Rapunzel Cuts Loose, page 8
part #4 of Grimmtastic Girls Series
Dozens of portraits hung on one of its walls, including seven in carved golden frames that were grouped together in the center. For some reason, one of those seven was covered with a drape, so the painting it held couldn’t be seen.
Around the portraits and elsewhere along the walls, the polished bookshelves were stuffed with things belonging to the Grimm brothers. A sign on one shelf read:
Protected here are the writings of the
Grimm brothers, Charles Perrault,
Hans Christian Andersen, L. Frank Baum,
Lewis Carroll, Andrew Lang, Edmund Dulac,
Mother Goose, and other great works of
fairy tale, folklore, and nursery rhyme.
“What’ll happen to this room if the Society gets its way? If E.V.I.L.’s leader takes over the Academy?” Cinda wondered aloud. “We can’t forget what Ms. Wicked’s datebook said they have planned for Monday.” She pitched her voice to sound evil. “GA is ours!”
Rapunzel shivered. “We’ll stop them. Somehow. We have to!”
All around them, objects were moving about the room under their own power. A pair of shiny red patent leather shoes over in one corner were dancing to music the girls couldn’t hear. A bunch of checkers were slowly and aimlessly floating around like black and red snowflakes.
A feather pen kept dipping itself in a bottle of ink that sat on the huge, ornate desk. Above the desk hung the Grimm brothers’ splendid coat of arms, which looked like a big shield with various gold emblems on it. Cinda and Rapunzel eyed it warily.
“I don’t see anything, do you?” Rapunzel whispered. “No eyeballs or noses? No hazy mist?”
“No,” Cinda agreed, and they both breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, a pair of spectacles with round lenses lifted off the desk. They flew over and set themselves on Rapunzel’s face. Startled, she reached out to remove them, but they’d already taken themselves off. They flew back to the desk and gradually lowered until they came to rest on it again. Right beside a box of index cards labeled STOLEN ARTIFACTS.
“See if you can figure out where this goes. Ms. Goose said it belongs in here somewhere,” said Rapunzel, handing Cinda the xylophone. “While you do that, I’ll file those missing artifacts cards on the desk over there in alphabetical order like she asked me to.”
After handing Cinda the net bag containing the xylophone, Rapunzel went over and sat down in the big leather desk chair. She opened the file box. To her surprise, there were easily more than a dozen cards inside.
Still holding the bagged xylophone, Cinda came to look over her shoulder at the cards. “Each of those is for an artifact that has gone missing? But I only thought a few had been stolen, beginning this year.”
“Me, too,” said Rapunzel, thumbing through them. “But there’s a missing golden apple, a horn, a jack-in-the-box. I count seventeen things that have disappeared from the library in all.” As she began organizing the cards, Cinda went over to a display of musical instruments.
“Oops!” said Cinda. Rapunzel looked over to see that she had almost tripped over a metal wind-up toy hedgehog about eight inches tall that was lumbering around on the floor. Finding a blank space on a shelf of musical instruments just big enough for the xylophone, Cinda carefully set it between a lute, a glockenspiel, and a tambourine, then came back to the desk.
By that time, Rapunzel had alphabetized all seventeen cards. “Look!” she told Cinda, a chill sweeping her. “There’s a date on each card, showing when the artifacts went missing. They were stolen in alphabetical order over the last six years.”
The girls stared at each other. “What could it mean?” asked Cinda. Then her eyes shifted upward. She sucked in a sharp breath and began backing away from the desk.
Rapunzel followed her gaze to the coat of arms hanging on the wall. As she stared at the shield within the coat of arms, something changed. All at once, a small, roundish area of the shield went misty and foggy. Transparent, almost! And then … what was that … was there a nose showing through? She jumped up and hugged Cinda. Together they stood shivering, too mesmerized to unglue their gaze from the coat of arms.
“It’s happening again,” Cinda whispered in a scared voice.
“I know,” whispered Rapunzel. Slowly, they began backing toward the door.
Suddenly, a hand reached out of the coat of arms, then an actual arm. “The … X … too,” an ancient voice whispered.
