by Holly Bell
Maddie and Olivia were sitting in the front yard, stroking Lucky.
‘Have you guys seen Nicola?’ Matilda asked as she walked through the gate.
‘Nope. Isn’t she with you?’ Olivia replied.
‘She was, but I sent her off to get some water and she didn’t come back,’ Matilda said, suddenly feeling very guilty.
Maybe I shouldn’t have sent her off like that, she thought. I was supposed to be looking after her.
‘Don’t worry. She won’t have gone far,’ Abbey said, putting an arm around her.
Matilda nodded, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. ‘I might go look for her in the paddocks again.’
‘Good idea,’ said Abbey. ‘Let’s start with the tap near your nanna’s and retrace her steps.’
Matilda nodded. ‘Can you guys wait here and let Mum and Dad know what’s happening when they get back?’
‘Sure thing,’ Olivia said. But Matilda was already running off with Abbey.
When they reached the tap, the bucket was there, filled to the brim with water. But there was no sign of Nicola.
They hunted around nearby, but found nothing. Matilda was feeling really upset by now.
Nicola’s only a little kid, she thought. It’s not her fault she’s so annoying. I shouldn’t have sent her off on her own!
She knew her mum would be angry at her for not watching Nicola. Suddenly, Matilda thought she might cry.
Then they heard a little voice in the distance. Matilda stopped and listened hard. ‘Did you hear that?’ she asked Abbey.
‘Matilda! Matilda!’ the little voice was shouting.
‘This way!’ Abbey yelled as they ran towards the voice. They ran all the way past Matilda’s nanna’s house, over to the muddy ground behind it.
Stuck there in the boggy ground was a very big cow. Her legs were sunk into the mud. Nicola was sitting at the edge of the bog, stroking the cow.
‘Matilda, look!’ Nicola called. ‘I think she’s hurt herself. She can’t get out.’
‘I’ll get help,’ Abbey said and sprinted back to the farmhouse.
Matilda ran across to her little sister and gave her the biggest hug ever.
‘Are you OK?’ Matilda said anxiously. ‘We were so worried! You can’t just run off like that.’
‘Sorry, Tilda,’ said Nicola. She looked so sad that Matilda couldn’t stay mad. ‘I think she’s Lucky’s mum. I’ve been saying her baby’s OK so she doesn’t worry.’
Matilda gave her little sister another hug. ‘Good work, Nicola,’ she whispered.
Just then, their dad came running over the hill. Matilda watched as he scooped Nicola up in his arms.
‘Well done finding the mum, girls,’ he said as he checked on the stuck cow. ‘I think she’ll be OK but we need to get her out. Pete’s on his way over from next door to help.’
Then he gave Matilda a look. ‘You better take Nicola back to the house now. Mum wants to speak to you.’
Matilda gulped and nodded. She took Nicola’s hand and started back to the farmhouse, wondering how furious her mum would be.
It was getting dark when Matilda and Nicola walked into the kitchen. Everyone was sitting around the table, and they leapt up straight away.
‘Are you OK?’ asked Maddie.
‘We were so worried!’ said Olivia.
Then Matilda’s mum stood up, with her arms tightly folded. Matilda could see how angry she was.
‘Nicola,’ their mum said in a stern voice. ‘You’re not allowed to wander off on your own, OK? The girls have been running around trying to find you all afternoon.’
Matilda looked at her sister. Nicola’s bottom lip was quivering and Matilda could tell she was going to burst into tears any minute. Matilda felt terrible.
‘Mum,’ she blurted out. ‘It was all my fault. I sent Nicola off to get some water for the brushes. But then she found a cow stuck in the mud, and she was waiting there – I think it’s actually Lucky’s mum.’
‘Matilda, you shouldn’t have sent Nicola off on her own,’ her mum scolded. ‘You’re supposed to keep a close eye on her!’
Matilda did know that, and she felt awful. ‘I’m so sorry, Mum,’ she whispered. ‘I did the wrong thing.’
