Rosie Gigglepip’s Lucky Escape

Chapter Eight Surprises

Saffire strode up to the tree where the Gigglepips were trapped. She opened her huge mouth, but instead of a roar, she let out a stream of bubbles. They floated around the tornado, and as they burst in a shimmer of sparkles, the whirling wind vanished. In a flash Mr. and Mrs. Gigglepip, Josie, and Posie were standing safely on a branch, free at last.

Rosie squealed with delight. “Thank you!” she cried.

Saffire dipped her nose toward the guinea pigs. “Climb on,” she said with a smile.

The four Gigglepips hopped onto the dragon’s nose, and she carefully lowered them to where Rosie was waiting.

“We’re so happy to see you!” cried Mr. Gigglepip.

“Thank you so much for looking after Rosie!” said Mrs. Gigglepip.

“And for saving us!” squeaked Posie and Josie.

“It’s about time we stopped this terrible storm,” said Mr. Gigglepip. “Come on—let’s fix the Whirligig. Everyone inside and hold tight to a whirler!”

Jess and Lily peeped through the doorway and watched each guinea pig take hold of a whirler, which was like a spinning top. Some whirlers were big and some small, and the Gigglepips darted from one to the other, spinning them, stopping them, then spinning again.

“That’s complicated!” said Jess. “No wonder only the Gigglepips can take care of the Whirligig.”

The sails began to slow down. As they did so, the wind began to drop. “It’s working!” cried Lily.

The rain stopped, the sun came out, and a rainbow arched across the sky. A soft breeze blew gently through the trees.

“Finally! The storm’s over!” said Jess happily, shaking out her tangled curls while Lily shrugged off her cape.

“Look,” cried Goldie. “All the animals are coming out!”

A family of blue birds flapped their wings dry and turned their faces to the sun. Lola Velvetnose strolled over, whistling cheerfully. Lily and Jess waved as the Prickleback family gathered around the Whirligig, drying off their spines. “Sunshine at last!” called Mrs. Prickleback. “Now, what can we do to help clean up?”

Before long, all the forest creatures were busy cleaning up the mess made by the storm. The young dragons flew back and forth, taking fallen branches to Mr. Cleverfeather, the owl, for him to use in his inventions. Saffire breathed warm air into the Toadstool Café to dry it out, then lifted the roof and put it back on.

As dusk fell, the forest was almost back to normal.

Mr. Longwhiskers hopped onto a tree stump. “Everyone’s invited to a celebration at the Toadstool Café,” he shouted. “And the dragons will be our special guests!”

Soon the girls, Goldie, the Gigglepips, the four baby dragons, and all the animals were sitting around tables outside the Toadstool Café. Saffire sat nearby, looking proud and happy.

“My children were very naughty,” the dragon said, “but Jess, Lily, and Goldie understood that Grizelda made them behave like that. To say thank you, I have a gift for you all. Look!”

She breathed a long stream of sparks of every color imaginable, up into the darkening sky.

The animals watched, amazed, as the sparks formed into whirling, spinning, shooting patterns, filling the night with glittering, sparkling light.

“Wow!” said Jess.

“It’s the best firework display ever!” cried Lily.

When it was over, Saffire said, “Now I must take my little ones home.”

The young dragons clung to her, looking upset.

“But Grizelda’s spell means we can’t fly out of the forest,” said Smudge anxiously.

Saffire smiled. “Climb onto my back,” she said, stretching out her rainbow-colored wings. “No spell can stop me flying!”

Moments later, the dragon family soared into the sky, calling, “Bye, Lily and Jess! Bye, Goldie!”

Once they were out of sight, Lily sighed. “I guess it’s time for us to go home, too.”

She and Jess hugged Rosie, the Gigglepips, and all their other friends. Then, waving good-bye, they followed Goldie through the trees.

“The forest looks lovely again,” said Jess. The last raindrops were glittering like diamonds on a starflower bush.

“And look, the Friendship Tree’s golden leaves are as beautiful as ever,” said Lily, as they arrived.

Goldie took their hands in her paws. “The forest is safe thanks to you!”

Jess and Lily exchanged glances.

“Grizelda will probably come up with a horrible new plan,” said Lily.

“But we’ll be ready to stop her,” added Jess firmly.

Goldie smiled. “I know you will.”

She touched a paw to the tree trunk, and a door appeared.

The girls hugged her, then stepped inside, into the shimmering light.

When the golden glow disappeared, Jess and Lily found themselves back in Brightley Meadow.

“What an adventure!” said Jess, as they walked back to Helping Paw.

“It was amazing!” Lily said with a grin. They went into the barn and peeped into Coco’s hutch. The guinea pig was asleep in her nest of sweet-smelling hay. But there was something else there, too, nestling beside her.

“She had a baby!” whispered Lily.

Jess grinned. “So that’s why she wasn’t feeling right!”

The tiny creature was a little smaller than Lily’s hand, and had golden-brown fur. She blinked up at the girls.

“She’s so pretty!” said Lily.

Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Hart came into the barn, too.

“Mom! Dad!” said Lily. “Guess what? Coco had a baby!”

Mr. and Mrs. Hart just smiled.

Lily gasped. “You knew!”

“We wanted it to be a surprise,” said Mr. Hart, with a grin.

“Jess has her kitten, Pixie,” said Mrs. Hart, “so we thought it would be nice for you to have a pet, too. Would you like to keep the baby?” she asked. “And Coco, too, of course, if no one claims her.”

Lily hugged her parents. “Yes, please! Thank you!” she said happily.

Jess was thrilled for her. “What will you call the baby?”

Lily looked at the tiny creature. “Her fur’s lovely and golden,” she said, “so I think I’ll call her Honey—Honey Rose!”

Jess grinned. “Perfect!”

As Mr. and Mrs. Hart started cleaning out the other hutches, Coco woke up and nuzzled Honey.

Lily laughed. “She’s such a good mom, just like Saffire!”

“I hope Goldie visits us again soon,” Jess said.

“Me, too,” Lily agreed.

They shared a smile. They couldn’t wait for their next adventure in Friendship Forest!

The End