THE SECRET OF

THE FAIRIES

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available

e-ISBN 978-0-545-55688-0

Copyright © 2012 by Edizioni Piemme S.p.A., Corso Como 15, 20154

Milan, Italy.

International Rights © Atlantyca S.p.A.

English translation © 2013 by Atlantyca S.p.A.

GERONIMO STILTON and THEA STILTON names, characters, and

related indicia are copyright, trademark, and exclusive license of Atlantyca

S.p.A. All rights reserved. The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Based on an original idea by Elisabetta Dami.

www.geronimostilton.com

Published by Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered

trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

Stilton is the name of a famous En glish cheese. It is a registered trade-

mark of the Stilton Cheese Makers’ Association. For more information,

go to www.stiltoncheese.com.

Text by Thea Stilton

Original title Il segreto della Fate del Lago

Cover by Danilo Barozzi and Flavio Ferron

Illustrations by Giuseppe Facciotto and Barbara Pellizzari

Color by Alessandro Muscillo

Graphics by Marta Lorini

Special thanks to Tracey West

Translated by Emily Clement

Interior design by Kay Petronio

First p

rinting, September 2013

Violet

Thea

Paulina

Colette

Nick

y

Pamela

Thea Stilton and the Thea Sisters

Goblins:

Always causing trouble, goblins

have long noses and pointy ears. They live in the

Canyon of Sounds, and they don’t like intruders.

Green Pixies:

They live on the banks

of the river in the Canyon of Sounds. They try to

be helpful but sometimes get mixed up.

Lake Fairies:

They protect the

secrets of Erin. They speak only in riddles, and if

you can’t answer, they will freeze you for a year!

The Land of Erin

Pookas:

These mischievous creatures

can change form. They most often appear as

a black horse with shining eyes.

The Land of Erin is a fantasy land where magical creatures

live. They are similar to creatures from the fairy tales of

Ireland and other nearby lands. Some of their names

and abilities, however, are unique to this strange world.

The Yum Fairies:

They are

excellent cooks, but think twice before sitting

down at their table. Fairy food comes at a price.

Gnomes:

These kind fairies live

in the Enchanted Forest. They are small,

with pointy hats and shoes.

Red Caps:

These creatures are the

bullies of the fairy world. They are part of

the Court of the Discontented.

Banshees:

These fairies are very

beautiful but always sad. They live alone, and

you can find them by following their cries.

Leprechauns:

These fairies are

shoemakers, famous for their skills. When they

aren’t working, though, they like to play tricks.

Guardians of Treasure:

These greedy goblins will do anything to get

treasure. They live in the Gray Marshes.

Study, Study,

Study!

At Mouseford Academy, the most difficult

time of the year had arrived: exam time!

The Thea Sisters were busy studying for

their Economics and Statistics class.

Nicky

closed the book in front of her. “I

can’t keep my EYES open any longer!”

S

o

t

i

r

e

d

!

Study, Study, Study!

“Tell me about it.”

Violet

yawned.

“I’m going to bed. You can’t

succeed

without sleep,”Colette added.

“Or cheese,”Pam said. “I need a sandwich.”

Violet sighed. “I need a little more time. I

just don’t feel confident,” she confessed.

Nicky patted her on the shoulder. “You’ll

be fine, you’ll see.”

PAULINA

was busy scribbling numbers in

her notebook.

“Don’t you want a break?” Colette asked.

“I have to study this

formula,” she replied.

Her friends said good-bye and left the

library.

Paulina buried her nose in her book. When

she looked up again, she saw the

rising SUN through the window.

How long have I been

studying?

she wondered.

Study, Study, Study!

She walked to the window to feel the crisp

breeze on her face. When she looked down,

she saw . . . me, Thea Stilton! I was getting

ready to teach a class on undersea

investigation

techniques.

Oh, let me introduce myself! I’m a

special

correspondent for my

brother’s newspaper,

The Rodent’s Gazette,

and I sometimes teach

at

Mouseford

Academy.

I was just returning

from a dive, so I was

still wearing my wet

suit. My mask and

flippers definitely

looked out of place in

the garden!

I

t

’

s

a

l

r

e

a

d

y

d

a

w

n

!

sparkled

Study, Study, Study!

Curious, Paulina joined me outside.

“Good morning, Thea!” she said, smiling.

“Good morning, Paulina,” I replied. “You’re

up

early

today.”

Paulina yawned. “Actually, I haven’t slept

at all.”

I noticed the BOOKS she was carrying

under her arm. “Studying for exams?” I

asked.

“Exactly. And Professor Datamouse is very

demanding!” she said.

I

smiled

. “Cheer up! I have a fantastic

surprise for the next semester.”

Paulina’s eyes with excitement.

“Really? What is it?”

“I’m going to be teaching a special class on

investigation under the sea,” I revealed.

“I spent some time inspecting the ocean

floor around the island. There is evidence

mysteries

Study, Study, Study!

that these WATERS might have held a

very interesting past.”

“Can we all take the class with you?”

Paulina asked. “Will we be able to dive and

discover these for ourselves?”

“Of course!” I replied.

“This is fabumouse news!” she

T

h

i

s

i

s

f

a

b

u

m

o

u

s

e

n

e

w

s

!

lucky

Study, Study, Study!

exclaimed. “I’m going to tell the others.”

As I watched her run out of the garden,

I thought about how I was. The Thea

Sisters were such enthusiastic students! I’m

always happy to spend time with them.

I had a meeting soon with Octavius de

Mousus, the headmaster of Mouseford

Academy, so I headed to my room for a

shower. As I opened the door, I saw that

someone had slipped a

letter underneath

it. Who could have sent it?

tests

I picked up the envelope and stared at it,

speechless: It was from the Institute

of Incredible Stories

(I.I.S.).*

On the corner of the envelope, I saw the

symbol for the SEVEN ROSES UNIT,

one of the most secret departments in the

I.S.S. Recently, I took a special

to see if

I could join the department — and passed it!

But I had just started my training. This was

the first time they had contacted me.

I

QUICKLY

opened the envelope and

began to read. . . .

A Request

for Help

* To learn more about the I.I.S., go to page 10.

Dear Thea,

The Seven Roses Unit needs your help!

Nina, one of our most promising agents,

recently began studying Irish legends.

Twenty days ago, she left for Ireland to

conduct research. We haven’t heard from

her in a week. It’s as if she has vanished!

I need you to help me find her. If you

accept, call me for details at the number

on the back of this paper. Nina’s life could

be in danger!

Sincerely,

Will Mystery

Seven Roses Unit

A Request for Help

I immediately dialed the number.

“Will, this is Thea Stilton.”

“Thea! I’m so glad you called,”

he replied.

“Well, I had to. Your letter

sounded very urgent,” I said.

Will lowered his voice. “I know you have

just begun your training,” he said. “But this

is an emergency, and I know you have

exactly the

skills we need to solve this

problem.”

“You can count on me!” I said confidently.

“What can I do?”

“I need you to go to Ireland

to find Nina, the agent

who has disappeared,” Will

explained.

“The last time we heard

from Nina, she said she

I

NVISIBLE

H

EADQUARTERS

To keep their research secret, the I.I.S.

headquarters is hidden in icy Antarctica.

It can only be reached by traveling through

an underground tunnel and then passing

through a hologram of a tower made of ice.

S

UPER

S

ECRET

R

ESEARCH

C

ENTER

The I.I.S. was founded by a group of scientists

dedicated to the study of unsolved mysteries.

It is led by Mr. Alpha.

I.I.S.

Institute of Incredible Stories

T

HE

S

EVEN

R

OSES

The Seven Roses Unit is

the most secret department

of the I.I.S. It is dedicated

to the study of lands found

in myths and legends. It is

directed by Will Mystery,

an expert researcher.

T

HE

T

HEA

S

ISTERS

AND

THE

I.I.S.

Thea Stilton and the Thea Sisters worked with the I.I.S. in their

adventure

The Journey to Atlantis

. Since then, Thea has become

an official agent of the Seven Roses Unit, thanks to her great

investigative skills.

A Request for Help

was on the brink of an important discovery,”

Will continued. “We know that she was

exploring some ancient ruins on a rocky

island near Cork. Since you are an

investigative journalist, we’re hoping that

you can track her down.”

“I’ll do my best,” I promised. “You said

Nina VANISHED a week ago. Where was

she last seen?”

Dunmore

East

Cork

Belfast

Dublin

I

R

E

L

A

N

D

A Request for Help

“Northeast of Cork, in Dunmore East, a

town along the Irish coast,” Will replied. “An

I.I.S. agent will be waiting for you at

the Dogwalk Inn. I will give you an envelope

with instructions for reaching your

destination and recognizing your agent.”

“I’ll prepare to leave immediately,” I

promised. “I’ll look for your envelope.”

I flipped my phone shut and began to pack.

What if Nina was in some kind of trouble?

There was

NO TIME to waste!

ready

My ears perked up when I heard a cough

outside my door. Was someone spying on

me?

I opened the door and saw Ruby Flashyfur

walking down the hall, talking on her phone.

Ruby was a student at the academy. She

loved to be the center of attention and to

cause trouble for the

Thea Sisters. But she

was basically harmless.

I closed the door and finished packing.

Then I put on my Seven Roses pendant,

which I had received when I became

an agent. I was to go! But first

I had to say good-bye to the Thea

Sisters. I found them by a

classroom

,

waiting to take their exam.

Top Secret

Mission

Top Secret Mission

The mouselets were early, as usual.

They’re very responsible. When they saw

me with my bag on my shoulder, they

looked surprised.

“Thea!” they all exclaimed at once.

“Hello!” I replied with a smile.

Hello!

M

Top Secret Mission

“Where are you going?” Paulina asked.

“Unfortunately, I have to leave early,” I

replied. “I’m on a TOP SECRET

mission for the I.I.S.”

The Thea Sisters started talking all at once.

“How exciting!”

“What’s the mission?”

“We should go with you!”

“I must go alone,” I said firmly. “The

mission is for the

SEVEN ROSES UNIT,

a top secret department. Besides, you need

to take your exams.”

Suddenly, I smelled very strong perfume.

I turned to see Ruby Flashyfur peeking

around the doorway. How

sneaky

!

“Hi, Ruby,” I said, and she jumped in

surprise. “Shouldn’t you be preparing

for your exams?”

Her face turned red with embarrassment.

M

Top Secret Mission

“I was just . . . I mean . . . um . . .”

I shook my head. “Ruby, when

are you going to learn? It’s

not nice to stick your whiskers

into other rodents’ business.”

Ruby turned around and left

in a huff.

“Let’s go into the Reading

Room,” Colette suggested. “It

will be empty at this hour,

and we can talk without

prying ears

listening to us.”

We went to the Reading Room and closed

the door.

“Will Mystery, the director of the

Seven Roses Unit, contacted me,” I explained.

“He asked me to find a missing agent named

Nina. She vanished under

mysterious

circumstances.”

M

Top Secret Mission

“But you can’t go alone!” Paulina exclaimed.

“You might find yourself in DANGER,”

added Violet. The other Thea Sisters nodded

in agreement.

“Don’t worry about me,” I assured them.

“I can do this on my own.”

I took a quick LOOK at my watch. “I’m

sorry, but I really must run. Good

luck

on your exams!”

The girls waved good-bye as I rushed

outside and down to the

dock. I had to take the

first

boat

to the nearest

airport.

| was ready

for my adventure

to begin!

M

When I boarded the

plane, the flight attendant

handed me a magazine.

I took it from her and

opened it, and an envelope

slipped out. It was from Will Mystery. It

contained a photo of Nina and directions

to

the place where I was to begin my search.

I stared at the photo. The I.I.S. was

counting on me to find her. Was I up for the

challenge? As the plane soared

through the sky, I planned my strategy.

After a while, I looked out the window. I

gasped

in surprise at the marvelous view

below me. Green fields rolled toward a deep

blue sea. . . .

|

reland,

Here

|

Come!

|

reland, Here

|

Come!

“How gorgeous!” I exclaimed.

After we landed in Dublin, I rented a car*

and began my journey to Dunmore East, the

village where Nina was last seen. I carefully

made my way along the narrow,

twisting

road. The curves took me along the cliffs by

the sea. I kept an eye on the water as I drove;

it looked like there might be a

storm

. The

waves sent high plumes of water up onto

the cliffs.

Finally, after a few hours, I reached

Dunmore East. The tiny village was tucked

in County Waterford, northeast of Cork.

The village was lovely: a charming

cluster of fisherman’s cottages built on a bay

near a small dock. When I got out of the car,

an unexpected GUST OF WIND

I

T

W

A

S

I

R

E

L

A

N

D

!

* In Ireland, vehicles are driven on the left side of the road. To

make it easier to drive, the steering wheel is on the right.

squeaking

|

reland, Here

|

Come!

almost knocked me off balance.

There was no one around to ask for

directions, but the town looked small enough.

I

walked

down the road, looking for my

destination.

The delicious smell of something baking

hit my snout, and I followed the scent. Then

I heard a strange noise. I

|

reland, Here

|

Come!

looked up to see a wooden sign

moving in the wind, with the name

of the place it marked painted

in green: DOGWALK. I had

arrived!

While I was busy solving mysteries in

IRELAND, the Thea Sisters were facing the

mystery of their Economics and Statistics

exam.

Paulina checked her notebook one last

time. “Are you worriedabout the exam?”

she asked her friends.

“You bet!” Pam replied. She took some

cheese crackers from her backpack

and started to munch nervously.

Professor Datamouse opened the classroom

door. “The exam is about to start.”

“Just one second!” Colette

exclaimed with alarm. “I forgot to put on my

perfume! I can’t face this exam without the

proper fragrance.”

She took her favorite perfume, Mousey

Showdown!

Showdown!

Sighs, from her purse, and

spritzed a few drops behind

her ears.

“Okay, now we can go in,”

she exclaimed with satisfaction.

The friends

smiled

with amusement.

There was nobody like Colette! Now they all

felt a little less nervous.

They entered the classroom and found

their desks. Professor Datamouse stood in

front of the room, holding the

test papers

in his paws.

He passed out the tests. “Let’s begin!” he

announced.

The Thea Sisters scanned their papers.

There were twenty multiple-choice questions

followed by ten difficult-looking word

problems. They suddenly felt nervous again.

The room was quiet as the mouselets got

Showdown!

focused. Pam’s stomach grumbled; taking

tests always made her hungry! Paulina

anxiously tapped her pencil on the desk.

Colette took a deep breath, letting the scent

of Mousey Sighs calm her nerves. Violet

twirled the ends of her long hair, and

Nicky scribbledfuriously on her paper.

Showdown!

“Time’s up!” Professor Datamouse finally

announced.

The students all put down their pencils

and handed in their papers.

“How do you think you did?” Nicky asked

her

friends

once they were in the hall.

“I couldn’t solve the last problem,” Colette

Showdown!

said with a frown.

“If you answered the rest, then you should

be okay,” Violet pointed out.

Nicky grinned. “You know, now that we’re

finished with our last exam for the semester,

we should surprise Thea,” she suggested.

“It sounds like she was given a tough

mission, and she could probably use our

help.”

The Thea Sisters looked at one another

and smiled.

“

Great idea!” Pam exclaimed.

“Let’s call Will Mystery,” Paulina

suggested. “He can help us find Thea.”

The friends ran off to call Will. They

were on their own mission now — to

find me, Thea Stilton!

Paulina dialed the secret EMERGENCY

number of the I.I.S.

“Who’s calling?” asked a flat voice on the

other end.

“We’re the Thea Sisters,” Paulina said

boldly. “We need to contact Will Mystery.”

“One moment, please . . .”

A moment later, a

new voice got on the line.

“This is Will Mystery. It’s a pleasure to talk

to you, Thea Sisters. Thea

has told me so much about

you!”

“Hello, Will!” the five

friends chimed in.

“Thea told us about the

mission you gave her,”

Paulina said. “We want to

On the Open Sea!

T

h

e

T

h

e

a

S

i

s

t

e

r

s

.

.

.

