Watch That Witch! #5

Chapter 1
 
“Step, step, lunge!” Lucas said as he took two steps to the right and then brandished a butter knife in the air. “Step, step . . . whoops!”
 
Bam!
 
Princess Pulverizer put her hand over her mouth with surprise as she watched her pal trip over a rock.
 
“Sorry,” Lucas apologized to the rock.
 
Princess Pulverizer’s cheeks turned purple. Her eyes began to tear up. She thought she might explode. But she refused to let out even a teeny tiny giggle. That wouldn’t be nice. And Princess Pulverizer was trying hard to be nice these days.
 
“You’re definitely getting better,” Lucas’s best friend, Dribble the dragon, assured him.
 
“You really think so?” Lucas wondered as he scrambled to his feet.
 
“You should try the riposte next,” Dribble said. “You almost had that move down yesterday.”
 
Princess Pulverizer knew what a riposte was—a counterattack against an opponent who had just lunged against you while you were fencing.
 
Only there wasn’t anyone lunging at Lucas. He was fencing against empty air. With a butter knife.
 
And he was still losing.
 
Lucas held out the knife and gave it a quick thrust. The knife flew out of his hand and landed squarely in the middle of a pear hanging from a nearby tree.
 
The princess bit her upper lip to keep from laughing.
 
“Sir Lucas is the winner!” Dribble announced to an imaginary audience. “He has defeated his opponent! Huzzah!”
 
“What opponent?” Princess Pulverizer wondered.
 
“The tree, of course,” Dribble replied. He picked the pricked pear from its branch. “This one’s almost ripe. It will be delicious with a grilled gouda sandwich.”
 
Princess Pulverizer licked her lips. That did sound yummy.
 
“I’ve never met anyone who tries harder than you,” Dribble complimented Lucas. “You’re going to be an amazing knight one day. They might even make you a king.” The dragon bowed deeply. “All hail King Lucas! Long may he reign!”
 
The princess couldn’t hold it in anymore. She laughed so hard, she snorted.
 
Drip. Drip. DROP!
 
Suddenly, completely out of nowhere, it began to rain. And not just little droplets. This was a major rainstorm! A dragon-size rainstorm.
 
“I think you actually made it rain,” Lucas told Dribble.
 
“I didn’t mean to,” Dribble said. “I was talking about the other kind of reign. Like when a king rules over his people.”
 
“We knew what you meant,” Princess Pulverizer told him. “But they didn’t!” She pointed to the dark rain clouds in the sky.
 
Plink. Plank. Ker-PLUNK. The raindrops were falling faster now.
 
“We have to find shelter,” Princess Pulverizer shouted as she ran off in search of a place to get out of the rain.
 
“Yeah,” Lucas agreed. “I don’t want my armor to get any rustier.” He took off after the princess.
 
“Hey! Wait for me!” Dribble called to his pals. “I’m right behind you.”
 
 
 
 
 
“It’s k-k-kind of c-c-c-old in here,” Princess Pulverizer complained through chattering teeth as she and her friends gathered in the shelter of a large cave.
 
“It’s dark, too,” Lucas replied. “I’ve never liked caves.”
 
“I’m hungry.” Princess Pulverizer continued complaining. “How’re those grilled cheese sandwiches coming?”
 
Dribble held up a cheddar cheese sandwich and let out a flame—medium heat. Perfect for toasting.
 
Well, usually perfect, anyway.
 
“It’s no use,” he told his friends. “The bread is too wet. It keeps falling apart.”
 
“I’ve had enough of this!” Princess Pulverizer complained.
 
“Don’t worry,” Lucas said. “When the rain stops, we can buy a loaf of fresh bread.”
 
“It’s not the rain. Or the bread,” Princess Pulverizer groused. “It’s this Quest of Kindness. It’s gone on long enough. I’m ready to go to Knight School.”
 
“Oh, it’s about the quest . . . again,” Dribble said with a sigh.
 
“Yes, the quest again,” Princess Pulverizer replied. “Isn’t that why we’re in the middle of nowhere in the pouring rain?”
 
“It’s why you’re out here,” Dribble replied. “Lucas was already in Knight School.”
 
“And then I was out of Knight School,” Lucas added sadly. “I had to leave. The other boys made fun of me. It’s not nice to call someone lily-livered.”
 
“They wouldn’t make fun of you now,” Dribble assured him. “Not if they saw the way you helped battle that cheese monster and outsmarted those giant moles. You are definitely not lily-livered.”
 
“Thanks,” Lucas replied gratefully.
 
“The point is, I’m never going to get into Knight School at this rate,” Princess Pulverizer continued. “I don’t know why my father is making me do good deeds before he lets me go.”
 
“You know why he’s making you go on this Quest of Kindness,” Lucas said. “You need to learn how to act in a more knightly fashion before you can become a knight-in-training.”
 
