by Mia Bell
“Tabby!” hissed Felix.
Tabby blinked. She dropped the cheese. As soon as it left her paw, her sleepiness was gone. “Wow!” She gasped. “I think it must be this cheese that made everyone fall asleep!”
“It must be magic or something,” said Leo. “King Gorgonzola probably brought it with him. We’re lucky that our masks are covering our noses, or we’d probably be asleep already. And look! There’s more cheese over there.”
The crumbs of cheese led farther down the alley, disappearing into darkness.
“Someone’s coming!” Felix whispered suddenly.
The royal kittens ducked into a dark doorway and watched the road. Now we’ll see who’s following us, thought Tabby. She held her breath, ready to pounce.
Then someone stepped into view. Someone with silky golden fur and a fancy blue outfit …
“Is that who I think it is?” said Leo.
Tabby couldn’t believe her eyes. It’s Prince Buddy! He walked carefully. But he was panting, and his tail was wagging.
“Oh my whiskers!” cried Felix. “What if King Gorgonzola kidnaps him? We need to get him back to the palace!”
There’s only one thing to do. Tabby stepped out of the alley. “Stop!” she said, holding up a paw. “In the name of the Whiskered Wonders!”
The pup prince jumped in shock. His ears stuck straight up. His eyes grew wide. Then he gasped. “Biscuits and bones, it’s the Whiskered Wonders! You’re my heroes. Wow, I can’t believe you’re here! And I’m here, too! I was supposed to be hiding from the royal kittens back in the palace. But they didn’t find me, so I sniffed them out. I love smelling things! And I’m good at it. So I followed them all the way here. You smell kind of like them … wait!”
He stopped and stared into space, his nose twitching fast.
“It looks like he’s thinking again,” said Leo.
Buddy’s jaw dropped. “You smell exactly like the royal kittens! Which means … which means …”
The pup prince’s ears flopped. His tail stopped wagging. Then he rolled over on his back, paws sticking up in the air. In an instant, he was snoring loudly, and his tongue hung out of his mouth.
“Oh no!” cried Tabby “He’s fallen asleep!”
“It’s the cheese!” said Felix. “That’s why he fell asleep.” He pointed to a big lump lying nearby.
“Poor Buddy,” said Tabby. “He isn’t wearing a mask like us.”
“Besides, Buddy loves to sniff things.” Felix added.
“So now can we go and catch Gorgonzola?” asked Leo.
Tabby shook her head. “We can’t leave Buddy here. We have to take care of him. If something happens to him, the dog royals will never forgive us!”
The royal kittens were quiet, all thinking hard.
“Got it!” said Tabby, at last. “Let’s take him to Clawdia! We aren’t far from her place.” Clawdia was the goldsmith’s daughter, who had helped them on their first adventure. And she’s the only cat in the kingdom who knows we’re the Whiskered Wonders!
“Good thinking!” said Felix.
* * *
A few minutes later, Tabby knocked on the door of the royal goldsmith’s shop.
“Oof !” said Leo, wiping his brow. “Buddy is heavier than he looks!”
Buddy lay on the stones beside them, where they had put him down. His tongue still hung out of his mouth, and he was still snoring loudly.
The door opened, and Tabby grinned. “Hi, Clawdia!”
The goldsmith’s daughter was a little black-and-brown cat with a circle of white fur around one eye. Today she was wearing a pretty red dress and a yellow scarf.
“Is your dad here?” Felix whispered.
Clawdia frowned at them. “No, he’s at the street party. The shop is closed today. Who are you?”
“It’s us, Clawdia!” said Leo, pulling down his mask.
Clawdia peered closer, then gasped. “Your Majesties!” she said. “Wow, it’s good to see you again. Is everything all right?” Then she spotted the puppy, and her fur stood on end. “What’s that?!”
“He’s a puppy,” said Tabby. “And he’s a prince! We really need to wake him up. If we don’t, there might never be peace between Barkshire and Mewtopia ever again!”
“Leaping fleas!” gasped Clawdia. “Come in, come in!”
Clawdia helped the royal kittens lift the puppy through the door. They carried him to the counter and laid him flat on top. His paws twitched, but he kept on sleeping.
