“Okay,” Rachel said. She shivered a little, imagining the goblins running after them.
Cara saw her shiver. “Don’t worry, Rachel. I’ll be watching the whole time!”
“First, we need a bracelet that looks like the magic bracelet,” Kirsty reminded her.
“Right!” Cara said. “Leave it to me.”
She waved her wand, and four pieces of glittery thread floated up above the blanket and began to twist around one another. Small, sparkly beads slid up the thread as the bracelet took shape.
Seconds later, the shimmering bracelet floated back down onto the blanket.
“It’s perfect!” Rachel and Kirsty cried at the same time.
“It’s a good copy, but it doesn’t have any magic of its own,” Cara said, winking. “The goblins will be here soon. I’d better hide!”
The fairy quickly flew up to her hiding place in the trees.
Rachel chose one pink, one blue, one yellow, and one green thread. She cut the threads so they were as long as the space from the tips of her fingers to her elbow. Then she tied the four threads together, at the top. She taped the top to a piece of cardboard to hold it in place and began to weave the threads together, slipping in glittery beads here and there.
“It’s great that we can make crafts again,” Kirsty said in a loud voice. “Thank goodness Cara gave us her magic friendship bracelet!”
Kirsty expected the goblins to come charging out at them, but things stayed quiet and peaceful. It was a little bit cooler under the trees, too.
“Boy, making friendship bracelets is fun!” Kirsty said, a little louder this time. Then they heard something—the sound of footsteps in the woods, and the murmur of goblin voices in the air.
“The sound came from over there!” one goblin said.
“Ugh, it’s hot today,” mumbled another.
A different goblin chimed in. “It’s a good thing we’ve got the magic water bottle with us.”
Kirsty glanced up at the trees. Did Cara hear that, too?
The goblins emerged from the path. The girls could see a shiny water bottle that glittered with fairy magic hanging from a cord around a big goblin’s neck.
“He brought it right to us,” Kirsty whispered to Rachel.
Just then, the big goblin spotted the girls.
“Get the bracelet!” he ordered the others.
As the goblins raced toward Rachel and Kirsty, Cara swooped down from the trees. She held her wand out in front of her, and it began to sparkle.
The big goblin was the first to spot her. “Grab her backpack! It’s where she keeps the magic items!”
Kirsty picked up the fake friendship bracelet. “No, we have the magic bracelet right here!” she cried.
But the goblins were determined to catch Cara. One of them jumped up and pulled the ting backpack off her back.
“Woo-hoo! I got it!” he cheered, dangling the tiny backpack from his finger. Rachel knew she had to do something — and fast!
She charged at the goblin. He stumbled backward, and the backpack tumbled out of his grasp. Cara quickly grabbed it and new out of reach as fast as she could.
“Cara, keep the backpack safe!” Kirsty called. “We’ll get the water bottle.”
The big goblin looked down at the magic water bottle hanging around his neck. “Oh, no you won’t!” he promised. Then he turned and ran, with the other goblins right behind him.
“Come on!” Rachel called. “We have to catch them before they get back to Camp Frost!”
The girls ran as fast as they could, but the goblins were faster. Leaves crunched under their feet as they dodged around the trees, trying to catch up to the goblin with the magic water bottle. Soon the trees began to thin out, and the girls realized they could see the cabins of Camp Frost up ahead.
“We’re not going to make it!” Kirsty cried.
Just then, a loud cracking sound filled the woods. A huge, old tree branch crashed down across the path ahead! All of the goblins stumbled over the fallen tree and piled up on top of each other. “Owl You’re stebbing on by nose!” one goblin complained in a muffled voice. “Get your elbow out of my ear!” yelled another. As the goblins struggled to get up, the magic water bottle slipped off of the big goblins neck and rolled right toward the girls. Rachel quickly scooped it up.
“Rachel, look!” Kirsty said, pointing.
