by Sue Bentley
Arrow’s ears swivelled. He looked up and then hopped forward and grasped the ball in his mouth.
‘That’s it,’ Dawn encouraged. ‘Bring it to me and I’ll throw for you again.’
Arrow soon got the idea. They played fetch for a while until, at last, he flopped down, panting. ‘That was fun!’
Dawn picked him up. ‘Let’s go inside and you can have a nap.’
The phone rang in the hall as they came in.
‘I bet that’s Aunt Jenny!’ Dawn exclaimed eagerly as she answered it. ‘Hi, Aunt Jen! Oh –’ she paused in surprise as she realized who it was – ‘Emma?’
‘Hi, Dawn. I wondered if you and Arrow would like to come to my house for tea tomorrow? Mum says it’s OK.’
‘Um… I guess I could,’ Dawn said, feeling unsure. She still wasn’t quite used to this new friendly Emma.
‘You don’t have to, if you don’t want to,’ Emma said quietly.
Dawn made up her mind. ‘I’d love to!’
‘Great! This is where I live…’
*
‘I’m glad that you’re starting to make some new friends, love,’ Mr Kenton said as he dropped Dawn and Arrow off at Emma’s.
‘Me too,’ Dawn said.
The house was at the end of a row. There were pots of bright flowers on either side of a cheerful red front door. Dawn rang the bell. After a little while, when no one had appeared, she rang it again.
‘I don’t think anyone’s in. I knew it! This is another of Emma’s daft jokes!’ she sighed. ‘I bet she’s been waiting all this time to pay me back for covering her in those sticky streamers in the cloakroom!’
A slight breeze stirred Arrow’s fluffy white fur. He seemed disappointed. ‘I was looking forward to seeing Blackberry again. He is a fine rabbit.’
‘That’s it. We’re leaving!’ Dawn was turning away when the door opened.
‘Sorry! I only just heard the bell,’ Emma said brightly. ‘We were all in the garden. Come in.’
Dawn calmed down as she followed Emma into the house. She’d been totally wrong about her this time.
Emma’s mum greeted Dawn with a warm smile. Delicious cooking smells wafted out of the kitchen behind her. ‘Hello, Dawn. This must be the little lost white bunny you’ve adopted.’
‘Hi, Mrs Packard,’ Dawn said politely. ‘Yes. He’s called Arrow.’
‘Why don’t you show Dawn and Arrow where Blackberry lives, Emma? I’ll call you when tea’s ready.’
Emma led the way outside to a garden shed and opened the door. ‘Ta dah!’
‘Wow! This is bunny heaven!’ Dawn said, admiring the smart hutch, neat shelves and sturdy bunny run that was scattered with toys. There were clean dishes, packets of rabbit food and bags of straw on shelves. The shed smelled of sweet hay.
Arrow’s pink nose was twitching in approval. ‘This is a good place.’
‘I’d forgotten how sweet Arrow is. Can I hold him please?’ Emma asked.
Arrow didn’t seem to mind so Dawn handed him over.
‘Hi, Arrow,’ Emma crooned, stroking him gently. ‘Hasn’t he got unusual eyes? They’re like treacle toffee speckled with rainbow dust.’
‘Arrow’s one of a kind,’ Dawn agreed.
‘You can cuddle Blackberry, if you like.’ Emma opened the hutch door, so Dawn could lift him out. ‘I brushed him for ages so his coat is all shiny,’ she said proudly.
At Emma’s suggestion, they put the bunnies into the run. After some friendly nose twitching and fur snuffling, Arrow and Blackberry began rooting through the straw and chewing toys.
‘Look at that. Instant best friends!’ Emma grinned, her eyes sparkling. ‘I love animals.’ She began talking about all the pets she’d had. ‘… and a gerbil and two rats. And I used to have a cute Yorkshire terrier called Maisie. How about you?’
Dawn chewed at her lip. ‘I’ve… I’ve got a dog called Tansy. But she doesn’t live with me any more.’ To her surprise, once she started, it was easy to tell Emma everything. When she’d finished she was biting back tears.
Emma listened in silence until Dawn had finished. ‘Oh, poor you. That’s so awful,’ she sympathized. ‘I’d hate it if I had to re-home Blackberry.’ A look of determination came over her face. ‘Your flat’s in Redford Mansions, is it? There might be something we can do about Tansy. Leave it to me.’
Chapter
NINE
‘It was fun at Emma’s house today, wasn’t it?’ Dawn said to Arrow. After a delicious tea of sandwiches, cheese scones and Mrs Packard’s amazing lemon cake, Emma’s dad had driven them back to Redford Mansions.
‘I had a good time too,’ Arrow said as the lift door pinged open at their floor. ‘It was nice of her to say she’d try to do something about Tansy, but I don’t think anybody can.’
Arrow looked up at her. ‘Emma seems to be a person who is true to her word.’
Dawn stroked the tiny rabbit fondly. ‘Well, I do appreciate her wanting to help,’ she agreed.
Dawn walked into the flat and found her mum in the hall. She had her coat on and looked worried. ‘Mum? Is something wrong?’
Mrs Kenton nodded. ‘I’m afraid Aunt Jenny’s just phoned. It’s Tansy. She’s escaped somehow and run off.’
