“‘And then the wicked witch appeared . . .’” she read, before blurting out, “Wicked witch? There is no wicked witch in Cinderella!”
As the assistant grappled with the confused pages, Rachel began to search through the toys at the back of the room. Kirsty soon joined her.
“Let’s start over here,” Rachel whispered, pulling out a drawer marked FARM ANIMALS. “Oh!”
Instead of farm animals, the drawer was crammed with mixed-up pieces of jigsaw puzzles. The next one down was labeled DINOSAURS, but there were only broken toy cars inside, gummed together with play clay.
“Where can it be?” Rachel sighed. “We have to find it!”
On the cushions, the toddlers had started to wail. One frustrated little girl even threw her fleecy blanket across the carpet! Rachel ran over to pick it up, stooping down next to a wooden play kitchen.
“Here you go.” She smiled, handing the blanket back.
The little girl didn’t look up. She was too busy peering at something sparkly inside the kitchen’s oven.
“Oh, my!” Rachel gasped, rushing to get her friends. “I think we’ve found the magic toy box!”
As soon as Bailey appeared, the girls dashed over to the kitchen.
“Open the door,” urged Bailey. “Please hurry.”
Rachel reached out for the oven, but a knobbly, green hand bumped her out of the way.
“Only Sunnydays workers allowed in the play area,” grunted the goblin. “Hands off!”
The goblin threw his head back and laughed.
“Ha-ha!” he roared. “You girls can’t outsmart me! I’m the best worker in this whole kids’ club!”
Kirsty glanced around the playroom. Luckily, the poor assistant was busy trying to tape the pages of her storybook back in the right order.
“Bailey,” she whispered quietly, “would you like to hide behind me?”
“Yes, please!” gasped the nervous little fairy, darting into the strands of Kirsty’s ponytail.
Rachel stepped forward to plead with the goblin, but he didn’t seem to care about the trouble he’d caused.
“Serves the kids right for being so horrible!” he crowed, blowing a big raspberry. “Human children give me the creeps. And babies! Babies are the worst!”
The goblin was so pleased with himself he did a dance on the spot, kicking his feet in crazy directions.
“Look! Look!”
The toddlers in the cozy corner had stopped crying. One by one they sat up and stared at the goblin’s dance. The children began to clap their hands and point at the funny stranger.
“You are right,” said Rachel, with a twinkle in her eye. “You really are the best playworker. Look at all the children!”
“What?” asked the goblin, spinning on his heel.
The toddlers had formed a circle around the goblin, their chubby cheeks pink from laughing. A little girl tugged on his apron and tried to hold his hand. Another boy tried to copy the goblin’s dance by stamping his feet and wiggling his bottom.
“Help!” cried the goblin, shuddering at the sight of so many thrilled faces. “I’m under attack!”
The goblin shot into the air, but the children just laughed even harder. From her secret hiding spot, Bailey couldn’t help giggling, too.
“He looks so terrified of those little kids,” she trilled. “How silly!”
The goblin couldn’t bear it a moment longer. Rachel and Kirsty watched as he stumbled outside, waving his arms in terror. The children thought it was the best game ever. They toddled after him as fast as they could.
“Well, that’s something I’ve never seen before,” remarked Kirsty. “He’s the goblin Pied Piper!”
The last thing the friends saw of the new assistant was a shaky figure clambering over the garden wall.
“I think Diane’s new recruit has just resigned,” said Rachel, opening the play kitchen’s oven door. Inside was a glittering toy box with a brilliant yellow lid and bright pink sides.
“That’s it!” cried Bailey. “That’s my magic toy box!”
The delighted fairy fluttered out into the open in a flurry of twinkling stars. She touched the edge of the toy box with her wand and it flew into her arms. Bailey hugged the precious object to her, then blew each of the girls a heartfelt thank-you kiss.
“Now the children can play nicely again,” said Rachel.
Kirsty smiled happily. “You’d better whisk the toy box to Fairyland, back where it belongs!”
