The Rescue Princesses #2: Wishing Pearl
Page 5
“If only they’d seen us in that storm,” Lulu said after the queen had gone.
“It’s a good thing they didn’t!” Clarabel laughed.
Because the Royal Regatta was such an important occasion, the girls put on beautiful dresses and their favorite tiaras.
Clarabel’s dress was pale blue and her hair shone like gold. Her tiara was decorated with sparkling sapphires, and on her wrist she wore the sapphire bracelet with the single pearl that had healed the dolphin. The purple amethyst from the treasure chest was stored safely in her jewelry box.
“Ready?” asked Emily, swishing her pink silk dress. On top of her red curls rested a tiara made to look like golden leaves.
“I am!” Lulu somersaulted past in her yellow dress, holding her gold crown in one hand.
Jaminta nodded. She looked beautiful in a dark-green dress and a tiara sparkling with Onica crystals.
Laughing so hard they almost fell over, the princesses raced down the hill to the harbor to find the boat.
Clarabel reached the little rowboat last and stopped, breathless. Jaminta untied the rope and the girls climbed in and picked up the oars.
Lulu ran along the narrow harbor wall with the sea far below her. Then she flipped head over heels onto the jetty before climbing into the boat.
Clarabel dipped her oar into the water as the boat began to move. “I wish I could do all that.” She sighed. “But I’m just not good at that kind of thing.”
“What kind of thing?” said Emily.
Clarabel chewed her lip. “You know, climbing and acrobatics, like the somersault Lulu just did. All the skills you need to rescue animals. I don’t think I’ll ever be very good. I wish I could help more.”
Lulu put down her oar and stared at Clarabel in astonishment. “Clarabel, I think you must be the silliest princess alive,” she said, shaking her head.
Clarabel’s eyes widened.
“Who got into the sea in the middle of the storm to help the dolphin?” asked Lulu.
“I did,” said Clarabel. “But —”
“Who could hear him calling by listening to the pearl?” said Jaminta. “If you hadn’t been there, we wouldn’t have found him.”
“You can understand animals,” said Emily. “That’s an amazing talent!”
“Squawk!” The little blue parrot flew down from the harbor wall and landed on Clarabel’s shoulder, eyeing her beadily.
Clarabel grinned and stroked the parrot’s feathers. “I guess you’re right.”
“Climbing and somersaults are only part of it,” said Emily. “We all have different gifts. That’s why we make such a good team.”
“And I’ll teach you the somersaults,” added Lulu, her eyes gleaming. Clarabel had to laugh.
Rowing hard, they left the harbor for the calm blue ocean beyond. In the distance, the white sails of the racing boats whisked across the water.
Four magical rings gleamed on the princesses’ fingers: one ruby, one sapphire, one emerald, and one topaz.
The girls linked arms and settled down to watch the boat race, knowing that whatever adventure came along, they would always be the Rescue Princesses.
Text copyright © 2012 by Paula Harrison
Interior illustrations copyright © 2012 by Artful Doodlers
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, by arrangement with Nosy Crow Ltd.
SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc. NOSY CROW and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Nosy Crow Ltd.
First printing, June 2013
Cover art by Sharon Tancredi
Cover design by Yaffa Jaskoll
e-ISBN 978-0-545-50927-5
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