Maggie and the Unicorn Read online

  ‘I will,’ said Maggie. ‘Look at this. I can’t get it to drink.’

  Bob sighed and shook his head. ‘Then it’s in worse shape than I feared. Can you come and help me feed the others. We’ll see how your patients are when we finish.’

  The animals were quiet that morning. Maggie was sure they knew what was going on. She worked faster than ever, hurrying Bob as he scooped the feed into buckets.

  When she was finished, she checked on the unicorn. He stood in the stall with his head hanging down. When Maggie petted him, she thought he felt hot.

  Maggie checked on the phoenix next. It didn’t even open its eyes.

  ‘Anyone here?’ Stella called from the doorway.

  ‘I’m glad you came,’ Bob replied. ‘Maggie needs a break. Please go for a walk with her.’

  ‘But I don’t –’ Maggie began.

  ‘Go!’ said Bob. ‘You need fresh air and a change of scenery.’

  As soon as the girls left the stable, Eglantine started pulling them in the direction of the waterfall. ‘I suppose I know where she wants to go!’ said Stella. ‘Now, tell me what’s wrong. You look worried about something.’

  Maggie started telling her about how she had caught the injured unicorn. They were nearing the waterfall when she reached the part of the story where Peter had poured water on the flaming phoenix. ‘The bird was badly burned, but it can’t complete its transformation. It’s in a lot of pain now and we don’t know if it’s going to make it.’

  ‘I knew I didn’t like that boy Peter!’ Stella exclaimed.

  ‘The unicorn is sick, too. It probably got an infection from a troll’s claws. I just wish I knew how to help them,’ said Maggie. Having reached the pool, Eglantine scurried to the edge and plopped in. She was chasing minnows when the nymph rose out of the water.

  ‘Who is that?’ Stella whispered to Maggie.

  ‘Stella, I’d like you to meet Lily. Lily, this is my friend Stella,’ she told the nymph. ‘Did the pieces of the hoof or the mane trimmings help?’

  ‘Not as well as the piece of unicorn horn, but I think they made the goblins uncomfortable enough that they didn’t stay long. Even that is an improvement. Thank you again. I know you said I didn’t owe you anything, but I heard you talking. Can you take me to see the unicorn and the phoenix? I think I might be able to help them.’

  ‘It would be wonderful if you could!’ Maggie cried.

  ‘You go on ahead,’ Stella told her. ‘I’ll be along as soon as I can get Eglantine out of the water.’

  Maggie hurried back to the stable with Lily.

  ‘I didn’t know this was so close to my waterfall!’ the nymph said when she spotted the buildings. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever come this way before. I rarely have a reason to go near humans.’

  ‘Bob has been helping animals here for years,’ said Maggie. ‘He and his wife, Nora, are wonderful!’

  Maggie led Lily back to the stall where Bob was bending over the phoenix. The bird was barely breathing. ‘You’re back already,’ he said when he saw Maggie.

  ‘Bob, this is Lily,’ said Maggie. ‘She said that she might be able to help the phoenix and the unicorn.’

  Lily reached into the pouch she was carrying and took out a small clay bottle. ‘This is healing water that I got from a special spring,’ she told them. Kneeling beside the phoenix, she pulled the cork out of the little bottle. Ever so carefully, she sprinkled the water on the wings of the phoenix.

  ‘The bird looks the same as it did, only wet!’ said Maggie.

  ‘Give it time,’ Lily told her.

  They all looked towards the door when Stella walked in with her goose under one arm. ‘Sorry it took so long. I had a hard time catching Eglantine. Wow! Would you look at that!’ she said, pointing at the phoenix.

  Everyone turned to look. Feathers were sprouting all over the phoenix as it raised its head. It was wobbling on its feet moments later. Opening its beak, it cried out just as it had in the forest.

  ‘Get back!’ Bob shouted, dragging the girls away from the bird.

  There was a flash and the phoenix was engulfed in flames. Maggie and her friends watched as the fire crackled and grew higher. When it finally died down, a young, healthy bird stood in the ashes. Spreading its wings, the phoenix flew out of the stall, down the aisle, and out of the stable door.

  ‘Thank you so much!’ Maggie said to Lily. ‘That was amazing!’

  ‘I’ve never seen anything like it!’ exclaimed Bob.

  ‘I’m glad I got here in time to see that,’ Stella said as she tried to control her squirming goose. ‘But I think I should go now. Eglantine wants to finish our walk.’

  Chapter 10

  ‘I’m glad the healing water worked so well,’ Lily said as Stella left the barn. ‘I wasn’t sure what it would do, just that it should help. May I see the unicorn now?’

  The unicorn was lying on his side when they walked into his stall. Lily sat beside him and dribbled some of the healing water into his mouth. He swallowed a little, but Maggie wasn’t sure it was enough to make a difference.

  ‘He isn’t drinking much,’ said Maggie. ‘Is that little bit going to help him?’

  Lily shrugged. ‘We’ll have to wait and see.’

  ‘Maggie,’ said Bob, ‘can you help me clean up after the phoenix? I have to get rid of those ashes.’