“Ahhh!” Both girls shrieked. They took off at a run. Rapunzel hopped over the wind-up hedgehog on her way out. They ran all the way to the G section, where they came upon Red and Snow waiting for them to start gown shopping. Breathlessly, they told them what had happened and about the seventeen objects that had been stolen in ABC order.
Snow gasped. “That makes so much sense! When I captured the Pied Piper’s pipe, it had collected a trail of six artifacts. In line order, they were a chess piece, a ruby ring, the spoon and silver dish, a man’s tie, an umbrella, and a vase. See what I mean? They were in alphabetical order after the P for Peter Peter’s pumpkin: Q R S T U V!”
“Chess piece is a C, though, not a Q,” Cinda commented.
“But it was the white queen piece, remember?” Snow countered. “A Q artifact.”
“I guess E.V.I.L. must’ve already collected A through O before we even noticed them stealing artifacts,” Red noted.
“There’s something I don’t get. The last two object cards in the file box were the pail and the pumpkin,” said Rapunzel. “Why do you think two Ps were stolen?”
“Maybe my stepsisters duplicated the P theft by accident, trying to score points with the Society by stealing the pumpkin,” suggested Cinda. “Maybe meanwhile, someone else was already plotting to steal the pail to stall Principal R’s alchemy experiments instead?”
“Yeah, who knows? But since Snow foiled E.V.I.L.’s attempt to use the Pied Piper’s pipe to steal more artifacts, I’m guessing they’ll be trying again. Starting over with Q.”
“The real question is, why is E.V.I.L. trying to steal artifacts in alphabetical order at all?” asked Rapunzel. Then her breath caught as an answer came to her. “Maybe once they have artifacts A through Z, the spell protecting the wall around Grimmlandia will be weakened enough that their leader can break through it!”
The other three Grimm girls stared at her. “Oh, no,” whispered Cinda.
“Should we tell someone? Ms. Goose? Principal R?” Snow asked uncertainly.
“The Enchantress!” said Red. Grandmother Enchantress was one of the most ancient and powerful people in the entire realm. A sister to the Grimm brothers, she was also Wolfgang’s great-great-grandmother. She sometimes appeared to the girls in a special crystal ball that he’d recently hidden in the library’s Crystal Room.
Rapunzel and her friends ran there, only to have their hopes dashed. Though they searched high and low among small crystal animals like unicorns and big crystal chandeliers and candelabras, they didn’t find the Enchantress’s crystal ball.
“What now?” asked Red.
“We agreed not to trust anyone with what we know,” said Rapunzel. “I say we keep it that way. Because if we accidentally tip off someone in the E.V.I.L. Society, there’s no telling what’ll happen.”
“Agreed,” said Cinda. “So let’s just pick out our gowns and slippers, and then take the mapestry to the island again like we planned.”
The Grimm girls quickly chose slippers and gowns for the ball and tagged them to pick up later. Afterward, Rapunzel got the mapestry from her wall hiding place and met Snow, Cinda, and Red by the swan boats at the drawbridge. Together, they sailed over to Heart Island in hopes of finding riches to save the school and defeat E.V.I.L. Before the Monday deadline hinted at on Ms. Wicked’s calendar!
But after hours of searching the heart-shaped fountains on the back lawn, the croquet field, and the picnic area near the gazebos, they were back at the Academy again, disappointed and tired. They still hadn’t found any treasure. If the festival didn’t earn enough money, what would happen to their beloved school? Was it doomed to be closed and turned evil in just two more days?
It was Saturday, the day of the festival. Despite not having found the treasure, and despite the upheaval of the last few days, Rapunzel was excited. She and her friends had planned and worked so hard on this event. She really hoped it would be a success!
“Come on, Mordred!” she called. She grabbed her black bag, which was full of prize ribbons for the pet show. The cat followed her out of the Academy as she went to meet her three Grimm girl friends in the Bouquet Garden so they could all go to Heart Island together. Plus, they’d agreed to help transport some additional bouquets Mary Mary Quite Contrary had picked to decorate the island’s amphitheater.
An extraordinary variety of flowers grew in the garden — roses, tulips, lilies, daisies, carnations, orchids, and dozens more. Unlike most flowers, however, these actually bloomed in ready-made assorted-flower bouquets.
