Lily sighed. �I�m sure there�s something else wrong with her. I wish I knew what. Mom and Dad don�t know, either.�

�And they know everything there is to know about animals,� said Jess. Mr. and Mrs. Hart were both vets. �Maybe she�s missing her owner,� she suggested.

The girls had spent yesterday putting up notices around town and knocking on doors to ask if anyone had lost their guinea pig. But no one had. So the girls had named her Coco and Lily�s parents agreed that she could live at the hospital until they found her owner.

Lily closed the hutch, then listened. �Did you hear that?� She looked at Jess in excitement. �It sounded like a meow...�

Jess ran to open the barn door. A beautiful golden cat bounded inside.

�Goldie!� Lily cried.

Goldie was a magical cat and their special friend. She lived in Friendship Forest, a secret world where all the animals could talk!

Lily and Jess bent to pet her. But Goldie didn�t seem as happy to see them as she usually was. She wasn�t purring and her tail was flicking from side to side.

�My kitten Pixie does that when she�s upset,� said Jess anxiously. �I wonder what Grizelda�s done this time!�

Grizelda was a wicked witch who wanted to make all the animals leave Friendship Forest so she could have it for herself. She had some helpers in her mischief-making�dragons! So far, Lily and Jess had stopped three of the dragons from ruining the forest, but they knew Grizelda still had one more dragon left.

Lily crouched down. �Whatever�s happening, we�re ready to help,� she told the cat. �Take us back to Friendship Forest, Goldie, and then you can tell us what�s wrong!�

Goldie mewed up at them. Then she ran out of the barn and across the lawn. Lily and Jess dashed after her, and followed her over the stepping stones that crossed Brightley Stream and led up to the Friendship Tree. Its branches were bare, but as the cat reached it, buds appeared on every twig and burst into leaves as green as Goldie�s eyes. A bumblebee buzzed around the yellow flowers that had sprung up under the tree, and birds chased each other through the branches, singing happily.

Goldie pawed at some words carved into the tree�s bark. Together, the girls read them aloud: �Friendship Forest!�

A door appeared in the trunk. Jess grasped the leaf-shaped handle and opened it. Golden light shone out, dancing over them like sunbeams.

Goldie stepped through the door. With a thrill, Lily and Jess stooped to follow her. Their skin tingled like lemonade bubbles as they shrank so they were a little smaller than usual.

But when the golden light faded, the girls gave gasps of horror. Friendship Forest was usually filled with warmth and sunshine, but today it looked completely different. The tree branches thrashed around wildly in a fierce wind and leaves and petals swirled through the air. Rain poured down, splashing in puddles everywhere.

�What�s happening?� Lily cried, her dark hair whipping around her face.

�It�s a storm!� cried Goldie over the howling wind. �I�ve never seen one this bad!�

Now that they were in the forest, Goldie could talk to them at last. She stood upright beside the girls, almost up to their shoulders, one paw holding her glittery scarf so it couldn�t be snatched away by the wind.

As they huddled against the tree trunk, Jess turned to their friend. �Goldie,� she cried in alarm, �what�s wrong with Friendship Forest?�

The Longwhiskers rabbit family, who ran the Toadstool Caf�, were getting soaked as they moved tables, chairs, and sunshades indoors. Through the windows, the girls spotted their friends Emily Prickleback the hedgehog and Lola Velvetnose the mole sheltering inside.

A mouse ran across the glade, clutching a tiny umbrella made of ivy leaves.

�Look! There�s little Molly Twinkletail!� cried Lily.

Suddenly, the wind caught the umbrella and whisked the tiny mouse into the air.

�Help!� Molly squealed.

Jess darted across Toadstool Glade. She caught Molly gently. The little mouse sat quivering in her hand. Jess kissed her tiny damp head and lifted her to the front door of the Twinkletails� cottage, high up on a tree branch.

�You�re safe now, Molly,� she said. �Make sure your family stays inside until this awful storm is over.�

�Thank you, Jess! I will!� cried Molly, as her dad opened the door. She ran inside to a chorus of squeaks and squeals.

�Poor Molly,� said Goldie, when Jess ran back to her and Lily. Her tail twitched anxiously. �We�d better hurry. If the storm keeps going, the littlest animals will be swept away, just like Molly was!�

As the girls struggled through a big cloud of leaves being swirled around by the wind, Goldie gasped.