On the Open Sea!

join her. Can you tell us where she is?”

Will hesitated. “This mission is as delicate

as a cheese soufflé,” he said after a beat. “But

you succeeded so well on your last mission

for the I.I.S. that I think it is time

for you to join the SEVEN

ROSES UNIT. You’ll have

to come to headquarters

for a

test

.”

“We’re ready,” Nicky

said. “We just aced our

exams.”

Will chuckled. “You

won’t have to study for

this test. It’s a

DNA* test.”

“But the I.I.S. is in Antarctica!” Paulina

cried. “It will take days to get there.”

“I can arrange a special trip for you,” Will

assured them. “Get to the dock right away. A

* DNA is the genetic code that is unique to every living thing.

Come to HQ!

On the Open Sea!

speedboat called Rose of the Seas

will be waiting for you.”

The friends got ready quickly (even

Colette!) and headed to the dock, where they

found an I.I.S. agent waiting on the

speedboat for them. They climbed on board

and the boat took off at top speed.

“The rumble of this motor is music

to my ears!” Pam exclaimed happily.

On the Open Sea!

But as soon as they reached the open sea,

the speedboat

slowed

to a stop. The Thea

Sisters scanned the waters, confused. There

were no boats on the horizon, and only

seagulls

flew

overhead. What was going on?

Then the sea began to bubble, and

P

l

e

a

s

e

d

t

o

m

e

e

t

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!

On the Open Sea!

foam covered the waves. The top of a

submarine crested the water, and a

rodent popped out of the top.

“Pleased to meet you, mouselets! I’m

Will Mystery!”

The five mice climbed into the submarine.

Will swiftly steered the boat to the

SECRET BASE

of the I.I.S. He

stopped the submarine near a large rock and

pressed a

button

, and the rock slid

open to reveal the entrance to the SEVEN

ROSES UNIT.

The submarine entered and stopped at a

The Seven Roses

pawprints

The Seven Roses

dock. They climbed out and Will led

them to a door made of armored

steel. He took a CRYSTAL pendant

in the shape of a ROSE* from

around his neck and placed it on a

metal plate next to the door.

“Will Mystery,” he said, and the door slid

open.

Will grinned. “Welcome to the Seven

Roses Unit!” he announced.

The

mouselets

followed Will to a

laboratory. First, he used a special instrument

to examine the irises of their eyes. Next, he

recorded their and took samples

of their hair for DNA testing.

They watched curiously as Will entered

the data into a computer connected to an

unusual-looking machine. The machine

whirred, then stopped. A window opened,

* The rose-shaped crystal pendant is the official pass for

those who work in the Seven Roses Unit.

R

IRIS

EXAM

DNA

TEST

RECORDING

PAWPRINTS

EACH PENDANT

CONTAINS PERSONAL

INFORMATION FOR EACH

OF THE THEA SISTERS!

2

3

1

4

The Seven Roses

revealing five crystal rose

pendants.

Will Mystery gave a pendant

to each one of the Thea Sisters.

“Here are your official

passes,” he explained. “Don’t

lose them, and don’t mix them

up, because each pendant

contains your personal information.

When you use the pendant, you must say

your

name, because it is coded to the

frequency of your voice. Your pass will give

you access to all areas of the Seven Roses

Unit, even the most SECRET.”

Paulina looked at her pendant, fascinated.

“It’s beautiful. . . .”

Then a shrill sound rang through

headquarters. Beep Beep Beep!

Beep Beep Beep! Beep Beep

H

e

r

e

’

s

y

o

u

r

p

e

n

d

a

n

t

,

P

a

u

l

i

n

a

!

R

The Seven Roses

Beeep! Beep Beep Beeeeep!

Beep Beep Beeeeep!

“That’s unusual,” Will said. He ran to

the nearest computer, looked at the screen,

and frowned.

“Oh, no!” he cried. He turned to the girls.

“I’m sorry, but I must go. I need to tend to an

emergency!”

“Can we help?” Paulina asked.

Will hesitated for a moment, but then he

nodded. “

Follow me! We need to go

to the Hall of the Seven Roses!”

R

1. Submarine deck

2. Main entrance

3. Archive of investigations

4. Research laboratory

5. Hallway

6. Will Mystery’s lab

7. Elevator

8. Hall of the Seven Roses

9. Equipment storage

10. Library

SEVEN ROSES UNIT

1

4

3

2

5

6

8

7

9

10

“I never dreamed I would need your help

so soon!” Will said as they all HURRIED

to the Hall of the Seven Roses.

“What happened?” Paulina asked.

“I’ll know more when we get to the hall,”

Will replied. “But I may need you to

accompany me on a very special SECRET

MISSION

.”

A World in Danger

F

o

l

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e

!

steel

A World in Danger

“But then we won’t be able to join Thea!”

Violet exclaimed.

Will sighed. “I hope I’m wrong, but I think

that Thea may be involved in this business.”

When they came to the end of the hallway,

at another door, Will stopped. “Do

you promise to keep everything you see here

a SECRET?”

The five friends nodded.

Satisfied, Will used his pendant to open

the door. “You are about to enter the most

secret room in our department, the

Hall of

the Seven Roses

!”

The Thea Sisters passed through the

doorway and gazed around in wonder at the

beautiful space.

“This is a collection of the maps of all the

fantasy worlds that we study here,”

Will explained.

O

h

!

T

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a

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v

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!

H

o

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!

A World in Danger

“Fantasy worlds?” Paulina asked.

“Each real country has its own legends and

stories,” Will explained. “The creatures

from these legends are real, and they live in

fantasy worlds that can be reached

through special portals.”

Speechless, the Thea Sisters stared at the

maps on the floor and ceiling.

“Now one of these worlds is in

DANGER

,”

Will said. “The

Land of Erin.” He pointed

to a map with a large crack in it.

“What does that mean?” Colette asked.

“These maps are

living maps

, and they

change when the land

changes,” Will explained.

Paulina’s eyes widened.

“So if there is a

crack

in the map . . .”

Will nodded. “Then

T

HE

L

AND

OF

E

RIN

“Erin” is an ancient name for

Ireland. The Seven Roses

Unit uses this name to refer to

the world in which creatures

from legends from Ireland and

surrounding areas live.

A World in Danger

that means the Land of Erin is in great

danger

!”

“Hmm,” Paulina said, thinking. “If I’m not

mistaken, Erin is an

ancient

name for

T

h

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a

n

d

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f

E

r

i

n

W

h

a

t

d

o

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s

t

h

a

t

m

e

a

n

?

i

s

i

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d

a

n

g

e

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!

A World in Danger

Ireland. And this map looks just

like Ireland. Are they the same

place?”

“Nice observation,” Will said.

“The

fantasy worlds

are all connected to places in

the real world, where we live.

Nina was studying IRISH LEGENDS,

and she disappeared in Ireland, so I

think there must be a connection

between her disappearance and this

crack.”

The friends fell into a worried silence.

“Cheese and crackers!” Pam finally

exclaimed. “Since Thea went to Ireland, she

could be in trouble, too.

“That’s why I need you on this mission,”

Will said. “This is too big for one agent to

handle — even a seasoned investigator like

WE’VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING!

”

E

r

i

n

i

s

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!

A World in Danger

Thea or Nina. We must go to the

Land of Erin and

help

them!”

The friends stared at Will,

confused.

“How can we get to the Land of

Erin if it’s a fantasy land?” Violet

asked.

Will

smiled

. “Remember the

portals I mentioned earlier? They are

the key,” he said. “You’ll see what I

mean very soon.”

I

n

e

e

d

y

o

u

!

While the Thea Sisters examined the crack

in the map of the Land of Erin, I was

investigating Nina’s disappearance.

I stepped into the Dogwalk Inn. It was

very dim inside. I looked all around for the

I.I.S. agent, but everyone looked like a

normal customer of the restaurant.

Following Will Mystery’s instructions, I

walked up to the bar and sat down next to a

freshly baked cake. After a few

moments, a red-furred rodent sat down

next to me and ordered a hot chocolate.

“Is that a honey cake?” I asked

him, pointing.

“No, that’s an oat cake,

a typical Irish dessert,” the

rodent responded, without

Strange Storms

storms

Strange Storms

raising his eyes from the counter.

Those were the code words I had been

instructed to hear! He was the I.I.S. agent!

“I’m Thea Stilton. Will Mystery sent me,” I

said.

“I know,” he replied. “I’m Agent Ted

O’Malley. Follow me.”

We went outside, where a strong gust

of wind hit us.

“Is it always this windy?” I asked, pulling

my jacket tightly around me.

“No,” Ted answered. “But a few weeks ago,

we began to have strange

and

recorded earthquakes on the ocean floor.

Nina told me that she thought they were a

sign of King Waveshaker’s anger.”

“Waveshaker?” I asked.

“The king of the Land of Erin, the

mythical

world related to Ireland,” Ted explained.

search

Strange Storms

“Why is he so angry?” I asked,

intrigued.

“That’s what Nina was trying to find out,”

Ted replied. “The only thing I know for sure

is that the gusts of wind are getting

worse.”

I thought about this. “So what can you tell

me about Nina’s disappearance?”

Ted slowly pushed back his hat, looking at

me with intense

blue eyes

. “The last

time she was seen, she was headed for a

rocky island with ancient ruins, just off the

coast.”

“Why would she go there?” I asked.

“She came to Ireland to for a link

to the Land of Erin,” Ted replied. “Maybe

she found it. That’s what worries me. She

should have reported her findings

IMMEDIATELY. But we’ve heard nothing.”

Strange Storms

He took a map from his pocket. “If we

want to find her, we need to take a boat to

the island.”

He gazed out toward the sea. “The waters

are getting more dangerous

by the minute, so we’ll have to tie up the boat

tightly when we land. Otherwise we might

never return . . . just like Nina.”

I looked out at the rough waters, and a

shiver ran down my spine. Would this be

my last mission?

Thirty minutes later, Agent O’Malley and I

were racing across the choppy waves

on a speedboat bearing the symbol of the

Seven Roses.

The Mysterious

Castle

D

o

n

’

t

w

o

r

r

y

!

The Mysterious Castle

“Will we make it in this wind?” I asked.

“Don’t worry, I’m an expert sailor,” Ted

replied, hitting the gas.

Thoughts about Nina were turning over

in my mind. “Do you know if Nina was alone

when she headed for the ancient ruins?”

Ted nodded. “Unfortunately, yes. I offered

The Mysterious Castle

to accompany her, but she was very excited

about something and in a great HURRY.

She insisted on going by herself.”

I didn’t say anything, but Ted’s words

struck home. Nina and I shared the same

fault — I often went off investigating on

my own, and it had gotten me into

TROUBLE many times. Now I had come

to Ireland without the Thea Sisters. I

imagined they were

relaxing on a beach

somewhere, glad to be done with their exams.

Lost in thought, I heard Ted say, “See that

little cove? We’ll dock there. The rocks

will protect us from the wind.”

I looked up to see that we had reached the

island. After we docked, the boat rocked

dangerously as Ted tied it up. Then we

climbed onto the rocky shore, where we

found the ruins of a crumbling stone castle.

The Mysterious Castle

As we stepped through the wide front doors,

a blast of icy air hit us.

The doors opened into an enormouse

hall with a ceiling so high that it was difficult

to see where it ended.

Ted shone his FLASHLIGHT around

the room. “I don’t see anything

interesting,” he said.

But I noticed

something — a

hole

in the

floor.

“It looks like a

passageway

,” I guessed.

Ted aimed the light at the hole and saw

stairs that descended into the darkness.

“Should we go down?” he asked.

“Of course!” I replied.

So we walked

down

,

down

,

down

,

until finally we saw a faint LIGHT

at the bottom, and heard the

sound of water.

We took the last step

and found ourselves in a cave with

the stormy sea just beyond the opening.

Quickly, we began to search every

corner

for some sign of Nina.

“There’s nothing here,” Ted said,

frowning. Then his eyes lit up. “

WAIT!

LOOK HERE!”

W

h

a

t

'

s

t

h

a

t

?

sea

link

The Mysterious Castle

I followed the beam of the flashlight and

found a fur clip shaped like a seashell on

the cave floor.

“I recognize that. It’s Nina’s!”

Ted exclaimed.

“If Nina found this cave, she couldn’t have

left by the without a boat,” he reasoned,

his voice rising with excitement. “Maybe she

found the to the Land of Erin she was

looking for! Maybe it’s here in this cave.”

“What kind of world is the Land of Erin?”

I asked.

“It’s a place where creatures from

myths

and legends are real,” Ted explained.

I started to feel excited, too. “You mean

there could be a portal to this fantasy

world somewhere close by?”

Ted nodded. “It’s possible. Let’s keep

looking.”

The Mysterious Castle

I scanned the cave until I found a pile of

dry branches stacked up in the corner.

“They’re juniper branches,” I said. “But

what would they be doing here?”

“Maybe Nina wanted to LIGHT up the

cave so she could search for the portal,” Ted

guessed. He stacked up the wood in a pile,

then took a box of matches from his pocket

and lit the FIRE.

As the flames grew, I felt the ground

tremble beneath my paws. To my amazement,

the stone floor of the cave

opened up, revealing

another

stairway!

“It must be the

portal,” Ted

murmured in

disbelief. “It

really exists!”

The Mysterious Castle

I knelt down and felt warm air WAFT UP

to hit my face. In the distance, I could hear a

mysterious melody. . . .

“We have to take the portal!” I said

excitedly.

Ted shook his head. “You’ll have to go

alone. LOOK!”

He pointed to the wall of the cave, where

the light from the fire

illuminated

some

words we hadn’t seen before.

Enter the portal if you dare.

Heed this warning and beware:

The flames of the fire must never die,

Or the portal will shut; this is no lie.

“That must be what happened to Nina,”

Ted said solemnly. “The fire went out, and

she became

trapped there.”

“Then I’m counting on you,”I said, looking

him squarely in the eye.

The Mysterious Castle

Ted nodded. “I will do

my best to keep the fire

lit. Be safe, Thea.”

We shook paws and

said nothing more.

Then I took a deep

breath and

headed down into

the

darkness

. . . .

I

’

m

c

o

u

n

t

i

n

g

o

n

y

o

u

!

I didn’t know it at the time, but while I was

venturing

down the stone staircase,

the Thea Sisters were entering the Land of

Erin, too . . . by another route.

In the Hall of the Seven Roses, Will led

the girls to a marble, domed structure carved

with

roses. He held up his pendant and

said his name before the shining crystal door,

and it opened immediately.

Will stepped in and motioned to the Thea

Sisters. “Come inside! This is the

secret

portal

that will take us to the Land of

Erin.”

They followed Will and found themselves

inside an elevator made of clear CRYSTAL.

The door closed with a whoosh, and a

An Amazing

Elevator!

An Amazing Elevator!

keyboard resembling the keys of a piano lit

up on one of the walls. Will touched the keys,

and a mysterious sound, one

the mouselets had never heard before,

echoed around them.

The Thea Sisters tried to describe the

sound,

but they couldn’t.

It seemed to be the

tones of a harp, a

flute, and a

violin

,

all combined into one

unique tone.

“Each fantasy world

has its own special

frequency,” Will

explained. “Playing

the frequency on this

keyboard allows us to

travel to that world.”

Violet LOOKED

thoughtful. “So

music

is the bridge.”

Will nodded. “Yes,

that’s right. But we must

dangerous

An Amazing Elevator!

be very careful. If we don’t create the exact

right melody, we could find ourselves

in an

unknown,

land, and

we might never be able to return.”

The friends shivered and exchanged a

nervous look.

Then the musical tones began to

fade and were replaced by the

lilting

sound of a woman’s voice repeating one

word:

Erin

Erin

Erin

Erin

Erin

Erin

Erin

The elevator swirled through a vortex of

shimmering light and then came to a sudden

stop. The doors opened onto a magnificent

green field

.

“Welcome to the Land of Erin!” Will cried.

“Incredible!” Paulina exclaimed,

fascinated.

|

n the Land of Erin

W

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!

n the Land of Erin

Colorful butterflies danced over the

green grass as it rippled in the gentle breeze.

