Daisy Meadows - Poppy Muddlepup’s Daring Rescue

The others followed, hurrying up the stairs after her.

Both girls pulled sticky cobwebs from their faces as they climbed, and they had to watch where they stepped. Some of the worn stairs were slippery with puddles of green, slimy water.

At last they reached a small wooden door. There was nowhere else to go, so Jess pushed it open, and they found themselves in a courtyard on the tower’s roof.

It was a relief to be in the fresh, cold air, but a horrible smell wafted across to them, like rotten eggs soaked in stagnant pond water. It came from a fountain of dirty water that sent puffs of yellow-green sparks up into the air.

Beyond the fountain was a black vine.

“Look!” cried Jess in delight.

All along the vine, brilliant orange berries sparkled in the rays of the setting sun.

Lily clapped her hands with glee and Poppy let out a yap of delight. The three friends made their way past the fountain.

“Be careful not to let any droplets touch you,” Lily warned. “Grizelda’s bad magic could be in that stinky water.”

When they reached the vine, Jess reached out to grab a handful of the berries. Immediately, there was a flash of sparks, and jagged shards of ice appeared on the berries, covering them completely.

“Oh, no!” cried Jess. “Grizelda knows we need the berries. She must have put a spell on them, in case we managed to escape from that terrible cage.”

Lily picked up a stone from the ground and smashed it onto one of the frozen shards. But instead of shattering, more sparks fizzed from the ice. They all took a step back.

Worry swirled inside Jess. “What are we going to do?” she asked.

Poppy’s ears pricked up and she gave a yap. “The winter warmers!”

“Yes!” cried Lily. “Oh, you clever puppy.”

They each held their winter warmer flowers against the ice. As the heat from the blooms spread, drips began to splatter on the ground.

“The ice is melting!” said Lily.

Soon, the girls were able to grab handfuls of the velvety berries. Lily stuffed them into her pocket.

Jess looked up at the sky. The light was growing dim. “It’s almost sunset,” she said, turning to Lily. “How will we get back to the Muddlepups’ den in time?”

“Oh, no!” wailed Poppy. “We’ve got everything we need, but we’re too late to save poor Patch.” She put her paws over her eyes and sobbed.

“Oh, Poppy, we’re so sorry!” said Jess, blinking back her own tears as she hugged the shaking puppy. “We did everything we could. Grizelda was just too clever for us.”

“Wait! Listen!” said Lily. “What’s that? I heard a voice!”

Jess and Poppy turned, expecting to see Grizelda. But it wasn’t the witch!

“Look, Jess!” she cried.

Captain Ace, the stork, was flying toward them with a rope in his long beak, pulling his hot air balloon along.

And in the balloon’s basket was Goldie!

“Goldie!” cried Jess. “How did you know where we were?”

Ace lowered the basket to the tower roof, and Goldie sprang out. She hugged her friends and Poppy. Then she quickly told them how she’d found them.

“When I got back to Friendship Forest after visiting Barney,” she explained, “I found Mrs. Taptree waiting for me. She told me about poor Patch and the potion and rushed me to Garden Grove. Then Woody Flufftail came by and said you had two ingredients already and were looking for Sunrise Berries.”

“We found them,” said Lily. “Right here in Grizelda’s tower!”

“I guessed you would,” said Goldie. “You’re brave and clever, and I knew you’d do your best to find all the things you needed.”

“And you found us!” said Jess.

“Yes, thanks to Captain Ace,” said Goldie. “I thought you might need help getting back to the Muddlepups’ den in time. Now quick—into the basket!”

When they were all safely aboard, Ace flew them away and over the forest. As the balloon took them farther and farther from Grizelda’s chilly tower, they felt happier and happier. But then Goldie gasped. “Hurry!” she cried. “The sun has almost set!”

Captain Ace’s wings beat harder and the balloon moved faster through the darkening sky.

Poppy spotted her family’s den first. “There, Captain Ace!” she cried, pointing her paw.

Ace lowered the balloon over the den and Lily climbed down a rope ladder, being careful not to land on the magical flowers below. Who knew what might happen if they were stepped on?

Jess passed Poppy to Lily, then she and Goldie climbed down.

Everyone yelled, “Thank you!” to Captain Ace as he flew off with the balloon. Then they rushed into the den, calling, “We’re back!”

Mr. and Mrs. Muddlepup were sitting with Patch, who was still fast asleep in his nest of blankets. They looked very worried.

“Poppy, fetch a bowl, please,” Lily said. Then she explained their plan to the Muddlepups. “We’re going to make the Rise and Shine potion, and then we’re going to wake Patch up.”

Jess carefully emptied the jewel water out of the bottle blooms and into the bowl, then Lily dropped in the berries and added the hummingbird feather.

There was a fizzle! and a pffft! as the ingredients dissolved into a swirling, foaming, orange mixture. It began to glow with magic.

“It’s turning as bright as the sunrise,” Lily said. “That’s a good sign, isn’t it?” she asked anxiously.

No one replied. Lily guessed that they were all wondering the same thing. Oh, please let the potion work , she thought desperately.

Mrs. Muddlepup propped Patch up. Lily took a spoon and carefully dripped a little of the potion into his mouth. She’d done this sort of thing with medicine many times before at the wildlife hospital, but she’d never been quite this nervous.

The potion fizzed as it touched Patch’s tongue. His mouth moved a little as he tasted it. Now Lily was able to give him a whole spoonful.

Fizzle... fizzle , it went.

Patch’s nose twitched. He yawned a great wide yawn. And finally—he opened his eyes!

Mrs. Muddlepup burst into happy tears. “You’ve saved him! Oh, thank you, girls, you’ve saved my little Patch! How can we ever repay you?”

Jess and Lily felt as if they would explode with pleasure and relief. Through the windows, they could just see the last rays of the setting sun lighting the magical grove. They’d been just in time!

But then Jess saw something else. An orb of eerie yellow-green light was floating down toward the Muddlepups’ cozy den.

“Grizelda!” cried Jess. “She’s coming!”

Goldie and the girls hurried out and saw the orb explode in a shower of evil-smelling sparks. There stood Grizelda, her dark eyes glittering coldly.