Daisy Meadows - Molly Twinkletail Runs Away

“We’ll save you as soon as we can,” Jess yelled. “We promise!”

The girls and Goldie helped the beaver family gather sticks, twigs, and stones, which Mr. and Mrs. Paddlefoot then put across the stream to start the dam. The two grandparents packed mud between the twigs to hold them together.

“How will the dam work, Goldie?” Jess asked, dropping another load of branches on top of the growing pile.

“Water will build up behind the dam instead of flowing down toward the waterfall,” Goldie explained. “The thick branches will support it at the front.”

Soon the dam had almost blocked the stream, and a pool had formed behind it.

“Go and check the waterfall, please, girls,” called Mr. Paddlefoot. “It should have almost stopped.”

Lily and Jess ran to the waterfall. The rush of water had slowed to just a trickle.

Jess jumped up and down in excitement. “The dam’s working!” she yelled.

Lily cheered. “Now we can save Molly!”

Lily and Jess clambered down the slope to where the curtain of water had been falling before.

“Molly!” Lily cried.

The little mouse was shivering inside the cave. The girls climbed over the rocks toward her, easily keeping their balance now that they didn’t have to fight against the waterfall.

Molly gave a delighted squeak as Jess picked her up. “You s-s-s-saved me!” she said, her tiny teeth chattering with cold.

“You’re safe now,” murmured Lily, stroking Molly’s little pink ears.

The girls climbed back to the water’s edge, where Goldie and the whole Paddlefoot family gave a big cheer.

“Here,” said Goldie, taking her scarf off. “Wrap Molly in this.”

Lily wrapped Molly in the scarf and cuddled her against her chest. She could feel Molly stop shivering as the little mouse warmed up.

Jess spotted Molly’s bag of hazelnut chips on the river bank and picked it up.

“I left them there so they wouldn’t get wet,” explained the little mouse. “Help yourself. It’s the only way I can thank you for saving me.”

Everyone was delighted that Molly was safe. But Lily noticed that Molly’s whiskers were drooping.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

The little mouse sighed. “I was trying to help those hairy creatures by fetching them a drink of water from Sparkly Falls,” she said. “I saw Jenny Littlefeather the wren and she flew me here on her back. But after Jenny flew off, I got stuck behind the water. The creatures will be so thirsty.”

“Molly,” said Goldie, “those hairy creatures are Boggits and they were playing a cruel trick on you.”

“Oh, no!” squeaked Molly, covering her eyes with her tiny paws.

“It’s okay,” said Lily gently. “We won’t let them do it again.”

“We’d better get back to the Treasure Tree,” said Goldie, “before the Boggits ruin all the food.”

Jess was looking thoughtfully at where the waterfall had been. “You know the Boggits love being dirty and smelly,” she said slowly. “Well, maybe we can use all the water behind the dam to make them so lovely and clean that they forget about ruining the Treasure Tree.”

“Good idea, Jess!” said Lily. “But how can we get the Boggits to come to Sparkly Falls?”

Everyone thought hard. Suddenly, Goldie grinned.

“I’ve got just the plan. We’ll send them a message!”

“But how?” Lily asked.

“Easy,” Goldie said. “We just need a flyer.”

She made a butterfly shape with her paws, and fluttered them like wings. Instantly, a purple butterfly darted along the riverbank and came to rest on a nearby flower.

“Hello!” said the butterfly’s tiny, tinkly voice.

Jess and Lily were thrilled. A talking butterfly!

“This is Hermia,” said Goldie. “She and her friends deliver messages for all the animals. Hermia, are you brave enough to take a flyer to the Boggits?”

The butterfly’s wings turned pale and droopy. “I’ll be brave,” she said, “if it helps stop them from hurting the Treasure Tree.”

Jess grinned. “Thank you, Hermia. I know just the kind of message we should send...”

She pulled her sketchbook from her pocket, flipped it open, and began to write.

Lily peered over her shoulder. “ ‘Dear Boggits,’ ” she read. “ ‘You’ve done enough good work ruining the Treasure Tree. It looks truly terrible. Now go to Sparkly Falls and chuck lots of mud and garbage in the water. It’s disgustingly clean. From Grizelda.’ ”

Everyone grinned.

“That should do the trick,” said Jess. She rolled up the note and held it out so Hermia could carry it.

“Good luck, Hermia!” the girls cried as the butterfly fluttered away.

Lily turned to the Paddlefoots. “When the Boggits get here, can you pull the dam away?”

Mrs. Paddlefoot rubbed her paws. “It will be our pleasure to help teach those Boggits a lesson, won’t it, everyone?” she said to her family. “Let’s get in position by the dam and stay out of sight.”

“We won’t move until you give us the signal!” Mr. Paddlefoot said to the girls.

The beavers hurried back to the dam, while Lily, Jess, and Goldie lay down on the grass at the top of Sparkly Falls. Molly sat beside them, sharing her hazelnut chips as they waited for the Boggits to arrive.

They all froze as they heard the sound of stomping, stamping feet, and the rough, gruff voices of the Boggits.

“They got Hermia’s message,” said Goldie.

They watched the Boggits come out of the forest, staring and scratching their grubby heads.

“Water be gone,” said Pongo. “Where be the water?”

“Boggits find out,” said Reek with a growl.

The four hairy creatures stepped onto the rocks.

“Now!” shouted Lily and Jess.

Mr. Paddlefoot gave the girls a thumbs-up, then the beavers rolled away the logs that supported the dam.

Whoosh!

Jess and Lily watched in amazement as a torrent of water gushed all over the shrieking Boggits. Molly’s whiskers twitched with excitement.

The Boggits roared and gasped as they tried to escape the downpour. They stumbled and spluttered, sliding over the slippery rocks in their panic to get to dry land.

But when they got there, they had another shock.

They were clean! All the mud and filth had been washed away, and their multi-colored fur was gleaming.

“Boggits is wet,” Sniff said with a shiver. “Lovely mud has gone. Boggits is cold.”

“Urgh!” grunted Pongo. “Boggits must get muddy again.”

Whiffy squeezed water from her skirt, wailing, “Whiffy’s clothes is clean and nasty.” She bent over and gave a horrified bellow. “Whiffy’s skirt is clean!”