A furry brown beaver stood on her hind legs by the fallen tree branch. The beaver waved a friendly hello to the girls.
“She must be one of Caras friends,” Kirsty remarked.
“Yes, she is,” Cara said, flying down to meet them. She nodded to the beaver. “Thanks for your help, Hazel. Now we have to fly before those goblins untangle themselves!”
Cara waved her wand and turned the girls into fairies. Rachel held out the water bottle, and Cara put it in her backpack.
“After them!” the big goblin gelled, climbing to his feet.
Luckily, the girls could fly much faster than the goblins could run! They soared over the tops of the trees, leaving the angry goblins behind.
As they came to the edge of the woods, Kirsty spotted Kelly by their picnic blanket.
“Rachel! Kirsty! Where are you?” Kelly was calling.
“We’d better change back,” Rachel said, fluttering her wings.
“Of course,” Cara said. “And thank you for helping me get the magic water bottle. I think you’ll find that things at Camp Oakwood are much cooler now.”
The girls and Cara flew toward the ground, making sure they were out of Kelly’s sight. Then Cara waved her wand, and the girls changed back to human-size.
“But we still have to find the missing magic compass,” Rachel reminded them.
Cara frowned. “I know. But I don’t think we should set another trap for the goblins. It’s too dangerous.”
“So what should we do?” Kirsty asked.
“I’m sure we’ll think of something,” Cara said brightly. “Campers are great problem solvers! In the meantime, go have some fun. Just be sure to stay out of the woods until we find the compass. I don’t want you to get lost!”
Then Cara waved her wand and disappeared in a shower of sparkling fairy dust. Rachel and Kirsty emerged from the trees to find Kelly by the picnic blanket.
“There you are!” the little girl said. “Were you hunting for fairies? Because I saw some! I know I did! And they weren’t butterflies. I know because they were sparkly and shiny. They had to be fairies.”
Had Kelly seen them flying with Cara?
Suddenly, they heard a loud cheer coming from the camp. The girls were happy for a distraction, since they couldn’t tell Kelly their fairy secret! They rolled up the picnic blanket and ran toward the sound with Kelly alongside them.
All of the campers were racing down the path to the lake. When they reached the shore, Rachel and Kirsty saw what everyone was so happy about. The water level in the lake had risen! It looked nice and deep.
“Good news!” Bollie announced. “The water’s back. Come get your feet wet!”
Kirsty and Rachel splashed into the lake. The water felt deliciously cool on their skin.
“Things are almost back to normal,” Kirsty said.
Rachel nodded. “I can’t wait until we get the magic compass back. We’ll show Jack Frost that he can’t ruin summer camp!”
Songs around the Campfire
The Search for Kelly
Get that Compass!
Girls vs. Goblins
A Tricky Trade
“This ice pop is so cold, I’m getting a brain freeze!” Rachel cried, making a face.
Kirsty laughed. “This morning, I thought I would never feel cold again! So I don’t mind a little brain freeze.”
The girls were slurping on cherry ice pops in the mess hall. The other Rowdy Raccoons were enjoying them, too. Madison was eating a grape one. She stuck out her tongue.
“Look! I’m turning purple!” she said, and everyone giggled.
“I
’m glad it cooled off before the campfire tonight,” said Sophie.
Brianna nodded. “We all would have melted!”
“I hope we get to sing some of the songs we sang last year,” Sophie said.
“Kirsty and I don’t know any campfire songs,” Rachel told them. “It’s our first time at camp.”
“Oh, they’re easy to learn!” Sophie said. Just then, Kelly ran up to the Rowdy Raccoons table. “Rachel! Kirsty! Do you want to go look for fairies now?” she asked.
“We’d love to play fairies with you, but it’s getting dark out,” Kirsty told her.
Kelly looked sad.
“We can play tomorrow, okay?” Rachel promised.
Kelly nodded. “Okay,” she said softly, walking back to the Sassy Squirrels’ table.