The sweet sound of songbirds filled the air.

Above them, shades of purple and pink

streaked the

blue

sky.

The Thea Sisters stared at the sight,

enchanted.

“What a beautiful place,” Nicky

remarked, taking it all in.

frowned

n the Land of Erin

“Where should we go?” Pam asked.

The Thea Sisters gazed around. The field

seemed to extend in every direction, with

nothing on the horizon.

Paulina suddenly had an idea.

She took out her MousePhone.

“Let’s try my navigation

app,” she said, but the

phone just buzzed

loudly and then shut off.

She

. “It’s

not working!”

“So then, we’re lost?” Colette

asked nervously.

“Don’t worry,” Will said. “I brought a map

with me from the Hall of the Seven

Roses.”

He produced the map from his

bag and unrolled it in front of them.

I

t

’

s

n

o

t

w

o

r

k

i

n

g

!

n the Land of Erin

“But how do you know our current

location?” Violet asked.

Will looked up at the sky. A flock of birds

flew overhead.

“I suggest we go that

way, toward the place those

birds

are coming from,”

he said, pointing at the distance.

“Why?” Paulina asked.

“Because right now it’s early

morning,

and the birds are probably coming from an

area with trees, where they spent the night,”

Will guessed.

Pam was perplexed. “And why are we

looking for trees?”

“Because we can climb to the top of one

and look for a

reference point

that will

tell us where we are on the map,” Will

explained. “Also, it’s possible that an area of

1. Talking Stones

2. Valley of Wishes

3. Greedy Village

4. Green Forest

5. Cave of Sorrow

6. Gray Swamp

7. Enchanted Forest

8. Purple Mushrooms

9. The Door of Light

10. The Canyon of Sounds

11. The Emerald Lake

12. Forest of Leafy Trees

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

12

11

The Land of Erin

n the Land of Erin

trees might be close to a VILLAGE, where

we can ask for information.”

Paulina looked at Will, impressed. She

sometimes dreamed about working at I.I.S.

headquarters one day. She could learn a lot

from a clever agent like Will Mystery. She

imagined having her own office, filled with

books about myths and legends

from all over the world, as well

as the latest

technology and

equipment. . . .

Nicky’s bold voice got her

out of her daydream. “Well,

it’s decided. Let’s go look for

some trees!”

.

.

.

L

o

o

k

o

v

e

r

t

h

e

r

e

!

The Thea Sisters and Will Mystery walked

across the field until they reached the edge

of a great forest. The tangled roots

and branches of the tall trees formed a

labyrinth along the forest floor.

Will

cautiously

led the group forward.

Although he had studied the Land of Erin,

A Mischievous

Horse

B

e

c

a

r

e

f

u

l

!

crackling

A Mischievous Horse

he had never visited before. He wasn’t sure

what to expect.

They soon entered a small clearing, where

they noticed a large, DARK shape in the

grass. Moving closer, they discovered a

HORSE with a shiny black coat! The animal

seemed to be fast asleep.

“It’s beautiful,” Colette whispered.

“It’s strange that he hasn’t noticed us,”

Violet observed.

“He’s

sleeping

,” Pam pointed out.

Will put a paw to his lips, and the friends

carefully followed him past the sleeping

horse. They made no sound as they trod on

the soft grass, but the horse somehow sensed

their presence. He opened his eyes and got

to his feet.

“Who goes there?” he asked.

The horse had a strange,

W

h

o

g

o

e

s

t

h

e

r

e

?

But . . .

You can talk!

A Mischievous Horse

voice, and his eyes shone with

golden light.

“But . . . you can talk!”

Nicky exclaimed in surprise.

The animal let out a great yawn.

“Of course I can talk, my dear. Especially

when someone disturbs my sleep.”

Nicky still couldn’t believe she was

speaking to a horse. “We’re sorry we woke

you up.”

“It happens often,” the horse explained. “I

am awake at night and sleep during the day.

I am a

Pooka

.”

“Is that a kind of fairy horse?” Paulina

asked.

“I can take many forms,” the pooka replied.

“But, tell me, what are you doing here in the

Forest of Leafy Trees?”

Will leaned toward the mouselets and

O

f

c

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s

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a

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t

a

l

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!

A Mischievous Horse

whispered, “Be careful answering his

questions. Not all creatures in these fantasy

worlds can be trusted.”

Then Will spoke up. “We’re just here for a

visit,” he said casually.

Nicky couldn’t take her eyes off the pooka.

It would be amazing to ride him!

“Why don’t you come for a ride?” the

horse suggested, as if he had read her

thoughts.

Nicky was speechless.

“

Be careful!” Paulina warned.

Nicky jumped onto the pooka’s back, and

the horse immediately launched into a

gallop. Even though Nicky was an expert

rider, she could barely hold on.

“

Stop!

” she shouted.

But the pooka didn’t even slow down. Was

he trying to throw her off?

A Mischievous Horse

The horse RACED through the forest,

narrowly missing the trees, and Will and the

Thea Sisters chased after him.

“Please slow down!” Nicky pleaded. But

the pooka kept going, and she held on as

tightly as she could.

Then, without warning, the pooka stopped.

Nicky lost her balance and toppled to the

ground . . . landing in a puddle of

mud

.

Angry, she looked up to see the pooka

laughing.

S

t

o

p

!

A Mischievous Horse

“There’s nothing

funny about it, you

naughty

horse!” she yelled.

Nicky tried to

stand up, but she

slipped in the mud.

The horse laughed again. “I must

compliment you, my dear,” he said. “No

one has ever stayed on my back for so long.”

Nicky pressed her paws into the mud,

trying to steady herself. That’s when she saw

a green

notebook on the ground next to

her. It must have fallen from the

bag that the pooka wore

around his neck.

“What is this?” Nicky

asked, picking it up.

“Oh . . . that . . .” the pooka

N

a

u

g

h

t

y

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o

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!

A Mischievous Horse

faltered, losing his cool. “I . . . I . . . took

it from the Green Pixies. They live in the

Canyon of Sounds, near the river.”

“You mean you stole it?” Pam asked as

she and the others arrived on the scene.

“Of course not!” the pooka said with a

snort. “I was just playing a joke on the

pixies. And, actually, it doesn’t even belong

to them. They couldn’t read the strange

symbols on the pages. They’re the ones who

stole it — from someone else.”

A Mischievous Horse

He neighed and galloped away.

“He may look like a beautiful horse, but

that pooka is very rude,” Pam said, shaking

her head.

Paulina, meanwhile, had opened the

notebook.

“Is it a diary?” Colette asked, leaning

over her friend’s shoulder.

Paulina turned the pages, which were

covered in faded

INK. The writing on the

page might have looked strange to the pixies,

but Will and the Thea Sisters could read it

just fine.

“It looks like a travel diary,” Paulina

remarked, turning to the first page.

“‘The Mysteries of Erin,’” Violet

read. “Maybe there is something in here that

will explain what is threatening this

land!”

“Let me see,” Will said, and Paulina handed

the book to him. He

gasped

with

surprise. “This is Nina’s diary!”

“I thought she disappeared in Ireland,”

Paulina said.

“Yes, but she was looking for a

portal

to Erin,” Will explained. “She must have

found it! This is her handwriting, for sure.”

Pa

ulina continued to examine the

notebook. “Here’s something. Nina wrote,

‘King Waveshaker is furious. His

anger is shaking the Land of Erin.’”

“That explains a lot,” Will said.

“Waveshaker physically shaking the

Land of Erin could be the reason for the

crack

that appeared on the map in the

The Mysterious

Clue

The Mysterious Clue

Hall of the Seven Roses.”

Paulina kept reading. “‘The king will only

be satisfied when what has been taken

from him has been returned. Today, I

discovered who is guilty of the theft. . . . ’”

“Oh, no! The page is

ripped

!” Nicky

exclaimed.

Colette frowned. “So, to save

the Land of Erin, we have to

return what was stolen from

King Waveshaker. But we

don’t know

what

was stolen,

or who took it!”

“But Nina knew,” Violet pointed out.

“Perhaps if we follow the trail she has

recorded in this diary, we can find her.”

Paulina nodded. “Good idea. Let’s find

those Green Pixies. They had the diary,

so maybe they know where to find Nina.”

“The pooka said that the Green Pixies live

in the Canyon of Sounds, near the river,”

Violet remembered.

Will studied the map. “He also said that

we’re in the Forest of Leafy Trees. So then

we must travel south, past the Emerald

Lake.”

Nicky climbed on top of a rock. “I think I

can see a lake shimmering in the — Whoa!”

A terrible rumble shook the ground and

Forest of Leafy Trees

Emerald Lake

Canyon of Sounds

The Mysterious Clue

Nicky lost her balance once again, tumbling

off the rock.

“Careful!” Colette cried out as Will rushed

forward to catch Nicky.

“Thanks,” Nicky said with a relieved sigh.

Paulina stared at the notebook. “I’ll bet

that was King Waveshaker. He must be very

angry

. The Land of Erin really is in

danger

!”

I’ve got you!

The Lake Fairies

The Thea Sisters and Will Mystery walked

through the forest.

“Let’s hope that Waveshaker will calm

down for a little while,” Pam said.

Colette nodded. “I hope so. But we should

hurry

, just in case. I have a feeling

that we don’t have much time.”

Following Will’s map, they made their way

through the tangled

forest as quickly as

they could. For a time it seemed like the

woods might not ever end, but they finally

came to the edge.

The Emerald Lake lay before them, its

blue-green water

sparkling

like

precious jewels. They all stared for a

moment, admiring its beauty.

“We’re one step closer,” Will murmured.

The Lake Fairies

“We MUST find Nina, and learn what

was stolen from King Waveshaker and who

stole it.”

“We’ll

solve

this mystery,” Paulina

encouraged him.

Will

smiled

. Paulina’s

optimism was contagious.

“Look, there’s a BOAT!”

Nicky cried, pointing to the

lake. “We can get to the

Canyon of Sounds more quickly

if we row across.”

“Good idea,” Will agreed.

As they headed toward the

shore, a

feeling of peacefulness surrounded them.

Then a

gentle song

filled the air, sweeter

than anything they had ever heard.

“I’m not the only one hearing this, right?”

Colette asked.

W

e

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l

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o

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v

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!

The Lake Fairies

“Such a beautiful song . ..” Violet said.

She began to walk toward the water.

“Vi! Look out!” Colette pulled

Violet back just before she stepped into the

water. It was as if she was in some kind of

trance!

Colette was just in time. The surface of the

water began to ripple, and to everyone’s

astonishment, three beautiful creatures

emerged from the waves. The first had long,

light hair the color of

wheat. The

second had a mane of shiny brown hair the

color of the branches of a tree. The third

had gorgeous locks the color of FIRE

crowning her face.

L

o

o

k

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!

W

h

a

t

a

b

e

a

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t

i

f

u

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s

o

n

g

.

.

.

The three beautiful maidens wore flowers

in their hair. Their faces shone with light

reflecting off the surface of the lake. Their

eyes,

sparkling

and serious, studied

the Thea Sisters and Will Mystery.

“What gorgeous creatures!”

Colette exclaimed admiringly.

“They may be beautiful, but can we

trust

them?” Nicky asked, remembering the trouble

the pooka had caused.

“Maybe there is something

about them in Nina’s travel

journal,” Paulina suggested.

She

flipped

through the

pages and then suddenly

stopped. “Here it is!”

A Secret . . .

Or a Clue?

A Secret . . . Or a Clue?

She read out loud, “‘There

are

three fairies

who

live in the Emerald Lake,

and they guard secrets.’”

Will took the diary from

her. “Nina’s written that to

cross the lake, you must solve

the fairies’ riddles. Then

the fairies will tell you one of their

precious secrets.”

Pam frowned. “Riddles? That sounds like

some kind of

trick

. Maybe we should find

another way to get to the Canyon of Sounds.”

“I checked the map. There’s no other

way,” Will explained.

“Well, then let’s get going,” Colette said.

She turned to the fairies and

called

,

“Hello! May we cross the lake?”

The Lake Fairies said nothing.

t

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.

.

.

.

W

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A Secret . . . Or a Clue?

“Maybe they didn’t understand,” Nicky

guessed.

“If you ask me, they understood just fine,”

Will said, noticing their

stern

expressions.

Then the brown-haired fairy spoke up.

“Now your feet shall not move from the

grass. You must answer our riddles in

order to

pass

.”

“What does that mean?” Pam asked.

A Secret . . . Or a Clue?

But the fairy’s words quickly became clear

when the Thea Sisters and Will tried to

move. They were stuck — as though their

feet were nailed to the ground by some

invisible force!

“I can’t move!” Paulina shouted.

“Me neither!” Nicky exclaimed.

“What did you do to us?” yelled

Pam and Violet.

A Secret . . . Or a Clue?

“You must first pay us heed, if you wish

to proceed,” sang the red-haired fairy.

“Only with

cunning

will you succeed,”

added the blonde fairy.

The brown-haired fairy finished the rhyme.

“You may be kept here a

year

or more,

if our riddles are something you ignore.”

“We will answer your riddles,” Will said

boldly.

“Very well!” said the blonde fairy. “Here is

the

first riddle.”

A gust of

WIND

rippled across the lake,

and words appeared on the surface of the

water:

They come to life in winter,

falling, falling, in the air.

But take care, for if you

touch them,

they will quickly disappear.

A Secret . . . Or a Clue?

The Thea Sisters and Will concentrated,

but Nicky spoke up first.

“The answer is snow!” she cried.

The Lake Fairies didn’t respond. Nicky

was puzzled. She was sure she was

right. Then it hit her.

“Let me be more precise,” she said. “The

answer is snowflakes!”

“

Correct

,” the blonde fairy admitted.

“Now for the

second riddle,” the

brown-haired fairy announced.

Another GUST of wind blew, and new

words appeared on the water:

It can run,

but never walks.

It has a mouth,

but never talks.

It never sleeps, but has a bed.

It wears no hat, but has a head.

A Secret . . . Or a Clue?

Pam frowned. “This one seems more

difficult to me.”

“What has a mouth but can’t talk?” Paulina

wondered.

“It can run . . . has a mouth . . . and a bed,”

Colette mused. Then her eyes lit up. “I know!

It’s a river!”

“

Correct

,” the brown-haired fairy

said, sounding annoyed.

“Good job!” the other Thea Sisters exclaimed.

“Here is the

third riddle,” interrupted

the red-haired fairy. Once again, the WIND

wrote words on the water:

It’s more precious than gold,

It can boil and bubble.

If you have too little or too much,

There will surely be trouble.

A Secret . . . Or a Clue?

Will Mystery was the first to guess this

one. “It’s water!” he cried.

“Correct,” the red-haired fairy sighed.

“Fantastic! Way to go, Will!” Paulina

cheered.

“You’ve answered our questions three, and

as promised, we’ll set you free,” the

brown-haired fairy said. “You may cross the

lake, with a secret to take.”

The other fairies joined her, singing:

I

t

’

s

n

o

t

i

n

t

h

e

a

i

r

,

n

o

r

u

n

d

e

r

y

o

u

r

f

e

e

t

,

I

f

t

h

e

r

e

a

s

o

n

f

o

r

a

c

h

a

n

g

e

i

s

w

h

a

t

y

o

u

s

e

e

k

,

Y

o

u

m

u

s

t

l

o

o

k

i

n

t

h

e

d

e

p

t

h

s

o

f

a

n

u

n

h

a

p

p

y

h

e

a

r

t

!

N

o

r

i

n

t

h

e

s

e

a

w

h

e

r

e

y

o

u

m

u

s

t

s

t

a

r

t

.

A Secret . . . Or a Clue?

After revealing their secret, the fairies

disappeared into the Emerald Lake. Circles

rippled over the surface, and then it once

again became as smooth as glass.

“We can move!” Colette exclaimed, and

the relieved friends happily hugged each

other.

“The secret the fairies told us was very

unusual,” Paulina mused.

