The Rescue Princesses #2: Wishing Pearl

  To James, thanks for understanding

  CONTENTS

  COVER

  TITLE PAGE

  DEDICATION

  CHAPTER ONE: The Island of Ampali

  CHAPTER TWO: Princess Training

  CHAPTER THREE: The Turquoise Lagoon

  CHAPTER FOUR: Queen Trudy

  CHAPTER FIVE: Clarabel’s Pearl

  CHAPTER SIX: The Rising Gull

  CHAPTER SEVEN: Swimming by Moonlight

  CHAPTER EIGHT: The Ocean Gem

  CHAPTER NINE: The Dolphin’s Call

  CHAPTER TEN: Fighting the Storm

  CHAPTER ELEVEN: The Wish

  CHAPTER TWELVE: The Treasure Chest

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN: A Princess Team

  BACK AD

  COPYRIGHT

  Princess Clarabel scattered the last of her breakfast crumbs for the brightly colored birds that fluttered down to the veranda.

  One small blue parrot sat on the wooden railing, eyeing her beadily.

  “Go ahead, or there’ll be none left.” Clarabel laughed, and the little parrot hopped down to peck at the pieces of apricot bread as if he knew exactly what she was saying.

  After one last sip of peach juice, Clarabel stepped off the veranda of the white palace onto a lawn that swept down to a clear turquoise ocean.

  Her golden hair flew out behind her in the sea breeze and the sapphire ring on her finger sparkled in the sunshine.

  She loved staying here on the tropical island of Ampali. It was so much warmer than her home in the kingdom of Winteria, where snow lay on the ground for most of the year.

  The little blue parrot flew up to perch on her shoulder.

  “Finished breakfast already?” asked Clarabel.

  “Squawk!” went the parrot.

  Clarabel laughed and turned her eyes back to the ocean. In the distance, a row of small ships with snowy sails was practicing for the Royal Regatta, which was happening in two days’ time.

  The regatta was a sailboat race and all twenty royal families from around the world had been invited to take part. Clarabel knew her father, the king of Winteria, was down at the harbor right now watching his crew sail.

  Quick footsteps sounded behind her. Three princesses came racing out of the white-walled palace, laughing as they ran. Their light summer dresses seemed to float around them.

  Princess Emily had red hair and a ruby ring, Jaminta had smooth dark hair and an emerald ring, and Lulu’s hair was wavy and black and she wore a ring of yellow topaz.

  Clarabel’s heart lifted as they came closer. She’d met them all at a Grand Ball in the springtime. They had worked as a team to save the deer of Mistberg Forest and had become close friends at the same time. The best thing about coming to Ampali Island was seeing one another again.

  “Run, Clarabel, run!” cried Lulu, her eyes sparkling.

  The little blue parrot squawked and flew off Clarabel’s shoulder in alarm.

  Emily grabbed Clarabel’s hand and whirled her away to hide behind a row of palm trees that lined the edge of the garden.

  “What’s going on?” asked Clarabel, trying to catch her breath.

  Emily covered her mouth to stop her giggles, her red curls falling around her face.

  “We’re making sure Prince Samuel doesn’t see us,” said Jaminta. “Queen Trudy decided that we should knit some kind of teapot covers for the Royal Regatta, so she sent him to find us and tell us to come inside.”

  “Teapot covers?” said Clarabel, astonished. “You must mean tea cozies. We’re supposed to be making the flower garlands, aren’t we?”

  “I think Queen Trudy just wants to keep us from having any fun,” whispered Emily. “I don’t mind making the flower garlands because those will look great on the marquee, but there’s no way I’m knitting those teapot things.”

  “I bet she wants to make us sit still all day. That’s what she thinks princesses should do,” said Lulu.

  “Shh! Here comes Samuel,” hissed Jaminta. “Remember your ninja moves, everyone.”

  The four princesses ducked down. Clarabel silently went through her ninja training in her mind. Blend in with your surroundings. Wait for the right time to move. The princesses had practiced a few ninja moves in the springtime, but there was so much more to learn.

