Bella Tabbypaw in Trouble

by Daisy Meadows

  “What’s wrong?” asked Goldie.

  “Look carefully at that boulder,” said Lily.

  Goldie and Jess peered at it.

  “It’s shimmering,” said Goldie. “The boulder’s magic!”

  Lily reached out to feel it, but her hand passed right through! “It’s all right,” she said. “It doesn’t hurt.”

  Goldie looked closer and gasped. “Girls, remember the legend I was telling you last night?” she said excitedly. “I think we’ve found the entrance to the Friendship Forest tunnels!”

  Lily stared. “So it’s true!”

  “Why would the Boggits go in there?” Jess asked.

  Lily frowned thoughtfully. “Remember the strange noises we heard right before the Longwhiskers’ pans were knocked over? And then outside Goldie’s grotto? Well, what if it was the Boggits snooping around, looking for mischief?” she said. “They would have heard Goldie talking about the jewels in the tunnels.”

  Jess nodded. “I think you’re right—they might have decided to find the jewels! But why would they have taken Bella?”

  “I don’t know,” said Goldie, “but we’ve got to go into the tunnel if we’re going to get her back!”

  They passed through the boulder with a shivery feeling and into the dark tunnel.

  “I’ll go first,” said Goldie. “My cat eyes give me excellent night vision, remember?”

  She held one end of her scarf, told Lily to hold the middle, and gave the other end to Jess. “Now we won’t get separated in the dark,” she explained.

  They crept along the tunnel. Jess and Lily felt unsteady on the rough, uneven ground. It was strange not being able to see their feet very well.

  A loud noise rang out from up ahead, echoing through the tunnels.

  The three friends clung together.

  “Boggits?” Lily whispered.

  The sound came again, closer this time.

  Goldie’s ears twitched. “It’s someone laughing!” she said.

  There was the pounding of running feet, coming closer.

  Goldie and the girls pressed themselves against the cold tunnel wall.

  Lily clutched Jess’s hand. “What is it?” she whispered.

  “I don’t know,” Jess replied in a shaky voice.

  The laughter grew louder, and shadowy shapes seemed to be moving toward them.

  “Hello!” said two high little voices.

  Lily and Jess sighed in relief as they peered through the gloom.

  The loud, echoing noise had been made by a pair of sassy-looking fox cubs!

  “Girls,” exclaimed Goldie, “meet Ruby and Rusty Fuzzybrush! But what are you two doing here?”

  “We use the tunnels as our secret hiding place,” said Ruby. “Mom and Dad don’t know about them, so please don’t tell.” She put down two unlit lanterns she’d been holding.

  “How did you get in?” asked Jess. Maybe the fox cubs found the magical entrance, too, she thought to herself.

  “We know lots of ways,” said Rusty, “but they’re all hidden. That’s why nobody else comes here.”

  “Somebody else has found a way in, I’m afraid,” said Goldie. She explained about Bella and the Boggits. “If you know the tunnels well,” she added, “will you help us find Bella?”

  The fox cubs agreed immediately. “What an adventure!” said Rusty excitedly, picking up the lanterns. “These might be useful. Mr. Cleverfeather invented them.”

  Jess and Lily took one each and looked for a way to turn them on.

  “Where’s the switch?” Jess asked.

  The fox cubs laughed so hard they fell over. “There’s no switch for glowworms!” giggled Ruby. “Watch!”

  She put her mouth close to Jess’s lantern and whispered, “Wakey, wakey, little glowworms. Rise and shine! It’s glowtime!”

  Instantly, there was a soft glimmer that grew brighter and brighter until the tunnel was filled with yellow light.

  “Wow!” said Lily. She whispered to the glowworms in her lantern. “Wakey, wakey, rise and shine! It’s glowtime!” She laughed in delight as her lantern lit up, too. The tunnel wasn’t so scary now that she could see clearly.

  They were about to set off again when a great gruff shout echoed down the tunnel.

  “Boggits!” said Goldie, clutching at Jess and Lily. A moment later, there was a crashing sound and the whole tunnel seemed to shudder.

  “It’s an earthquake!” Lily whispered fearfully.

  There was another crash. She covered her ears to shut out the noise.

  The lanterns went dark.

  “Oh, no!” Jess said. “The noise must have frightened the glowworms. It’s too dark to go any farther without them.”