Ahead was a horribly familiar sight. A yellow-green orb was floating through the storm toward them!

�Oh, no!� cried Jess and Lily together.

With a cra-ack, the orb burst in a shower of smelly yellow sparks that hissed as raindrops hit them. In its place stood Grizelda the witch!

The three friends raced through the forest. They dodged chestnuts, acorns, and twigs as the wind blew them through the air, and skidded over the wet leaves that blew around the ground.

Goldie led them out of the trees to a little hill. On top of it stood a purple-and-yellow-striped windmill with four yellow wooden sails. They were spinning wildly, so fast they were almost a blur.

Goldie gave a gasp. �No wonder the wind is so strong, the sails normally turn slowly and steadily!� she said. �Only the Gigglepips can work the Whirligig and make the storm stop, but I can�t see them anywhere!�

But she had barely finished speaking when faint squeaks reached them through the wind and rain.

�Look!� cried Jess, pointing at a nearby tree. �What is that?�

They peered up into the treetop.

A small column of wind was whirling around on a branch. Through it, they could just see four tiny, frightened faces.

�It�s a tornado,� Goldie cried, �with the Gigglepip family trapped inside! How can we get them down?�

�Shh,� said Lily. She listened hard, straining to hear over the storm. �Did you hear that squeak? It sounds closer.�

�Help!� a small voice squeaked sadly. �Help me!�

�Over here!� Lily led them to a low, thin branch. Clinging to it was a tiny guinea pig. She looked very wobbly and frightened. Her wet fur was the color of vanilla ice cream, with caramel patches, and she was wearing a pretty pink rose on a ribbon around her neck.

Lily gently lifted her down.

�You poor thing,� Lily said, cradling the trembling creature in her arms.

�It�s Rosie Gigglepip,� Goldie said. �It�s okay, Rosie. These girls are Jess and Lily, and they�ve come to help.�

Lily wrapped her cape around the shivering guinea pig.

�Thank you,� said Rosie, snuggling in.

�Can you tell us what happened?� asked Jess gently.

�It was so scary,� Rosie said. �A red dragon flew down and blew at the Whirligig so hard that the sails started turning too fast. Way too fast! My family tried to slow it down again, but then she blew at us and we went flying up into the air! The wind won�t stop until me and my family slow the Whirligig down again.� Rosie�s tiny chin wobbled. �I managed to grab that branch,� she said, �but my mom and dad, and my sisters, Posie and Josie, were swept up in that swirly wind. I was so frightened!�

Rosie looked at the girls and Goldie with tear-filled brown eyes. �Please help them!� she begged.

Whooooooooooooooooooooooh!

�Hold on!� cried Goldie.

They hid behind the tree as Breezy�s powerful blast of wind shot past them. It was so strong that it lifted poor Rosie up into the air. She gave a terrified squeak. Lily reached and caught hold of her paw just in time, but then she felt her own feet being lifted off the ground, too!

�We�re being blown away!� Lily cried.

�I�ll catch you!� yelled Jess. �Goldie, hold on to me!�

Jess wrapped her arms around the tree trunk and Goldie grabbed on to her. Lily reached out her hand and held on to Goldie. Her other hand was still tightly holding on to Rosie�s tiny paw. The four friends held each other tight. If they let go, they would be swept away!

At last, the blast of wind died down. Lily�s feet touched back onto the ground and she cuddled Rosie.

�Thank you!� squeaked the little guinea pig in a shaky voice.

�Thank goodness we�re all okay,� panted Jess.

But Goldie�s eyes were wide with horror. Lily and Jess turned around and looked at the Toadstool Caf� in amazement. Breezy�s blast of air had blown the caf�s roof right off!

Lily, Jess, and Goldie peered inside the caf�. Emily Prickleback was staring in shocked surprise as rain sloshed into her honey milk shake. Mrs. Longwhiskers tried to protect a tray of cakes from the storm with her apron. Puddles were already gathering on the wooden floor.

Mr. Longwhiskers looked sadly at his ruined caf�. �Those dragons are ruining everything in our forest,� he said. �What can we do?�

Jess groaned as Breezy swooped over Toadstool Glade again. She put her hands on her hips. �Look what you�ve done, Breezy!� she shouted up at her.

