by Tom Percival
The light fell away. Where the witch had been standing was a small sizzling pile of . . . something, surrounded by the gruesome skull necklace.
As soon as the witch had vanished, so did her magic. Wilf turned back into a normal person – the kind who doesn’t grow leaves – and the prisons of thorns crumbled into dust.
Anansi ran over to his mum, who was slumped against the wall, recovering from the effects of the magic, while Red and Ella dashed towards Cole to check he was all right.
Jack, Rapunzel and Betsy just looked around the dungeon in amazement – it had been quite a day.
‘So, what now?’ asked Rapunzel.
‘Same as before.’ Anansi grinned as he helped his mother to her feet. ‘We’ve rescued my mum, so now we get out of here!’
‘After we’ve set all this lot free!’ added Red, indicating the hundreds of magical beasts that were still chained up. ‘Wilf, have you got a set of keys?’
‘What makes you think I need keys?’ The woodsman grinned, brandishing his axe. ‘They’ll be out of those chains in no time!’
Cold air whooshed over Red, Rapunzel, Anansi and Jack as they flew above the moonlit clouds. Betsy was hidden under Jack’s jumper, letting out a quiet ‘What’ every now and again. Although Betsy was a bird, it turned out she had a terrible fear of flying.
Ella, Wilf and Anansi’s mother had come too, and they were all sitting comfortably on the back of the dragon as it flew over the sea between the mainland and Squirrel–Nose Island. After Wilf had pulled the splinter out of the dragon’s foot and set her free, she had been more than happy to fly them all to Tale Town. Cole flew alongside, like a bright blue shooting star.
Red glanced down at the witch’s necklace clutched in her hands – she didn’t like holding it, but she also really didn’t want to drop it. After all, the witch had said that the necklace could break the curse on Anansi’s family.
They just needed to find out how.
Less than half an hour later, the dragon flew down into the woods just south of Tale Town. Rapunzel had pointed out that landing a massive dragon with a troll on its back at night in the middle of town would have raised a few questions, as well as a lot of spears, so they’d decided it was best to stay undercover.
During the journey, Red had asked Cole to fly on ahead and see if he could find Anansi’s uncle Rufaro and bring him to meet them. Rufaro had spent the last year trying to work out how to break the curse that had turned him and Anansi’s mother into trolls. Perhaps he might know what to do with the necklace?
As soon as they were on the ground, everyone slipped off the dragon’s broad back, but when Wilf went to climb down, the dragon made such a sad sound that Wilf paused.
‘You want me to stay?’ he asked quietly.
The dragon started doing something that seemed very much like purring; although she purred so hard that the ground shook and a nearby tree fell over. Dragons don’t really do quiet purring.
‘Looks like Destiny’s takin’ me elsewhere, missy,’ Wilf said to Red with a smile.
‘OK,’ replied Red. ‘But you’re welcome to come back any time. I’m sure my dad would be happy to have another woodsman around.’
‘Will do,’ said Wilf. ‘And listen, if you ever need help – just send a message and me and Destiny will be there in a flash. Ain’t that right, Destiny?’
The dragon nodded and nuzzled her huge head into Red, knocking her off her feet, before springing into the sky on her powerful legs.
Within seconds she and Wilf were just a tiny dot against the moon, and then they were gone.
Ella looked around the dark forest and said, ‘So . . . what now?’
‘Now we wait for Rufaro,’ said Red. ‘And hope that he knows how to use this thing!’ She held up the necklace, being careful to not touch any of the more horrible-looking things on it.
‘How to use what?’ called a deep voice from the undergrowth.
Cole burst out from the leaves like a blue firework, followed seconds later by Rufaro.
‘Ruffy!’ shouted Anansi’s mum as she rushed forward to hug her brother. There was a booming crash as the two trolls collided.
‘Adeola!’ exclaimed Rufaro, swinging his sister around and knocking down another tree. ‘It’s so good to see you!’ Then Rufaro caught his nephew’s eye. ‘Hello there, Anansi. What have you lot been up to now?’ He looked at the necklace that Red was holding out and frowned. ‘And where did you get that?’
