The Lost Gold Read online

  For Leni and Hester

  CONTENTS

  TITLE PAGE

  DEDICATION

  CHAPTER ONE: The Blue Butterfly

  CHAPTER TWO: The Legend of the Lost Gold

  CHAPTER THREE: The Jewels of Belatina

  CHAPTER FOUR: The Treasure Hunters

  CHAPTER FIVE: The Palace of Belatina

  CHAPTER SIX: Ninja Outfits

  CHAPTER SEVEN: The Silken Scroll

  CHAPTER EIGHT: Monkey Island

  CHAPTER NINE: Rain-Forest Treasure

  CHAPTER TEN: The Butterfly Hair Clip

  CHAPTER ELEVEN: The Flying Treasure

  CHAPTER TWELVE: The Baby Monkey

  PREVIEW

  ALSO AVAILABLE

  COPYRIGHT

  Princess Isabella crept through the rain forest with a small monkey riding on her shoulder. Parrots squawked to one another in the treetops and water drops from the last rain shower glinted on the broad leaves.

  Isabella’s curly brown hair was loosely tied with a ribbon and determinaton shone in her dark eyes. The butterfly that she was following had landed on a leaf and was flexing its beautiful wings. She held her breath and lifted up her camera slowly. It looked so perfect. The shiny wings were sky blue with velvety black edges. She’d been trying to take a photo of a Blue Morpho butterfly for weeks and this was her chance!

  “Stay really still, Petro,” she whispered to the monkey. “This will make a great picture!”

  She peered at the screen, holding her finger just above the button. The butterfly looked very small. If only she could get a little closer. She took a tiny step toward it, but her foot caught on a tree root and she stumbled. She grabbed a branch to catch herself, but it snapped. Petro leapt off her shoulder, chattering angrily, and Isabella landed on the ground on her hands and knees.

  Disturbed by the noise, the blue butterfly flew into the treetops, its wings shimmering in the dappled sunlight.

  “Oh no!” Isabella watched it go before searching the ground for the camera she’d dropped. She found it and stood up, brushing the earth from her cherry-red dress. Petro ran along a branch, still chattering.

  “I’m sorry, Petro!” Isabella checked the camera for scratches. “I thought I was getting better. I’ve been practicing ninja moves every day, but I’m still no good!” She sighed heavily. “I walk into things and trip just as much as before.”

  Petro leapt gracefully down to her shoulder and nuzzled her ear. His soft tail curled lovingly around her neck.

  “Thanks! You always cheer me up.” Isabella smiled at the little brown monkey. She thought for a moment about her three new princess friends and how they had all promised to work on their ninja moves and other rescue skills. Well, she would just have to keep practicing!

  She had met Princesses Lottie, Amina, and Rosalind a few weeks ago at a royal dance festival. They’d decided to call themselves the Rescue Princesses and help animals in danger, just like Lottie’s older sister and her friends used to do.

  They’d had an amazing adventure at the festival, saving some horses and a beautiful foal from being stolen. They had all become good friends, too. Now that Isabella was back home in the kingdom of Belatina, she missed the other princesses a lot.

  She smiled at Petro. “Maybe another butterfly will come past before we have to go back for lunch.”

  She glanced at the tall towers of the palace behind her and then stepped deeper into the rain forest. Petro leapt off her shoulder and swung from tree to tree behind her. They often took walks here together. Isabella had found Petro alone in the forest when he was only a baby. She had taken him back home and cared for him, saving fruit from her meals to feed him. When he was older, she’d thought that he would want to live in the wild again, but he had refused to go. They had been best friends ever since.

  Isabella stopped to look at a toucan with a huge golden beak, perching on a branch above her. This would make a good photo. She rested one hand on the thick tree trunk while she reached for her camera.

  Suddenly, she froze. A sharp banging shattered the peace of the forest, and the tree trunk trembled under her fingers.

  “What’s that, Petro?” she said. “I haven’t heard that noise before.”

  Petro’s quick eyes darted all around and he ran back and forth along his branch.