Red, Snow, Cinda, and Mary Mary were already setting bouquets in carts when Rapunzel arrived in the garden. Mordred chased butterflies while they worked.
“Got the You Know What?” Rapunzel quietly asked Red as they wheeled the flower-filled carts down to the swan-shaped boats docked alongside the Once Upon River. She’d given her the mapestry the night before. Red nodded and patted the basket she carried. If there was time, they’d treasure hunt again today.
Mordred followed the girls and leaped into one of the boats, sitting in Rapunzel’s lap on the way over to the festival grounds. They had to take two of the larger boats so they could carry all the flowers. Mary Mary followed in a third, smaller boat.
As they docked on Heart Island, Mordred wriggled in Rapunzel’s arms. She set him down on shore. “You can run around, but check in with me now and then, okay?” she told him.
Mrrr, Mordred agreed. Then he leaped away, off to investigate.
“Isn’t this grimmnificent?” said Red as they passed others helping with last-minute setup along the path. “So many people volunteered to help. I just hope we get a big turnout.”
The potted tongue twister plants from all of Ms. Blue Fairygodmother’s Bespellings and Enchantments classes had been set here and there around the festival grounds, Rapunzel noticed. She was too busy to stop and admire them, though, as the girls rushed the carts to the amphitheater. There, they placed the bouquets where Mary Mary wanted them, at intervals along the two main seating aisles and across the front of the stage.
Not long afterward, crowds of people from all over Grimmlandia started to arrive. And soon two musicians appeared onstage and raised their long, thin, golden herald trumpets to their lips. Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-tum! blared the trumpets. At the sound, most everyone on the island headed for the amphitheater. Having gotten their attention, the musicians lowered their instruments and waited as people gathered in the theater seats and grew quiet.
“Attention, scholars and citizens!” they chorused a few minutes later. “All hail the principal of Grimm Academy.” It was time for the festival to officially begin!
The red velvet curtains behind the musicians whipped open just wide enough for the principal to step out from behind them. The rear of the stage was decorated with the sets and backdrops for Red and Wolfgang’s dramatic play tonight, but all that was hidden beyond the curtains for now.
Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Principal Rumpelstiltskin, who was a gnome and three feet tall at most, walked up to a podium, where he climbed a small stepstool to make himself appear at least somewhat taller before the assembled crowd. Rapunzel hoped no one would accidently address him by his real name. Seeing him throw a fit would definitely start the festival off on the wrong foot!
The diminutive principal spread his arms wide, appearing to be in high spirits for once. “Good morning, people of Grimmlandia. What a perfect day for our festival!”
Everyone cheered his remark. When the applause died down, he continued. “Please enjoy the rides! Gobble goodies at the food gazebos! Play games! See the pet show! Vote for your favorite tongue twister plant! However,” he said, leaning forward, “at the same time, be on the lookout for any unusual activity.” He didn’t say what that unusual activity might be, but Rapunzel was sure he meant signs of artifacts being stolen.
Now the principal turned and stomped back down his stepstool. A wary hush had fallen over the crowd at the vague warning contained in his last words.
Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Seeming to realize he’d put a damper on things, he came back up to the podium, a huge grin on his face now. “And have a happily-ever-after day at the festival, one and all!”
At that, there was more cheering and clapping. Then everyone took off in different directions to enjoy the festival.
“Let’s do the catapults first,” Cinda urged the other three Grimm girls, nudging them toward the great lawn where Coach Candlestick was directing the competition. She loved most sports and was really good at them.
Mr. Hump-Dumpty was standing on the sidelines of the lawn, shouting advice to the students who were competing with huge battering rams, catapults, and other siege engines. When the girls took their turns lobbing hay bales from catapults, he called out to them, “Be careful!” “Watch out!” “Oh, that looks very dangerous!”
Typical! thought Rapunzel. He was the biggest worrywart at the Academy.
She, Snow, and Red clapped and whooped when Cinda catapulted a bale all the way out to the middle of the Once Upon River. That was farther than any of the others girls and boys had managed so far.
Next, Rapunzel and her BFFs decided to roll down Jack and Jill Hill inside Ms. Blue Fairygodmother’s big, magical bubbles. Snow chose a turquoise one, Red a red one, while Cinda went with pink, and Rapunzel chose a silver one. The roll downhill was wild, dizzying, hilarious fun!