“I’ve never seen a dog before,” said Clawdia. “He looks so funny! His nose is so long. And his ears are so floppy!”
“What now?” asked Felix.
“Maybe we should tickle his belly?” said Clawdia. “Dad told me dogs like that.”
“Like this?” said Leo. He tickled Buddy on his tummy.
The pup prince snorted. He blinked, then rolled over and stood on the counter, wide awake. “Hello!” he said. “What’s happening? Where am I? Are there any biscuits?” Then he saw the royal kittens. “Oh my, it’s the Whiskered Wonders! But you smell exactly like …”
“The royal kittens,” Tabby said. “That’s right, Your Dogginess. That’s because we are the royal kittens!”
Buddy’s ears went up in surprise. “I don’t believe it! I’m friends with the Whiskered Wonders?!”
“It’s true,” said Tabby. “But you have to keep it secret! Right now, we’re chasing the wicked rat, King Gorgonzola. He stole the magical Orb of Plenty, and we’re going to get it back. We’re following the crumbs of cheese. That’s what made you fall asleep—he’s put some kind of spell on it!”
“Oh, please, can I come?” Buddy begged. “I’ve got whiskers! I could be the fourth Wonder!”
Felix flicked his tail nervously. “I don’t know about this,” he whispered to the other kittens. “What if he gets hurt?”
“I bet he’s not as good at fencing as we are,” whispered Leo.
“I think we should give him a chance,” said Tabby, softly, thinking about how scared she was on their first adventure. “We already know he’s brave. And that’s the most important thing, isn’t it?”
Felix and Leo looked at each other. Then they nodded.
“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” cried Buddy. He leaped down and ran around the shop, chasing his tail.
“Clawdia, can we please borrow your scarf?” asked Tabby. “We need to make a mask for Buddy so Gorgonzola’s cheese won’t make him fall asleep again.”
“Of course!” Clawdia took off her scarf and handed it over. “I’ll go to the palace. Someone should tell the king and queen that the Whiskered Wonders are on the case.”
“Thanks, Clawdia,” said Tabby. “And make sure to cover your nose!”
“It’s happening again,” said Leo. “We’re having another adventure!”
Tabby put a paw on her sword. We’re coming for you, Gorgonzola!
They walked off with Buddy, who was proudly wearing his new yellow mask.
Follow the crumbs of cheese, thought Tabby as they wound their way through the streets. Dogs and cats were curled up here and there along the way, snoring as they dreamed.
“We should pick up the crumbs as we go so they can’t put anyone else to sleep,” she said.
The crumbs led them down a dark alley and out into a meadow. Soon the sounds of the village were far away. They dropped the crumbs they had found in a puddle of mud and covered them up. More cheese lay on a rocky path through the meadow. The path of cheese went up a hill, then down the other side. But at the bottom of the hill, it stopped.
“Where’s the cheese?” said Felix, frowning hard. “I don’t see any more.”
“Maybe Gorgonzola ate the rest,” said Leo.
“I can’t see it,” said Buddy. “But I can smell it!” His shiny black nose sniffed the air.
Of course! thought Tabby. Buddy sniffed us out when we were playing hide-and-seek. Maybe he can sniff out Gorgonzola, too …
“Follow your nose
, Your Dogginess,” said Tabby. “Do you think you can lead us to the smelly cheese?”
Buddy nodded, his tail wagging hard. “I can do it! I know I can!”
“Just be careful not to sniff too much,” said Felix. “We don’t want you falling asleep again!”
The pup prince lifted his nose and sniffed the air. Then he began to run.
“It’s working!” Tabby grinned.
The royal kittens followed the puppy. He led them across a river and over a small rocky hill, sniffing all the way.
We are almost at Mount Claw! thought Tabby, staring up at the gray mountain above them. It looked like a sharp, curved claw, and it cast a long, dark shadow. Is that where Gorgonzola has gone?
Sure enough, Buddy began to sniff his way up the side of the mountain. The royal kittens followed, jumping from rock to rock.
Halfway up the mountain was a small forest, with trees growing among the rocks. The royal kittens were almost through it when Leo cried out, “Ouch!”
“Are you okay?” asked Tabby.