  After a few moments, the banging happened again. It was louder this time and was followed by a high-pitched grinding sound that made Isabella shudder. Petro leapt back onto her shoulder and put his hands over his ears.

  “Poor Petro!” said Isabella, stroking his soft, furry head. “I know you hate loud noises, but we have to find out what it is.”

  She hurried toward the sound, searching for what it could be. At last she saw something through the trees. Creeping forward, she hid behind a tree trunk, her heart beating faster and faster. There was a group of men standing in the middle of a clearing.

  Isabella frowned. What were they doing? She hardly ever saw people in this part of the forest, and never so many at the same time. Where had the clearing come from? She was sure there had been thick forest here before.

  One of the men began to use a metal saw to cut a tree. The grinding noise grew louder as the saw bit into the trunk. The tree started to sway and, very slowly, it toppled over and crashed to the ground.

  Isabella gasped. That was what the sounds were. They were cutting down the trees! She noticed several more fallen trees stacked to one side. This was terrible! The trees provided shelter and food for so many rain-forest creatures.

  These men had to be stopped. Should she go and tell them what they were doing was wrong? Just then, a small brown shape sprang out of a nearby tree and scampered across the clearing. It was a wild forest monkey and it looked very frightened. A bunch of yellow fruit fell to the ground. Isabella knew why the monkey had been up the tree. Those fruits were their favorite food.

  “Hey!” yelled one of the men. “Get out of here!” He ran toward the monkey, chasing it away.

  Petro gave a squeak of fright and his little hands dug into Isabella’s shoulders. Isabella felt so angry with the man she thought she might burst.

  “Don’t worry, Petro,” she whispered. “We’ll go back to the palace right now. Once my mom and dad find out what’s going on, they’ll tell these terrible men to leave the forest alone.” She took one last look. One of the men was staring curiously in their direction.

  Isabella stayed completely still until he’d turned away again. “Stay in the shadows,” she told Petro. “And let’s run!”

  Isabella raced through the rain forest as quietly as she could. Petro moved from branch to branch, swinging through the treetops, so he reached the palace grounds first. Hanging by his tail from the top of the silver gate, he waited for Isabella to catch up.

  “I’m here, Petro,” Isabella gasped after sprinting through the gate and up the path. Her cherry-red dress swirled out behind her and the ribbon escaped from her curly brown hair and blew away in the breeze. Petro jumped down and galloped after her.

  The palace of Belatina was made of gleaming white stone. At the front, a row of towering pillars reached up to a triangular-shaped roof. Isabella ran past the long flower beds and up the broad stone steps to the front entrance. Ignoring the surprised looks of the guards at the front door, she dashed through the hallway and into the dining room to find her parents.

  She skidded to a halt in front of them. Petro ran in behind her and jumped onto her shoulder.

  “Mom! Dad!” she said breathlessly. “Something awful has happened! Some men are cutting down trees in the rain forest. Please come and stop them!”

  Isabella paused to take a breath, and realized that her parents didn’t look as alarmed as she’d expected them to.


  “Slow down, Isabella, and tell us calmly what is the matter.” Her mom, Queen Neva, poured herself a glass of pineapple juice. With her long brown hair and brown eyes, she looked just like her daughter.

  Isabella took another breath. She noticed that her dad was staring at a piece of paper and hadn’t even looked up. “Please, Dad! I need you to stop these men before they cut down too many trees.”

  “What’s that?” Her dad finally looked at her. “Did you see some men working in the forest?”

  Isabella nodded. She glanced at the piece of paper in her dad’s hand. It was flecked with brown and crinkled at the edges.

  “They’re a group of treasure hunters, Isabella.” King Victor rolled up the paper and fastened it with an elastic band. “You must keep out of their way. They have important work to do.”

  Isabella stared at him in astonishment. “But, Dad —” she began.

  “You’ve heard of the legend of the lost gold, haven’t you?” The king reached up to straighten his heavy crown. “It’s a very famous story after all.”

