Evie Scruffypup’s Big Surprise

Chapter Three Masha’s Spell

“Come on!” cried Lily as she, Jess, and Goldie ran into the den.

The Witchy Waste creatures were hurtling around the Scruffypups’ kitchen. Snippit the crow flapped his tattered wings at Lola Velvetnose the mole. She’d dropped her big purple-framed glasses and didn’t see him until he was right next to her. She shrieked and knocked over some saucepans. “This way, Lola!” called Goldie, helping her to the door.

Masha the rat waved her straw hat as she pushed the kitchen chairs over. “Yee-ha!” she cried. “This is fun!”

Lily scooped Olivia Nibblesqueak out of the teacup she was hiding inside. “You’re safe now,” she told the tiny hamster, as she carried her outside and placed her on the grass.

“Stop it! You’re scaring everyone!” Jess shouted.

Hopper the toad crawled out from under the kitchen table. She poked her wide, flat tongue out at Jess. Peep the bat landed on a shelf, giggling as he sent a stack of plates crashing to the floor. “Lovely mess!” he squeaked.

There were frightened cries from outside the den. Through the window, the girls saw a familiar yellow-green orb floating over Petal Hill.

“Oh, no!” groaned Lily, as they ran back out of the den.

Cra-ack! The orb burst into smelly yellow-green sparks.

Mr. Cleverfeather flapped backward as the sparks cleared, revealing Grizelda in her purple tunic. Her skinny black pants were tucked into shiny boots with thin high heels. The witch’s green hair hung around her shoulders like wet seaweed as she threw back her head, cackling.

“It’s the meddling girls and the interfering cat,” Grizelda said. “You might have stopped Peep’s fun, but Masha, Snippit, and Hopper haven’t cast their spells yet.” Her dark eyes glittered as she pointed at the watching animals with a bony finger. “Soon Masha will use her magic on one of you—then you’ll turn into a messy rat, too!”

Jess, Lily, and Goldie stood their ground as the animals ran and hid, squealing.

Grizelda laughed. “The spell will make whoever it touches love messiness as much as Masha and her friends. Soon, the forest will be filled with creatures who love messiness and dirt! Friendship Forest will become so filthy that all you silly animals will have to leave. Ha-haa!”

Jess shouted bravely, “You won’t win!”

“We’ll see about that!” Grizelda snapped her fingers and disappeared in a burst of spitting sparks.

The animals were staring at each other in horror. A flash of movement caught Lily’s eye—Masha the rat was scuttling toward Evie!

“Look out!” Lily yelled.

But Masha had already reached the little puppy. She turned around and shook her long pink tail. A shower of purple sparks cascaded over Evie.

Goldie’s paws flew to her mouth. “Oh, no!” she cried.

Evie shook her fluffy fur. She sat still for a moment, but she looked exactly the same as she had before.

“Maybe nothing will happen,” said Jess hopefully.

But then Evie gave a yip. She darted to Bella Tabbypaw, snatched her blossom drop package, and threw the sweets all over the ground. “Look, a nice mess!” she cried.

“Oh, no,” said Goldie, “poor Evie already thinks she’s a messy rat!”

“Hee-hee!” giggled Masha. “Let’s take them all!” Evie and the Witchy Waste creatures ran into the trees, taking the rest of the stolen blossom drops with them.

“Come back!” called Mr. Scruffypup. But Evie had disappeared into the forest.

Evie’s mom gave a horrified cry and grasped the girls’ hands in her paws. “What shall we do?”

Jess hugged her. “Don’t worry,” she said. “We’ll get Evie back.”

“We helped Olivia Nibblesqueak, remember?” said Lily, putting an arm around Hattie.

“That’s right,” said Goldie. “We found a spell in Mrs. Taptree’s library when Olivia started behaving like a bat. It stopped the messy magic before and it can do it again!”

Jess reached into her pocket and pulled out the mini-sketchbook she always carried with her.

“I copied it down,” she said, flipping through the pages. “Listen—it’s a spell to turn you back to your normal self.

Hattie Scruffypup’s face brightened. “So we need to find Evie’s favorite things?”

“Exactly!” Lily beamed. “If we do that, we can save her!”