  A scrawny boy with a sulky expression stepped down off the veranda. “I can’t see them, Mother,” he called back. “They’re gone.”

  Slyly, he looked around him before taking a piece of paper out of his pocket. He unfolded it and held it up to the sunlight. Even from a distance, the paper looked old and frayed at the edges.

  With a loud rustling of feathers and leaves, the little blue parrot landed on the palm tree right above Clarabel’s head and looked down at her.

  “Don’t parrots know any ninja moves?” whispered Emily, making Clarabel giggle.

  Prince Samuel put the paper back in his pocket and stared hard in their direction.

  The princesses froze as he came closer, peering behind red-flowered bushes. Any minute he would reach the path that led to the palm trees and the princesses’ hiding place.

  “We have to get to the garden gate,” murmured Clarabel.

  The others nodded. With slow, silent steps, they crept past the palm trees and down the slope to the end of the garden. When Prince Samuel’s back was turned, they opened the gate and slipped through. Ahead of them lay the rolling sand dunes and then the wide blue ocean.

  Clarabel shut the gate softly and glanced back. Samuel was walking around the palm trees where they’d been hiding. He was bending down to look into the bushes.

  Suddenly, the little blue parrot swooped down from the tree above, squawked loudly in Samuel’s ear, and flew away again.

  Prince Samuel clutched his head and bolted for the palace as if a gigantic animal were after him.

  “Maybe that parrot does know some ninja moves after all,” said Clarabel, and they dashed across the sand dunes, filling the air with laughter.

  The princesses ran along the water’s edge, the sand flying beneath their feet.

  Behind them lay the island’s harbor, with long rows of fishing boats and royal sailing ships. Miles and miles of golden beach stretched out in front of them.

  “I still can’t believe Prince Samuel was scared of a parrot,” said Lulu.

  “He doesn’t seem to like animals very much,” replied Clarabel.

  “We can’t escape him and Queen Trudy forever,” said Jaminta. “But let’s not go back right away.”

  “I know what we can do,” called Emily, running ahead. “Follow me!”

  Emily led them away from the ocean, up the hill by the side of the white palace, and into the rain forest. They stopped in a forest clearing, the chattering of birds and insects all around them.

  Emily searched the ground and picked up a long coil of rope lying at the bottom of a tree. “Ally gave me this rope for practicing, so I hid it here. She said if we were serious about rescuing animals, we needed to work on our skills.”

  Ally was Emily’s maid and the princesses trusted her completely. She’d helped them learn ninja skills when they’d rescued a deer during the spring.

  “The rope’s a great idea,” said Lulu. “We can use it to try out some new moves and stuff.”

  “You mean we should try some climbing and somersaults? Like the drawings you put in all your letters?” asked Clarabel.

  Lulu nodded. “I’ve been practicing acrobatics a lot at home. We need to be ready for anything. One day we might need to rescue a creature at the top of a steep cliff or down a deep hole.”

  Clarabel stifled a little shiver. When they’d rescued the deer, the princes
ses had made a secret promise that they would always help an animal in trouble, no matter how dangerous it was. Clarabel didn’t really like being up high. But how could she say that when the other princesses didn’t seem worried at all?

  They had been writing one another letters for weeks discussing what they needed to practice in order to become good at performing rescues.

  Each of the princesses had been at home: Clarabel in the cold land of Winteria, Emily in her leafy kingdom of Middingland, Lulu in the hot country of Undala, and Jaminta in the kingdom of Onica, next to the Silver River.

  They had been at opposite corners of the world, but none of them had wanted to forget one another. So they had written letters almost every day.

  “This branch will be strong enough.” Lulu climbed up the tree and tied the rope firmly halfway along a thick branch. “Who wants to go first?”

  “You want to!” said Emily. “Go ahead. Show us what you can do.”

  Lulu grinned and grabbed the rope. She swung high from the branch, bending her legs backward and forward. With one final swing she flipped head over heels and landed easily on the soft forest floor.