‘It’s a long story . . .’ said Red.
‘It usually is!’ replied Rufaro with a grin. ‘Have you any idea what that thing actually is?’
‘Well I know that it belonged to a witch – you know, a properly wicked one,’ said Red. ‘And I know that she thought it would be powerful enough to break your curse – I heard her say so.’
Rufaro nodded slowly. ‘Yes . . . it’s full of dark magic,’ he said hesitantly. ‘Dangerous magic . . .’
‘But would it work?’ interrupted Anansi.
‘Well . . .’ said Rufaro.
‘Well?’
Rufaro sighed heavily. ‘Possibly, yes. But I have no idea what the side effects would be. This sort of magic can all be a bit . . .’ He stopped and placed a heavy hand on Anansi’s shoulder. ‘Just don’t get your hopes up too much, OK?’
‘But you’ll try it?’ asked Anansi, his eyes gleaming.
‘I’ll try it.’
‘Now?’
‘Now,’ replied Rufaro. ‘Just give me a moment. And you lot –’ he gestured to the children – ‘you all stand back. I have no idea what’s going to happen next.’
Rufaro took the necklace from Red and moved out into the middle of the clearing. Then he snapped a thin branch off a tree and drew lots of strange magical shapes on the forest floor.
‘How do you know all this stuff?’ asked Anansi quietly.
Rufaro sighed. ‘You know I said that when it came to fixing this curse I’d leave no stone unturned?’
Anansi nodded.
‘Well, I learned all this looking under one of those stones,’ said Rufaro. ‘A particularly nasty stone. Now, Adeola, are you ready?’
‘Ready as I’ll ever be,’ said Anansi’s mum. She turned to walk towards her brother. Then she stopped and ran back towards Anansi, gathering him up into her arms. ‘Just in case anything goes wrong,’ she said smiling, even as a tear trickled down her cheek, ‘I love you so much!’
‘I know, Mum,’ replied Anansi. ‘You too.’
Adeola smiled as she let her son go and walked towards Rufaro who was placing the necklace in the middle of the shapes he’d drawn on the floor. He directed Adeola to stand in the centre of one circle while he stood in another. His face was pale and tight as he muttered a few words under his breath.
For a moment nothing happened. Everybody waited, tense and nervous.
Then, with the sound of fabric tearing, a thin ring of smoke shot out from the necklace and started spinning in a circle, growing bigger until it covered Rufaro, Adeola and all the magical symbols on the ground.
Through the smoke Red could just about see the outlines of Anansi’s mum and uncle, but they looked fuzzy and unclear. The tearing sound continued, getting louder and louder until without warning it stopped. The cloud of smoke was swiftly sucked back into the necklace which flared with a black light and vanished – leaving behind nothing but a small cloud of cold blue mist, and two very surprised-looking people wearing clothes that were far too big for them.
‘Mum!’ yelled Anansi running forward. ‘It’s you, it really is you!’
Early the next morning, everyone was sitting under the Story Tree in the middle of Tale Town’s Market Square. Hansel and Gretel had just finished telling everyone how they’d got lost on their camping trip in the woods and met a wild-eyed lady whose house was entirely made out of felt and organic vegetables. They’d been lucky to get away without being forced to put on brightly coloured handmade jumpers or knit their own shoes.
As they were spea
king, bright silver shoots grew out of the magical Story Tree, forever recording the adventure.
Ella and Cole were looking around happily. Finally they were free of the wicked witch of Squirrel-Nose Island and could come and go as they pleased.
They were going to stay in Tale Town and Rapunzel had arranged for them to be guests in one of the many spare rooms at the castle – it really was unbelievably useful being a princess.
Once Hansel and Gretel had finished, the rest of the group took turns telling their parts of the wicked witch story, and Anansi was just explaining what had happened after everyone else had gone home.
