Evie Scruffypup’s Big Surprise

Chapter Four Ellie’s Surprise

Mrs. Scruffypup dabbed her eyes. “Let me see... Evie’s favorite food is blossom drops,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “But those horrible Witchy Waste creatures have taken them all.”

“Don’t cry,” Lily said. “Maybe the Nibblesqueaks will make some more.”

“Of course we will!” Olivia said. “But we’ll need lots more honeysuckle. It takes twenty blossoms to make one single blossom drop.”

Mr. Scruffypup’s ears pricked up. “Follow me,” he said. “I know where we can find some!”

Goldie, the girls, and all the other animals followed him around Petal Hill to a tall tree. It was covered in curling stems of honeysuckle, but all the flowers on the lower branches had been picked. The rest were too high to reach, even for the girls.

“Oh, no! How can we get those flowers?” asked Jess.

“I know!” cried Lily. “Mr. Cleverfeather, can you use your Petal Puffer to blow them off?”

“Of course!” the owl said. “Anything to help little Evie Puffyscrup!”

He aimed the Puffer upward and pressed the button.

Shoo-woosh!

Honeysuckle flowers blew into the air and showered down.

All the animals hurried around gathering the flowers, and the girls soon had arms full of blossoms. It was like holding a soft, scented cloud.

Hattie bounded over, clutching a little basket. Lily and Jess filled it up to the brim with flowers.

“Olivia’s too little to carry the basket,” Hattie said, “so I’ll take it back to the bakery for her.”

She and Olivia ran off into the trees.

“That’s Evie’s favorite food figured out,” said Goldie. “Now, what’s her favorite hobby?”

“Collecting things!” said Mrs. Scruffypup. “Evie’s bedroom’s full of her collections. Come and see.”

They went back to the Scruffypups’ den, and Mr. and Mrs. Scruffypup led them upstairs to a pretty pink bedroom. The shelves and a little desk were crammed with pretty things. On the windowsill was a pressed leaf collection, and beside the bed was a pile of acorns. Hanging from the ceiling was a collection of nuts, which were strung together on grass stalks.

Goldie gazed around the room. “These are wonderful,” she said. “But which is Evie’s favorite?”

Mrs. Scruffypup’s face lit up. “That’s easy!” she exclaimed.

She crouched down, lifted the edge of Evie’s frilled quilt cover and felt around beneath the bed. After a few moments, she stood up again.

“That’s funny,” Mrs. Scruffypup said. She looked around with a puzzled expression. “Evie’s favorite is her jewel collection. She keeps it in a little woven basket under her bed, but it’s gone. Maybe she left it behind the last time she went to get more jewels?”

Mr. Scruffypup gave a yap of worry. “If we can’t find Evie’s favorite collection, Goldie and the girls can’t help her.”

“We won’t give up,” Lily said determinedly. “Where does Evie go to find the jewels?”

“The cavern beneath Toadstool Glade, I think,” Mrs. Scruffypup said.

“Of course!” said Jess. “It’s got jewels on the ceiling! We saw them during our adventure with Bella Tabbypaw. Don’t worry, we’ll save Evie!”

Lily, Jess, and Goldie hurried from Petal Hill, making their way through the forest toward Toadstool Glade.

On the way, they passed the Treasure Tree, where the forest animals got all the food they needed. A tiny pair of red boots stood at the bottom.

“Quack, quack, quack!” said an unhappy voice above them. Ellie Featherbill the duckling swung down on one of the ropes that dangled from the tree.

“Hello, Ellie!” said Lily. “What’s the matter?”

The duckling hugged the girls. “I came to get blackberries for Mom to make a pie,” she explained, “but they’re all gone!”

Jess held Ellie’s wingtip to help her balance while she put her boots on.

Ellie put one foot in.

Squelch!

“Yuck!’ she said, and her feathers quivered. She pulled her foot out. It was covered in squished blackberry. “Yucky!” she quacked, and jumped up and down, trying to shake the mess off.

The girls peered inside Ellie’s boots. They were full of blackberries!

“That was a nasty surprise!” said Jess. “You poor thing!”

Ellie looked upset. “Who would be horrible enough to do that?”

The girls and Goldie shared a glance.

“Evie loves surprises, doesn’t she?” said Lily. “It must be her and Masha!”