Dawn gasped. ‘Oh no!’
Mrs Kenton grabbed her coat. ‘Come on! We’re going straight over to help look for her!’
Dawn’s heart was in her mouth as they drove across town. She sat in silence, cuddling Arrow.
Aunt Jenny was apologetic. ‘I’m so sorry, Dawn. Tansy must have slipped out when my back was turned. We’ve searched everywhere but there’s no sign of her. I’m just about to phone the vet…’
Dawn knew what that meant. She tried not to think about busy roads and other dangers. ‘Where can she be? I don’t where to look,’ she whispered to Arrow.
‘I will help you!’ His magical key glowed as he pointed a little white paw at the ground. A fountain of crystal dust whooshed out, revealing a trail of glowing doggy footprints that led up the road and disappeared round the corner. ‘This way, Dawn!’
‘Yay!’ Dawn cheered, hastily turning it into a cough as her mum and Aunt Jenny turned to look at her in surprise. ‘I’ve got a hunch about where Tansy went!’
Dawn ran after Arrow, who was streaking away, his white bobtail flashing. She raced along, following the trail of glowing doggy footprints. As she turned a corner, she glimpsed Arrow’s tiny form passing some shops along the high street.
This was where she and mum had gone shopping. Somehow Tansy must have picked up Dawn’s trail. Arrow was following the shining pawprints that seemed to be going in the direction of Redford Mansions.
Dawn felt renewed hope as she put a spurt on. She was only seconds behind Arrow as she raced into the flat’s gardens.
‘What’s that on the bench?’ Dawn narrowed her eyes. ‘It’s not… It can’t be! Tansy?’ she gasped.
‘Yes, Dawn. She is safe.’
Something in Arrow’s voice made Dawn look at him.
His magic key was glowing constantly like a miniature gold star. The moment Dawn had been dreading was here.
A cloud of shimmering crystal dust appeared, swirling around Arrow and twinkling with rainbow sparkles.
Suddenly, Arrow appeared in his true form. A tiny fluffy white bunny no longer, but a majestic rabbit the size of a large cat. His silky pure white fur was flecked with silver and his large ears had glittering silver tips.
‘Arrow!’ Dawn gasped. She had almost forgotten how beautiful he was. ‘Are you leaving right now?’
Sadness flickered across his chocolate brown eyes for a moment. ‘I must.
Moonglow Meadow urgently needs more of the key’s magic.’
Dawn’s eyes stung with tears. She bit them back as she knew she must be brave and allow her friend to go. She bent down and threw her arms around the handsome white rabbit and laid her cheek against his silky fur.
‘I’ll never forget you,’ she whispered brokenly.
; ‘I will not forget you either.’ Arrow allowed her to hug him one last time and then moved gently away. ‘Farewell. And always follow your dreams, Dawn,’ he said in a velvety voice.
There was a final flash of light, and crystal dust rained down around Dawn, tinkling softly as it hit the ground. Arrow faded and was gone.
Dawn stood there, stunned by how fast everything had happened. Her chest ached with the effort of holding back tears. Something lay on the grass. It was a single rainbow crystal drop. Bending down, she picked it up. The drop tingled against her palm as it turned into a tiny pure white pebble in the shape of a bunny.
Dawn slipped it into her pocket. She knew she would always keep it as a reminder of the magic bunny and the wonderful adventure they had shared.
As she straightened up, Tansy rushed over, whining and wagging her tail. Dawn picked her up. ‘Hello, girl! You’re safe with me now.’
‘Dawn!’
Dawn turned round to see Emma running towards her. ‘I’ve got some brilliant news! Is this Tansy?’
Dawn blinked in puzzlement. ‘Emma? What news? When did you get here?’
‘My dad works for the company that owns Redford Mansions. He’s got special permission for you to have Tansy living with you! I couldn’t wait to tell you, so I got Dad to give me a lift over here.’
‘But that’s fantastic!’ Dawn didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She knew that Arrow would be watching with approval.
Take care. Wherever you are. And look after Moonglow Meadow, she whispered under her breath.
And then she smiled at her new best friend, Emma. ‘What I really need is someone who’ll help take Tansy for walks. Any ideas?’
Emma smiled back. ‘You bet!’
Win a Magic Bunny goody bag!
Strike, the leader of the bunnies of Moonglow Meadow, has an urgent message for Arrow that will keep him safe from the dark rabbits who are trying to capture the magic key.
Four words from the message can be found in the special carrots that are hidden in this Magic Bunny book. Find the hidden words and put them together to completd Strike’s message. Send it into us and each month we will pu every correct message in a draw and pick out one lucky winner who will receive a special Magic Bunny prize.
Send your secret message, name and address on a postcard to:
Magic Bunny competition
Puffin Books
80 Strand
London WC2R 0RL
Hurry, Arrow needs your help!
Good luck!
puffin.co.uk
Table of Contents
Cover
About the Author
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Dedication
Magic Bunny: Chocolate Wishes
Prologue
Chapter ONE
Chapter TWO
Chapter THREE
Chapter FOUR
Chapter FIVE
Chapter SIX
Chapter SEVEN
Chapter EIGHT
Chapter NINE