Emily Prickleback’s Clever Idea

Chapter Two The Waterwheel

“A boat race!” said Lily. “I can’t wait!”

Goldie bent down to pick up a basket that was tucked in the roots of the Friendship Tree. “I’ve got another surprise for you!” she said with a smile. She opened the lid and the girls peeked inside.

“Mmmm! Blossom buns and watercress sandwiches!” said Lily.

“Cherry bread!” said Jess. “And bottles of strawberry soda—yum!”

“Everyone who goes to the Rushy River Race takes a picnic to share with their friends,” Goldie said, shutting the lid.

Lily and Jess grinned at each other. Going to Friendship Forest was always exciting, but coming for a race and a picnic sounded even better!

“The race is at Willowtree River,” Goldie continued as they walked. “Do you remember our adventure there?”

“Yes, that was when we rescued little Ellie Featherbill,” said Lily, smiling at the thought of the adorable duckling. Maybe they’d see her again today!

As they wandered through Toadstool Glade, Molly Twinkletail the mouse waved to them from the Toadstool Café. “Hello!” she called from the window. The little mouse was sitting inside, eating toffee toast with her mole friend, Lola Velvetnose.

“Hello, Molly!” said Jess and Lily.

Lola’s little pink nose went woffle woffle as she sniffed to discover who Molly was talking to. “I smell honey,” she said, peering through her round purple-framed glasses. “It’s Jess!”

Lily laughed. “Lola always says you smell like honey, Jess,” she said.

Lola’s nose went woffle woffle again. “And that must be you, Lily,” she said. “You smell like strawberries.”

“Thank you, Lola!” Lily said, laughing. “Are you coming to the Rushy River Race?”

“As soon as we’ve finished our toffee toast,” said Molly. “I’m so excited!”

Jess, Lily, and Goldie set off again, passing other animals on their way to the river. Some carried picnic baskets, some had blankets or umbrellas, and everyone was chattering happily.

“What a beautiful day!” said Lily.

“The Shining House makes sure it’s always sunny and warm here,” Jess remembered happily.

“Thanks to you two,” added Goldie.

The Shining House was cared for by the Flufftail squirrel family, who kept its magic working so that warm, bright sunlight always shone beneath the trees.

But recently, Chilly, Grizelda’s ice dragon, had put a spell on the poor squirrels, and the magic stopped until Jess and Lily found a way to get the blue dragon to reverse his spell.

Goldie pointed through a gap in the trees. “There’s Willowtree River!”

So many animals were crowded at the riverside that the girls could only just see the water, twinkling like a jewel in the sunshine.

“Look!” Goldie pointed her paw. The teams were getting ready by the starting line. The Featherbill duck family chatted beside their pretty blue-and-yellow barge. The Greenhop frog family had brought their widest lily pad, which was the size of Jess’s kitchen table at home, and the Flippershell turtles were lining up, too, each wearing a cap of a different color of the rainbow. Even their rowboat was rainbow-colored!

Jess waved to the Paddlefoot beaver family, who were sitting one behind the other in their orange canoe. On the banks all around, animals were laying out their picnics, and sitting at a judge’s table were three elegant swan sisters. Silvia Whitewing, the eldest, nodded gracefully to the girls when they waved.

Then Goldie turned to Jess and Lily. “There’s one more thing to do before the race can begin. Come on!”

Jess and Lily followed her downstream along the riverbank to a beautifully polished waterwheel. It turned slowly and steadily as its blades paddled through the water, making a lovely splish splish sound.

In front of the waterwheel, a family of hedgehogs were rolling around on the leaves and flowers that littered the riverbank. They spiked the leaves with their prickles, then scurried to shake them off onto a pile, well away from the waterwheel.

One of the smaller hedgehogs scurried over toward the girls.

“It’s Harry Prickleback!” said Lily.

“Hello, Jess and Lily,” said Harry, as two more adorable little hedgehogs looked curiously at the girls. “This is my brother, Herbie. And this is our little sister, Emily.”

Emily was wearing a pretty, sparkly tiara on her head. Lots of leaves and cotton-candy-scented petals were caught in her prickles. “Excuse me,” she said, touching Jess’s knee. “I like your curly yellow hair.”

“Thanks,” said Jess. “I like your tiara!”

“Emily won that in a competition,” Harry explained proudly. “She had to solve a lot of really hard puzzles.”

Lily smiled at Emily. “You must be very smart,” she said.

“Oh, yes,” said Mr. Prickleback proudly. “Our little Emily is really smart!”

Emily’s nose blushed pink.

“Your tiara looks so pretty with the petals on your prickles,” said Lily. “We should decorate our hair like that!”

Emily giggled. “It’s not decoration,” she explained. “It’s work. We collect leaves and petals on our prickles so they don’t clog up the waterwheel.”

Mrs. Prickleback bustled over to help get the leaves off Emily’s back. “The Willowtree River flows when we turn the waterwheel,” she explained. “We have to make sure it never stops, or the river will disappear.”

“Only the Pricklebacks know how to turn the wheel,” Goldie said. “That’s why I’ve come to ask them a favor.”

Mr. Prickleback grinned. “Anything for you, Goldie,” he said.

“Will you make the river flow a little more quickly, please?” she asked. “We want to give the boats a flying start!”

The younger hedgehogs squealed in delight.

“Of course,” said their dad. “Everyone, take your places!”

Lily and Jess grinned at each other happily. They couldn’t wait to see the Pricklebacks in action!