  “Glowworms,” Lily whispered, “don’t be frightened. It’s just a noise and we won’t let it hurt you. Please wakey, wakey.”

  There was the smallest beam of light.

  “Please?” begged Lily. “Rise and shine?”

  Rusty crept over. “Hey, wormies!” he whispered. “We’re desperate.”

  There was a tiny glimmer, then another, then another. Soon the lantern was filled with glowing lights, and the girls could see again.

  “What are the Boggits up to?” said Goldie. “I’m so worried about Bella! Rusty and Ruby, I know it’s scary, but please take us through the tunnels so we can look for her.”

  Rusty and Ruby darted away.

  As the others followed, Jess noticed that the light from the glowworms was casting huge shadows on the tunnel walls. What are they? she wondered with a flutter of fear. Then she realized! “The fox cubs’ shadows make them seem like giants!” she laughed.

  Ruby and Rusty heard. They waved their paws and lashed their tails, making their shadows look like angry monsters!

  The tunnel twisted and turned, then widened out. The friends found themselves at the opening of a vast cavern, with a thin, pale shaft of light filtering through a small hole in the roof.

  In the middle were four grubby, hairy creatures, covered in fur of sickly yellow, washed-out blue, and dingy green.

  Boggits!

  “But where’s Bella?” whispered Goldie.

  Lily and Jess peered around the cavern. When the Boggits had kidnapped Lucy Longwhiskers, they had locked her inside a cage. What had they done with Bella?

  Then, to their surprise, Bella walked out from behind one of the Boggits, wearing her night goggles and backpack, whistling happily!

  “At least Bella’s okay,” whispered Jess. “But why is she with the Boggits? And what are they doing down here?”

  Lily asked the glowworms to switch off and the glow faded. They all hid beneath an overhanging rock so they could spy on the Boggits without being seen. They could make out lots of tall, thick stone pillars through the gloom that looked as if they were holding up the cavern roof.

  “Those pillars are blocking the view,” whispered Lily. She jumped as a Boggit laughed.

  “Haargh! Haargh!”

  Rusty sniffed. “Pooh, those Boggits stink!”

  “Like rotting cauliflowers,” Jess agreed in disgust. “Are they searching for jewels? Can you see what they’re up to, Goldie?”

  “Yes,” said the cat. “Whiffy’s scratching herself, Reek is picking his nose, and Sniff and Pongo are carrying huge stones.”

  Pongo’s voice echoed around the cavern. “Oy, kittycat,” he grunted to Bella. “Put goggles on and tell Boggits where cracks are in pillars.”

  Bella stopped whistling. “All right,” she said. After a moment, she continued. “This one’s cracked.”

  Pongo bashed the pillar hard with his stone.

  “Hegga, hegga!” chuckled Sniff. “Kittycat can see cracks with goggles. Clever Sniff to think of bringing kittycat to tunnels.”

  “Are we going to get some jewels now?” Bella was pointing upward. “You promised you’d help me find some jewels if I helped you with my night goggles.”

  Jess glanced at the cave ceiling, where Bella was pointing. She gasped. �
�Look, Lily! Goldie, see there? On the cavern roof?”

  “It’s glittering!” whispered Lily.

  “Jewels!” breathed Goldie. “The roof is studded with them, just like the legend said!”

  “Poor Bella,” whispered Lily. “She must have left Goldie’s grotto to go exploring and bumped into the Boggits. They’ve tricked her into helping them!”

  “But why are the Boggits smashing the pillars?” Jess wondered.

  Whiffy gave another pillar a bash. “Boggits are right under Toadstool Glade. When pillars fall, Toadstool Glade will crash down. Bang! Smash! All animals’ nasty cottages fall to bits! Grizelda be pleased!”

  Jess, Lily, and Goldie clutched one another in horror!

  “This is Grizelda’s most terrible plan yet!” gasped Lily. “All the animals’ homes will be destroyed. They’ll have to leave the forest and Grizelda will have it for herself!”

  Goldie quickly explained what was happening to Ruby and Rusty. “To save Friendship Forest, we’ve got to stop the Boggits from smashing those pillars,” she said urgently.

  Jess glanced at her lantern. “Lily,” she said, “remember how the glowworms’ light cast big shadows on the wall?”