“It almost sounded like another riddle,”

Pam remarked. “Maybe it’s some kind of

clue

.”

“You mean a clue that will help us figure

out what’s

wrong

with the Land of

Erin?” Nicky asked, and Pam nodded.

“In any case, we’re free!” Will said,

untying the boat.

They all climbed on board and Will

took the oars. According to the map, they

A Secret . . . Or a Clue?

needed to cross the lake and then follow the

river to the Canyon of Sounds. There,

they hoped to find the Green Pixies

who took Nina’s notebook.

The journey across the lake was peaceful

and calm. Fish swam in the emerald

waters around them.

W

h

a

t

a

n

a

d

v

e

n

t

u

r

e

!

A Secret . . . Or a Clue?

“The fairies seemed a little sad when

they went back into the lake, don’t you

think?” Paulina asked.

“Yes, I noticed that, too,” Nicky responded.

“Could be,” Colette said. “It must be very

dark at the bottom of that lake. That could

get pretty depressing.”

The Thea Sisters looked down into

the water.

“The fairies seemed quite unfriendly, but

perhaps they were masking their

loneliness,”

Violet suggested.

Pam nodded. “Maybe they were hoping

we’d get stuck there so they could have some

new friends.”

“Those poor fairies,” said Nicky. “We’re so

lucky that we have each other!”

After they crossed the Emerald Lake,

Will Mystery steered the boat

down the river. But the river waters

were not as calm as the lake. The

current became much stronger,

and it became harder to steer.

“We’re close to a waterfall!” Will

exclaimed. “I need to dock the boat so that

we can continue on foot.”

He steered the boat to shore and

pulled it onto

dry

land.

Everyone got out and

began to walk along

the riverbank. It

Prisoners!

Prisoners!

wasn’t long before they reached a bubbling,

foaming waterfall.

The water cascaded down, shining with all

the colors of the rainbow. It splashed

down into a narrow canyon closed in by two

tall rock walls on each side.

“It’s the Canyon of Sounds!” Paulina

exclaimed, pointing.

“The pooka told us that the Green Pixies

live by the river,” Violet remembered.

“Let’s hope he was telling the

truth,”

Nicky grumbled. “Anyway, how are we

supposed to get

down

there?”

Pam walked to the edge of the canyon. “It

looks like there’s a path that goes all the

way down,” she reported.

“Then we must take it!” Will said. “There’s

no time to lose.”

I

t

’

s

t

h

e

C

a

n

y

o

n

o

f

S

o

u

n

d

s

!

Walking in single file,

they carefully made

their way down the

path. It was

steep

in

many places, but they

all managed to keep

their balance.

When they finally

reached the bottom of

the canyon, Will

walked over to the

river and dipped his

hand in the water.

“It’s so beautiful

and

clear,” he

said admiringly.

Then something

pushed him from

BEHIND! Will

Prisoners!

looked up to see an army of small creatures

descending on them.

The creatures had long noses and

pointy ears, and wore

green

caps.

They quickly tied up Will and the Thea

Sisters.

one of the creatures yelled.

“

Y

o

u

a

r

e

o

u

r

p

r

i

s

o

n

e

r

s

!

”

The Thea Sisters and Will struggled to get

out of their ropes, but the creatures had tied

them very tightly. To make matters worse,

they looped the ropes through

stakes

and then drove the stakes into the ground.

“Hey! Watch the fur-do!” Colette snapped

at one of the creatures.

“You’ll pay for this, you

cheeseheads!” Pam cried,

gi

ving the nearest creature a

firm kick.

Paulina scanned the area,

looking for some way to escape.

But the situation seemed hopeless.

“Who are you?” Will asked as he

struggled to get free.

In the Canyon

of Sounds

“

Y

c

h

e

gi

v

f

ir

m

P

l

oo

k

i

n

B

ut t

h

e

s

“W

h

o

a

Y

o

u

’

r

e

o

u

r

p

r

i

s

o

n

e

r

s

!

In the Canyon of Sounds

“We are

goblins

,” the creatures replied

at the same time. “And this is our land!”

“Let us go!” Colette wailed.

Once again, the goblins all spoke together.

“YOU WANT OUR MINE, and you’ll

never get it!”

“We don’t know anything about a mine,”

Paulina protested. “We were just passing

through.”

“We don’t believe you,” the goblins said.

“It’s the truth! We don’t want to

harm

you,” Nicky told them.

The goblins formed a circle and then began

to talk in hushed tones. When they

returned, they seemed to be smiling in a

friendly way.

“Do you think they’ll let us go?” Colette

whispered.

But before the goblins could speak again, a

In the Canyon of Sounds

sound like a thousand bells flowed

through the canyon. The goblins looked

terrified, and quickly ran away.

The Thea Sisters and Will didn’t know

why the goblins left, but they had a bad

feeling. Anything that could frighten goblins

must be pretty

scary

!

Soon a group of canoes appeared on the

river, carrying

strange

passengers:

tiny

green

creatures.

N

i

c

e

w

o

r

k

.

.

.

H

u

r

r

y

u

p

!

W

h

o

a

r

e

y

o

u

?

In the Canyon of Sounds

The first one to reach shore somersaulted

out of the canoe, and the bell he wore

around his neck jangled.

“Nice work, I have to admit,” he said,

taking a knife out of his jacket.

Colette tried to swat him away with her

paw. “What are you doing with that?”

Get to work!

W

e

’

r

e

c

o

m

i

n

g

,

t

o

o

!

In the Canyon of Sounds

By now, the other creatures were on shore.

They looked at each other and shrugged,

confused.

“Let’s get to work,” the first one said, and

he started to cut the ropes that were

binding the prisoners.

Working quickly, the little green men soon

freed

the Thea Sisters and Will Mystery.

“Thank you for your help. You

saved

us!”

Will said as soon as he was back on his feet.

T

h

a

n

k

s

!

Y

o

u

w

e

r

e

g

r

e

a

t

!

In the Canyon of Sounds

Colette turned to the two creatures who

had helped her. “Thank you! You set me

free . . . without harming my outfit!”

“It was nothing,” one of the creatures

replied. “Those

goblins

are becoming

worse

and

worse

. They keep invading

the territory of the Green Pixies.”

“You’re the Green Pixies?” Paulina

asked.

“Of course! We live in this canyon, the

Canyon of Sounds, along with the goblins.

They live in the forest, while we live on the

riverbanks. Today, the goblins

invaded

our territory to go fishing in the river, so we

came to protect it . . . and found you!”

another pixie explained.

“We’re very happy that you found us,”

Paulina said. “Not just because you helped

us, but because we were looking for you. We

In the Canyon of Sounds

need information about this notebook.”

She showed them Nina’s travel diary.

“Ah, so you have it now?” the pixie asked.

“It was a gift from the Yum Fairies in

exchange for a

sack of potatoes

!”

“A sack of potatoes?” Violet asked.

“Yes, of course,” the pixie replied. “We

pixies grow the BEST potatoes. And since

the Yum Fairies are excellent cooks, they

are always looking for the finest ingredients

for their delicious dishes.”

“They’re the best cooks in the whole Land

of Erin!” another pixie piped up.

“Can you tell us where the

Yum Fairies

live?” Colette asked.

One of the pixies pointed toward the

forest. “We can do more than that. We

can take you to them!”

His companions looked at him, excited.

In the Canyon of Sounds

“You mean we can guide them?” one

asked.

“What a

wonderful

plan!” another said.

“Then it’s settled,” said the pixie. “After

all, who knows this land better than we do?”

“That’s very kind of you,” Will said.

Will and the others didn’t know it, but

although the Green Pixies loved to

guide

travelers, they were famouse for getting

lost. They had no

“Let’s get going!” the pixies cried merrily.

And they were on their

way.

s

e

n

s

e

o

f

d

i

r

e

c

t

i

o

n

!

W

e

’

l

l

t

a

k

e

y

o

u

t

o

t

h

e

Y

u

m

F

a

i

r

i

e

s

!

Hours later, the Green Pixies were still

leading the Thea Sisters and Will Mystery

through the forest.

“I think I’ve seen that rock before,” Colette

pointed out.

“And those three twisted plants,”

Nicky added.

The pixie leading the way paused. “Hmm.

Maybe we should have taken a

left at

that boulder back there. Or maybe it was a

right. . . .”

Pam asked. “I thought you said you knew

this land well!”

“Well, once in a while we get a little

confused,” the lead pixie admitted.

Are We Lost?

“

A

r

e

y

o

u

s

a

y

i

n

g

t

h

a

t

w

e

’

r

e

l

o

s

t

?

”

Are We Lost?

“Yes, especially when we’re

hungry,” said another pixie.

“We probably shouldn’t have

traded all of our potatoes.”

“So I suppose it’s possible

that we’re very, very lost,”

said the lead pixie.

The Thea Sisters were

speechless.

“What do we do now?”

Paulina wondered.

Will looked up at the

sky

through the

tree branches.

“I see SMOKE,” he said, pointing.

The others followed his gaze.

“Maybe there’s a village over there,” Violet

guessed.

“Or a house,” Nicky suggested.

“Let’s follow the smoke and see where it

A

r

e

w

e

l

o

s

t

?

Are We Lost?

leads us,” Paulina said. “Maybe we’ll

find someone who can tell us where the

Yum Fairies live.”

“Great idea!” Will exclaimed, smiling

at her.

The pixies seemed to be relieved that they

were no longer leading the way. They

whistled and jingled their bells as they

walked. The happy tune was interrupted

only by their

grumbling

stomachs.

“Oh, we’re looking for a

treat

,

for something very nice to

eat

,” they sang.

Paulina smiled at the pixies. So far, she

and her friends had met several strange and

amazing creatures in this land.

Will noticed her smile. “What are you

thinking?” he asked.

“I’m just amazed by this place,” she said.

“It would be a shame if it were to disappear

C

o

m

e

o

n

,

P

a

u

l

i

n

a

!

Are We Lost?

forever. I hope we can

figure out what’s wrong.”

“Don’t worry,” Will said.

“We’ll find Nina and figure

out why King Waveshaker is

angry. We’ve already found

some great clues.”

Paulina nodded. She admired

the agent’s ability

to stay

calm

, no

matter what the situation.

They walked in the direction

of the smoke until they came

to some short, stubby trees

laden with strange red

fruit

.

“Are those palm trees?”

Colette asked. “How

odd!”

W

e

’

l

l

d

o

i

t

!

Are We Lost?

“This is a

warm

climate, suitable for

palm trees,” Violet observed. “Although I

have never seen red fruit growing on palm

trees before.”

“Don’t forget, nature works differently

in fantasy worlds,” Will reminded them.

“Cheese and crackers!

Look over there!” Pam suddenly exclaimed,

pointing past the palm trees.

There, in the middle of a clearing, was a

truly

amazing sight.

“It’s a banquet!” Pam said, her eyes wide

with surprise.

“Why is there a dining table in the middle

of the forest?” Nicky wondered.

“It’s beautiful,” Colette said admiringly.

The table was set with GLEAMING

candlesticks, glass goblets, and shining

silverware.

“Could this be the home of the Yum

Fairies?” Paulina asked, turning to the pixies.

But they were gone!

How Delicious!

How Delicious!

“Did they get lost again?”  Colette asked.

Nicky frowned. “It’s like they VANISHED.

Which is a shame, especially since they were

so hungry, and this place is set for a feast!”

“I hope they’re not in trouble,”

Violet said.

“Me, too,” Colette said. “They may be

terrible guides, but they are very nice.”

Will looked up at the sky. “We should find

out if the Yum Fairies live here before it gets

dark

,” he said.

The mouselets nodded, and they made

their way toward the little

cottages

that circled the clearing.

The sound of a rumbling stomach

interrupted the silence.

“Is that the Green Pixies?” Paulina asked.

Pam grinned. “No, it’s me,” she admitted.

“Seeing that table made me realize how

How Delicious!

hungry

I am. We haven’t eaten in hours!”

Her friends all suddenly felt hungry as

well.

“Now I know how the Green Pixies felt,”

Colette said sympathetically.

The clearing was deserted, but smoke

poured from the chimneys of all three houses.

“Someone must be home,” Pam guessed.

“Let’s knock!” Nicky said, walking up

to the first cottage.

Colette touched her paw to one of the

smooth walls. “How interesting. This house

is made of clay.”

Violet pointed to the flowers and leaves

that adorned the windows. “The

decorations

are beautiful. Whoever lives here must be an

artist.”

Pam walked up to another cottage. “This

one is pretty, too. And what a great smell,”

How Delicious!

she said, sniffing the air.

Tantalizing scents

floated past their noses:

bread fresh from the oven,

gooey melted cheese, spicy

mozzarella pizza, and

chocolaty cheesecakes.

How delicious!

Colette knocked on the door of the first

cottage. The door opened, revealing a

pleasantly plump

woman

wearing an apron. Flour was sprinkled all

over her clothes and face. She didn’t look

quite as strange or unusual as the creatures

they had encountered already.

“Good afternoon, my dear,” she said,

smiling at Colette.

Noticing Colette’s curious look,

she began to brush off the flour.

How Delicious!

“Excuse me, I’m a bit of a mess,” she said

cheerfully. “It’s hard not to get dirty when

you’re cooking!”

“No problem,” Colette said. “And I’m sorry

to disturb you.”

“Oh, it’s no bother, my dear,” the woman

replied. Then she LOOKED over Colette’s

G

o

o

d

a

f

t

e

r

n

o

o

n

,

m

y

d

e

a

r

!

How Delicious!

shoulder. “I see that you’re not alone.”

“Yes, these are my friends,” Colette

said. “Pam, Nicky, Violet, Paulina, and Will.

I’m Colette.”

“What lovely names,” she said. “I am one

of the Yum Fairies.”

The other fairies came out of their

homes, and the friends noticed that they all

had wings. Colette quickly counted twelve

fairies. They were all plump, with different-

colored hair and dresses. Each one held

cooking utensils.

“

Welcome!” they exclaimed together.

“Now please come to the table. You’re our

guests!”

W

e

l

c

o

m

e

!

W

e

l

c

o

m

e

!

o

u

r

g

u

e

s

t

s

!

M

a

k

e

y

o

u

r

s

e

l

v

e

s

c

o

m

f

o

r

t

a

b

l

e

.

Y

o

u

’

r

e

W

e

l

c

o

m

e

!

Pam didn’t have to be told twice. She quickly

took a seat at the table.

The other girls and Will politely thanked

the fairies before sitting down.

“Have you had any other guests

recently?” Colette cleverly asked.

A blonde fairy avoided Colette’s eyes. “Um,

yes, a lovely rodent,” she said. “But she left a

while ago.”

Will and the Thea Sisters tried to control

their

excitement.

“And did she have

this

with her?” Nicky asked,

holding up Nina’s diary.

“Possibly,” replied

a fairy, giving her a

mysterious

smile.

Bon Appetit!

D

i

d

s

h

e

h

a

v

e

t

h

i

s

?

Bon Appetit!

“How long ago was she here?” Nicky asked.

“I’m not sure. It’s difficult to keep track of

time here. It comes and goes. And she came

and went,” said the blonde fairy, with

sadness

in her voice.

“Yes, alas, she didn’t even stay for dinner,”

said another fairy, and then a threatening

look crossed her face. “But you will stay.”

Colette suddenly felt that the Yum Fairies

might not be as nice as they looked. “Um,

actually, we have to be going,” she said. But

when she tried to

get up, she couldn’t!

“I’m stuck!” Colette cried.

Alarmed, the others tried to stand up, too,

but none of them could. It was though an

invisible force

was keeping

them glued to their seats!

“I should have known,” Will said. “The

fairies have cast a spell on us!”

Bon Appetit!

“It’s just like what the Lake Fairies did,”

Nicky remarked.

“What do you want from us?” Pam asked.

“Do we have to answer a

riddle

?”

“It is RUDE to get up from a table without

being served,” the blonde fairy snapped. “Eat

everything we have cooked for you, and you

may go.”

I

c

a

n

’

t

W

h

a

t

d

o

y

o

u

w

a

n

t

f

r

o

m

u

s

?

