Molly Twinkletail!” she cried. “She must be on her way home from the Flower Festival.” Lily cupped her hands to her mouth. “Molly! Over here!”
Jess bent down, too. “Her brothers and sisters are with her,” she said. “Molly! We’re trapped!”
Molly darted over and peered beneath the bushes, then gasped in horror as she saw the girls in the thorny cage.
“Please can you find someone to help get us out?” asked Jess.
Molly didn’t reply. Instead, she looked thoughtful for a moment, then scampered to one of the twisted branches and bit it, hard. “No problem!” she said cheerily, and turned to her family. “Remember how Lily and Jess saved me when I was stuck behind that waterfall? Now we’re going to save them! Come on, everyone. Nibble and bite for all you’re worth!”
The mouse family set to work, using their sharp teeth to gnaw the branches. Nibble and bite, nibble and bite...
To their delight, Jess, Lily, and Poppy watched a gap gradually begin to appear in the prickly cage. Soon, it was big enough for Poppy to squeeze through and escape. Not long after, Lily and Jess were free, too!