The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde

by Shannon Hale

  dry, dusty pasture.

  72

  “Surely there is good food in

  Monster Land,” said Blacky.

  “You have giant toenail clippings

  here?” asked a bunny off to the side.

  “No,” said Blacky.

  “Scales? You have lizard scales to

  eat, maybe?” asked a bunny on Duff ’s

  shoulder.

  73

  “No scales,” said Blacky.

  “How about monster fur? You

  have to have monster fur,” said a fat

  bunny leaning against a goat.

  75

  “None,” said Blacky. “Don’t toe-

  nails sound delicious? Yummy lizard

  scales. Tasty monster fur.”

  “I miss Monster Land,” whimpered

  the smallest bunny.

  “Me too,” said hundreds of other

  bunnies.

  “You should go back,” said Blacky.

  “YES!” said the monster bunnies.

  They stampeded into the hole.

  Princess Sneezewort sat alone at a

  café table. There were soft rolls with

  butter. There were cheesy omelets.

  There were heaping platters of sugar-

  dusted doughnuts.

  77

  There was no Princess Magnolia.

  There was no Frimplepants. Even

  Princess Sneezewort’s pet pig, Sir

  Hogswell, had wandered off.

  78

  The servers cleared the table.

  Brunch time was over.

  Princess Sneezewort sighed. She

  relished Princess Magnolia’s friend-

  ship. But often, Princess Magnolia

  showed up late. And often, her dress

  was on inside out.

  “How very curious,” Princess

  Sneezewort said to herself.

  Where did Princess Magnolia go?

  And why did she dress in a hurry?

  Princess Sneezewort thought hard.

  She had almost figured it out. . . .

  But just then, someone shouted her

  name.

  Was it Princess Magnolia with

  her dress inside out? No, it was the

  Princess in Black!

  She was leading a herd of goats to

  the village pasture. The goat boy was

  telling everyone that the Princess in

  Black and Blacky had saved his goats.

  The crowd cheered.

  82

  “Princess Sneezewort!” she called.

  “Princess Magnolia sent me to apolo-

  gize. She is very sorry she could not

  meet you for brunch.”

  83

  “How very curious,” said Princess

  Sneezewort. “Sadly, brunch time

  is over.”

  Blacky whimpered.

  “Which means it’s lunchtime,”

  said Princess Sneezewort. “Will you

  join me?”

  85

  Blacky’s eyes widened. His ears

  twitched. His tail swooshed. In the

  language of Cuteness, he was cheering,

  too.

  “I’d prefer lunch with you to any-

  thing in the world,” said the Princess

  in Black.

  Frimplepants the unicorn didn’t get

  brunch that day. But Blacky the pony

  lunched like a king.