Breezy just giggled and aimed another blast of wind at a tree. All the leaves flew off and swirled around them.

Rosie gave a sob. �I... I... I want my mommy!�

The wind seemed to carry her words up to Breezy. The dragon suddenly looked upset and landed with a thump beside them. �I miss my mommy, too,� she said miserably.

Lily, Jess, and Goldie stared at her in surprise. �Breezy, are you a grown-up dragon?� Lily asked.

Breezy shook her head. �Of course not!� she said. �I�m only little, so my storms aren�t big enough for Grizelda. She wants me to make storms as big as my mommy�s.�

The girls and Goldie looked at each other in amazement. The dragons were only babies!

�There are dragons bigger than Breezy?� said Rosie, her eyes very wide.

�It sounds like it,� said Jess. �Breezy�s mom must be huge!�

An idea was starting to come to Lily. �What about Chilly, Dusty, and Smudge?� she asked. �Are they babies, too?�

�They�re my brothers and my sister,� explained Breezy. �We all miss Mommy.� She sighed, letting out a puff of air that made the girls� hair blow back and ruffled Goldie�s and Rosie�s fur.

�Your mommy must miss you, too,� Jess told Breezy. �Why don�t you go home?�

The dragon shook her scaly head. �Can�t! Grizelda put a spell on us. We can�t fly away from the forest.�

Goldie turned to the others, her tail twitching crossly. �Grizelda said she kidnapped the dragons, didn�t she? They don�t want to be here at all!�

�I know they�ve caused lots of problems, but I feel sorry for them,� said Jess.

Lily nodded. �If we can break Grizelda�s spell, I bet they�d go home!�

�I think there are already too many dragons in Friendship Forest, Rosie. We don�t need any more!�

Rosie frowned thoughtfully. �No, wait,� she said. �Grizelda�s spell stops the dragons flying away from the forest... but maybe we could summon their mother to come and get them!�

Goldie�s green eyes gleamed. �That�s a wonderful idea! Oh, good job, Rosie!�

�And Breezy said her mom could stop the tornado, didn�t she?� added Lily. �So if we can do the spell, we can ask her to free the Gigglepips!�

Rosie gave a delighted squeak and clapped her paws together.

Jess studied the book. �Smoke Signal Summoning Spell,� she read. �To summon a dragon, you must send clouds of smoke up into the air. It�s important to follow a special pattern: Smoke... smoke smoke... smoke... smoke smoke...� She pulled out the little sketchbook and pencil she always kept in her pocket, and copied down the pattern.

�There�s just one problem,� Lily said. �Where can we get smoke in the middle of a storm? It�s too wet to make a fire.�

The little guinea pig squeaked again. �I know where to get smoke!�

�Where?� everyone cried.

Rosie smiled. �From the dragons, of course!�

�Good-bye, Smudge!� Ruby called over the wind that whistled around the lighthouse. �Remember the dance moves I showed you!�

�I will!� Smudge promised. He did a twirl in the air, but a gust caught his tail and he bumped into one of the swaying trees, scattering soot everywhere.

Lily giggled. �He�s still as clumsy as ever!�

Jess looked up at the four dragons flying above them and grinned. �Back to the Whirligig!� she cried.

The girls and Goldie huddled under their capes as they battled their way back through the trees. Lily kept Rosie inside her cape, safely tucked under one arm. By the time they reached the magical windmill, the dragons were very excited.

Goldie called up to the Gigglepips, who were still trapped up inside the whirling tornado. �Don�t be frightened of the dragons,� she shouted, �they�re here to help rescue you!�

The four baby dragons landed on the wet ground.

Jess took out her notebook, where she�d written down the smoke-signal pattern. �We need you all to blow big puffs of smoke together,� she told Chilly, Dusty, and Smudge. �I�ll tell you when. And Breezy, we need your wind to blow the smoke straight up. Remember, we don�t want any fire, just smoke!�

Dusty looked disappointed. �Not even a little bit of fire?�

Jess shook her head.

�A really tiny bit?� begged Smudge.

�Definitely not,� said Lily firmly.

The dragons sighed.

�Everyone ready?� asked Jess. �One... two... three... BLOW!�

�I might have guessed!� Grizelda screeched. �So you pesky girls made those smoke signals! What were you doing?�

Before anyone could reply, Grizelda spotted the dragons. She pointed at them, sending a jet of hot sparks that made them jump.