Oh, no!

g

e

t

u

p

!

Bon Appetit!

She waved her hand, and hundreds

of plates of food appeared, floating around

them.

“We’ll never be able to eat all this!”

Paulina cried.

I

’

m

a

t

t

a

c

h

e

d

t

o

t

h

e

c

h

a

i

r

!

W

e

’

r

e

s

t

u

c

k

!

While the Thea Sisters and Will tried to

escape from the Yum Fairies, I entered the

portal leading to the Land of Erin. I had

no idea my friends were in trouble.

Agent O’Malley stayed behind to keep the

fire going in the cave. I carefully descended

down the stone staircase, following the sound

of mysterious

music. It seemed to be

calling to me from the depths of the earth.

I walked down the twisting staircase for

such a long time that I thought it might never

end. The light from my flashlight was fading,

and I began to worry.

Just in time, the space around me started

to open up. The music suddenly stopped,

and I glimpsed a soft GLOW in the

distance.

Mysterious Music

Mysterious Music

Nina was somewhere out there. I couldn’t

shake the feeling that the agent was in some

kind of

danger

.

And if that’s the case, then I’ll just have to

find out what it is and help her, I told myself.

As I passed the final step, I saw that I was

in a cave. A faint light shone from the other

end, and I headed toward it.

The

sparkling light

grew stronger as I

neared the exit, and my

HEART

started to

beat faster. What kind of magic land was I

about to enter? Whatever it was, I wasn’t

going to stop now. Closing my eyes, I stepped

through the doorway into the light.

When I opened my eyes again, my jaw

dropped. There, deep below the surface of

the earth, was a marvelous forest. I could

smell the sweet scents of spring in the air.

Red-and-white mushrooms sprouted

T

h

e

r

e

’

s

t

h

e

e

x

i

t

!

Mysterious Music

from the green grass. Happy animals

frolicked with each other, and brightly

colored insects flew and hopped among the

trees.

I

h

a

d

a

r

r

i

v

e

d

i

n

t

h

e

L

a

n

d

o

f

E

r

i

n

!

F

a

n

t

a

s

t

i

c

!

I wasn’t sure which way to go. Since I didn’t

have a map, I decided to rely on my

intuition

.

I gazed around the forest, watching and

listening for anything unusual.

As I concentrated, I could hear a sound in

the distance: a rhythmic beat, like a

HAMMER. Who would be using a

hammer in the middle of a

forest?

There was only one way to find out. I

cautiously walked toward the noise, alert for

any possible DANGER.

I could barely see the sky through the thick

tree branches. But as I made my way, more

LIGHT filtered through.

The sound of the hammering grew

louder and louder as I walked. I was brimming

with curiosity. What mysterious creature

A Strange Guide

A Strange Guide

was I about to encounter?

Then I saw something very strange. The top

of a giant purple

mushroom

appeared

ahead of me. Soon I was in a whole forest of

enormouse mushrooms!

Among the mushrooms, a little man sat on

a rock, hitting the heel of a

shoe

with a

hammer. He wore a green suit and a green

top hat with a GOLD buckle.

He suddenly stopped and turned to

LOOK at me. I guess I didn’t interest him,

because he turned around and continued to

hammer without saying a word.

“Excuse me,” I said. “My name is Thea

Stilton. May I ask —”

“Good day, my fair lady!” he cried,

interrupting me.

“Good day,” I replied, a little startled. “May

I ask who you are?”

A Strange Guide

The little man laughed. “Can’t you see?

I’m a LEPRECHAUN! We’re shoemaker

pixies. What can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for a mouse named Nina,” I

said. “Maybe you’ve seen her?”

The leprechaun shook his head. “No, no.

Definitely not. Can I do something else for

you?”

“Could you show me the

road

toward

the nearest village?” I asked.

The leprechaun grinned. “I can do better

than that. I’ll take you there myself!” Then

he tucked the shoe and hammer in a

bag

and gestured for me to

follow him.

As I followed the leprechaun through the

forest, a strong tremor shook the ground.

the leprechaun cried.

I turned to see who he was talking about,

but I didn’t see anyone — not even the

leprechaun. He must have run off in

fear.

Was he talking about

King Waveshaker

?

I wondered. There was nothing to do but

continue alone. I hoped the village wasn’t

far, even though there was no sign of

buildings on the horizon. So I examined

the ground, looking for some tracks that

might lead me there.

I quickly noticed some tiny footprints,

and thought they must be from some small

The Gnomes of the

Enchanted Forest

“

H

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!

H

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!

H

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’

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Y

A

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!

”

The Gnomes of the Enchanted Forest

forest animal. Then I looked more

closely and saw that they had been

made by shoes, rather than

paws. Who could have such small

feet? I decided to find out, and

started to follow the footprints.

Now and then they would disappear,

but then I would see them again, a few feet

ahead. They were my best chance of finding

someone who might have seen Nina.

Finally, I came to a

large tree. Looking

closely at the trunk, I noticed a small door

carved into the base of the tree. A tiny being

appeared at the door, but when it saw me it

went right back inside. It seemed

terrified

.

Bending down, I knocked lightly at the

little door. Soon, the little

creature

reappeared.

He barely came up to my knees. He had a

The Gnomes of the Enchanted Forest

gray beard, and he wore a red cap and

pointy little shoes. He stepped toward

me cautiously, looking at me with curiosity.

“Hello,” I said.

He nodded. “Hello to you, too. Tell me

what you want, because I have a lot of work

to do. Lots of work. We

gnomes

are

busy people!”

Just then, several other gnomes came out

of the trees and approached us.

“I was wondering if you could

help

me,” I said as I sat on a stone to make the

gnomes feel more comfortable. “I’m looking

for a mouse.”

“A fairy mouse?” the gnome asked.

I shook my head. “No, a mouse like me,” I

replied. “Her name is Nina. I haven’t heard

from her in a long time, and I’m worried

about her.”

I

’

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k

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?

W

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A

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?

W

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l

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o

m

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!

H

e

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!

The Gnomes of the Enchanted Forest

“Poor thing,” said the gnome. “I’m

sorry, but we don’t know anything about

her.”

“Maybe you can help me with another

mystery,” I said. “Do you know why King

Waveshaker is so angry?”

“I wish we knew!” the gnome replied. “The

strong WIND he makes destroys our crops.

In fact, I must get back to work right now!”

He hurried off, and a female gnome

shyly approached me. “I seem to

remember that a mouse did pass this way.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, excited.

She nodded. “She had a notebook with her

and . . . this.”

She scurried away and came back holding

a pen. There was an unmistakable clue on

the cap: the symbol of the Seven Roses.

This was Nina’s pen!

The Gnomes of the Enchanted Forest

“How long ago did you see her? And where

did she go?” I asked.

“She left with the Guardians of Treasure

one morning,” the gnome replied. “They’re

greedy goblins who love money more

than anything.”

“Where can I find them?” I asked.

“They live near the Gray Swamp,” the

gnome said. “But be careful — they will

surely find you first.”

“And then they won’t let you pass until

The Gnomes of the Enchanted Forest

they’ve taken your GOLD,” warned a

bearded gnome behind her.

Before I said good-bye, I had to ask

the gnome for a favor. “May I

please have that pen?” I asked.

It was an important clue, and I thought

the symbol of the Seven Roses might be

helpful as I searched for Nina. I could show

it to others to see if they had seen it before.

The gnome’s blue eyes looked

sad

. “But

it’s mine,” she said, clutching it to her chest.

I had an idea. “In exchange, I can give you

this,” I said, showing her the

flashlight

.

The gnome didn’t look impressed,

so I turned the flashlight on. She

smiled happily when she saw the light.

“Okay,” she said, and I traded the flashlight

for the pen.

The Gnomes of the Enchanted Forest

The bearded

gnome

pointed past

the mushroom grove. “The Gray Swamp is

that way

,” he said.

I turned to

thank

him, but he and the

rest of the gnomes had all DISAPPEARED

inside their homes. So I started walking

again, wondering what I would find in the

swamp.

salty

The Guardians

of Treasure

I quickly found the swamp — a maze of

puddles of

muddy

water. The thick roots

of the trees on the banks of the swamp

snaked into the water, and the air smelled

.

Which way should I go? I wondered.

I decided to stick close to the edge of the

The Guardians of Treasure

water as I made my way around the

swamp. After a few steps I heard a sound

behind me — the sound of someone stepping

on

dry leaves

and branches. Then I

heard something that made me shiver: an

eerie giggle!

Someone was following me, I was sure of

it. My heart beat a little faster. Then I felt

some drops of water on my head . . . but it

wasn’t raining. What was going on?

S

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.

.

.

.

The Guardians of Treasure

I looked up, and saw the tree branches

rustling above me. Then I heard laughter

again.

“Who’s there?” I asked loudly. “Show

yourself! Or are you scared?”

A group of strange creatures climbed down

from the trees. They had green skin and

spiky hair, and carried swords. I was a little

frightened

, but I didn’t let them see

that.

“HELLO, noble warriors,” I said in my

bravest voice. “What can I do for you?”

“We are the Guardians of Treasure,”

one of them replied.

They had found me!

“Did you like our joke about the rain?”

one of them asked.

“Forget that. Just give us your gold!”

another one snapped.

W

h

o

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r

e

y

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?

The Guardians of Treasure

“I don’t have any GOLD,” I replied.

The first goblin moved up close to me,

eyeing me curiously.

“You remind me of someone,” he said.

“Of course! She looks like the thief!”

another goblin cried. “What was her name?

It started with an N.”

“Nina?” I guessed.

“Yes, that’s it!” the goblin yelled. “She stole

the GOLD that we were guarding. If we

ever find her . . .”

A goblin jumped in front of him. “It’s your

fault that she escaped with our gold!”

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The Guardians of Treasure

“Wrong! It was your fault!” the accused

goblin shot back.

More goblins joined in the argument, but I

was thinking about what they said. Nina, a

thief? That didn’t make sense.

“Are you saying that Nina stole your gold?”

I asked. “But that’s

impossible

!”

The Guardians of Treasure became quiet.

“Of course it’s possible,” one spoke up.

“That’s why we want to find her. She’s got

some great skills! She stole that GOLD

from right under the king’s nose. We want to

congratulate her.”

I still couldn’t believe it, but I felt like this

was an important clue. “The king’s gold?

You mean King Waveshaker?”

The goblins nodded. “That’s why the king

is so angry,” one replied. “He wants

his gold back!”

The Guardians of Treasure

So I had solved one part of my mystery:

I knew why the king was angry. But I still

had to find Nina.

“Do you have any idea where I can find my

friend?” I asked.

“Find the GOLD, and you’ll find

Nina,” one of the goblins replied.

I sighed. “I got that part. But where should

I look?”

“With those who are never happy!” a

goblin said mysteriously.

With that, the Guardians of Treasure

disappeared into the swamp, and I was

alone

once more.

I started walking again, wondering how I

would get through the swampy maze. I

couldn’t stop thinking about what the

Guardians of Treasure had told me, trying to

make sense of it.

Someone had taken King Waveshaker’s

gold, which was why he was

unhappy

. But

I knew that Nina wasn’t a thief. So who really

took the

GOLD? And where was Nina?

And who were “those who are never happy”?

Something told me that once I solved the

mystery of the stolen treasure, I would

find Nina.

Then a distant

sound

interrupted my

thoughts. I stopped, listening. It sounded

like someone crying.

Could this have something to do with

The Sad Fairy

The Sad Fairy

Nina? I hurried in the direction of the

cries. I soon reached the entrance to a wide

cave covered in

creeping plants

.

The crying was definitely coming from

inside.

I hesitated. The air coming from the cave

was cold and damp. It was dark in

there, and I didn’t have my flashlight. But

I knew I had to investigate.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness as I

A

c

a

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!

The Sad Fairy

made my way through the cave. I could

make out a shape in the distance.

“Nina?” I called out.

But whoever it was just kept crying.

“Nina?” I repeated.

I moved closer, and a crack in the ceiling

of the cave let in a sliver of LIGHT so I

could see the crying figure better. It wasn’t

Nina — it was a fairy with blue hair, a

dress made of plants, and pale pink wings.

I stared, enchanted. Before I came to the

Land of Erin, I had only read about fairy

creatures in stories. Now I was seeing them

up close, and each was more incredible than

the last.

The fairy was still sobbing.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

The fairy didn’t respond, but I kept trying.

“Excuse me,” I said, “I don’t mean to disturb

The Sad Fairy

you, but I heard you crying, and I

thought I’d come closer.”

The fairy just cried even louder. I

took a few steps closer, and she drew back

from me.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“I just want to help you,” I said. “Why

are you crying?”

She stared at me with eyes that shone like

jewels. But she looked sad, and I

intended to find out why.

“You aren’t from here, and you don’t know

who I am,” she replied. Her voice was

musical and cracked with emotion when

she spoke.

“That’s true,” I admitted. “I come from

very far away. And I don’t know who you

are.”

“I am a banshee, a fairy of the hills,”

The Sad Fairy

she explained.

“Why are you here,

all alone in a cave?”

I asked.

“It is my destiny

to be sad,” she said, and

then burst into tears once

more.

“That’s terrible!” I cried. “No one should

be destined for sadness.”

“We banshees are,” she explained. “But I

don’t like crying in front of everyone, so I

hide myself in this cave.”

I felt bad for the fairy, but I had an

idea

that might cheer her up: I would tell her a

joke! If she had spent her whole life in

this cave, she might never have heard one

before. But what kind of joke would a

fairy

like? I thought for a moment . . .

S

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!

S

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S

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The Sad Fairy

and then the inspiration came to me.

“Would you like to hear a funny story?”

I asked.

The fairy’s long, pointy ears perked up,

and she nodded, still sobbing.

“Two pixies were talking,” I began. “One

pixie

said to the other, ‘What kind of

room does a fairy like best?’ The other pixie

thought, but was stumped. The first pixie

said, ‘A mushroom!’”

At first, the banshee

gave me a blank look, but

a few seconds later, a

smile formed on her

lips. Then she laughed,

softly at first, but

then really hard,

as if she had been

waiting her

H

a

,

h

a

,

h

a

!

The Sad Fairy

whole life to

laugh

.

Her laugh sounded light and beautiful,

like lovely music. I laughed with her.

“Thank you,” she said once she had

recovered. “I haven’t had a reason to laugh

before now. You’ve filled my heart with joy!”

“There’s a first time for everything, even

new feelings,” I replied.

The fairy smiled. “That’s true. I thought

my destiny didn’t include joy, until now.”

Then she took the necklace of flowers

off her neck and handed it to me. “This is for

you.”

“Thank you,” I said. “It’s beautiful.”

“It’s not just a simple

necklace

,” the

fairy added. “If you close your eyes, ask a

question, and then

breathe

in

the flowers’ fragrance, the answer will come

to you. You must be careful, though: Every

The Sad Fairy

time you ask a question, the flowers will

wilt and will eventually die.”

“I don’t know how to thank you,” I said. I

was truly moved. “But now I must be on my

way.”

She smiled at me, and I found myself

smiling as I got back on the path.

T

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!

When I left the cave, I touched the flower

petals

on the necklace. As the fairy

instructed, I closed my eyes and asked,

“Nina, where are you?”

As I breathed in the delicate scent of the

flowers, a CRYSTAL CLEAR image

appeared in my mind. I saw Nina, trapped in

a cage of thorny branches!

“Nina!” I cried. “You’re

being held

prisoner

!”

But who had

captured her? And

where could she be?

Although I was

tempted to ask the

necklace

these

questions, I decided

A Strange Table

A Strange Table

to wait. A few flowers had already wilted,

and I wanted to save the powers of the

necklace in case of an EMERGENCY.

So I walked into the forest, and soon I

smelled BURNING wood in the air. I

looked over the treetops and saw smoke in

the distance. Maybe it was a village!

I walked faster and quickly reached a

group of small creatures with green skin.

Each one had a

bell around his neck, and I

guessed that they were probably pixies. They

seemed to be arguing.