  Jaminta climbed up next and managed several swings. Emily took the next turn, clutching on to the rope and landing safely on the earth.

  “I can’t do the somersault yet,” said Emily breathlessly. “But maybe I will after some practice. Are you ready, Clarabel?”

  Clarabel climbed slowly up to the branch and grabbed the rope. Butterflies fluttered inside her. The ground looked so far away — but she had to do this. All the other princesses had.

  “Go, Clarabel!” cheered Lulu.

  Clarabel took a deep breath and swung free. The earth below rocked scarily. She let herself sway for a few seconds, then dropped to the ground and fell over.

  Emily helped her up. “Are you all right?”

  Clarabel flushed. “Yes, thanks. I just lost my balance.”

  “Maybe we should all practice balancing,” said Jaminta. “It could be useful in all kinds of different rescues.”

  “Great idea!” said Lulu. “I saw a fallen tree over this way that would work really well. Let’s see if we can find it.”

  They walked through the forest, hunting for the fallen tree. The rustlings of the rain forest grew louder and Clarabel found herself listening to the animals’ calls. She could even hear the chatter of monkeys as they quarreled in the treetops.

  “We should test our rings again later on,” said Jaminta, shaking her dark hair out of her eyes. “Just to make sure they’re still working.”

  “They’ve worked really well so far,” said Clarabel. “You made them perfectly.”

  She looked down at the heart-shaped sapphire ring that sparkled on her finger. The other princesses had rings with their own magical jewels, too.

  Even though they looked like ordinary rings, these magical jewels enabled the princesses to call one another for help.

  Jaminta had invented them. She was very good at shaping precious stones and had learned the craft at home in the kingdom of Onica. By shaping jewels carefully, she could give them special powers.

  “Here it is!” said Lulu, stopping next to a large fallen tree. “Who wants to start?”

  Clarabel took a deep breath for the second time. “I’ll go,” she said, climbing up onto the trunk.

  She took a few careful steps, trying not to wobble. But the log was slippery and she fell, landing on her hands and knees again.

  She scrambled up and tried to smile, but her legs felt shaky.

  “Don’t worry!” said Emily, seeing her gloomy look. “I think we all need more practice.”

  Clarabel thanked her, but her blue eyes clouded over. She wasn’t hurt, but there was a sinking feeling in her stomach all the same.

  Did Emily really think everyone needed more practice, or just her? After all, she was the only one who kept falling over.

  Would she ever get better at climbing and acrobatics? If she didn’t, was she really good enough to be a Rescue Princess?

  The princesses returned to the palace to find lunch being served in the courtyard.

  Rows of white arches stretched along each wall. A beautiful fountain stood in the center, sending arcs of water flying up in the air. The lemon trees were full of fruit. Vases of yellow hibiscus flowers decorated the tables and filled the air with a wonderful scent.

  Clarabel gasped to see the huge array of food. Lunch was going to be followed by slices of fresh pineapple and coconut, and lots and lots of ice cream.

  The princesses helped themselves and sat down as far away as possible from the frowning Queen Trudy.

  “Do you think Queen Trudy knitted the teapot things without us?” whispered Clarabel.

  “I don’t know, but she doesn’t look very happy,” replied Emily.

  The fair-haired queen of Winteria came by to say hello. “Don’t get too hot in the midday sun, girls,” she warned with a gentle smile.

  “We won’t, Mom,” said Clarabel.

  Then Empress Tia, ruler of Ampali and the other Marica Isles, bustled in with a jug of icy lemonade. Many more kings and queens began to arrive.

  The princesses recognized some boys they’d met in the spring — Prince Olaf, Prince Dinesh, and Prince George — so they gave them a friendly wave.

  Prince Olaf came over. “I thought you might like the ice-cream toppings.” He handed them a dish of chocolate sauce and some gumdrops.

  “Thanks!” said Clarabel, remembering how they’d all liked Olaf before, with his spiky blond hair and big grin.

