Grace Woollyhop’s Musical Mystery

Chapter One A Stolen Scarf

One bright Saturday morning, Jess Forester sat at the kitchen table in the cottage where she lived with her dad. She and her best friend, Lily Hart, were sewing colorful knitted squares together.

“A few more stitches and the blanket will be finished!” said Jess.

Mr. Forester came in with a bucket of apples. “How’s the knitting going?” he asked as he kicked off his boots.

Lily and Jess proudly held up their handiwork.

“That’s excellent—much better than I could do!” said Mr. Forester.

“It’s for a foal with a bad cold,” said Lily. “He’s one of our patients.”

Lily lived across the road from Jess. But her house wasn’t just an ordinary home—her parents ran the Helping Paw Wildlife Hospital in a barn in their yard. Both girls adored animals and spent as much time looking after the patients as they could.

“Finished!” said Jess, snipping the last thread. “We’ll take it to Helping Paw now. See you later, Dad!”

The girls hurried to the Harts’ yard. Although it was sunny, there was a slight chill in the air. Leaves drifted from the trees, and their brilliant autumn colors glowed in the sunlight.

As Jess and Lily hurried past the outside cages, they smiled to see rabbits nibbling crisp lettuce, snoozing squirrels, and a cheeky-faced fox cub with a bandaged leg.

“They’re warm enough now,” said Lily, “but it’ll get colder soon. We’d better knit lots more snuggly blankets!”

Before they reached the paddock, they heard a funny sound.

Chooff!

Jess glanced at Lily. “What could that be?” she wondered.

A foal’s brown face peered out from a wooden shelter. As he trotted over to the fence, he sneezed. “Chooff!”

“Aww, poor you,” said Lily, stroking his soft cheek.

The foal shook his long brown mane. Then he put his nose to the blanket and sniffed.

“He likes it!” said Jess.

The girls gently laid the blanket over the foal’s back, and he whinnied softly.

“He’s saying thank you,” Lily giggled.

Just then, rustling noises came from a nearby drift of fallen leaves. “Maybe it’s a squirrel,” said Jess. “Those leaves are just the kind of place they usually hide in.”

But when the leaves shook again, two pointed ears appeared, and out stepped a beautiful golden cat.

“Goldie!” Lily cried.

The cat curled around their legs, purring happily.

The girls bent to pet her. Goldie was their magical friend! She’d taken them on lots of adventures in a secret place called Friendship Forest. It was a world where all the woodland animals lived in adorable little cottages and dens. And best of all, they could talk!

Goldie bounded to the gate.

Jess’s eyes sparkled. “She’s taking us back to Friendship Forest!”

Goldie led them toward Brightley Stream at the bottom of the yard. They skipped over the stepping stones that crossed the water, and ran toward a lifeless old tree right in the middle of Brightley Meadow.

The Friendship Tree!

As Goldie reached it, the bare branches burst into life. New leaves sprang from every twig. Two young squirrels raced up and down the tree, gathering their winter hoard of brown acorns, and a trio of trilling bluebirds swooped among the branches, nibbling fat red berries.

Goldie touched a paw to the trunk. Instantly, letters appeared, carved into the bark.

The girls joined hands. Shivering with excitement, they read the words aloud. “Friendship Forest!”

A small door appeared in the trunk. Jess grasped the leaf-shaped handle and opened it.

Shimmering light shone out as Goldie went inside.

Jess and Lily shared a smile, then followed her into the golden glow. A tingle ran right through them. They knew that meant they were growing smaller, just a little.

Lily squeezed Jess’s hand. “It’s so exciting!” she whispered.

The light faded, and the girls found themselves in a beautiful forest clearing. Sunlight shone through the branches and dappled the ground.

It was much warmer than chilly Brightley, and the air was scented with cotton-candy flowers and climbing dandyroses.

And there was Goldie, standing upright and smiling! She ran to hug them. “Now that we’re in Friendship Forest, I can talk to you!” she cried, her green eyes shining.

Jess was puzzled. “But where is your glittery golden scarf, Goldie?” she asked. “You always wear it!”

Goldie looked serious. “Someone snatched it and used it to wipe slime over the windows of the Toadstool Café,” she said. “I found it in Toadstool Glade, but I’m afraid it’s ruined.”

Lily was shocked. “Who would do that?” she gasped.

“Hopper the toad,” Goldie replied.

Hopper was one of Grizelda’s four helpers. Grizelda was a witch who was always causing trouble in the forest. She had found Hopper and the others at the Witchy Waste, which used to be a lovely water garden with ponds, streams, and flowers until Hopper and her friends messed it up. Grizelda had given the four creatures a magic spell which had the power to turn one of the forest animals into a messy creature, too. Together they would spoil the forest, just like the water garden. All the good animals would be driven away and Grizelda could have Friendship Forest to herself!

Lily and Jess had already helped stop Peep the bat’s, Masha the rat’s, and Snippit the crow’s spells from working, but Hopper the toad hadn’t cast hers yet.

“The Friendship Forest concert will be at Harmony Hall later today,” said Goldie. “I’m worried that Hopper will try to ruin it.”

Jess nodded. “I remember Grizelda saying that Hopper is the messiest creature of all.”

“You’re right,” said Lily. “We’ve got to find Hopper before she casts her spell—or Friendship Forest will be ruined!”