Leo rubbed his head. “Something hit me. I think it came from the trees.”
“What could—Ouch!” cried Felix.
Something round and yellow hit him on the head. It bounced off and rolled past Tabby’s paws. Tabby stared down at it. Uh-oh … “It’s a big ball of smelly cheese!”
“Take that, nosy kitties!” called a voice from above.
Tabby looked up. Three rats were dancing around at the edge of the forest, each with a bandana tied over their nose. They were juggling balls of cheese and throwing them down the hill.
“It’s Brie!” Leo gasped.
“And Chedd!” said Tabby.
“And Mozz!” added Felix. “Gorgonzola’s rat servants!”
“Look,” said Tabby. “They’re still wearing those baggy clothes.”
“That’s my cape!” said Buddy. “They’ve torn it in three!” He stopped to sniff at one of the rolling balls of cheese. “Ooh!” he said. “This looks yummy.”
“Careful!” said Tabby. She picked up the cheese and threw it away. “Don’t get too close, or you’ll fall asleep!”
“Look out!” yelled Felix.
The royal kittens hid behind a big tree as the rats threw more cheese. Tabby pulled Buddy along.
“Let’s get them!” said Leo.
“But how?” said Felix. “We can’t get close while they keep throwing cheese down at us!”
“I know,” said Tabby. “We can climb up into the trees! If we jump from tree to tree, we can climb without the cheese hitting us!”
They were just starting to climb up a tree trunk when Tabby heard a little sigh from below. She looked around and saw Buddy staring up sadly.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “But dogs can’t climb trees! Or I can’t, anyway. Maybe I can’t be a Whiskered Wonder after all.” His head hung low.
“Don’t be silly,” said Tabby. “I know! We’ll distract them. Then you come running out and scare them off. What do you think?”
Buddy’s ears perked up again. “That’s a good idea! Just wait. I’ll be so scary!”
“Great,” said Tabby. “Let’s go!”
The royal kittens climbed up to the treetop. Tabby stood on a branch, balancing with her tail. Then she jumped to the next tree.
“Where did they go?” said Brie from below. “I want to throw more cheese at them!”
Looking around, Tabby saw Felix and Leo jumping through the trees on either side. She pointed to a big tree at the very edge of the forest. Then she flicked her ears to give the signal. They all jumped into the branches of the big tree. There! Tabby saw the rats below, each carrying a pair of cheese balls in their claws.
“Up here!” yelled Tabby.
All three rats looked up and saw the royal kittens.
“Get them!” called Mozz.
Tabby ducked as the rats began to throw cheese again. Whoosh! One ball went high above her head. Splat! Another hit a branch.
“Where’s that puppy?” yelled Felix.
“Now!” Tabby called back through the forest. “Come on, Buddy!”
She heard a thumping of paws on the ground. Then Buddy came running through the bushes, showing off his long teeth. “Ruff!” he said. “RUFF, RUFF!”
Tabby felt her back arch in fear. Is that what barking sounds like? It’s so loud!
“It’s a monster!” yelled Chedd.
“It’s a dog, you fool!” said Mozz.
“I don’t like it!” said Brie. “Run for your lives!”
The three rats dropped their cheese. Then they ran, racing away up the mountain.
The pup prince stopped. When he turned around, his teeth were gone, hidden by his long, pink tongue. His tail was wagging. He was just a puppy again.
Tabby felt herself relax. She, Felix, and Leo dropped down from the tree and landed on all fours.
“You did it!” said Leo. “Nice work.”
“You were really scary!” Tabby said.
Buddy tucked in his tail, looking shy. “It was nothing, really …” he whispered.
“Nonsense—you’re a hero!” said Felix, giving the pup prince a high paw. “Now, come on, Wonders. To the top of the mountain!”
* * *
Soon, they could all smell cheese. And the more they climbed, the cheesier it got. They were close to the top now, and they were all tired and panting through their mouths so they wouldn’t breathe in the powerful smell.
“What do you think Gorgonzola is up to?” wondered Leo.
“We’ll find out soon,” said Tabby as bravely as she could.
Just then, they climbed around a big rock and saw the very top of the mountain.
Leaping fleas!
