Noah Z. Jones
Moldylocks
and the
Three Beards
Moldylocks and
the Three Beards
Read more of
Princess Pink’s
adventures!
Little Red
Quacking Hood
1
2
For Eli and SylviE
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jones, Noah (Noah Z.), author.
Moldylocks and the three beards / by Noah Z. Jones.
pages cm. — (Princess Pink and the Land of Fake-Believe ; #1)
Summary: After falling through the refrigerator into the Land of Fake
Believe, Princess meets a girl named Moldylocks who takes her to the home
of the Three Beards for chili—but when the Beards capture her friend,
Princess must come up with a plan to save her.
ISBN 978-0-545-63839-5 (pbk.) — ISBN 978-0-545-63840-1 (hardcover) —
ISBN 978-0-545-63892-0 (ebook) 1. Fairy tales. 2. Humorous stories.
[1. Fairy tales. 2. Humorous stories.] I. Title.
PZ8.J539Mo 2014
[E]—dc23
2013027613
e-ISBN 978-0-545-63892-0
Copyright © 2014 by Noah Z. Jones
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc.
SCHOLASTIC, BRANCHES, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered
trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
First Scholastic printing, January 2014
Book design by Will Denton
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Meet Princess . . . . . . . . . 1
Falling Down,Down, Down . . 13
A Zany House . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
A Comfy Bed . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Three Angry Beards . . . 40
A Strange Visitor . . . . . 51
Chili Time! . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Meet Princess
chaptEr onE
1
This is Princess Pink. Her first name is
Princess. Her last name is Pink.
2
Princess Pink does not like fairies. She
does not like princesses. And she REALLY
does not like the color pink.
3
Princess Pink does like dirty sneakers,
giant bugs, mud puddles, monster trucks,
and cheesy pizza.
4
Her parents named her Princess
because they were so excited to finally
have a baby girl. Princess has seven older
brothers.
Time for bed,
Princess. Wait a
minute. Where is your
pink fairy princess
dress? It was right
here. . . .
I fixed it.
5
After tucking in her seven sons,
Princess’s mother peeked her head into
Princess’s room.
See? I turned it into a
Cowboy Caveman outfit
so I can hunt dinosaurs.
6
The fairy princess dress had been cut
into thin ribbons and taped together in
places. Princess had even colored it in
with a brown marker.
7
Princess’s mother sighed. She did not
know what to say. So she just said, “Good
night, my little cowboy caveman.”
Princess’s mother turned off the light.
Whoa, tummy. Don’t
worry! I will hunt down
something yummy
for you.
8
Princess’s tummy made a funny
grumbly noise.
9
Princess tiptoed down the hallway and
slipped into the kitchen. She was about to
open the refrigerator, but then stopped.
The fridge always made a HUMMmmm
sound—like a cat purring. But the fridge
wasn’t humming now. Princess put her
ear to the fridge. She heard the strangest
sound.
Wow!
10
Thinking that a bird had somehow
gotten stuck in the fridge, Princess yanked
the door open. Instead of green-bean
casserole, Princess saw green rolling hills
and soft white clouds.
11
A giant purple polka-dotted bird was
flying across a sunny sky—inside
Princess’s fridge! Princess leaned WAY
in to get a better look.
12
Then she fell right through her fridge!
chaptEr two
Falling
Down,
Down,
Down
13
Princess did not remember falling. She also
did not remember landing on a moose.
Hello there, little girl.
I am Mother Moose.
Wait! You’re
Mother Goose?
14
The moose prodded his hat back into
its proper shape.
NO! I’m a moose with an M,
not a goose with a G.Mother
just happens to be my first
name. And you are?
I’m Princess Pink. But
I’m not a princess.
Princess just happens
to be my first name.
No. Yes. Well,
maybe. You are
in the Land of
Fake-Believe.
Am I still inside
my refrigerator?
15
Moldylocks? That
name doesn’t sound
quite right.
Are you guys okay?
I’m Moldylocks!
Who are you?
I’m
Princess .
16
A girl came running over. She had just
seen Princess fall from the sky.
Princess thought Moldylocks looked
like she had slept in a swamp for weeks.
Your hair is pink.
MY HAIR IS PINK?!
I can’t stand pink!
Your hair is green.
17
I think it looks
kind of cool.
18
Princess’s hair had turned pink
the moment she entered the Land of
Fake-Believe.
The girls smiled at each other.
I know just the place!
Follow me!
Do you know
where I can get
something to eat?
19
Then Princess’s stomach let out a loud
Where is this girl
taking me?
20
Moldylocks grabbed Princess’s hand.
Princess had to run to keep up.
21
chaptEr thrEE
Zany
House
Here we are!
A
22
Moldylocks stopped in front of one of the
strangest houses Princess had ever seen.
It looked like several normal houses had
been mixed up in a giant blender. No two
windows or doors were the same.
The Three Beards.
You mean the
three bears?
Let’s see if
they are home.
Let’s see if
who is home?
No, no—
the Three Beards.
They’re much scarier
than bears.
Moldylocks and the
Three Beards? This
Land of Fake-Believe is
crazy-cakes!
23
Hello?
Is anyone home?
It looks like the
Beards aren’t home.
Let’s take a look around.
24
Princess and Moldylocks tiptoed
through the front door.
Let’s try another chair.
This stinks. How about
we try that last chair?