  “My dears!” Empress Tia swept up to them, her coral necklace dangling elegantly below her straight black hair. “I have some jobs for you to do this afternoon. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not, Your Majesty,” said the princesses, each standing up to curtsy.

  “Excellent!” The empress’s eyes flashed. “I need three of you to help the younger princes and princesses pick flowers to make the garlands. Princesses Emily, Lulu, and Jaminta, would you like to do that?”

  “We’d love to, Your Majesty,” replied Emily.

  “So that leaves you, Princess Clarabel. I think you’d be good at finding the seashells we need for table decorations. Look for the largest, most beautiful ones you can find. Can you do that?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” said Clarabel, smiling.

  “Wonderful!” The empress beamed. “We’ll make this the best Royal Regatta yet!”

  After lunch, Clarabel skipped out of the palace garden. She turned away from the harbor with its crowd of boats and ran down the golden beach to the ocean.

  Waves swished gently up onto the sand and flocks of seabirds circled overhead.

  Clarabel scoured the line on the sand where the high tide had reached the previous night. She knew that was where the best shells were often found.

  Already she’d picked up five big conch shells and put them in her basket. She was pleased that the empress had asked her to find them.

  Glancing at the ocean, she wondered what sea creatures could be playing underneath the waves. Maybe later she’d ask the other princesses to come for a swim.

  Clarabel loved swimming. She only wished she was just as good at other things as well.

  She spotted another conch shell, picked it up, and dusted the sand off it. Holding it up to one ear, she listened to the restless rushing of the sea inside. It was amazing how such a strong sound could fit inside such a little shell.

  Suddenly, there was another sound. A long, low squeaking startled Clarabel. It pulled at her heart like a sad song. She hurried up the beach toward it.

  Reaching the top of the sand dunes, she found herself looking down at a wide lake with water as still as glass.

  Clarabel had never been this far across Ampali Island before, but the empress had told them about a saltwater lagoon that was only connected to the sea at high tide. She had made the lagoon and most of the seashore into a wildlife zone where all creatures would be safe from harm. />
  Tall sand dunes stretched along the edge of the lagoon, like giant arms curving around to keep out danger.

  The calm turquoise water looked so beautiful. It made Clarabel wish she had her bathing suit on so that she could dive right in.

  But then the sound came again, low and piercing this time.

  Clarabel rushed over to the edge of the lagoon, put down her basket of shells, and scanned the water for creatures. What could be making a noise so strong and so sad?

  At first it was hard to see. The light bounced off the water and dazzled her eyes. Was there something making the surface ripple?

  The something moved. It had beady eyes and a mouth curved into a gentle smile. It let out a low squeak and Clarabel gasped.

  It was a small gray dolphin with a great gash that stretched from flipper to tail.

  No longer thinking about bathing suits, Clarabel dived right into the warm water. Bubbles streamed past her face as she swam up to the surface and took a gulp of air. Her loose summer dress floated around her in the water. All she could think of was the dolphin and how he seemed to need her.

  She swam out farther, but the dolphin had disappeared. Then a gray nose nudged her shoulder. Putting out a hand, she felt smooth, silky skin pass beneath her fingers. She gave a shiver of delight.

  This was almost too good to be true. She’d only seen dolphins in pictures before, and now here she was, swimming with one.

  “Hello, friend!” she said softly as he glided past her.

  The dolphin clicked and squeaked, his black eyes shining. Then he gave a swish of his tail, flicking up drops of water that glittered like a rainbow.

  Clarabel pushed her feet off the bottom and paddled alongside him. Then she caught sight of the gash on his side again.

  Now that she could see it more clearly, she realized what a deep cut it was. It would probably take a long time to heal.

  “Poor thing! What happened to you?” she asked. “Are you all alone here?”

  But the dolphin couldn’t tell her. Tired now, he stopped swimming completely and his tail flopped in the water. He made a low, sad whistle, as if he was trying to tell her how sick he felt.