Bailey agreed, but she had an important job to do first. She thought for a moment, then pointed her wand up to the ceiling.
“Pitter-patter, tiny feet,
Everything be nice and neat!”
There was a flash of gold light so dazzling, Kirsty and Rachel had to close their eyes. When they opened them again, the nursery had been transformed! All of the toys had been put back in their places and there wasn’t a broken thing in sight. The nursery assistant was singing to herself as she put a perfect copy of Cinderella back on the bookshelf.
Outside it was just the same. The garden looked perfect! The children were playing happily on the lawn, sharing their toys beautifully.
“Good-bye, girls.” Bailey smiled, tucking the magic toy box under her arm. “Thank you for all your help!”
“See you soon!” exclaimed Kirsty.
“And don’t worry,” added Rachel, “we’ll keep an eye out for the other two magic items.”
The best friends shared a secret smile, then ran over to find Tom and Lily.
“Now,” laughed Kirsty, scooping the twins up in a big hug, “let’s go back to the lodge and build some sand castles!”
“Morning, Kirsty!” said Rachel, throwing back her covers.
“Morning!” exclaimed Kirsty. “Did you sleep well?”
Rachel nodded happily. Although her bed was comfy and soft, she had already been awake for ages. She couldn’t wait to find out what the day had in store!
It was the girls’ first morning waking up at EcoWorld. Sunshine streamed in through the window. Kirsty stretched on her tiptoes. She could already hear the clinking of cereal bowls and the ker-chunk of bread popping out of the toaster in the kitchen next door.
“Do you think we’ll see Bailey today?” asked Rachel, pulling on denim shorts and a purple T-shirt.
“I hope so!” replied Kirsty.
“Jack Frost’s goblins still have two of her magic objects.”
Rachel frowned. Until the magic lunch bag and night-light were back where they belonged in the Fairyland Nursery, poor Bailey would have a hard time looking after the fairy babies in her care.
As the friends combed their hair and brushed their teeth, they couldn’t help wondering where the objects might be. It was tempting to run up and down the EcoWorld park prodding every bush and peering into every corner, but they knew that wouldn’t work. Queen Titania had once told Kirsty and Rachel that they should always let fairy magic come to them. She’d also given each girl a precious gold locket filled with magical fairy dust. The smallest sprinkle turned them into fairies whenever their help was needed.
“Let’s get some cornflakes,” suggested Rachel. “Lily and Tom should be up by now.”
The girls bounded into the kitchen to find both twins fastened into their high chairs.
“Kirsty!” squealed Tom, kicking his legs in delight.
Lily’s rosy cheeks creased into happy dimples as she cooed, “Ra-ra!”
“She’s trying to say my name!” said Rachel, clapping her hands. “Good job, Lily!”
Mrs. Robinson wiped some mashed banana out of the pocket in Lily’s bib and handed the twins some toast triangles.
“I wish the twins were as good at eating their breakfast.” She sighed. “They usually love bananas, but they’re more interested in throwing them across the room today.”
Kirsty and Rachel poured themselves a bowl of cereal each. They sat down at the breakfast table, opposite the twins. Maybe if Tom and Lily saw them eating nicely th
e toddlers might be tempted to do the same!
“What would you like to do today, girls?” asked Mr. Walker, using his cup of coffee to hold down the edge of a foldout map. He picked up his coffee cup and pushed the map across the table for the girls to look at.
“There’s kayaking, mountain biking, and archery.” Mr. Tate grinned. “I want to try sailing!”
“Me too,” Mrs. Tate chimed in brightly. “The beginners’ lesson starts at noon.”
“The lake looks stunning,” added Mr. Robinson. “Kelly and I are up for sailing, aren’t we?”
Mrs. Robinson seemed interested, until she remembered that she’d booked the family on a rain forest walk at the same time.
“It’s being run by the Sunnydays Kids’ Club,” she explained. “There’s going to be a trail to follow and a picnic in the center of the dome. Tom and Lily would love it. . . .”