25
Inside, there was a long wooden table.
There were three chairs at the table. In
front of each chair was a bowl of chili.
Princess scrambled up onto the first
chair. It was way too soft.
The second chair
was way too hard.
Maybe we should
forget the chairs and
eat standing up.
26
The third chair was covered in sticky
honey and piles of hair.
BRRR! This chili
is way too cold.
YEEOW! This chili
is way too hot!
The Beards always
have the best chili!
27
Princess took a big spoonful of the first
bowl of chili.
Moldylocks took a big spoonful of the
second bowl of chili.
Then Princess and Moldylocks took a
big spoonful of chili from the third bowl.
It was just right.
Princess was about to take another
bite, when she saw something move inside
the bowl. She leaned in for a closer look.
This bowl is just right—
for a chili bath!
28
A spider popped out from the middle
of the chili!
Don’t mind him,
Princess. Reggie is
just a rude spider.
I don’t think I’m
hungry anymore.
Then let’s go see
what’s upstairs!
Come on!
29
Princess wasn’t sure
this was a good idea.
But she followed
Moldylocks up the
stairs anyway.
chaptEr Four
A Comfy Bed
31
When Princess and Moldylocks reached
the top of the stairs, they were both out
of breath. It was a long way up!
GRaaaaahhhHHH!
These beds look
perfect for jumping
on while we hunt
dinosaurs. What do
you say?
Let’s play
Cowboy Caveman!
The girls went into the first room they
found. There were three beds in the
room. Princess got an idea.
32
We can’t jump on this bed!
It feels like a mushy banana!
Let’s try the second bed.
What an awful bed!
33
The girls hopped up onto the first bed.
It was way too soft.
We can’t jump on this bed!
It’s WAY too hard!
How can one room have
so many awful beds in it?
Maybe we’ll have luck
with the last bed.
34
The second bed wasn’t any better.
Hmm.
This bed feels
just right for jumping!
COWBOY CAVEMAN TIME!!!
35
The girls touched the soft blanket on
the third bed.
They were about to jump up onto
the perfect bed when Princess heard
something.
HEY!
Reggie was in the bed, wearing purple
bunny pajamas. He wasn’t alone. There
were many spiders sleeping in the bed.
Too many to count!
36
All those snoring spiders
are making me sleepy.
That first bed was too
soft for jumping,
but it’d be perfect
for napping.
37
Princess yawned. Then Moldylocks
yawned, too.
The girls fell fast asleep in the small,
squishy bed.
ARGGH! WHO HAS BEEN
SITTING IN OUR CHAIRS?
WHO HAS BEEN
EATING OUR CHILI?
38
Princess and Moldylocks woke up with
a start. They could hear angry voices
coming from downstairs.
The Three Beards?!
SHHHHHHhhhhhh.
The Three Beards are coming!
The girls could hear clomping on the
stairs. The Beards were getting closer
and closer and closer!
chaptEr FivE
Three Angry
Beards
Hey, Mama Beard! Has
my bed always looked
so lumpy and bumpy?
That no-good spider
and all of his cousins
had better not be
napping in it again!
40
Papa Beard yanked the blanket back
to find out who was sleeping in Baby
Beard’s bed.
41
41
Princess could see that the creatures
were three walking, talking beards with
arms and legs. And all three of them were
looking right at her.
RUN!
Princess grabbed Moldylocks by the
hand. The girls ran to the stairway. The
Three Beards chased after them, clawing
at the air with their long arms.
42
43
Follow me!
43
Princess let go of Moldylocks’s hand.
Then she slid down the banister as fast
as she could.
Princess didn’t stop running until she
was outside, with the Beards’s house far
behind her.
PHEW! That was a close call!
Good thing those scary
Beards didn’t get us!
Right, Moldylocks?
44
44
EEK!
45
Moldylocks was nowhere to be seen.
Princess looked over her shoulder just
in time to see Mama and Papa Beard
snatching up her friend.
And Baby Beard was running toward
Princess.
Hurry! Baby Beard is right
behind you! Tunacorn can fly!
She’ll take you up to the door!
Princess ran and ran—until she was
&
nbsp; standing below the door that led out of
Fake-Believe.
Mother Moose was riding a bizarre
animal. It looked like a unicorn, but
instead of a horn, it had a tuna fish on
its head.
46
47
I’ll do whatever it takes to get out
of Fake-Believe! I’ll even ride
an animal that smells like a dirty
gym sock stuffed with fish sticks.
47
48
Thanks for your help!
Tunacorn swooped Princess up into the
air just as Baby Beard came barreling
toward them.
Princess scrambled through the door.
49
She slammed it behind her. Then
she sat down on the cold kitchen floor,
catching her breath.
Princess had escaped the Three
Beards. She had made it out of the
Land of Fake-Believe. But she had left
Moldylocks in the paws of the Three
Beards!
Princess got a terrible feeling in her
tummy. She knew she had to go back to
Fake-Believe. Princess had to save her
new friend from the Three Beards!
So Princess came up with a plan.
Then she stepped through her fridge.
50
chaptEr Six
A Strange
Visitor
OUCH!
51
Princess fell back down into the Land of
Fake-Believe. Then she ran as fast as she
could to the Three Beards’s house.
Moldylocks and the Three Beards: A Branches Book (Princess Pink and the Land of Fake-Believe #1) Page 1