  Lily nodded.

  “It’s given me an idea for scaring away the Boggits,” said Jess. “A shadow monster!”

  “Brilliant!” said Lily. “But we can’t scare Bella.” She thought for a moment. “I know! Quiet, everyone!”

  She picked up a stone and threw it as far as possible across the cavern. As she heard it land, the Boggits turned toward it. They’d heard it, too.

  “What be that?” asked Whiffy.

  “Boggits look,” said Pongo. “Come on.”

  All four lumbered toward where the stone had landed.

  In a flash, Lily darted out and scooped Bella up. The little kitten gave a happy squeak and started purring.

  “Hi, Lily—” Bella started to say, but Lily hushed her.

  She darted back behind the rock, where Jess and Goldie hugged Bella with relief.

  “Thank goodness you’re safe!” said Goldie. She explained that the Boggits had tricked Bella into helping them with their plan.

  Bella was horrified. “Knock the cottages down? Destroy Toadstool Glade?” she whispered. “I thought they were being nice. They can’t ruin the village!”

  “You’re right,” said Jess. “And we need a brave little explorer to help stop them.”

  Jess whispered in Bella’s ear.

  The kitten’s eyes grew wide.

  “Go on,” said Jess when she’d finished. “Goggles on, you brave explorer.”

  Bella scampered to the middle of the cavern just as the Boggits returned, grumbling about mystery noises.

  “Boggits!” cried Bella. “I’ve remembered something scary.”

  Reek snorted. “Boggits isn’t scared.”

  The others laughed. “Haargh! Haargh!”

  “Shh!” said Bella. “You’ll wake it.”

  “Wake what?” growled Reek.

  “The monster!” said Bella. “The Boggit-eating monster!”

  “No such thing.” Pongo scoffed.

  But Sniff grunted nervously. “What if there really is monster?”

  Whiffy looked down. “Whiffy’s knees is knocking.”

  “No monster.” Pongo growled. “Kittycat, find cracked pillars. Boggits, get bashing!”

  Beneath the overhanging rock, Jess explained her plan to the others.

  “Bella’s given them the idea of a monster,” she whispered. “Now it’s up to us to make one!”

  They gathered in a line, arms around one another’s waists. Lily and Jess were at the top, so the shadow monster would have two heads and four front legs. The fox cubs were next, so it seemed to have eight more little legs. Goldie was at the back, bent over like a great hump.

  When Bella saw Lily give the thumbs-up, she sneaked back over.

  Lily whispered, “Wakey, wakey, little glowworms. Rise and shine! It’s glowtime!” and handed the lanterns to the plucky kitten.

  Bella crept back to the Boggits.

  The lantern’s light grew from a glimmer to a golden glow. Bella shone it on the friends, casting a huge monster-shadow on the wall.

  Lily and Jess roared and wobbled their heads, making the shadow heads rear back and forth. The fox cubs stamped and howled.

  “Aaaargh!” screeched Reek.

  “Monster attack!” shrieked Pongo. “Run!”

  The shadow monster roared and lashed its tail.

  “Don’t eat me!” begged Sniff. “Eat Whiffy!”

  “No! I be thin and bony,” bellowed Whiffy. “Eat Sniff! Sniff be tasty!”

  They fought, pushed, and scrambled to escape the monster. At last, they found a tunnel and stampeded down it, shrieking.

  The group of friends, with Bella in tow, followed the Boggits down one tunnel, then another, roaring and howling.

  Goldie sniffed. “There’s a horrible smell coming from up ahead,” she called over the roars.

  “That’s the swamp,” cried Rusty. “It’s all mud and stink.”

  “If we can chase them into it,” Lily said, “maybe they’ll be so happy to find mud that they won’t come back to smash the pillars!”

  “Great idea,” said Jess.

  Roaring and howling some more, the shadow monster lurched on down the tunnel behind the Boggits. They thundered along, shrieking in fright, and ran out into the gray light.

  Lily, Jess, Goldie, and the others waited in the tunnel until the Boggits’ yells died down. Then they crept outside. The Boggits were tramping into the swamp.

  Pongo spotted them and roared in fury. “Boggits been tricked!” he bellowed. “Get them!”

  But the other Boggits ignored him.