“It’s all his fault that we’re

lost

again,”

said one, pointing to the pixie next to him.

“Now we’re hungrier than ever!”

“I was just following the SMOKE,” the

accused pixie protested.

Another pixie groaned. “We need to find

some food, fast!”

A Strange Table

One of the pixies noticed me. He smacked

his friends, and they all turned and stared

at me.

“Did you lose your group, too?” one

of them asked.

I didn’t understand. “What group?”

“A group of strange, furry

creatures like you,” he replied.

“Are you saying that you’ve seen

others who look like me?” I asked.

W

h

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r

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?

A Strange Table

They all nodded. “Exactly!”

One of the pixies got a dreamy look in his

eyes. “The blonde one was so cute.”

“And the red-haired one was funny,” said

another. “Oh, and don’t forget the one with

the long black hair. She was pretty serious.”

“And there was a dark-haired one who was

very NICE,” another pixie added. “And one

with curly brown hair. She was funny,

too.”

The

pixies

laughed, remembering. I

couldn’t believe what they had just told me.

It sounded like they were describing the

Thea Sisters!

“So there were FIVE in the group?” I

asked.

“Oh, I don’t remember,” one of the pixies

said. “I’m too hungry to think!”

“There was a brave young rodent

A Strange Table

with them,” one of the pixies remembered.

“He wore a red jacket.”

They had to be talking about my five

friends. But who was the rodent with them?

Then it hit me — they must have decided to

follow me once their exams were done. They

probably contacted the I.I.S., which meant

that Will Mystery was with them!

I absolutely had to find them.

“Do you know where they are now?” I

asked.

“We were all heading that way, toward the

SMOKE, but then we got lost,” one of the

pixies said.

“Can you please show me the way?” I

asked.

“Of course! We love to guide visitors

through the forest!” the pixie said.

And they headed off down the path, their

A Strange Table

bells jingling.

Now, I didn’t know that the pixies had a

knack for getting lost. But I got

lucky

,

because they took me right to the source of

the smoke. When we emerged from the trees,

I was speechless.

There, sitting around a dining table filled

with food, were the Thea Sisters and

Will Mystery!

I ran to the table, my heart beating with

joy

.

“Thea!” Violet exclaimed.

“Don’t sit down!” Will Mystery warned

me. “We’re prisoners at this table.

The Yum Fairies trapped us here with a spell.

We can’t leave unless we finish eating

all the food they’ve made.”

“And there’s so much food even I can’t eat

it,” Pam moaned.

A Strange Table

“That’s terrible!” I exclaimed. “Where are

these Yum Fairies?”

Then I heard a voice behind me.

I turned and saw a plump gray-haired fairy

wearing an apron over her blue dress. Lacy

pink wings fluttered on her back.

“Are you a friend of these dear rodents?”

she asked. “We’ve made a delicious lunch

for them. Would you care to sit down?”

More Yum Fairies had appeared and were

piling food on the plates of their

reluctant guests. I felt so bad for all of them.

What a strange situation!

“

H

e

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o

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m

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g

o

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a

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!

”

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Yum Fairies

NEVER

sit down at

their table.

Their guests are

kept as prisoners

until all of the food

is gone. However,

one guest can

take the place of

another.

I didn’t know how to refuse the fairy’s

invitation

, so I responded as politely as

I could. “Thank you, kind fairy, but I’ve

already had lunch.”

“Oh, no, dear. You must sit down!” the

fairy insisted.

Then

Colette

asked for more food,

distracting her. Paulina opened up a

notebook

and motioned for me to read:

A Clever Solution

A Clever Solution

So the only way out of this mess was to

find six other guests who could take the

place of my friends.

Then it hit me. “I have an idea,” I

whispered to Paulina. “I met some very

hungry pixies in the forest.”

“You mean the

Green Pixies

?” Paulina

whispered back. “We thought they were lost.”

I looked behind me, but I didn’t see them.

Where

had they gone?

One of the Yum Fairies flew right up to

me. “You really must sit down, my dear,” she

said sternly, waving her ROLLING PIN.

I pushed past her, but the other fairies flew

in front of me, trying to block my way. I

quickly DODGED them and raced into the forest.

“I’ll be right back!” I called out.

Some of them flew after me anyway.

“Stop!” they yelled.

A Clever Solution

Luckily, I quickly found the Green Pixies

playing in the trees.

“There you are!” I exclaimed.

They stared at me in surprise.

“And here you are,” one of them said.

“We thought you were over there.” He

pointed in the opposite direction from where

I had come.

Here you are!

A Clever Solution

“Well, I’m here now,” I said. “Are you

pixies still hungry?”

“Yes, very!

“Then come with me,” I said.

The Yum Fairies followed us, suspicious.

But when we got back to the dining table,

the Green Pixies rushed toward the

food. They began to talk at once.

“It smells so delicious!”

“Can we eat?”

“Can we sit down?”

The Yum Fairies were delighted. “Of

course! Please have a seat.”

“They can take our

PLACES,” Colette

said quickly.

The gray-haired fairy frowned. “But you

can’t leave so soon.”

“We know the rules,” Paulina said firmly.

“These Green Pixies can substitute for us.”

A Clever Solution

“Yes! Yes!” agreed the hungry pixies.

The Yum Fairies couldn’t object.

“Very well,” said the gray-haired fairy.

Will and the Thea Sisters tried to stand—

and this time, it worked.

“Hooray! Hooray!” they

cheered.

The Yum Fairies looked sad. Even though

the Thea Sisters had been tricked, they felt

bad for the fairy cooks.

“We’re very sorry that we can’t stay,” Violet

said. “The food was quite delicious.”

“You are always WELCOME at our

table,” the gray-haired fairy said.

Then we all quickly left the grove of the

Yum Fairies. Behind us, we could hear the

Green Pixies digging into the feast.

“Yum! Yum! Yum!”

Hooray!

Yu m!

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d

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Slurp!

I

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o

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r

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!

H

o

w

I was so happy that I had found the Thea

Sisters and Will, I almost thought I was

dreaming. Now we could look for Nina, and

figure out who stole Waveshaker’s gold!

We walked through the forest, chatting.

We had plenty of things to tell each other!

“We

contacted the I.I.S. because we

thought you might need our help,” Nicky

admitted.

“I’m glad you did,” I said. “Traveling in

this enchanted world on my own

hasn’t been easy. But how did you get here?”

“There are many projects in the Seven

Roses Unit that you don’t know about yet,”

Will replied. “Like the secret portal.”

“Portal? Is that how you got here?” I asked.

Together Again!

Together Again!

Will nodded. “Through the portal, we can

travel to other dimensions in SPACE AND

TIME

, including all of the fantasy worlds.”

“

Incredible!

” I exclaimed. “I

never imagined that your research would

have taken you so far.”

“And I can guess how you got here,” Will

said. “Through the secret passage in the

ruins

of the castle, right?”

L

o

o

k

,

T

h

e

a

!

Together Again!

“How did you know?” I asked.

Paulina answered for him.

“After we arrived in Erin,

we

found this,” she

explained, passing me the

diary she had shown me before. “It’s Nina’s.

She took notes while she was exploring, and

it contains a lot of useful

information

!”

I nodded. Everything was much clearer.

“I’ve been on Nina’s trail,” I said. “She met

all kinds of amazing creatures. Then

I learned something that’s got me worried.”

“What happened to her?” Violet asked

anxiously.

I told them about the flower necklace

that the banshee had given me, and the vision

it had showed me.

“Nina has been CAPTURED, but I don’t

know by whom,” I said.

Together Again!

The mouselets gasped.

“I also discovered why King Waveshaker is

angry,” I reported. “Someone stole his

GOLD, and Nina has been accused of

the theft.”

Will nodded. “That makes sense,” he said.

“Thea, you should know that the king’s

anger is putting this world in grave

danger. There is a crack on the map in the

Hall of the Seven Roses.”

“I haven’t been to the hall yet,” I reminded

him. “What kind of map is this?”

“The hall contains maps of each fantasy

world,” Will explained. “Each one

is connected to the magnetic waves

of the land it represents. If something

happens to the map, we know there’s trouble.”

I listened, spellbound.

“A crack appeared in the map right after

Together Again!

the Thea Sisters arrived at the I.I.S.,” Will

said. “We knew we had to act fast, before it

got worse.”

“Then Will asked us to come with him,

and of course we said yes,” Paulina reported.

I was proud of my brave students.

They never backed down from a challenge!

“Let me tell you about the Guardians of

Treasure,” I said, and I told them what they

had said about Nina. “They told me to search

for ‘those who are

never happy

’ if I

wanted to find her.”

Violet looked startled. “The Lake Fairies

told us something similar. They said to look

out for ‘the depths of an unhappy heart.’”

“There might be a clue in the diary,”

Paulina suggested. “But some of the pages

are torn and stained.”

We studied the pages, and then we saw an

done!

Together Again!

underlined note: Court . . . the . . . Disc . .

ented . . . Valley of Wi . . . es.

“Maybe it’s ‘Court of the Discontented,’” I

guessed. “Discontented means ‘unhappy.’”

“And I bet it’s in the Valley of Wishes,”

Paulina said, pointing to the line.

Will opened the map. “You’re right! There

is a Valley of Wishes on the map. Well

But it looks rather far away.”

It was time to use the necklace

again. I closed my eyes and asked for the

quickest way to the valley, and I saw a clear

picture of the route in my

mind.

When I opened my

eyes, the Thea Sisters

were in a

panic

.

“Pam has disappeared!”

Colette cried.

Together Again!

“How did that happen?” I asked.

“Pam! Pam!” Nicky yelled. But she didn’t

reply. Pam seemed to have VANISHED into

thin air.

“Where did she go?”

Colette asked anxiously.

“We’ll find her,” I said confidently. “There’s

got to be an explanation.”

I looked at my necklace and closed my

eyes.

“Where is Pam?” I asked.

But this time I didn’t get a vision. The

flowers were all wilted, and I realized

that I might have used up their magic.

Discouraged, I looked at Will.

“We’ll split up,” he suggested. “You take

the rest of the Thea Sisters to the Valley of

Wishes, and I’ll look for Pam. We’ll catch up

to you, I promise!”

Colette, Nicky, Paulina, Violet, and I headed

toward the

Valley of Wishes. As we

walked, the earth started to shake beneath

our feet.

“We need to find our way out of this

forest!” I shouted. “The trees could fall

at any moment!”

At that moment, a herd of small woodland

animals ran past us.

“Let’s follow them!” Nicky

suggested. “They must know a

way out.”

We ran after them as

fast as we could as tree

branches

crashed

down all around us.

Waveshaker

Rumbles

Waveshaker Rumbles

Hearts pounding, we reached the edge of

the forest just as the shaking stopped.

“WE’RE SAFE!” Paulina said. “I just

hope that Will and Pam are okay.”

We surveyed the scene. The trees opened

up onto a beautiful lake bordered by a

valley. Purple mountain peaks rose

on the far shore.

Look over there!

Waveshaker Rumbles

I recognized the place immediately from

the vision the necklace had showed me. It

was the Valley of Wishes!

“We can walk around the lake,” I said.

The mouselets smiled at me confidently,

and we set off for the mountains.

While I made my way to the Valley of

Wishes, Agent Ted O’Malley remained in

the cave back in Ireland. He had an

important job to do. If the FIRE

burning in the cave went out, the door to

the Land of Erin would close — and I

would be trapped there.

Tending the fire was no easy task. Ted

waited for me for hours and hours,

and soon he began to grow tired.

ZZZZZZZZZZ.Ted dozed off,

snoring quietly. But a few minutes later, a

horrible loud noise woke

him up.

The sound seemed

to come from the

depths of the earth,

Ted’s Dilemma

Ted’s Dilemma

and the walls of the cave shook. A cold

wind whipped through the cave. Since

he was a seasoned agent, Ted remained

calm. He threw a few more branches on

the fire so it wouldn’t go out.

Then the trembling stopped, and the wind

died down. Ted smiled. The WORST was

over!

Relieved, Ted got up and walked to the

mouth of the cave. What he saw wiped the

smile off his face.

High waves

against the cliffs, and dark, heavy clouds

filled the sky.

“Hmm . . . I don’t like this sudden calm,”

he mused.

He walked back to the fire just as another

the cave. He watched, horrified, as the flames

went out! He looked down and saw that the

violent

GUST OF WIND

blew through

crashed

Ted’s Dilemma

portal to the Land of Erin had slid shut.

“Oh, no! This can’t be!” he wailed.

Frantically, he tried to relight the fire, but

the winds were too strong. Thea is

trapped

!

he thought.

The storm was raging now. The crashing

waves pushed water inside the cave. Soon,

It’s useless to try to keep lighting the fire,

Ted knew, the cave would be

flooded

.

Ted’s Dilemma

he realized. If I don’t leave now, it may be

TOO LATE. I need to inform the I.I.S. of

this new development!

Ted looked down at the floor of the cave

one last time, and his heart felt HEAVY.

He hated to leave me behind.

It’s the only way, Ted told himself. If I can

get out of here safely, I can let the I.I.S. know

what has happened to Thea Stilton. They

Ted’s Dilemma

might know some other way to save her.

His mind made up, Ted walked through

the cave and back into the ruins of the castle,

and then found the small boat that we had

used to reach the island. The sea was rough,

but he was a seasoned sailor. He pushed

offshore and into the stormy waters.

It was already getting dark when the

mouselets and I reached the Valley of Wishes.

We started to climb up the mountainside,

and soon we spotted a small VILLAGE in

the distance.

“Do you think that could be the Court of

the Discontented?” Colette asked.

Paulina flipped through Nina’s diary.

“Nina describes it as a group of rocky

huts, located near the start of the valley,

along the banks of a river. I think the

description matches. Then the diary ends.

So this could be the last place Nina visited

before she LOSt her diary,” she reasoned.

“Maybe the members of the court are the

ones who stole Waveshaker’s GOLD,”

Violet suggested.

A Bad Omen

A Bad Omen

“It’s possible, but it’s also possible that

Nina ran into some other fairies, who stole

the gold,” I said. “We need to find more

clues.”

“So let’s go!” Nicky said eagerly.

“We need to be careful,” I reminded them.

“We don’t know what we’ll find out there. If

the Discontented did steal the gold,

they’ll fight for it, and probably won’t be very

friendly.”

The Thea Sisters nodded, and we

moved forward, but it was getting

harder to see in the dark. Nicky

had the idea to make TORCHES

from tree branches, and she gave

one to each of us.

“Fantastic!” we cried at once.

We had finally reached the outskirts of the

village when I heard footsteps nearby.

I stopped. Had we walked right into a

trap? But it was too late.

A group of strange creatures carrying

axes quickly surrounded us. They were

large and smelled of dirt. Each one wore a

red cap on top of his shaggy hair.

A Bad Omen

The Thea Sisters looked terrified, and I

realized that I needed to keep everyone calm.

“May I ask who you are?” I said without

any fear in my voice.

One of them stepped up to me, staring at

me with fierce black eyes.

“We are the Red Caps,” he said, “from

the Court of the Discontented.”

Another one approached me. “

Follow

us!

” he barked in an

evil

voice. “And

don’t even bother to resist!”

We silently obeyed as the creatures pushed

us forward.

The Red Caps marched us through the

valley, toward the river. I could see the Thea

Sisters casting nervous glances at each other.

What was going to happen to us?

When we reached the river, the leader

of the group took us across a narrow

bridge that crossed the rough water. As

soon as we reached the other shore, we heard

a strange crying sound coming from the

river.

What, or who, could that be?

I tried to see where the Red Caps had

taken us. We seemed to be outside a circle of

ramshackle huts illuminated by a BONFIRE

in the center. Past the huts, I could make out

the shape of a large, dark building.

The Court of the

Discontented

“It looks like a castle!” Nicky cried.

The castle looked

terrifying

, with tall

towers and a forbidding front gate. And the

Red Caps were leading us right toward it!

A sad cry rose up from the river once

again.

“What is that noise?” I bravely asked.

The leader of the Red Caps answered me.