“I’m going to try my luck at cruel-heart darts,” Snow said after the rides. “If your dart strikes the middle ring of the cruel heart, you win the cutest stuffed bunny!”
“Speaking of bunnies, I’d better check on the pet show,” said Rapunzel.
“I should start warming up for masketball,” said Cinda.
Red whipped her cape open and flung out her arms in a dramatic way. “And I, Red Robin Hood, need to rehearse so that I may foil that scoundrel of a sheriff during my performance tonight in a proper fashion.” She bounded off for the amphitheater with exaggerated leaps that made her friends giggle.
The afternoon passed quickly as Rapunzel helped out the little kids, and grown-ups, too, who’d come from all over the realm to bring animals for the pet show. In the end, she gave out the prize ribbons she’d made to everyone who entered, so all would go home with smiles on their faces. Mordred showed up just in time for the judging and was awarded a ribbon for Best Cat with a White Star. He practically grinned!
For a moment, he posed with his ribbon like the most refined, regal cat in all of Grimmlandia. Then he leaped into a bed of straw Rapunzel had spread on the ground and ran around and around in circles. Two other cats joined in and a fray began with them rolling in the hay. Looking gleeful and somewhat like a straw-quilled porcupine, her cat then dashed off across the festival grounds. To get into more mischief, no doubt, Rapunzel thought fondly.
After the pet show, she headed for the food area. Mistress Hagscorch, Ms. Queenharts, and Ms. Jabberwocky had all decorated their gazebos with themes related to the snacks they’d created. Based on her Rampion Championship idea, Hagscorch had turned her gazebo into a cute ship with flags flying from the spire on its roof, and sails around the sides. Although Rapunzel hadn’t spoken to her, she was sure the cook must’ve found the rampion left in her icebox. Because she would’ve kept bugging Rapunzel about it if she hadn’t!
Ms. Queenharts’s gazebo was decorated to look like a small castle with gleaming suits of armor standing around to guard it. Each “knight” wore a red paper heart on its chest with the word Tarts written upon it in white chalk.
Not to be outdone, Ms. Jabberwocky, a dragon-lady who actually breathed fire, had painted canvas panels with various wild dragons and hung them around her snack gazebo.
“Wow! Hagscorch has gone all out!” said Red. She and the other actors had come by the food gazebos after rehearsal at the island amphitheater to eat before their play began at sunset. “She made Huffing Puffs, Doomdogs and Gloomburgers, Tickle Pickles, and Gargoyle Pops. And watch this.” Red held up an I Scream Cone, and when she bit into it, it let out a bloodcurdling scream!
“That big Rampion Championship she made is so cute,” added Snow. “And huge. I like that she made it ship-shaped, too. She won’t let anyone try it yet, though. Said she’s saving it for tomorrow night as a prize for the overall champion of the festival. Get it? It’s a ship for champions. I think she’s sure to win the competition for best snacks.”
Wolfgang came over, munching on something. “I don’t know about that. Ms. Queenharts’s tarts are pretty awesome,” he said.
“Did someone call me?” It was Prince Awesome, grinning. He was eating a tart, too, and gave Cinda a bite.
“Mmm,” she said approvingly.
“Ms. Jabberwocky’s barbecue peppers are pretty cool — I mean hot!” said Basil. “They actually make flames come out of your mouth for a few seconds after you eat them. Behold.” He took a bite of a pepper. Then he breathed outward, saying, “Ooh! Hhhot stuff.” Everyone jumped back as sizzling flames shot from his lips. Then they all laughed hysterically.
Ms. Jabberwocky’s food might be flaming, but the other two cooks themselves were steaming, Rapunzel noted. As in steaming mad. They’d begun arguing. She turned her attention from her friends and listened to the cooks to discover what the problem was.
“You stole my tarts idea,” Hagscorch was saying. “But I’ll still win the Best Snack Award!”
“Ha! We’ll just see about that! And by the way, you stole from me first,” Queenharts replied.
Mistress Hagscorch rolled her eyes. “I had nothing to do with that knave stealing your tart that summer’s day. If I had stolen your recipe, my tarts would taste like yours, but mine are far superior.”