  Whiffy grabbed handfuls of the gloop oozing around her. “Lovely!” she said, rubbing it into her fur.

  Sniff and Reek sloshed mud over each other.

  “Better than Boggits’ muddy pool,” said Reek happily. He flung himself on his back and sank into the mud, shouting, “LOVELY swamp!” He stood up, gloop oozing down his nose.

  Even Pongo agreed. “Swamp is enormous,” he said and dove in head first. “Wheeee!”

  “I think we’re safe,” Jess whispered. “Goldie, the Boggits love the swamp so much, perhaps we can talk them into staying here?”

  Lily hugged her. “That’s a terrific idea!” she said. “Grizelda was going to give them a new home if they ruined Friendship Forest, so they’d obviously be happy to move.”

  “It’s a wonderful idea,” Goldie agreed. “If they’re happy here, they’d have no reason to do what Grizelda wants. But it will take some work to turn the swamp into the perfect Boggit home. We’re going to need help.”

  “Send a flyer,” suggested Jess. “Lots of flyers!”

  Goldie put her paws together like wings and fluttered them. The fox cubs and Bella did the same, then Jess and Lily fluttered their hands.

  A moment later, a large yellow butterfly perched on Goldie’s shoulder.

  “Hello, Flitta,” said the cat.

  A purple butterfly settled on Goldie’s other shoulder.

  “Hi, Hermia,” said Jess, remembering her from their adventure rescuing Molly Twinkletail.

  Soon they were surrounded by a cloud of butterflies. Their rainbow colors swirled as they danced around one another, chattering in tiny, tinkly voices. Jess and Lily caught some of what they were saying.

  “That smell! Oh, dear!”

  “I know! Enough to make your wings droop.”

  “You can see why,” trilled another. “B-O-G-G-I-T-S.”

  Goldie giggled. “Butterflies,” she said, “please ask all the animals to bring supplies—anything suitable for a Boggit home.”

  As the butterflies flew away, the girls heard Hermia tell Flitta, “The animals won’t have to think very hard. They can just bring their garbage cans!” and they both laughed.

  Jess and Lily helped Mr. Cleverfeather put the
roof on a hut for the Boggits. He’d brought a new invention, the Lifter-upper. As Jess sat on a seat and pedaled madly, the Lifter-upper raised the roof. Lily pushed a button, and the roof moved directly above the hut.

  Mr. Cleverfeather pressed a button. Down it dropped. Bang!

  The Featherbills laid down a carpet of slimy pondweed from near their river barge.

  “Urgh, it’s yucky,” said Ellie Featherbill.

  “Boggits love yuck,” Lily giggled. “And muck.”

  Other animals heaped garbage around the hut. Pongo looked at it fondly, as Reek and Sniff splashed in the mud. Bella and the fox cubs rolled around beside them.

  “The smell doesn’t bother you after a while,” yelled Rusty, laughing.

  Just then Mr. Cleverfeather called, “The rut’s heady—er, I mean the hut’s ready!”

  “Not ready.” Whiffy grunted. “Hut needs mud.” She scooped up fistfuls of swamp goo and threw it over the roof.

  The other Boggits joined in happily.

  Reek grunted. “Girls and cat find swamp. Girls good!”

  Sniff grinned. “Cat good!”

  “Mud good!” cried Whiffy.

  Pongo turned to Bella. “Kittycat want to help?”

  Everybody wanted to help!

  Suddenly, Lily’s eye was caught by an orb of light floating across the swamp.

  “Grizelda!” she cried. “Grizelda’s here!”

  The animals shrieked and ran to huddle behind Goldie and the girls.

  The orb hovered, then, with a flash and a cra-ack, it burst in a shower of yellow sparks. In its place stood the witch, wearing her shiny purple tunic and pants, and her boots with their sharply pointed toes. Her green hair swirled around her head like snakes.

  “Boggits!” she screeched. “Get back to work. Go and smash those pillars!”

  There was a moment’s silence. The Boggits muttered together.

  “Oh, no,” Lily whispered. “They’re going to obey her.”

  “We can’t let them,” said Jess. “Boggits!” she yelled. “You have a new home. You don’t need to do what she says!”

  Pongo looked at Jess. He looked at the dirty new hut. Then he turned to Grizelda. “No!” he shouted. “Boggits not helping anymore!”