“It’s the voice of the Sad Washerwoman.”

“Who is that?” I asked, curious.

“Her spirit is held

prisoner in the

water,” the leader explained. “She must

spend her days washing clothes and crying

over her fate.”

“There aren’t any happy people in this

land,” Colette observed, looking around.

“Of course not!” snapped one of the Red

Caps. “We’re in the Court of the Discontented,

after all!”

Move it!

The Court of the Discontented

They continued to lead us to the castle,

and all of the creatures we passed looked

sad and

afraid

, too.

“Let’s go! That’s enough

talking!” one of the Red

Caps barked.

I gave my friends a

comforting smile as

our captors led us through the menacing

castle gate.

The gate led into a long, dark hallway.

We walked along, prodded by the Red Caps,

until the hall opened up into a large

room

.

Someone was waiting for us there. . . .

When the Thea Sisters and I headed off to

find the Court of the Discontented, Will

headed into the

forest

to find Pam.

When it got dark, he lit a TORCH,

and Pam spotted it.

“Will!” she cried out.

He turned and saw Pam in

the shadows. She looked

lost and afraid.

Will ran up to her.

“What happened

to you? We were

worried.”

“I’m sorry,”

Pam replied,

embarrassed. “A

delicious smell

Just One More . . .

Just One More . . .

hit my nose, and for some reason I couldn’t

stop myself from following it. I went

off to find it without letting anyone know.”

“We called out for you. Didn’t you hear

us?” Will asked.

“All I could think about was the sweet-

smelling fruit,” Pam said. “It’s like I became

some kind of zombie. I found it and quickly

ate some, and then I couldn’t remember who

I was, or where I was.”

Will frowned. “Which fruit?”

“Follow me,” Pam said.

She led Will to a tree with a thick trunk

and gnarled branches that reached

down like snakes.

Will stepped closer. Each branch dripped

with

plump

, red fruit.

Pam reached out to take a piece, but Will

quickly stopped her.

Just One More . . .

“Wait! I’ve read about this fruit!” he cried.

“They’re the

Fruit of Forgetfulness

,

and they’re very dangerous. If you eat them,

they make you lose your memory. Luckily,

it’s only temporary.”

But Pam was still under their

spell

. She reached

out again.

“Just one more,” she

pleaded.

“No, you mustn’t!” Will

yelled, grabbing her arm.

Pam gave the tree a longing look. Then she

turned to Will.

“You’re right,” she said. “I can resist

them, I promise.”

Will let go, and Pam gave the berries one

last look, but she didn’t give in.

“Whew!” she exclaimed in relief. “I

Just One More . . .

think the spell is broken. Thank you.”

“No problem,” Will replied. “It’s a good

thing I recognized the fruit, or I might have

been caught in the spell, too.”

Pam smiled at Will gratefully.“How are

my friends? And Thea?”

“Fine, as far as I know,” Will replied. “We

split up so I could look for you. We’d better

get moving so we can join them.”

“Where did they go?” Pam asked.

“To the Valley of Wishes, to find the Court

of the Discontented,” Will explained.

“Following a clue from Nina’s diary.”

Pam looked up at the night sky,

alarmed.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find the way,” Will

assured her. “I have a great sense of direction,

even in the dark.”

Pam sighed with relief. “Thanks for coming

to find me. I’d

still be lost.” She

shivered.

“Let’s go!” Will

said, smiling.

Darkness covered

the forest like a

ghostly cloak, but

Will’s torch lit the

way. The pair made

their way through the

forest, eager to find

their friends.

They got lost

several times, but

hours later, they

finally reached the

Valley of Wishes.

“I see lights!”

Just One More . . .

Pam cried, pointing into the valley.

“They must be coming from the Court

of the Discontented,” Will guessed.

“The map doesn’t show any other villages

around here.”

“We should HURRY and try to find

everyone,” Pam said.

“First, let’s come up with a

plan

,” Will

suggested.

“Why do we need a plan?” Pam asked.

“This place is called the Court of the

Discontented, after all,” Will pointed out.

“So I’m guessing that they’re

not very

friendly

. And we have no idea how they’ve

greeted Thea and the others. They might be

in some kind of trouble. I don’t like the

looks of this place.”

Pam nodded. “You’re right. So what should

we do?”

Just One More . . .

Will thought for a moment. “We can put

out this TORCH, to start. Then we can

try to sneak in without being seen.”

Pam nodded. “This way, if the others are

in trouble, we can help them.”

“Exactly,” Will said. “We must be ready for

any POSSIBILITY.”

He put out the torch. “Stay close so we

don’t lose each other.”

She didn’t respond, but Will heard her

move forward in the DARKNESS behind

him.

Meanwhile, the mouselets and I entered the

dark room in the forbidding castle.

“Come forward!” a deep voice

demanded, and we saw a large, shadowy

figure seated on a throne.

Since none of us moved right away, one of

the Red Caps

prodded me with his

spear. I took his hint and stepped toward the

throne.

“Who are you?” the huge creature bellowed.

Before I could answer, he rose to his feet.

He was enormouse! His face

looked as if it had been carved from a

mountain, and it was covered by a dark,

shaggy beard.

His dark eyes were cold and

ruthless

,

The Great

Discontented One

The Great Discontented One

and I knew that we must have found the

leader of the Discontented Ones.

“Your Majesty, what do you want from

us?” I asked politely but calmly.

“I will be the one to ask

questions

,”

he replied menacingly.

“As you wish,” I replied evenly. He was

trying to intimidate me, but I wasn’t going to

let him.

“I am the

Great Discontented One

,

the ruler of this court,” he announced.

“Nobody pokes their noses into my realm

without permission!”

“We weren’t poking our noses

into anything!” Nicky protested.

“And we weren’t in your realm,”

Paulina added.

“

Oh, really?

” he bellowed, turning

to his guards.

The Great Discontented One

They took a step backward. “Well, they

were on the b-b-border,” one of them

stammered.

“Humph!” said their leader. “In any case,

you are strangers, and you’re not even

from this world!”

I interrupted him. “We are looking

for a

mouse

, and we won’t

The Great Discontented One

leave until we find her,” I said firmly.

“And what makes you think she might be

here, this . . . mouse?” the leader asked.

“So she’s not here?” I asked.

“Do not respond to my

question

with

another question!” he fumed.

“Well, we think that she is here,” I insisted.

“So you are here to find a mouse,” the

leader said, rubbing his beard. “All right, I

will allow it, since I’m in a

good mood

today. Isn’t that right, my faithful ones?”

The Great Discontented One

“Yes!” the Red Caps all exclaimed.

Their leader sighed with satisfaction. But I

didn’t trust this Great Discontented One.

Convincing him to take us to our friend had

been too easy.

Still, we had no choice but to follow the

Red Caps and the Great Discontented One.

I was feeling pretty sure that they had Nina,

and this might be our only chance to rescue

her.

They led us into the castle courtyard,

where a fire was burning. The flames

illuminated a mouse . . . a mouse held

prisoner in a cage made of brambles!

Now What?

“Nina!” I exclaimed.

The young rodent looked in my direction,

and her eyes lit up.

“You know me?” she asked, surprised.

I drew as close as I could, then leaned

forward and whispered to her.

“My name is Thea Stilton, and these are

the Thea Sisters. We’ve been

working with

the SEVEN ROSES UNIT,” I explained,

showing her my rose-shaped crystal pendant.

“Will Mystery was worried about you, and

we came to look for you.”

Then I turned to their leader. “Your

Majesty, why have you imprisoned

her? That’s not a very nice thing to do.”

“I don’t do very nice things!” he

thundered in reply.

He stomped toward me. “I am the Great

Discontented One, and I rule with sadness

and frustration!”

“Release this mouse immediately!” Colette

demanded angrily.

“I will do better than that, my dear,” the

ruler replied. “Since you are so close with

her, I will let you

rot

in prison right along

with her!”

“

What?” I exclaimed.

“You heard me,” he

said cruelly. Then he

barked to his guards.

“Hurry up! Build

another cage!”

Some of the Red

Caps surrounded

us while the others

worked to build the

cage. It was a ridiculous situation:

We had finally found Nina, but now we

couldn’t leave!

There was nothing we could do. They

quickly stuck us inside the brambles.

“You can’t escape!” the leader bragged.

“There is no way to unravel the tangled

branches from the inside.”

Then he burst into

wicked

laughter.

“You are my prisoners . . . forever!” he cried,

and then he stomped away.

Our only hope was Will Mystery and Pam.

If they had followed our tracks,

they might be able to help us.

“I’m so sorry,” Nina said

with a sigh.

“Don’t

apologize,” I

said. “It’s not your fault.”

“But if you hadn’t come to

look for me, you wouldn’t be in this

mess right now!” she pointed out.

“We’re glad that we found you,” I said.

“And now that we’re together, I’m sure we’ll

find a way out of this . . . thorny

situation.”

Now What?

Nina smiled at the joke.

“How did you find out where I was?” she

asked.

Paulina held up the diary. “We found

this.”

“It’s a little damaged, but it led us right

to you,” Violet told her.

“But why did you come here, to the Court

of the Discontented?” Colette asked. “It

seems like a

dangerous

place

to come to all by yourself.”

Nina shot a look at the Red Caps who were

guarding us. They had fallen asleep and were

snoring loudly.

“I’ll tell you everything,” she said.

As we got ready to hear Nina’s story, Will

and Pam reached the

river

in the Valley

of Wishes.

They both felt relieved. They had become

lost so often in the dark, but now it looked

like they were finally close.

“This river should take us to the Court

of the Discontented

,” Will said.

“If only we knew exactly where Thea and

the others were,” Pam remarked.

“

Listen!

” Will said. “I

hear something.”

Pam didn’t hear anything,

and she watched, curious, as

Will went to the river and

began to sing a strange

melody

. Then she heard a

Precious Help

sound like a woman wailing.

The surface of the river rippled and a

woman’s face

blossomed on the surface.

She seemed to be made of water, and

she spoke to Will in a language Pam had

never heard before. To Pam’s amazement,

Will answered her in the same language.

“Will, what’s happening?” Pam asked.

“She is the Sad Washerwoman, a spirit of

the water,” he explained. “She asked me what

we’re doing here. I told her, and she wants to

help us.”

“But how can you understand her?”

Pam asked.

“In the Seven Roses Unit, we study the

languages

spoken in the fantasy worlds,” he

informed her.

Pam nodded. “Can you ask her if she knows

where Thea and the others are?”

Precious Help

Will sang again, and the spirit sang back

to him.

“She said that the Red Caps, who are known

to be bullies, passed here with a group of

creatures who looked like us,” he reported.

“And where did they take them?” Pam

asked.

“To the castle past the village,” Will replied.

“Home of the Court of the Discontented.”

“Then Thea and the others might be

prisoners!” Pam cried in alarm.

Will nodded. “I’m afraid so. The SPIRIT

says we should follow the river so we won’t

be captured, too.”

“She is very kind,” Pam

remarked.

Then Will sang again,

and the spirit disappeared

into the

water

.

Precious Help

“I thanked the Sad Washerwoman for

helping us,” Will told Pam, “and now we

must get going.”

Pam followed him, impressed. They quietly

walked along the banks of the river until

they reached the village. All was still, and it

was likely that everyone was asleep.

“Do you think the castle is watched by

guards?” Pam asked.

“Most likely,” Will guessed. “We must try

to get in without them spotting us.”

They moved cautiously along the village

walls, dodging the torchlight, until they

reached the castle.

The sound of someone snoring

could be heard from the courtyard.

“Cheese and crackers!” Pam exclaimed.

“Maybe the guard over there has fallen

asleep!”

They headed toward the courtyard,

where they could see a

fire

burning.

As they got closer, they saw two large

bramble cages . . . the cages holding

us prisoner!

In the meantime, before Will and Pam

arrived, Nina told us her story.

“My assignment at the I.I.S. was to research

the Land of Erin so we could add more

details to the

map

in the Hall of the Seven

Roses,” she began. “I immediately began to

study every document we had in the

department’s library. In one very old book, I

discovered that there was a

link to Erin in

Ireland. This was very exciting!

Until then, we were convinced that the

secret portal in the I.I.S. was the only link

to these fantasy worlds. So of course I had to

travel to Ireland myself, to see if it was true.”

“How did you discover the exact location

of the passageway?” Paulina

asked, curious.

Nina’s Story

Nina’s Story

“I began by

interviewing

the sailors

and the oldest inhabitants along the coast,

collecting their stories,” she explained. “In

Dunmore East, they told me an interesting

legend about a ruined castle that contained a

mysterious stairway. I had a feeling that

the stairway might be the passage I had read

about.”

I nodded. “I used that same stairway to

enter the

Land of Erin.”

“Great work finding it,” Nina complimented

me.

“Thanks,” I said. “Agent O’Malley helped

me find it. He knew where you were headed,

and after you went missing, he regretted

not going with you.”

“I was too excited to wait for

backup,” Nina admitted. “And as you can

see, it got me into some trouble.”

Nina’s Story

“How did you end up in the Court of the

Discontented?” Nicky asked.

Nina sighed. “I came to Erin knowing

many secrets, and the more I explored,

the more I learned,” she explained. “Word

spread quickly about a strange

furry creature who knew secrets, and the

Great Discontented One

sent his

Red Caps after me.”

“They wanted information?” I asked.

Nina nodded. “They

CAPTURED me

and demanded I reveal everything I knew

about Erin. I did, hoping that they would let

me go. They were very interested in my

stories about

King Waveshaker

and his

wealth. They decided to steal the king’s

treasure, and they succeeded.”

“I don’t understand,” Colette said. “They

learned your secrets, and they got the

Nina’s Story

treasure

they wanted. So why haven’t

they let you go?”

A cloud came over Nina’s face. “That’s the

really

scary

part. They want me to

help them LEAVE the Land of Erin.”

“Why would they want to do that?” I asked.

“They’re afraid that King Waveshaker will

send his guards to get the treasure back,

once he finds out they stole it,” Nina

explained. “They think they will be safe in

our world.”

“

That’s terrible!” Nicky exclaimed.

“Can you imagine what those Red Caps

would do in our world?”

“And what those in our world would do if

they found out about the Land of Erin?”

Paulina asked.

I nodded. “These Discontented Ones are

putting both of our worlds in danger.

Nina’s Story

And besides that, they have made King

Waveshaker very

angry

.”

Nina nodded. “Yes, I’ve felt the earth

tremble here.”

“His anger has caused a crack in the map

in the Hall of the Seven Roses,” I informed

her, and then I told her how the Thea Sisters

had arrived in Erin, leading up to Pam’s

disappearance. “The good thing, though, is

that Will and Pam are out there somewhere.

I’m sure they’ll arrive soon to help us.”

At that moment, we heard a sound coming

from outside the courtyard.

Good Morning!

The sound of footsteps came closer, but

we still couldn’t see anyone. We held our

breath, waiting, until we heard a voice

whisper.

“Thea?” It was Pam. She and Will had

arrived to free us!

When Will saw Nina, his face lit up with

happiness. “

Nina! We’ve finally found you.

Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Will,” Nina whispered through

the branches. “I’m glad you’re here, but the

Red Caps will be awake any minute. They

gather at DAWN every morning to go

hunting. Before leaving, they make their

rounds through the village and leave a few

behind to stand guard. So you must hide!”

“When the coast is clear, we’ll find a way

Good Morning!

to escape,” I added.

Pam and Will disappeared

into the SHADOWS just in

time! The Red Cap who was

guarding us was just

opening his eyes.

“Good morning! Sleep

well?

” Nicky asked, trying

to sound cheerful.

He turned a sleepy eye toward her and

yawned. “I

slept horribly, as usual,” he

muttered unhappily.

“Can we please have some water?” Nicky

asked.

Laughing, the guard took a small horn out

of his pocket and blew into it. A few seconds

later, a second lazy Red Cap appeared.

“

They want a drink

,” the first guard

said. The other one left and returned a

minute later with a jug

of water. I took a sip

but had to spit it out. It had

an awful taste!

