Bella Tabbypaw in Trouble

Chapter Seven Monster!

Jess whispered in Bella’s ear.

The kitten’s eyes grew wide.

“Go on,” said Jess when she’d finished. “Goggles on, you brave explorer.”

Bella scampered to the middle of the cavern just as the Boggits returned, grumbling about mystery noises.

“Boggits!” cried Bella. “I’ve remembered something scary.”

Reek snorted. “Boggits isn’t scared.”

The others laughed. “Haargh! Haargh!”

“Shh!” said Bella. “You’ll wake it.”

“Wake what?” growled Reek.

“The monster!” said Bella. “The Boggit-eating monster!”

“No such thing.” Pongo scoffed.

But Sniff grunted nervously. “What if there really is monster?”

Whiffy looked down. “Whiffy’s knees is knocking.”

“No monster.” Pongo growled. “Kittycat, find cracked pillars. Boggits, get bashing!”

Beneath the overhanging rock, Jess explained her plan to the others.

“Bella’s given them the idea of a monster,” she whispered. “Now it’s up to us to make one!”

They gathered in a line, arms around one another’s waists. Lily and Jess were at the top, so the shadow monster would have two heads and four front legs. The fox cubs were next, so it seemed to have eight more little legs. Goldie was at the back, bent over like a great hump.

When Bella saw Lily give the thumbs-up, she sneaked back over.

Lily whispered, “Wakey, wakey, little glowworms. Rise and shine! It’s glowtime!” and handed the lanterns to the plucky kitten.

Bella crept back to the Boggits.

The lantern’s light grew from a glimmer to a golden glow. Bella shone it on the friends, casting a huge monster-shadow on the wall.

Lily and Jess roared and wobbled their heads, making the shadow heads rear back and forth. The fox cubs stamped and howled.

“Aaaargh!” screeched Reek.

“Monster attack!” shrieked Pongo. “Run!”

The shadow monster roared and lashed its tail.

“Don’t eat me!” begged Sniff. “Eat Whiffy!”

“No! I be thin and bony,” bellowed Whiffy. “Eat Sniff! Sniff be tasty!”

They fought, pushed, and scrambled to escape the monster. At last, they found a tunnel and stampeded down it, shrieking.

The group of friends, with Bella in tow, followed the Boggits down one tunnel, then another, roaring and howling.

Goldie sniffed. “There’s a horrible smell coming from up ahead,” she called over the roars.

“That’s the swamp,” cried Rusty. “It’s all mud and stink.”

“If we can chase them into it,” Lily said, “maybe they’ll be so happy to find mud that they won’t come back to smash the pillars!”

“Great idea,” said Jess.

Roaring and howling some more, the shadow monster lurched on down the tunnel behind the Boggits. They thundered along, shrieking in fright, and ran out into the gray light.

Lily, Jess, Goldie, and the others waited in the tunnel until the Boggits’ yells died down. Then they crept outside. The Boggits were tramping into the swamp.

Pongo spotted them and roared in fury. “Boggits been tricked!” he bellowed. “Get them!”

But the other Boggits ignored him.

Whiffy grabbed handfuls of the gloop oozing around her. “Lovely!” she said, rubbing it into her fur.

Sniff and Reek sloshed mud over each other.

“Better than Boggits’ muddy pool,” said Reek happily. He flung himself on his back and sank into the mud, shouting, “LOVELY swamp!” He stood up, gloop oozing down his nose.

Even Pongo agreed. “Swamp is enormous,” he said and dove in head first. “Wheeee!”

“I think we’re safe,” Jess whispered. “Goldie, the Boggits love the swamp so much, perhaps we can talk them into staying here?”

Lily hugged her. “That’s a terrific idea!” she said. “Grizelda was going to give them a new home if they ruined Friendship Forest, so they’d obviously be happy to move.”

“It’s a wonderful idea,” Goldie agreed. “If they’re happy here, they’d have no reason to do what Grizelda wants. But it will take some work to turn the swamp into the perfect Boggit home. We’re going to need help.”

“Send a flyer,” suggested Jess. “Lots of flyers!”

Goldie put her paws together like wings and fluttered them. The fox cubs and Bella did the same, then Jess and Lily fluttered their hands.

A moment later, a large yellow butterfly perched on Goldie’s shoulder.

“Hello, Flitta,” said the cat.

A purple butterfly settled on Goldie’s other shoulder.

“Hi, Hermia,” said Jess, remembering her from their adventure rescuing Molly Twinkletail.

Soon they were surrounded by a cloud of butterflies. Their rainbow colors swirled as they danced around one another, chattering in tiny, tinkly voices. Jess and Lily caught some of what they were saying.

“That smell! Oh, dear!”

“I know! Enough to make your wings droop.”

“You can see why,” trilled another. “B-O-G-G-I-T-S.”

Goldie giggled. “Butterflies,” she said, “please ask all the animals to bring supplies—anything suitable for a Boggit home.”

As the butterflies flew away, the girls heard Hermia tell Flitta, “The animals won’t have to think very hard. They can just bring their garbage cans!” and they both laughed.