�What are you doing here?� she snapped. �Go and wait in the dungeon beneath my tower. Now!�

But then a great dark shadow fell over them all.

Lily and Jess looked up.

A huge dragon was hovering above the clearing. Her scales were all the colors of her babies�red, yellow, blue, and black�and she was even bigger than the Toadstool Caf�.

The girls grasped each other�s hands.

�Our spell worked after all!� Jess cried. �We�ve summoned the dragons� mom!�

Lily�s eyes were wide. �Jess, do you think we did the right thing? I bet she could burn the whole forest down with one breath if she wanted to!�

�I don�t know,� said Jess, �but we�re about to find out...�

The mother dragon swooped down and landed neatly beside the Whirligig.

�Mommy! Mommy!� yelled the dragons. They flapped over to her, and their mother folded her wings around them.

�My beautiful babies,� the mother dragon said in a deep, soft voice. �I�m so happy to see you!�

And she planted a kiss on each of their heads. The baby dragons gave gurgling roars of delight and snuggled even closer under her wings.

Jess grinned at Lily. �We definitely did the right thing!�

�I�ve been so worried,� the mother dragon said. �Where have you been?�

From the corner of her eye, Lily caught sight of Grizelda tiptoeing away toward the trees.

�I�d forgotten she was there,� Lily whispered to her friend.

�Chilly hasn�t,� Jess giggled. The blue dragon was pointing his wing at Grizelda.

�We were kidnapped,� he told his mother. �Kidnapped by her!�

Breezy, Smudge, and Dusty flapped over to Grizelda. �Her! It was her!� they cried.

The mother�s eyes flashed silver. �Bad!� she thundered. She reared up. With a roar that was far louder than the storm, she blew a stream of red, blue, yellow, black, and ice-white flames at the witch.

Grizelda jumped out of the way just in time. She tumbled into a pool of mud and landed with her legs in the air.

�If you come near my babies again,� the mother dragon roared, �I�ll toast you to a crisp!�

Grizelda scrambled upright. �I�m sorry!� she screeched, staggering as her high heels sank in the mud. Her green hair, covered in brown ooze, stuck to her bony cheeks. �I�m sorry! I�m going!�

With a snap of her fingers, she disappeared in a splatter of smelly sparks.

Everyone cheered. The dragons flew happily around their mother and Lily picked up Rosie and spun her around. The little guinea pig squeaked happily.

�We�ve defeated Grizelda!� Jess cried.

�Friendship Forest is safe!� Lily chanted.

They grabbed Goldie�s paws and danced around each other, not caring about the storm.

The young dragons flapped happily above them, while the mother dragon looked down at the girls.

�I am Saffire,� she said. �Thank you for your kindness to my little ones, and for bringing me here. What are your names?�

�I�m Jess, and this is Lily,� said Jess. �Our friends are Rosie Gigglepip and Goldie. They live here.�

Saffire looked at the trees whipping around in the wind, the snapped branches, and the fallen leaves. �Breezy!� she bellowed. �Did you make this mess?�

Breezy nodded sheepishly.

Saffire turned to her other babies. �And I suppose you�ve been spoiling this lovely forest, too?�

The young dragons hung their heads.

�Sort of,� said Dusty.

�A little bit,� said Chilly.

�Well, maybe a lot,� admitted Smudge.

�Naughty children!� said Saffire. �If you made the mess, you must clean it up. We�re not going home until you do.�

Rosie bravely crept forward and tapped Saffire�s huge clawed foot. �Please, do you think you could help my family?� She pointed up to the tornado in the tree. �They�ve been trapped there for a long time, and Breezy said that you could free them. Then we can fix the Whirligig and stop the storm!�

Saffire�s great head swooped down until her big, scaly nose almost touched little Rosie�s pink one.

�Of course I�ll help, little one,� the mother dragon said.

�Finally! The storm�s over!� said Jess happily, shaking out her tangled curls while Lily shrugged off her cape.