  ‘I’ll be right back,’ Maggie told Lily and left to help Bob.

  He was waiting for her with a bucket and two shovels. They were scooping up the ashes when Maggie had an idea. ‘What are you going to do with these?’ she asked, tapping the ashes with her shovel.

  ‘Toss them in the compost pile, I suppose,’ said Bob.

  ‘May I have them?’ Maggie asked him.

  ‘Sure, but why would you want a pile of ashes?’

  ‘The phoenix is a magical bird, right?’ said Maggie. ‘Do you think some of the phoenix’s magic might still be in the ashes? Maybe we can use them to help the unicorn.’

  ‘It’s worth a try,’ Bob told her.

  When they had all the ashes collected, Maggie took the bucket back to the stall. ‘Do you think a paste made from the phoenix’s ashes and your healing water might help the unicorn?’ she asked Lily.

  ‘Maybe,’ said Lily. ‘What do you have in mind?’

  ‘We can put the paste on his wounds and see if it will draw out the infection,’ Maggie said, sitting down beside the water nymph.

  Lily stroked the unicorn’s forelock. The animal’s ears didn’t even flicker. ‘I suppose it can’t hurt. We might as well try it.’

  Maggie scooped up some of the ashes with her hand. After Lily poured a few drops of healing water on it, Maggie stirred the ashes and water together, making a grey paste. The wounds on the animal’s leg were hot and swollen when Maggie smeared the paste on them.

  She didn’t expect anything to happen right away, so she was surprised when the paste began to bubble and froth while turning a sickly yellow. The paste seemed to boil away. When it was gone, the swelling was down and the wound was no longer hot.

  The girls made more paste and spread it on all of the unicorn’s wounds. Once again, the paste bubbled and frothed. After a few minutes, the unicorn raised his head and looked around. His eyes looked clear and not pain-filled, the way they had before.

  ‘It looks as if that was a really good idea, Maggie!’ Bob said from the doorway.

  Lily gave the unicorn more of the healing water to drink. Maggie had to jump out of the way when the unicorn scrambled to his feet, bumping his horn against the wall. She saw something glitter and fall to the floor. When she bent down, she found the tip of the unicorn’s horn.

  ‘Here,’ she said, handing it to Lily. ‘It’s a gift to you from the unicorn.’

  Lily’s eyes lit up. ‘I’d love to take it, but are you certain it’s all right?’ she said, glancing from Maggie to Bob.

  ‘You deserve it,’ said Maggie. ‘Without your help, the unicorn and the phoenix might not have ma
de it.’

  Bob nodded. ‘She’s right. The tip of his horn is yours. Thank you for all your help.’

  Lily looked at the glittering piece of horn in her hand and smiled. ‘So much for those goblins. Once they know I have this, they probably won’t come around any more. Thank you!’ she said and gave Maggie and Bob big hugs.

  ‘We’re not the ones you should thank,’ said Bob.

  Lily turned to the unicorn and threw her arms around his neck. ‘And thank you!’ she cried as the unicorn wuffled her hair.

  ‘I need to go now, but is it all right if I come back tomorrow?’ she asked Bob.

  ‘Of course!’ he said. ‘You can come back any time you want. You were a very big help today.’

  When Maggie walked the water nymph to the door, Lily handed her the clay bottle. ‘It’s still about half full,’ said Lily. ‘You keep it. I know you’ll put it to good use.’

  Maggie waved as the nymph walked away. She turned when she realised that Bob was standing beside her. ‘You can’t say that you don’t make a difference, Maggie,’ he said. ‘The phoenix and the unicorn both got better because of you.’

  ‘Oh, no, that was because of Lily. She’s the one who brought the healing water.’

  ‘And she wouldn’t have come here at all if it hadn’t been for you,’ said Bob. ‘You’re a very special girl, and your friends know it. You were the one who thought of making that paste. That was a great idea. I’ll find something to store the rest of the ashes in. You should put everything you learned today in your journal.’

  ‘Then I need to get started,’ said Maggie. ‘Because I have an awful lot to write!’

  About the Author

  E.D. Baker is the author of the Tales of the Frog Princess series, the Wide-Awake Princess series and many other delightful books for young readers, including A Question of Magic, Fairy Wings, and Fairy Lies. Her first book, The Frog Princess, was the inspiration for Disney’s hit movie The Princess and the Frog. She lives with her family and their many animals in rural Maryland.

  talesofedbaker.com

  Bloomsbury Publishing, London, Oxford, New York, New Delhi and Sydney

  First published in Great Britain in December 2017 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

  50 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP

  First published in the USA in October 2017 by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

  1385 Broadway, New York, New York 10018

  This electronic edition published in January 2018 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

  www.bloomsbury.com

  BLOOMSBURY is a registered trademark of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

  Text copyright © E.D. Baker 2017

  Illustrations copyright © Lisa Manuzak 2017

  The moral rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted

  All rights reserved

  You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

  ISBN: 978-1-4088-7830-9 (PB)

  ISBN: 978-1-4088-9111-7 (eBook)

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