Her mum’s face softened, and she turned to Nicola. ‘Nicola, even though you did a naughty thing today, I’m very proud of you for finding Lucky’s mum. Just let us know where you are next time. Now come here and give me a hug,’ she said. Nicola launched herself across the kitchen and into her mum’s arms.
Then her mum looked up and gave Matilda a smile. ‘You should have taken better care of your sister,’ she said. ‘But I’m glad you found her.’
Matilda’s dad came into the kitchen just as her mum was serving up dinner. He was covered in mud from saving Lucky’s mum from the bog.
As he kicked off his heavy boots, he told them that Lucky’s mum was OK, but they’d be keeping Lucky in the front yard overnight to give her mum a chance to rest.
‘Maybe we could pitch a tent in the front yard for our sleepover,’ Matilda suggested. ‘Then we can keep Lucky company!’
‘Why not?’ said her mum.
Then Matilda saw that Nicola was still looking a bit sad.
‘Could Nicola be an honorary Forever Clover girl tonight and join our sleepover?’ Matilda asked the girls.
‘Absolutely!’ said Maddie, Olivia, Abbey, Kate and Emma in unison.
‘As long as she promises not to wander off again,’ said Matilda’s mum.
Nicola squealed. ‘I promise, I promise!’ She jumped up and down with excitement.
Matilda laughed, but she still felt guilty for her part in the disappearance. Then her mum gave her a small squeeze.
‘Don’t worry, Matilda,’ her mum said softly. ‘I know you’ll look after her from now on. Just have fun together tonight, OK?’
Matilda managed a small smile. ‘OK, Mum.’
Then her mum gave her a hug. ‘I’m proud of you for admitting that what you did was wrong. Now come on and eat some dinner. It’s been a big day for everyone!’
After dinner, the girls pitched the tent in the front yard and spread out their sleeping bags. Then Matilda and Kate fetched some big soft toys to keep Lucky comfy in the grass.
Matilda was just fluffing up her pillow when a little snore escaped from Nicola.
‘She’s fast asleep already,’ Abbey giggled.
‘I don’t blame her,’ Kate yawned. ‘I’m zonked too!’
The girls chatted late into the night, but very quietly so that they didn’t wake Nicola or Lucky. And one by one, they all nodded off as well.
Early the next morning, Matilda woke up just in time to hear Lucky’s favourite noise.
‘Buuurrrrrp!’
Matilda giggled and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Then she pulled on her gumboots and unzipped the tent, trying not to wake the other girls.
‘Morning, sweetie,’ her mum said. She was crouched in the grass, feeding Lucky.
Matilda came over to pat the little calf. Lucky was even more adorable today!
One by one, the other girls woke up inside the tent. They poked their sleepy heads out to smile at Lucky.
Then Matilda’s dad walked up from the paddocks. He’d been up early visiting Lucky’s mum. ‘The vet said we can reunite them when we’re ready,’ he smiled. ‘How about we do it now? I think Mum and Lucky will have missed each other.’
The girls jumped out of the tent and pulled their gumboots on.
Matilda led the little calf to the barn. Although Lucky didn’t seem so little today!
All that milk must be working, Matilda smiled to herself.
Inside the barn, they took the calf over to her mother. The cow sniffed Lucky for a moment, before giving her the biggest, sloppiest lick ever.
‘Ew. That’s so gross!’ Emma squealed.
Matilda felt a little tug at her sleeve. It was Nicola. She was holding a big bunch of garden flowers.
&nb
sp; ‘These are for you, Tilda,’ she said. ‘For being the bestest big sister ever.’
Matilda bent down and hugged her sister. Then Nicola stuck out her tongue and licked Matilda’s cheek.
‘Hey!’ Matilda laughed, wiping her face. ‘What was that for?’
‘I’m a cow toooooo!’ Nicola mooed.
Matilda giggled, and then grinned at her friends. She couldn’t believe she’d thought that painting the henhouse would be the most exciting bit of the weekend.
It just goes to show, she thought as she gave her little sister a squeeze. You never know what’s going to happen when you’re a Forever Clover girl!