“But why did he order me to do eight good deeds?” Princess Pulverizer argued. “I’ve already completed four. That should be enough.”
 
“You’ve completed four?” Dribble asked.
 
“I mean we’ve completed four,” she admitted. “Together. Which shows that I’ve learned to work as part of a team. That’s part of being a good knight, right?”
 
“Definitely,” Lucas agreed.
 
“And we’ve bravely risked our lives fighting ogres, trolls, and hairy underground beasts, haven’t we?” she asked.
 
“To name just a few,” Dribble agreed.
 
“And I’ve become really kind, right?” Princess Pulverizer added.
 
The sword of truth, a gift from the King of Salamistonia, began to quiver wildly by the princess’s side. Okay, maybe that one wasn’t completely true.
 
“Well, I’m kinder,” Princess Pulverizer corrected herself. The sword lay still.
 
“You are,” Lucas assured her.
 
“Then I should be allowed to enter Knight School with all the other knights-in-training right now!” she declared.
 
“Um . . . no,” Dribble replied.
 
“Why not?” the princess demanded.
 
“Because knights must be patient,” Dribble explained. “And you’ve got work to do in that department.”
 
Princess Pulverizer glared at the dragon. But she couldn’t argue.
 
“Hey, listen,” Lucas said suddenly. “Do you hear that?”
 
“I don’t hear anything,” Princess Pulverizer said.
 
“Exactly,” Lucas told her. “No more raindrops. I think the storm has passed.”
 
“Let’s get going,” Princess Pulverizer exclaimed. “We’ve got things to do!”
 
“Things like buying fresh bread for sandwiches?” Dribble suggested.
 
“More like fighting bad guys and doing good deeds,” Princess Pulverizer said.
 
“I’d rather have a grilled cheese sandwich,” Lucas remarked as he followed the princess out into the sunlight.
 
“Wait for me!” Dribble lifted a shiny metal mace and carried it out of the cave.
 
The mace was a thank-you present from the King of Yabko-kokomo, who had wanted to show his gratitude to Princess Pulverizer and her friends for rescuing some of his subjects. It was a nice gift, but it was very heavy. Dribble was the only one of the trio strong enough to carry it for any distance.
 
“It sure is muddy out here,” Dribble complained as he trudged under the weight of the mace along a wet dirt road. “The mud is squishing between my toes.”
 
“We’re almost at the top of this hill,” Lucas assured his friend. “A few more steps and—” Lucas stopped midsentence. “Wow!” he exclaimed. “Look at that!”
 
Princess Pulverizer looked up to see a magnificent double rainbow, large enough to arc over the entire village below.
 
It had to be a sign. Something wonderful was waiting in that village. The princess just knew it.
 
 
 
Chapter 2
 
“It’s so pretty here,” Lucas said. “And happy. Everyone seems to be smiling.”
 
“Great,” Princess Pulverizer grumbled.
 
“What’s wrong now?” Dribble asked.
 
“It’s just that if everyone’s happy, then no one needs my—I mean our—help,” she explained. “We haven’t seen one person who looks upset or angry.”
 
“Oh, I know someone who is upset and angry,” Dribble said.
 
“Really?” Princess Pulverizer asked excitedly. “Who?”
 
“Me!” Dribble exclaimed. “Do you think it’s easy carrying this mace up and down these hills?” He plopped down on the ground. “I’m taking a rest.”
 
“But we can’t rest,” Princess Pulverizer told him. “It’s not like trouble is going to walk over and find us. We have to find trouble.”
 
“Or . . . maybe we can wait here and ask a passerby if they know of anybody who needs help,” Lucas suggested.
 
“Good idea!” Dribble exclaimed.
 
Princess Pulverizer couldn’t really argue. Things hadn’t been going so well doing it her way. She might as well try Lucas’s plan. She sat down and waited for someone to walk by.
 
And waited. And waited.
 
“This isn’t working,” she complained.
 
“We’ve only been here for a few minutes,” Dribble said. “You really don’t have any patience, do you?”
 
“Here comes someone!” Lucas pointed toward two women lugging big buckets and a wagon full of stuffed bags up the hill. They had dirt on their faces and stains on their clothes. From the smell of things, it was clear they needed a good washing.
 
Princess Pulverizer wasn’t about to let a bad stink stand in her way. “Hello,” she said, leaping to her feet. “Are you in need of any help today?”
 
“Who, us?” the woman with the curls asked her. “Goodness no.”
 
“We can carry our own washing and buckets,” said the other woman, who wore her hair in braids. “We’re the washerwomen of Starats. We’re strong.”
 
“Wait,” Dribble interrupted. “You two clean people’s clothes?”
 
“Of course,” the curly-haired woman told him. “Somebody has to.”
 
“Do you need any laundering?” the woman with braids asked. “We can get stains out of anything.”
 