Kirsty leaned close to Rachel. “That reminds me,” she whispered. “We should try to talk to Cara before the campfire starts.”
The two girls got up. “See you later!” they called to the other Raccoons. Then they left the mess hall and walked to a quiet spot in a circle of pine trees. The setting sun cast shadows all around them.
“Cara, are you there?” Rachel asked.
Poof! The tiny fairy appeared in front of them, holding a stick with a marshmallow on top of it. “Hey!” she said with a smile. “I was just about to roast some marshmallows. Is everything all right?” “We’re fine,” Kirsty replied.
“And nice and cool, too,” Rachel added.
Cara smiled. “King Oberon and Queen Titania were so happy to hear that we got the magic water bottle back.”
“But Jack Frost still has the compass,” Kirsty reminded her.
“I know,” Cara said with a nod. “But going after goblins in the dark is never a good idea. Tonight, you two should have some fun at camp.”
“We’re having a sing-along around the campfire,” Rachel told her.
Cara’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I love sing-alongs!” she said. “Do you think I can come?”
“You’d have to hide,” Kirsty pointed out.
Cara looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she snapped her fingers. Her whole body began to glow. At the same time, she got smaller and smaller. Soon she was no bigger than a firefly!
She flew to Kirsty and landed right on the tip of her nose. “What do you think?”
“You look just like a firefly!” Rachel said.
“It’s a great disguise, but you’re making my nose tickle,” Kirsty said, giggling. “I think I’m going to sneeze!”
“Sorry!” Cara said. She flew off of Kirsty’s nose and zoomed between the girls, making swirls of light in the air.
The girls walked back to the center of camp, where the other campers were starting to gather around a bright, orange fire. The sky above was a deep blue, and the first stars were starting to twinkle. Rachel and Kirsty sat on a log next to each other. Kirsty felt Cara land on her shoulder.
“Okay, campers,” Bollie announced. “It’s time to sing!”
She started to sing in a loud voice, and the other campers joined in:
“The more we get together,
Together, together.
The more we get together,
The happier we’ll be.
For your friends are my friends,
And my friends are your friends.
The more we get together,
The happier we’ll bel”
After a while, Rachel and Kirsty joined in, too.
“Sophie was right,” Kirsty said. “It’s easy!” They sang song after song. Kirsty could hear Cara’s tiny voice singing along in her ear. By the time they sang the last song, the sky was black and a bright moon shone overhead.
Bollie stood up. “It’s time to hit the sack, campers!” she announced. “Cabins, please line up!”
Rachel and Kirsty got in line with the other Rowdy Raccoons. Bollie walked up and started to count them.
“Alyssa, check. Abigail, check. Brianna, check …”
Suddenly, one of the other counselors let out a yell.
“Oh, no! One of the Sassy Squirrels is missing!”
A murmur of alarm went through the campers. Bollie frowned and walked over to the counselor. “Who’s missing?” she asked. “It’s Kelly!” the counselor cried.
Rachel and Kirsty gasped.
“She was at the campfire, I’m sure,” the counselor said. “She must have wandered off.”
One of the other little girls in the Sassy Squirrels cabin tugged on Bollie’s shirt.
“I know where she went,” the girl said. “She said she was going into the woods to look for fairies.”
“Oh, no!” Rachel turned to her friend. “Kirsty, if she’s in the woods, she’s going to get lost.”
“Cara, what should we do?” Kirsty whispered.
But then she realized that she didn’t feel Cara on her shoulder anymore. She looked around, but the fairy was gone.
“Maybe she’s looking for Kelly,” Rachel guessed.
“I hope so,” Kirsty said. “We should look for her, too.”
But Bollie blew her whistle. “I want all campers in their cabins right now! Counselors, when everyone is safely inside we’re going to form a search party.”
The girls had no choice. They marched back to their cabin.
The other Rowdy Raccoons were worried, too.
“I hope Kelly will be all right,” said Abigail.