Rachel and Kirsty exchanged excited glances. They’d both had exactly the same idea!
“Why don’t we take the twins on the walk?” suggested Kirsty. “You can join us after your sailing lesson.”
“They’d have a great time with us,” piped up Rachel, giving Lily a little wink.
Mr. and Mrs. Robinson smiled gratefully at the girls — the offer was too good to refuse!
They spent the next hour buzzing around the eco-lodge, tying shoes and filling up backpacks. Kirsty rummaged through a wooden chest and pulled out an extra picnic blanket.
“Let’s go shake it in the yard,” she suggested to Rachel.
The girls skipped outside, laughing as the blanket swished and flapped in the fresh air. As it unfurled, the leaves on the weeping willow at the bottom of the yard seemed to sing along with the gentle morning breeze.
“Look!” gasped Rachel, blinking in surprise.
A tiny fairy had tumbled out of the bottom of the picnic blanket! Bailey shook her golden hair, waved her wand, then darted into the air.
“Hello!” she called. “I came as soon as I heard about the children’s picnic. It’s more important than ever that we find the magic lunch bag!”
“You can count on us,” replied Kirsty. “We’ll be on the lookout.”
Bailey’s eyes brightened. “Thank you, girls! I’ll flutter back to Fairyland and keep watch there. We’re having a picnic for the fairy babies today, too. . . .”
Before Bailey could say another word, footsteps padded along the walkway at the bottom of the yard. Rachel clutched Kirsty’s arm. The first children were making their way to the rain forest zone!
“If we want to stop the goblins from causing trouble,” she warned, “we should go right now!”
“There you are, girls! The twins are all ready.”
Bailey had only just disappeared when Mrs. Robinson pushed the double stroller out onto the patio. Tom and Lily both waved, their little faces rosy with excitement.
“Whew!” whispered Kirsty, giving Rachel a secret nudge. “That was close!”
The tiniest trace of scarlet fairy dust still shimmered in the air around them, but Mrs. Robinson didn’t seem to notice. She was busy loading the stroller up with spare clothes, wipes, and toys.
“I won’t be long,” she promised, flashing Kirsty and Rachel a grateful smile.
“There’s no rush,” replied Kirsty. “Enjoy the sailing!”
Rachel crouched down to grin at each of the twins, before adding, “We’re going to have our own adventure, aren’t we?”
“Yes, Ra-ra!” piped up Tom and Lily.
As soon as Mrs. Robinson had kissed the toddlers good-bye, the friends unlatched the gate and wheeled the double stroller out onto the forest trail. The wooden walkway twisted in and out of the trees, curving past eco-lodges and leafy camping spots. Soon, the rain forest dome appeared, creepers and vines curling up inside its glass windows.
The dome entrance was bustling with people. Babies peeked out of carriers, toddlers played tag around their moms’ legs, and grandparents took pictures with their cameras. A worker stood at the doorway dressed in a Sunnydays Kids’ Club T-shirt with a big smiley face printed on the front.
“There’s Diane,” said Kirsty.
“She seems much happier now that the goblin has left,” added Rachel.
“Hello, Lily. Hello, Tom,” said Diane, checking their names off her list. “We’re almost ready to start our walk!”
Kirsty and Rachel parked the stroller and unfastened the twins. Diane held up her special Sunnydays flag, and everybody gathered around.
“Welcome to our wonderful rain forest,” she announced. “You’re free to explore the whole dome. The routes are full of animals, insects, and flowers.”
“Make sure you stay close,” said Kirsty, reaching for the twins’ hands.
“Good advice,” praised Diane. “The dome is enormous — in fact it’s a whole mini ecosystem! Luckily, every path leads to the waterfall in the center. That’s where we’re going to have our Sunnydays picnic.”
“Utterby! Utterby!” cooed Lily, tugging at Kirsty’s hand. A butterfly with shimmering turquoise wings fluttered over the children’s heads.