“You’ve heard about the leopard who fell in the laundry bucket, haven’t you?” the curly-haired woman asked. “He lost his spots.”
 
Her friend laughed. “Good one, Lily.”
 
“Thanks, Millie,” Lily replied.
 
“Do either of you know of anyone who has a problem that needs fixing?” Princess Pulverizer asked them.
 
“Fixings?” Millie repeated. “They serve dinner with all the fixings at the inn.”
 
“It’s delicious,” Lily added. “Chicken with stuffing, artichoke hearts, and—”
 
“Artie chokes hearts?” Millie asked. “Why would he want to do that?”
 
Lily laughed. “Anyway, the inn is that-a-way,” she said, pointing left.
 
“No, it’s this-a-way,” Millie said, pointing right.
 
“Or it could be straight ahead,” Lily said, pointing forward.
 
“Or back there.” Millie bent down and pointed backward between her knees.
 
“Millie, we better get back to work,” Lily said. “We have lots to do. We’re lucky washing clothes is fun!”
 
Millie looked at the big bags of dirty clothes they were carting. “Loads and loads of fun,” she agreed.
 
As the washerwomen walked off, Princess Pulverizer declared, “That was a waste of time.”
 
“Not totally,” Lucas pointed out. “We learned the name of the village. Starats.”
 
“Big deal,” Princess Pulverizer replied.
 
“I like to know where I am,” Lucas insisted.
 
“I can tell you where we are,” Princess Pulverizer replied. “Right back where we started. With no one to help. We’ve rested enough. Let’s get moving.”
 
Dribble and Lucas didn’t argue. They’d expected her to say that. The princess wasn’t able to stay in one place for very long without getting antsy.
 
“You know, that chicken dinner sounded kind of yummy,” Lucas said.
 
“Definitely,” Dribble agreed. “If we pass that inn, maybe—”
 
WAAAAHHHHH!
 
Dribble was interrupted by loud cries coming from just up the road.
 
“Sounds like someone in need of help!” Princess Pulverizer exclaimed excitedly. “Don’t worry, whoever you are,” she cried out as she ran off. “Princess Pulverizer is coming to the rescue!”
 
“Do you think she forgets about us on purpose?” Dribble asked Lucas.
 
“There’s a boy who’s fallen in the middle of the road up ahead,” Princess Pulverizer called back to Lucas and Dribble. “I can see him from here.”
 
The princess hurried to the boy’s aid. But before she could reach him, a woman appeared by his side. She had long, flowing dark hair and wore a bright blue gown.
 
Princess Pulverizer watched as the woman snapped her fingers and pulled a gingerbread cookie seemingly out of thin air.
 
The boy stopped crying. He smiled a little, stood up, and began to play with the gingerbread boy, making the cookie dance in his hands.
 
The woman in the blue gown waved her hand again and magically vanished.
 
“Where is the crying boy?” Dribble asked as he and Lucas arrived at Princess Pulverizer’s side.
 
“You’re too late,” the princess said. “He’s already happy again. See?”
 
“Well, that’s good,” Lucas said.
 
“What cheered him up?” Dribble wondered.
 
“This woman in a long blue dress appeared and gave him that gingerbread cookie,” Princess Pulverizer explained.
 
“What woman?” Lucas asked. “I don’t see anyone.”
 
“I don’t know where she went,” Princess Pulverizer told him. “She appeared and then disappeared into thin air with a wave of her hand.”
 
“Well, she’s definitely gone now,” Dribble said.
 
“Yes, it was very strange . . . ,” Princess Pulverizer began. Then she stopped suddenly. “Wait, there she is again. Only now she’s wearing a red gown. Boy, that was a quick change.”
 
The princess watched as the dark-haired woman walked over to the boy once again and snapped her fingers in the air. Instantly, the gingerbread boy came alive.
 
“Whoa!” Dribble exclaimed.
 
“How’d she do that?” Lucas wondered.
 
“Magic, I guess.” Princess Pulverizer wasn’t very impressed. She was no stranger to magic. She’d seen the wicked Wizard of Wurst do much tougher tricks than bringing a cookie to life.
 
The child looked surprised as his gingerbread cookie dropped to the ground and began to dance on its own.
 
“That cookie can really boogie,” Dribble said.
 
The little boy giggled at the sight of the dancing cookie. “Ha-ha-ha. Ha-ha—WAH!” The little boy let out a horrified cry. “That cookie bit my leg!” he wailed.
 
The woman in the red dress gave a haughty laugh, and without a word, disappeared again.
 
The gingerbread boy ran off down the road.
 
“A cookie biting a boy,” Dribble said, surprised. “Now there’s something you don’t see every day.”
 
“That’s for sure,” Princess Pulverizer agreed. She didn’t know much about Starats. But it was safe to say this was no ordinary place.