“I think Friendship Forest is in danger.” Goldie lowered her voice so Lucy wouldn’t hear. “A few days ago, I was on my way home with a basket full of berries when I saw a tall woman in a cloak walking through the trees. I was about to say hello, but then she stopped to pick a flower. Its pretty yellow petals went gray, then it turned to dust in her hand!”
Lily gasped. “How horrible! But who was she?”
“I don’t know.” Goldie’s whiskers trembled. “I’m worried she might harm Friendship Forest.”
A shiver ran through Jess. They couldn’t let that happen!
“Don’t worry, Goldie,” Jess said. “If this stranger tries anything, we’ll stop her.”
“You can count on us!” Lily said.
“Thank you,” said Goldie, reaching up to hold the girls’ hands in each of her forepaws. “Here we are! Welcome to my home!”
Chapter Four
Grizelda
The trees opened out to reveal a large, mossy clearing in front of a cave. Set into the front of the cave was a red door with a little window in the shape of the letter G.
Goldie beamed. “This is my grotto!”
Lucy hopped across the clearing, her tiny white tail bobbing. “Look at the Blossom Briar!” she said, sitting on her back legs and peering up.
Lily and Jess followed Lucy’s gaze. Growing beside the cave was a bush as tall as the forest trees. It was covered in huge, colorful flowers as fluffy as pom-poms.
Lily gave a delighted cry. “It’s beautiful!”
“The Blossom Briar is connected to every flower in Friendship Forest,” Goldie explained. “As long as the Blossom Briar blooms, all the flowers in the forest will, too.”
Jess ran to stand beneath the Blossom Briar’s branches, giggling as a football-size yellow flower tickled her face. “It’s like being inside a rainbow!” she called. She took out her sketchbook and started to draw the shape of the flowers.
Lily held Lucy up so she could sniff a purple flower. The little rabbit was quivering with excitement.
Then Lily spotted something strange. An orb of yellow-green light was floating above the Blossom Briar.
“What’s that?” Lily asked.
Goldie’s eyes went wide with alarm. “I don’t know, but I’ve got a bad feeling about it. My fur’s standing on end!”
They all watched the light float down. It hovered in the center of the clearing, casting an eerie glow. Lily could feel Lucy trembling in her arms.
“Quick, hide!” said Goldie. She pushed open the red front door and they ran inside.
Through the window, the girls could see the orb of light growing bigger, then... Cra-ack! It exploded into a shower of green sparks.
The sparks faded to reveal a tall, thin figure wearing a shiny purple tunic over tight black pants. Her high-heeled boots had sharply pointed toes, and her long green hair swirled around her head. A black cloak hung from her shoulders.
“It’s the woman I saw!” Goldie whispered.
Jess felt her tummy tighten into a knot. She glanced at Lily. She could tell from her friend’s wide eyes that she’d had exactly the same thought...
“Goldie,” Jess said, “I think that woman is a witch!”
Goldie frowned. “A witch? What are witches?”
“Bad people who do magic,” Lily said. She felt an icy shiver ripple down her spine. “They’re usually just in stories, but this one’s real...”
Lucy squealed and ran to hide behind Goldie’s bed.
Goldie swallowed. “Stay here.”
She opened the door and stood in front of the witch. “You must leave Friendship Forest at once!” she cried.
The witch’s thin lips curled into a smile, but her eyes glittered coldly. “I don’t think so,” she said with a sneer. “I’ve built a wonderful tower across the Wide Lake, full of darkness and cobwebs. When I climbed to the top, I saw this forest—and now I want it for myself!” She rubbed her hands together. “Of course, I’ll have to get rid of all the animals first.”
“No!” said Goldie bravely. “Friendship Forest is our home!”
Jess could see that the tip of Goldie’s tail was trembling with fear. “We said we’d help Goldie,” she told Lily. “Come on!”
Jess pushed open the door and the girls went and stood next to their friend.
“Goldie’s right,” Jess said, her fists clenched. “Witches don’t belong here! Get out!”
The witch peered down her thin nose at the girls. “Well, what have we here?” she said. “Two silly little human girls. You must be pretty stupid to think you can get the better of Grizelda!”
The witch laughed. The sound echoed around the clearing like terrible crashes of thunder. Lily felt a cold wind whip around her.
“Friendship Forest will be mine, and I know how to get it,” the witch snapped. “I heard what you said about the Blossom Briar, cat. Green is for hair, not leaves! I’ll destroy it—then all the flowers in the forest will die. It will turn gray and miserable, and all the animals will leave!”
Lily shuddered. She couldn’t imagine Friendship Forest without its beautiful flowers. “We won’t let you, Grizelda!” she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
The witch gave another dreadful cackle. “You’re too late. My helpers are already here to start work!”
At that moment, four hideous, lumpy creatures the same size as Lily and Jess crashed through the trees. They wore filthy, ragged clothes, and their fur was a patchwork of dingy green, washed-out blue, and sickly yellow. They smelled like rotting cauliflower.
Grizelda clapped her hands as the creatures gathered around her. “Welcome, Boggits—my messiest and most loyal helpers. If you tear down the silly Blossom Briar, you can have that cave as your new home!” She turned to Goldie. “You’d better find somewhere else to live, cat. You and your humans can’t stop me!”
And with that, Grizelda snapped her fingers and vanished in another shower of sparks.
Chapter Five
Bunny-napped!
The girls stared at each other in dismay. Then Goldie bravely walked up to the Boggits.
“I live in this grotto,” she said politely. “But I’m sure we can find you a new home somewhere else.”
The first Boggit shook his grubby head. “Boggits been living in a mud pool by Grizelda’s tower. This grotto be much better once Boggits make it good and messy!”
“But you can’t steal Goldie’s home!” Jess protested.
“Or hurt the Blossom Briar!” added Lily.
The second Boggit snorted. “Boggits not listen to nosy humans. I be starting with nasty flowers now.”
“Ladies first, Pongo,” growled a girl Boggit, elbowing him out of the way.
“Ow, Whiffy, that hurt!” yelled Pongo.
Whiffy took no notice. She jumped up at the Blossom Briar, ripping off a flower.
“Stop!” shouted Lily.
The Boggits just laughed. “Haargh! Haargh!”
“Now rip down them other flowers,” shouted Pongo. “Come on, Sniff! Over here, Reek!”
“No!” shouted a little voice.
Lucy had come out of Goldie’s grotto. The tiny rabbit’s whiskers were quivering with fear, but she hopped up to the Boggits.
“Leave the Blossom Briar alone!” cried the little rabbit.
“Lucy, go back inside!” called Goldie.
But before Lucy could move, Pongo scooped the rabbit up in his big, smelly paw. Lucy squirmed, her ears shaking with fright.