Tabby could hardly believe what she saw. Standing there, on a big flat rock, was a huge stone bowl full of melted cheese. It was as big as the milk fountain in the village square, and it bubbled and smoked like a volcano. It was so hot Tabby could feel the heat through her fur.
“Gross!” Felix gasped, holding his nose. “That stinks!”
Even the masks aren’t stopping the smell! thought Tabby.
Then a figure stepped out from behind the stone bowl. It was a tall rat with slimy fur, wearing a long black cape and an iron crown, with a black rag tied around his nose. Tabby froze. It’s him!
“So, we meet again!” said King Gorgonzola. “Those silly masks don’t fool me, you know.” He took something from inside his cape and held it up. The Orb of Plenty!
“It’s the orb!” whispered Leo. “I knew it!”
“You’re probably wondering what my most brilliant plan is,” King Gorgonzola said. “I’m sure you’re much too silly to have guessed. You see, I have discovered a special type of cheese that puts you to sleep when you smell it. With the Orb of Plenty, I can make as much smelly, melty, sleepy cheese as I want! I’m going to make so much, it will spill out and flow down the mountain! I’ll flood the whole of Mewtopia … with cheese!”
“Uh-oh,” whispered Felix. “That sounds awful!”
“Then all the kitizens will fall asleep,” Gorgonzola went on. “And there will be so much cheese everywhere, they will never wake up. At last, the kingdom will be mine …”
Tabby shook with fear as she imagined what would happen if Gorgonzola’s plan worked. The whole kingdom would be asleep. No one would be able to stop the evil rat from doing whatever he wanted. Nobody except … The Whiskered Wonders!
“I don’t think so!” said Tabby. King Gorgonzola stared at her. His eyes were filled with anger. I forgot how scary Gorgonzola is! “I mean …” she mumbled. “Er …”
Then Buddy stepped up beside her. “You should watch out, you naughty rat! You’re talking to the Whiskered Wonders!”
“Right!” said Leo, swishing his sword around. “If you are not careful, you’ll come to a cheesy end!”
“It’s you who will get the cheesy end!” yelled King Gorgonzola with an awful, squeaking laugh.
King Gorgonzola closed his e
yes. He laid a claw on the edge of the stone bowl. Then he began to whisper a spell.
“Orb of Plenty, pretty, pretty please,
Cover Mewtopia in stinky cheese!”
The orb glowed blue. Cheese bubbled and spilled over the edge. Tabby watched in horror as it flowed down the side of the bowl and ran between the rocks.
The rat king threw his head back and laughed again.
Gorgonzola looked scarier than ever, but Tabby felt brave with her brothers and Buddy standing beside her. “Quick!” she shouted. “We have to stop him!”
She pulled out her sword and ran forward. But before she could reach King Gorgonzola, his three rat servants came out from behind the big stone bowl. They were still wearing the bandanas over their noses.
“You thought you had gotten rid of us, didn’t you?” giggled Brie. She pulled out a rusty old sword. Chedd and Mozz did the same.
Now I really wish Captain Edmund had given us that fencing lesson …
Tabby tried to pretend she was a hero from one of her storybooks. “Stand back!” she said. But Brie just ran forward, waving her sword.
Clang! Tabby’s sword hit Brie’s.
“Yaaaah!” Mozz and Chedd yelled.
“For Mewtopia!” Leo and Felix ran to meet them.
The air filled with the clanging of swords as the royal kittens fought the rat servants. Tabby ducked as Brie swung at her. She pointed her own sword, but Brie knocked it to one side.
Looking up, Tabby saw King Gorgonzola still standing by the stone bowl. He was whispering his wicked spell, over and over. But where’s Buddy? Tabby saw him hiding behind a rock. His tail was curled up between his legs, and he was shaking all over.
“Come on, Your Dogginess!” Tabby called over. “You scared the rats last time!”
But the pup prince shook his head. “Now I’m scared! I can’t sword fight. I don’t even have a sword!”
“What a scaredy-pup!” laughed Brie. “Whiskered Wonders? Whiskered Wimps is more like it!” She pointed her sword so that Tabby had to duck again.
“Throw them in the bowl!” called King Gorgonzola. “We will send them to sleep faster than you can say ‘cheesecake’! ”