�Look,� cried Goldie. �All the animals are coming out!�

A family of blue birds flapped their wings dry and turned their faces to the sun. Lola Velvetnose strolled over, whistling cheerfully. Lily and Jess waved as the Prickleback family gathered around the Whirligig, drying off their spines. �Sunshine at last!� called Mrs. Prickleback. �Now, what can we do to help clean up?�

Before long, all the forest creatures were busy cleaning up the mess made by the storm. The young dragons flew back and forth, taking fallen branches to Mr. Cleverfeather, the owl, for him to use in his inventions. Saffire breathed warm air into the Toadstool Caf� to dry it out, then lifted the roof and put it back on.

As dusk fell, the forest was almost back to normal.

Mr. Longwhiskers hopped onto a tree stump. �Everyone�s invited to a celebration at the Toadstool Caf�,� he shouted. �And the dragons will be our special guests!�

Soon the girls, Goldie, the Gigglepips, the four baby dragons, and all the animals were sitting around tables outside the Toadstool Caf�. Saffire sat nearby, looking proud and happy.

�My children were very naughty,� the dragon said, �but Jess, Lily, and Goldie understood that Grizelda made them behave like that. To say thank you, I have a gift for you all. Look!�

She breathed a long stream of sparks of every color imaginable, up into the darkening sky.

The animals watched, amazed, as the sparks formed into whirling, spinning, shooting patterns, filling the night with glittering, sparkling light.

�Wow!� said Jess.

�It�s the best firework display ever!� cried Lily.

When it was over, Saffire said, �Now I must take my little ones home.�

The young dragons clung to her, looking upset.

�But Grizelda�s spell means we can�t fly out of the forest,� said Smudge anxiously.

Saffire smiled. �Climb onto my back,� she said, stretching out her rainbow-colored wings. �No spell can stop me flying!�

Moments later, the dragon family soared into the sky, calling, �Bye, Lily and Jess! Bye, Goldie!�

Once they were out of sight, Lily sighed. �I guess it�s time for us to go home, too.�

She and Jess hugged Rosie, the Gigglepips, and all their other friends. Then, waving good-bye, they followed Goldie through the trees.

�The forest looks lovely again,� said Jess. The last raindrops were glittering like diamonds on a starflower bush.

�And look, the Friendship Tree�s golden leaves are as beautiful as ever,� said Lily, as they arrived.

Goldie took their hands in her paws. �The forest is safe thanks to you!�

Jess and Lily exchanged glances.

�Grizelda will probably come up with a horrible new plan,� said Lily.

�But we�ll be ready to stop her,� added Jess firmly.

Goldie smiled. �I know you will.�

She touched a paw to the tree trunk, and a door appeared.

The girls hugged her, then stepped inside, into the shimmering light.

When the golden glow disappeared, Jess and Lily found themselves back in Brightley Meadow.

�What an adventure!� said Jess, as they walked back to Helping Paw.

�It was amazing!� Lily said with a grin. They went into the barn and peeped into Coco�s hutch. The guinea pig was asleep in her nest of sweet-smelling hay. But there was something else there, too, nestling beside her.

�She had a baby!� whispered Lily.

Jess grinned. �So that�s why she wasn�t feeling right!�

The tiny creature was a little smaller than Lily�s hand, and had golden-brown fur. She blinked up at the girls.

�She�s so pretty!� said Lily.

Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Hart came into the barn, too.

�Mom! Dad!� said Lily. �Guess what? Coco had a baby!�

Mr. and Mrs. Hart just smiled.

Lily gasped. �You knew!�

�We wanted it to be a surprise,� said Mr. Hart, with a grin.

�Jess has her kitten, Pixie,� said Mrs. Hart, �so we thought it would be nice for you to have a pet, too. Would you like to keep the baby?� she asked. �And Coco, too, of course, if no one claims her.�

Lily hugged her parents. �Yes, please! Thank you!� she said happily.

Jess was thrilled for her. �What will you call the baby?�

Lily looked at the tiny creature. �Her fur�s lovely and golden,� she said, �so I think I�ll call her Honey�Honey Rose!�

Jess grinned. �Perfect!�

As Mr. and Mrs. Hart started cleaning out the other hutches, Coco woke up and nuzzled Honey.

Lily laughed. �She�s such a good mom, just like Saffire!�

�I hope Goldie visits us again soon,� Jess said.

�Me, too,� Lily agreed.

They shared a smile. They couldn�t wait for their next adventure in Friendship Forest!

The End