‘You’ll never believe it . . .’ he said. ‘As soon as we walked into Rufaro’s shelter out of the moonlight, they both turned back into trolls!’
‘WHAaAT?’ squawked Betsy, Red, Jack, Hansel, Gretel, Ella and Cole, all at once.
‘I know!’ replied Anansi. ‘Crazy, right? Anyway, Rufaro worked out that the counter-spell only works in the moonlight. I guess if they’d cast the spell in the daytime it would have only worked in the sunlight. Either way, as the necklace turned to dust after Rufaro used it, we’ll never know.’
‘Oh, Anansi, I’m so sorry!’ said Red.
‘It’s OK,’ replied Anansi. ‘At least Mum’s here now – besides, she’s still my mum – it doesn’t matter what she looks like!’
Red smiled and patted Anansi on the back.
‘Morning, small fry!’ came a voice, along with the sound of squeaking wheels.
‘Oh no . . .’ groaned Jack.
Old Bert pulled his cart to a stop by the Story Tree and rubbed his grimy hands together. ‘What’s it to be today then? Fish-scale crisps? Or perhaps a bar of me new Choc ’n’ Squid chocolate? Well, I say “chocolate”, I wasn’t exactly sure how to make chocolate . . . Still, whatever it is, it’s brown.’
There was a long and awkward silence.
‘OK, Bert,’ said Red eventually. ‘I’ll have something.’
Old Bert’s eyes lit up.
‘Not again!’ muttered Anansi, but Red ignored him.
‘I’ll take one of everything you’ve got!’ she said.
Old Bert couldn’t believe his luck. He quickly started taking out dirty pots and greasy old bags to stuff full of his unsavoury seafood snacks.
‘But only . . .’ added Red with a smile, ‘if you eat them first, right here, in front of us.’
‘B-b-b-but . . .’ stammered Old Bert.
‘Deal or no deal, Bert,’ said Red, looking him straight in the eye.
‘Can’t say no to a sale,’ muttered Bert. ‘How hard can it be?’
‘Eel-eye ice cream first, I think,’ said Red.
‘But it’s all melted now!’ protested Bert.
‘Would you have sold it to me?’ asked Red.
‘Well, yeah . . .’
‘Go on then, tuck in!’
Bert glared at Red as he peeled the grubby foil off a mushy cone filled with soupy slush and lots of different sized eel eyes. He lifted the cone to his lips, determined to make the sale, and took a big bite.
Seconds later his face went green, his cheeks puffed up and, clutching his grumbling stomach, Old Bert dashed off, pushing his cart away as fast as he could.
‘Good work, Red,’ said Anansi. ‘You had me going there for a minute!’
‘Well, you know what?’ said Red. ‘Sometimes the person you have to trust the most is yourself. Anyway, all this adventuring’s made me hungry,’ she said. ‘How about we go to Greentop’s Cafe for something proper to eat?’
And so they walked through Tale Town in the bright morning sun – laughing and joking as they planned how to fill the brand new day.
Tom Percival grew up in a remote and beautiful part of south Shropshire. It was so remote that he lived in a small caravan without mains electricity or any sensible form of heating. He thinks he’s probably one of the few people in his peer group to have learned to read by gas lamp.
Having established a career as a picture-book author and illustrator, Little Legends is Tom’s first chapter-book series for young readers. The idea for Little Legends was developed by Tom with Made in Me, a digital studio exploring new ways for technology and storytelling to inspire the next generation.
MACMILLAN CHILDREN’S BOOKS
This book is dedicated to my brother, Hugh,
for all our childhood adventures
First published 2016 by Macmillan Children’s Books
This electronic edition published 2016 by Macmillan Children’s Books
an imprint of Pan Macmillan
20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com
ISBN 978-1-4472-9212-8
Text and illustrations copyright © Tom Percival 2016
Characters and ‘Little Legends’ world copyright © Tom Percival and Me Studios Ltd 2016
The right of Tom Percival to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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