“OK,” Kirsty chuckled. “We’ll follow the ‘utterby’!”
Diane handed Rachel a sketchbook and some colored pencils. There were five fun things for the twins to look for in the dome — a frog, a seed, a feather, a petal, and a butterfly.
“I wonder if Tom and Lily can draw a picture of all five,” Diane said with a smile.
At that moment, the turquoise butterfly settled on the end of her clipboard. The twins squealed with delight.They’d found one thing on the list already! Soon the pair was scampering up and down the rain forest paths, peeking through ferns and picking up pebbles.
“Look! Frog!” cried Tom a few minutes later.
A tiny frog sat on the tip of a palm leaf, no bigger than a fairy. It looked up at the little boy and blinked.
“Isn’t it sweet?” exclaimed Rachel, drawing a frog shape for Lily to color in.
“I found something here, too,” cried Kirsty.
“Is it a seed?” asked Rachel. “Or maybe a feather?”
Kirsty shook her head. There in the soil was the outline of an enormous, webbed foot. Only one creature that she could think of would leave a mark like that.
“Oh, Rachel,” she gasped. “It’s got to be a goblin footprint!”
“Where are my bogmallows?” yelled an unfriendly voice.
“Don’t ask me,” snapped another. “What did that fairy say? ‘Picnics are wonderful’? Ha!”
Rachel gulped. There really were goblins nearby!
The shouting got louder and louder.
“No bogmallows anywhere? Terrible! Terrible!”
Kirsty leaped to her feet, her face pale with worry. The goblins were making so much noise they must be lurking right around the next bend.
“Me look?” trilled Tom, toddling after Kirsty.
Rachel scooped Tom up and stepped back toward the path. “We can’t do anything while we’re babysitting,” she reminded her friend. “Let’s take the twins to the picnic area. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson’s lesson should be finished by now.”
“It’s that way,” agreed Kirsty. “We’ll get there faster if we give the twins a piggyback ride.”
Lily and Tom giggled and cheered as the girls carried them over stepping stones, stooped under vines, and waded through swishy rushes.
“I can hear splashing,” exclaimed Rachel. “We must be getting close.”
The trail curved one last time, then opened out onto a clearing in the very heart of the dome. A stunning waterfall tumbled over a tower of rocks, little rainbows dancing in the spray. All around the edge, tropical orchids blossomed in hot shades of tangerine, scarlet, and pink. It was the perfect location for a rain forest picnic.
“Mommy! Daddy!” cried Lily, scrambling down from Kirsty’s back.
“Oh, my,” said Kirsty in a low voice. “What happened here?”
The picnic area was in chaos. The Sunnydays team had set
out a delicious spread, but half of the tables had collapsed, sending trays of sandwiches and cupcakes spilling to the ground.
Mrs. Tate and Mrs. Walker were laying down picnic blankets, but they were splattered with mud. Diane rushed around in a panic trying to find something for the hungry children to eat.
“It’s a disaster!” she cried, rescuing a squashed plate of pigs in blankets.
Kirsty squeezed Rachel’s arm.
“Look at those pigs in blankets,” she whispered. “The pastry’s turned green!”
Rachel gasped. Kirsty was right! Every pig in a blanket had a horrible green tinge to it, and so did the cupcakes.
“We have to track down those goblins,” Rachel urged. “They’re ruining the food!”
Kirsty and Rachel handed the twins back to Mrs. Robinson, then ran off to find their parents.
“We had a great time on the lake.” Mr. Tate sighed. “But things have taken a turn for the worse!”
Mr. Walker looked down at his shoe and groaned. “Now I’ve stepped in pudding. How did that happen?”
“Do you mind if we take a walk?” asked Rachel.
Mr. Walker wiped the pudding off his shoe. “You go on, girls. We’ve got plenty to do here.”
Within minutes, Kirsty and Rachel were running back down the trail.
“Let’s hide here,” whispered Rachel, slipping behind a tree.
Bailey the Babysitter Fairy Page 2