  “You know, dear. I used to tell you that story at bedtime when you were little,” said Queen Neva.

  “Oh! Yes, the lost gold. It’s a good story,” said Isabella. “But —”

  “But it’s NOT just a story!” said the king triumphantly. “The gold belonged to people who lived in our rain forest over a hundred years ago. So many people tried to steal it that they hid the treasure away. Time went by and the gold was lost, but now we have a chance to find it again!”

  Petro sprang lightly onto the table and began sorting through the oranges and mangoes while no one was paying attention.

  The king held up the mysterious roll of paper, a dreamy look in his eyes. “This is the famous Silken Scroll, which has been kept safe in our palace for many years! It contains a secret code that tells where the gold is hidden. The treasure hunters have cracked the code. The legend says when the lost treasure is found, it will bring good luck and happiness to the whole kingdom.”

  “But what will we do with the treasure?” asked Isabella.

  “Do with it?” The king frowned. “Well, keep it of course! In fact, the treasure hunters have offered me half of everything they find!”

  “But, Dad! What about the trees?” cried Isabella.

  “Maybe they need to cut down a few trees so that they can dig in the right place.” The king noticed Petro on the table. “Get that monkey off the table AT ONCE! That pet should not be in here at all. This is a royal dining room, not a zoo!”

  Isabella leaned across, trying to get ahold of Petro, but her arm knocked over the glass pitcher and pineapple juice went splashing all over her mom.

  “Isabella!” shrieked the queen, dabbing at her dress with a napkin.

  Her screech made Petro jump, and he galloped across the table, knocking over the fruit bowl. Then he scampered out the door.

  “Sorry! I didn’t mean to! I was just trying to grab Petro.” Isabella set the pitcher upright and started putting the fruit back into the bowl.

  King Victor rose from his chair. “I’m going to put the Silken Scroll away in my desk before anything gets spilled on it.”

  “I’m really sorry about Petro getting on the table, Dad,” said Isabella. “But please think about the trees! What will the monkeys do if these men cut down too many of their favorite fruit trees? It will be hard for them to find food.”

  The king looked down his long nose. “I know you want to help, Isabella. But the monkeys have plenty of other trees to choose from.” He swept out of the room, taking the rolled-up scroll with him.

  Isabella found Petro hiding behind a large, brightly painted vase at the top of the stairs. “It’s all right, Petro. It was really me that my dad was angry with.” She sighed. “I wish he understood about the trees. It’s not just the monkeys that live in them. There are tree frogs and lizards, parrots and toucans, and so many other creatures.”

  Petro crept out from behind the vase and nuzzled her hand before springing up onto her shoulder.

  “Isabella?” called Queen Neva. “Can you come here for a moment?”

  Isabella found her mom sitting in front of the vanity mirror in her bedroom, fastening an earring onto each ear.

  “I know you’re disappointed about the trees,” said the queen. “But I don’t think they’ll cut down very many.”

  “The thing is that each tree provides food and shelter to a lot of animals,” said Isabella. “I wish they didn’t have to hunt for the gold.”

  “Finding olden-day treasure helps us to learn more about our country’s past,” said the queen, opening her green velvet jewelry box. “All royal jewels have a story behind them. Soon I will teach you more about our crowns, necklaces, and brooches, and where each one comes from.” She took out a hair clip in the shape of a butterfly with wings made from gleaming sapphires. “This would look wonderful on you! Your hair does need taming, as you seem to have lost your hair ribbon. Would you like to try it on?”

  Isabella tried to smile. “No, I … just don’t really feel like it right now.” She stared out the window. In the distance she could see the palace wall, and beyond that the forest.

  Petro jumped lightly onto the vanity table and began sorting through the jewelry box. He picked up the butterfly hair clip, which looked huge in his little hands. He gazed at its sparkling blue surface.

  “I know you’re worried about the rain forest, but can’t we do something to take your mind off it?” asked Queen Neva.