“I’m sure the counselors will find her,” Brianna chimed in.
Rachel and Kirsty looked at each other.
“Jack Frost has the magic compass,” Kirsty said in a low voice. “That means the counselors are going to get lost, too!”
“I know,” Rachel said. “We have to help!”
Rachel and Kirsty didn’t want to disobey their camp counselor. But this was an emergency! While the other girls in the cabin talked and changed into pajamas, they tiptoed out of the cabin.
The girls hurried toward the woods. They could see the yellow glow of flashlights as Bollie and two other counselors searched the trails.
“Kelly! Where are you?” the counselors called out.
A bright firefly flew toward Rachel and Kirsty in the dark, growing bigger and bigger as it got closer. But it wasn’t a firefly at all—it was Cara!
“Sorry I left so quickly, but I was hoping to find Kelly before she got too far,” Cara explained, looking serious. “I haven’t found her yet, but I did find someone who can help.”
As she spoke, a huge owl swooped down from the sky and landed on a nearby tree branch. The owl had golden feathers. His yellow eyes glowed brightly in his face.
“This is Midnight,” Cara said. “He can see at night, so he’ll help us find Kelly. But you two will need to fly.”
She took some fairy dust from her backpack and poured it into her palm. Then she blew on it, sprinkling glittery sparkles all over the girls. They quickly turned into fairies!
The girls and Cara flew over to Midnight and sat on his back. The bird’ feathers felt soft but strong under their fingers. They held on tightly as the owl took off, soaring high above the trees.
Midnight flew much faster than the girls could fly on their own!
“This is a little scary!” Kirsty cried, as the air pushed her braids straight out behind her.
Rachel grinned and cheered. “I wish we could go this fast all the time!”
Just then, Midnight began to fly in a circle. He had spotted Kelly!
“There she is!” Cara cried, pointing down. The scared little girl was sitting at the base of a tree, crying. “Midnight, please let us down nearby. We can’t let Kelly see us yet.”
The owl slowly flew down to the forest floor. Rachel and Kirsty hopped off of his back.
“Thank you, Midnight,” Kirsty said.
“I’ll change you back,” Cara told the girls, waving her wand. “Go get Kelly, and then look for Midnight in the trees. He’ll lead you safely back to camp.”
The girls nodded and ran off toward the sound of Kelly’s sobb
ing. Her face brightened when she saw them.
“Rachel! Kirsty! You found me!” she cried, jumping to her feet. She threw her arms around Rachel. “I was looking for fairies, but I didn’t find any. Then I got lost!”
“You’re not lost anymore,” Rachel said. “Come on, let’s get back to camp.”
Kirsty heard a rustle and saw that Midnight had landed on a tree nearby.
“It’s this way,” Kirsty said.
The girls followed Midnight down the path. The owl flew quietly and slowly ahead of them, showing them the way.
After a few minutes, they heard voices up ahead and saw the glow of flashlights. Bollie and the other two counselors were arguing about which way to go. Then Bollie spotted the girls coming down the path. “Oh my gosh! Kelly!”
Kelly ran up to Bollie and hugged her.
“I’m so glad you’re safe!” Bollie said. Then she nodded to Rachel and Kirsty. “What are you two doing out here?”
“We heard Kelly crying from our cabin,” Kirsty said, thinking quickly.
“So we ran toward the sound,” Rachel added.
Bollie frowned. “I know you were just trying to help. But you should never come into the woods at night. What if you had gotten lost, too?”
“Speaking of which,” said one of the counselors, “how do we get back to camp?”
Kirsty spotted Midnight down the path on the right. “I’m prettg sure it’s this way. Follow me.”
Thanks to Midnight, all of the girls got safely back to camp. Rachel and Kirsty went right to the Rowdy Raccoons cabin, but before they went inside, they looked up at the sky. Midnight was circling overhead, and a tiny bright light followed behind him.
Cara the Camp Fairy Page 3