Grace Woollyhop’s Musical Mystery

Chapter Three Hopper’s Spell

Grizelda snatched the woolly hat and put it on. Her hair dangled limply beneath it like wet seaweed. “Ha-ha!” she cackled. “When this shop is mine, I’ll make myself new clothes every day!”

Mrs. Woollyhop gave a sad bleat from behind the rail of sweaters. “Our shop is for all the animals, not just you!” she said.

Grizelda cackled again. “Now the fun starts!” she sneered.

She turned to the girls and clicked her fingers. There was a puff of smoke that smelled like rotting cabbage.

When it cleared, there stood the four creatures from the Witchy Waste—Masha the rat with her ragged straw hat, Snippit the crow in his scruffy waistcoat, and Peep the bat with his wonky tie. Hopper the toad, wearing her necklace, waddled toward the girls, leaving a trail of green slime across the floor.

Goldie pulled Jess and Lily away.

Grizelda scowled. “You girls and that cat stopped my other creatures’ spells from working, but you won’t stop Hopper.” She turned to the toad. “Cast your spell!”

Just then a ball of wool rolled out onto the floor in front of the toad. Grace poked her head out from behind the sweaters. “Oops,” she whispered.

“Hide, Grace!” called Goldie.

But it was too late. Hopper had spotted her! The toad sprang toward Grace and she froze, looking terrified.

“Grace, run!” shouted Jess.

But the lamb’s legs were shaking too much. “Maa!” she bleated.

Before anyone could move, Hopper’s long, flat tongue flicked out. Immediately, purple sparks showered over poor Grace.

“Oh, no!” cried Lily. “Hopper’s cast her spell. Now Grace will start making messes just like a toad!”

The sparks faded. For a moment, the lamb’s sweet woolly face looked surprised. Then she grinned and bounded around the shop, knocking over the rest of the balls of wool that were stacked up in neat piles. They tumbled down and unraveled, making a tangled mess all over the floor.

“Maa!” Grace bleated.

Hopper gave a croaky laugh, and Grizelda cackled nastily.

Mr. Woollyhop reached out to catch Grace, but she slipped under the loom and out the other side.

“My poor little Grace!” bleated Mrs. Woollyhop. “Look what that toad has done to her!”

The Witchy Waste creatures headed for the door, followed by Grace. The girls dived to catch her as she passed, but the little lamb wriggled free, and the five creatures raced outside.

“Go!” Grizelda shrieked. “Make the forest a slimy mess!” She snapped her fingers and disappeared.

Mrs. Woollyhop burst into tears.

“Paaaa,” Hamish bleated, “bring Grace back!”

Mr. Woollyhop shook his head. “I don’t know what to do,” he bleated. “She’s under a spell.”

“Don’t worry, we know a spell, too!” said Jess. “It can break Hopper’s magic and turn Grace back to her normal self!”

“We used it to help Olivia Nibblesqueak the hamster and Evie Scruffypup,” said Lily.

“And Chloe Slipperslide the otter,” added Jess. “Let’s hope it works for Grace, too!” She pulled her little sketchbook from her pocket and read out the spell.

Hamish put his tiny trembling hoof in Lily’s hand. “What does it mean?” he whispered.

“We have to find Grace’s favorite food,” Lily explained, “and something to do with her favorite hobby, and something that shows her biggest secret. We’ll gather those in her favorite place and chant the words that will undo Hopper’s spell.”

Jess tucked her book away. “What’s Grace’s favorite food?”

The Woollyhops looked at one another—and shook their heads.

“She has a new favorite every week,” said Mrs. Woollyhop. “Last week it was clover muffins, and the week before that it was buttercup biscuits. So this week it could be anything!”

“I don’t know what her secret is, either,” said Mr. Woollyhop sadly.

But Hamish gave a cry. “We do know her favorite hobby, though! It’s playing the tambourine. She’s really excited about playing in the concert later.” His face fell. “At least, she was going to.”

Lily hugged him. “We’ll make sure she can,” she said. “We need Grace’s tambourine for the spell!”

“She leaves it at her music teacher’s house!” said Hamish. “That’s Melody Sweetsong the nightingale,” he explained.

Goldie’s face lit up. “I know where she lives!” she cried. “Come on!”

“Good luck!” called the Woollyhops as the girls followed Goldie out of the shop.

As they hurried through the trees, they saw a slimy trail where Hopper must have passed. Scraps of raspberry-pink wool were stuck in the green slime.

“What a horrible mess!” said Lily in dismay.

“Hurry!” cried Jess. “We have to stop Hopper and Grace, or the forest will be completely covered in slime!”