  Isabella opened her mouth to say that nothing would take her mind off the trees and the rain-forest creatures she loved so much. But then a thought popped into her head. It was such an amazing idea that it made her eyes sparkle and her stomach flip over. She wasn’t getting anywhere trying to protect the rain forest by herself, but maybe if she had some help it would be easier.

  “Mom?” she said carefully. “I met some other princesses when we went to the dance festival in the kingdom of Peronia and I’d love to see them again. Can they come visit?”

  Queen Neva scanned her face and then smiled. “What a good idea! That’s just what you need — some other girls to do princess things with!”

  Isabella tried very hard to keep a straight face. Her mom didn’t know that she and her friends were more interested in rescuing animals than anything else!

  “What are your friends’ names?” asked the queen. “I’ll send them a royal invitation right away!”

  “Thanks, Mom!” Isabella beamed. “There’s Princess Lottie. She’s from the kingdom of Middingland. Then Princess Amina is from the kingdom of Kamala by the eastern sea, and Princess Rosalind comes from Dalvia in the far north.”

  Her mom took a piece of paper out of a drawer and wrote down the names. “I will contact their parents today. Why don’t you go and tell Cook that we might be having visitors. We will certainly need to have a special banquet to welcome them.”

  “I’ll go right now!” Isabella hugged her mom. “Come on, Petro! Let’s go and find Cook.”

  Petro managed to lift the blue butterfly hair clip up and put it on top of his head. He chattered to his reflection in the mirror, as if he thought he looked very pretty.

  Isabella giggled. “Oh, Petro! You can’t keep that, you know! It belongs in the jewelry box.”

  She gently took the sapphire hair clip from his fingers and put it back. Then she lifted him onto her shoulder. Her heart raced as she went downstairs. She had to find somewhere secret to use her ring.

  She looked around hurriedly and saw the small door underneath the stairs that led to the royal broom closet. Checking to be sure that no one was watching, she dashed inside, switched on the light, and closed the door behind her.

  Isabella only came in here if she was playing hide-and-seek with the maids. It was full of brooms and mops and ironing boards. Petro looked all around, his little face confused.

  “No, we’re not hiding, Petro,” said Isabella. “I just wanted somewhere private to use my ring.” Sh
e smiled as she looked at the yellow topaz ring on her finger.

  One of the most exciting things about being a Rescue Princess was the magic rings Lottie had given them when they’d first met. The rings had come from Lottie’s older sister, Emily, who had once been a Rescue Princess, too. The girls had promised to call one another as soon as they found an animal that needed rescuing, and now Isabella had found a whole rain forest that was in danger!

  Petro’s quick eyes noticed what she was looking at. He darted down her arm and tapped on the yellow topaz with his little fingers.

  “No, Petro!” Isabella laughed, covering the jewel with her other hand so that he couldn’t touch it. “This ring lets me call the other princesses. You can’t use it.”

  Carefully, she pressed the yellow topaz and held her breath. The jewel lit up brightly, sending a yellow glow across the walls of the closet.

  Isabella raised her hand and spoke clearly into the jewel. “I have a message for the Rescue Princesses! This is Isabella. I need you to come and help the animals of the rain forest. I’ve persuaded my mom to invite you to visit.”

  She paused. She could hear faint noises through the jewel.

  “Hello! This is Lottie!” came the reply. “That’s great work, Isabella. See you soon!”

  “This is Rosalind!” said a second voice. “I’m glad we’re doing another rescue at last, I was starting to wonder if anything would happen.”

  There was a gentle cough and a third voice came through. “Thanks for calling me, Isabella. This is Amina and I can’t wait to see you!”

  “Bye!” called Isabella. “See you all soon!” The yellow topaz jewel stopped glowing and she hugged Petro excitedly. She couldn’t wait for the other princesses to get here!

  Isabella sneaked out of the royal broom closet with flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes. How long would it take for the other princesses to arrive? She hoped it wouldn’t be too long! She went into the dining room to see if there was any lunch left. Petro bounded onto the table and began picking bananas out of the fruit bowl.