“Yep! Everything is BAD here,

even the taste of the water,” the

second Red Cap said gloomily.

IT’S NOT

FAIR!

I’M NOT HAPPY!

NOT HAPPY

AT ALL!

”

Good Morning!

“Hey, send someone to take my place,”

GRUMBLED the one guarding us. “I’m

tired of staying here.”

Just then, a third guard showed up. He was

grumbling, too. “I don’t understand why

it’s my turn again. I stood guard yesterday.

Good Morning!

I understood why they called these

creatures the Discontented Ones. They spent

all their time complaining, without

being able to see the good in the world.

The guards switched places, and we saw a

group of Red Caps leaving the castle to go

hunting, just as Nina had told us. Soon, the

court would be mostly empty, giving us our

only chance to escape!

They’re leaving!

Will and Pam didn’t wait to make their move.

They boldly marched up to the lone

Red Cap left to guard us.

“Stop right there!” he barked, pointing his

spear at them. “Who are you? What do

you want?”

“

You will free our friends right now!”

Will ordered him.

I wondered what Will was up to. Did he

really expect the guard to give in?

The Red Cap chuckled. “Sorry, I can’t do

that. In fact, you’ll be joining them inside

their cages.” Then he charged right at them!

At that moment, Will sang out a strange

cry — first very high-pitched, then very low.

Suddenly, hundreds of birds appeared in the

Help . . .

from the Sky!

Help . . . from the Sky!

sky, circling right over us. There

were so many that they completely blocked

out the SUNLIGHT.

Terrified, the Red Cap turned as

pale

as

mozzarella and ran off.

Then the birds

swooped down and

began to pull at the

tangled branches with

their

beaks. They

swiftly

unknotted

the cages. We were

free!

I had never seen

anything so surprising.

“How . . . how did you

do that?” Paulina asked,

clearly stunned.

“I asked these birds to

Help . . . from the Sky!

help us, and they were happy to do it,”

Will explained. But the Thea Sisters still

looked shocked. “As I’ve already told Pam, in

the Seven Roses Unit we study the

languages of all of the creatures in

these fantasy worlds. I’m just lucky that I’m

fluent in the language of fairy birds.”

Paulina shook her head. “You are

amazing!”

“I didn’t do anything — it was all them,”

Will said, looking up at the sky.

“THANK

YOU, MY FRIENDS!”

The incredible birds seemed to understand

Will, and they flew back up into the sky,

blanketing it with their rainbow

colors. It was a spectacular sight!

I hated to disrupt the magic of the moment,

but even though we had found Nina, our

work wasn’t done. Until we

found

treasure

Help . . . from the Sky!

Waveshaker’s and returned

it to him, the Land of Erin was in

danger

.

“Sorry, everyone, but we’ve got to get

moving,” I said. “First, we’ll find the

treasure, and then we can stop

Waveshaker!”

“I know where the Great Discontented

One has HIDDEN it,” Nina said quickly.

“Let’s not waste time. The Red Caps will

Help . . . from the Sky!

return in an hour or two, and once we have

the treasure we’ll need to get as far

away as possible. Quick, come with me!”

So we all followed her inside the dark,

crumbling castle. . . .

Nina guided us through the deserted

castle. Luckily for us, not even one guard

had stayed behind. The Great Discontented

One must have felt very secure about where

the treasure was hidden.

“How do you know where he’s hiding it?”

Pam asked Nina.

“One day, one of the

Red Caps

who was

guarding us got angry with his companions,”

Nina explained. “He started moaning and

complaining and ended up telling me a

bunch of things.”

“And he told you where the treasure was

located?” Colette asked in disbelief.

Nina nodded. “He was convinced that I

would never be able to escape.”

Waveshaker’s

Treasure!

Waveshaker’s Treasure!

“Luckily, he was wrong!” Pam commented.

We soon reached a room we had already

seen: the throne room!

“The treasure is here?” Nicky asked.

Nina pointed under the throne.

“The Red Cap said it was under there.”

“Under the throne?” Colette

asked, confused.

“But we’ll never be able to move it,” Violet

pointed out. “It’s made of stone, which is

super heavy.”

I walked up to the throne

and touched it. The stone

wasn’t cold, and it was

extremely porous.

Suddenly, I realized

something. It

was made of

pumice stone

!

Waveshaker’s Treasure!

Several months ago, I studied a cave made

of pumice stone, and I learned a lot about it.

When a stone is porous, it has many tiny holes

in it, making it weigh less than other stones.

“I think I know how to move the stone,” I

said.

Everyone stared, waiting for me to explain,

but I just placed my hands firmly on the

stone and

pushed

hard. The stone easily

slid to the side!

“How did you do that, Thea?” Pam asked

in disbelief.

I smiled. “It’s easy. You try.”

Pam placed her paw on it, and the throne

easily moved.

“It must be pumice stone!” Violet concluded

brilliantly.

“Cheese and crackers!

This stone is so light!”

“I should have known,” Pam said. “Pumice

stone is very light because of the holes all

through it, kind of like Swiss cheese.”

“And it’s the STONE used for pedicures,”

Colette added. “It’s an absolute necessity for

taking care of your paws.”

“It was clever of the Great Discontented

One to build a throne that looks heavy but is

actually very light,” Will said. “Well

done, Thea, for realizing it!”

“Thanks,” I said. “But let’s not waste any

more time. Let’s get the treasure!”

Beneath the throne we found a wooden

trapdoor

, but it didn’t have a lock

or a handle.

Nicky thought quickly. “This should work,”

she said, taking a spear that was leaning

against the wall. She inserted the tip between

the floor and the trapdoor and pried it open.

Waveshaker’s Treasure!

Waveshaker’s Treasure!

Nicky opened the door all the way, and

there was King Waveshaker’s treasure,

in all its GOLDEN GLORY!

It was so bright that we had to shield

our eyes from the glow. When our eyes

adjusted, we realized the treasure was a huge

sack of GOLDEN nuggets!

We each grabbed a piece of the sack and

Waveshaker’s Treasure!

hoisted it up from its hiding place. It was

much heavier than the throne, but we did it!

“Together we are strong!” Nicky

exclaimed.

“Now we can go,” Colette said.

“Wait!” I exclaimed.

“What’s going on, Thea?” Will

asked.

Waveshaker’s Treasure!

“I don’t think we should leave,” I said, and

the others looked at me in surprise. “We

must stay here and convince the Great

Discontented One that he and his people

must never travel to our world. We’ve got to

make sure that the balance between the

two worlds is never disturbed.”

“That makes sense,” Nicky agreed. “But

won’t he get really angry when he sees

we’ve got his gold?”

“I’m not going back in a cage,” Colette said

with a shudder.

Violet looked thoughtful. “I may have an

idea,” she said. “Follow me!”

We hid the sack of gold

behind a wall in the throne

room and then headed back

outside,

anxious

to hear

what Violet had in mind.

Outside the crumbling castle, the sun was

shining brightly overhead.

Violet walked to a tree near the river. Its

branches were heavy with juicy-looking

fruit as yellow as cheese. She picked

some and passed it around.

“Aren’t these beautiful?” she asked.

“Yes,” Pam said, taking a bite. “And

delicious, too!”

Violet explained her plan. “I think

we should gather everything

wonderful that this world

offers and show it to the Red

Caps. Then maybe they’ll see

Happiness is

Where You Look

for It

Happiness is Where You Look for It

that they can be happy right here.”

“And that they don’t need any treasure,”

Paulina concluded.

“That sounds like a great idea,” Nicky

agreed. “Well done, Violet.”

“Let’s each gather whatever we can find,” I

suggested. “But hurry! The Red Caps

could return at any moment, and we don’t

want them to take us by surprise.”

It didn’t take long to find beautiful things

all around us. There were

flowers with

lovely colors and wonderful scents, birds

with brightly colored feathers, and

beautiful

insects

and butterflies that

looked as though a painter had decorated

them.

Will Mystery searched the river. There, he

found seashells in all different shapes, with

smooth surfaces that seemed to glitter.

Happiness is Where You Look for It

I saw

cobwebs

on

the bushes that looked like

fancy embroidery, and

beetles that shone

like precious gems.

When each of us had gathered

our treasures, we brought them inside

the castle. We put everything on the big

table in the throne room and HID behind

the wall where we had hidden the treasure.

Then we waited for the Red Caps to return.

“Are you sure it wouldn’t be better to leave

while we still can?” Colette asked

nervously.

“We have to do this,” I said. “The Great

Discontented One and the Red Caps must

understand that they can be happy here.”

Will and Nina gave me a supportive look.

Suddenly, we heard noises.

“They’re back!” Will cried.

N

o

w

w

e

w

a

i

t

!

Happiness is Where You Look for It

The room filled with Red Caps, who were

escorting

the Great Discontented

One. They quickly realized that something

wasn’t right.

“What happened to my GOLD?” their

leader bellowed when he saw the open

trapdoor. “If I find whoever took it, they will

feel my

rage

!”

I stepped out of my hiding place.

“

It was I

,” I said simply.

He stared at me in disbelief. “You? You

should be in a cage!” he thundered.

Will, Nina, and the Thea Sisters stepped

out and stood behind me. The Great

Discontented One looked as if he might

explode. “Guards!” he shouted.

A group of Red Caps stomped toward us,

brandishing their swords, but I stood firm.

“Can I at least

explain

why we took your

Happiness is Where You Look for It

gold?” I asked calmly.

“If you must,” the leader growled. “But

then you’re going back in your cage!”

“The gold you

stole

belongs to King

Waveshaker,” I reminded him. “That is why

he’s angry, and it’s putting the whole Land of

Erin in danger.”

“Danger? What do you mean?”

he asked me, surprised.

Will stepped forward. “I work in a place

where we keep track of all of the worlds of

fantasy, using special maps. A

large crack

has appeared in the map of the Land of Erin.

It’s a very serious situation!”

“Waveshaker will

destroy

your world

if he doesn’t get his gold back,” Nina added.

The Great Discontented One frowned.

“You think I’ll just let you take this treasure

from me?”

“It’s the only solution,” Nina told him.

I pointed to the items we had collected

on the table. “Look at all of the wonderful

things that surround you!” I said. “You are

so busy complaining that you haven’t noticed

the BEAUTY all around you.”

Then Will began to sing a fairy melody,

and a

peaceful

feeling descended on

everyone in the room.

The Great Discontented

One smiled . . . maybe for

the

first time in his

life! He looked at the table

and exclaimed, “Where

did these beautiful

things come from?”

“They are all

from this valley,

and you can enjoy

Happiness is Where You Look for It

them every day ,”Paulina informed him.

Violet smiled. “Now you can see your

world —”

“— with fresh EYES!” Will finished for

her.

The Great Discontented One looked at the

table, amazed. “I have never . . .” he murmured,

and then his voice trailed off.

“You’ve never asked yourself why you’re so

unhappy, have you?” I guessed.

He shook his head slowly, and then a new

smile grew on his face.

“I never have,” he said. “Perhaps you are

right. It is as though our eyes have been

closed all this time. Red Caps, what do you

think of all this beauty?”

The

Red Caps

approached the table, and

they slowly began to smile.

“How wonderful!” they cried. They took

in the delicate smell of the colorful FLOWERS.

“We really do feel happy!”

I smiled with satisfaction. “I’m so glad.

And now we must go.”

“You can’t stay here with us?” The Great

Discontented One asked.

“We must return the

gold,” Colette explained.

“Then we will take

you to the court of

King Waveshaker!”

the Red Caps said.

With that, the Great

Discontented One

squeezed me and

Colette in a big

hug!

I couldn’t believe how well things were going.

We had found Nina, we were taking the

treasure back to King Waveshaker, and we

had helped the members of the Court of the

Discontented learn to be happy.

The Red Caps escorted us through the

forest to the Court of the Speaking Stones,

where Waveshaker lived. I hoped that the

king would

calm down once the

treasure returned.

Suddenly, the ground beneath our paws

rumbled. It was another

earthquake

!

“That’s the king, right?” Violet asked.

“I think so,” I said. “But I’m sure that it

will be over soon.”

Thankfully, the tremors stopped, and no

The Court of the

Speaking Stones

The Court of the Speaking Stones

trees around us fell down. We were safe —

for now. The sooner we got to Waveshaker,

the better.

I looked behind me. Nina was telling her

STORY to Will and Pam, who had missed

hearing it before.

The Red Caps led us out of the forest into

a large field, where we followed a

narrow

path. I was glad that they were guiding us,

because they seemed to know where they

were going.

“Hey, what’s that up ahead?” Nicky asked,

pointing.

The path led to a deep,

rocky gorge. Our

guides carefully led us down into it. They

seemed unimpressed, but we were all amazed

by the place. Strange faces were carved into

the rock walls.

“It’s the Court of the Speaking

The Court of the Speaking Stones

Stones,” Nina explained. “Waveshaker

lives here. The inhabitants of this place are

ogres

.”

Colette’s eyes widened.

“Yes, those. Yet although they don’t look

very nice and are very large, they’re also very

kind,” Nina promised.

“That’s good news,” I replied.

“And we’re returning their treasure,”

Paulina pointed out, “so they should be

happy to see us.”

I had a feeling that Paulina was right. “Let’s

go!” I encouraged the others. “Our mission

is almost complete!”

“O

GRES

?

T

HOSE

MONSTROUS

,

ENORMOUSE

CREATURES

We walked through a hole in the rock shaped

like a giant mouth. The paths of the gorge

took us through many tunnels and

passageways. The rock walls loomed over

us as though they were going to crush us.

After we had walked awhile we heard a

voice, deep and echoing, that made us all

jump.

We looked around but couldn’t see anyone.

“Who said that?”Nina asked.

“We did!” came the reply.

This time, it sounded like many voices. We

realized that the sound was coming from the

stones.

The Stone

Labyrinth

“Why have you come

to this place?”

“That’s why it’s called

the Court of the Speaking

Stones,” Nicky explained.

One of the Red Caps

pointed to a large

cave

in front of us. “The king

lives in there,” he said.

As we neared the

entrance, a blast of icy,

moldy air hit us.

“What do you want?”

the stones asked us.

“We’d like to see King

Waveshaker,” I said.

“Impossible!” the

stones rumbled.

“We have

something that

belongs to him,

The Stone Labyrinth

and we’d like to return it,” Nina explained.

The stones went quiet for a moment. Then

they boomed again.

“Enter!”

I looked at Nina, uncertain.

“It’s all right,” she said. “I was here before I

was captured. I don’t think we’re in any

danger. From what I discovered, the

Speaking Stones are the

guardians

of

Waveshaker’s court. They

frighten

people

with their harsh looks and manners, but once

you get to know them, they can be very kind.”

“Thank you, Nina,” I said. “Your research

on the Land of Erin has been

extremely

helpful!”

“I’ll be happy to share it with you, once we

get back home,” Nina said.

“That would be great!” I said. “But first,

we have to save this place.”

The Stone Labyrinth

“We will wait for you here,” one of the

Red Caps said.

We looked at them in surprise.

“Why?” Will asked.

“We stole the king’s treasure. He’s

angry with us,” one of them responded.

“But you’re returning it to him,” Paulina

pointed out.

“We’d better not risk it. Especially now

that we’re so

happy

,” another said, smiling.

“As you wish. LET’S GO, THEN!” I

said.

We all stepped through the stone doorway

together. The inside of the cave was cloaked

in darkness. When my eyes adjusted, I

saw that we were in a corridor of bare stone.

Nina led the way. “These caves are

complex structures, full of corridors that

lead to small rooms and narrow passageways.”

“It’s a labyrinth!”

Pam realized.

“Yes, all the caves are

connected and lead to a

central room,” Nina

explained.

“The throne room!”

Colette concluded.

“

Exactly

. And

that’s where we

must go,” Nina said.

Following

Nina,

we proceeded farther

and farther into

the maze of

corridors.

We walked and walked. Torches hanging

on the wall of the cave lit our way. The air

still smelled fresh, but it got colder and

colder the farther we traveled. From time

to time, we could feel the earth below us

trembling, and it made us nervous. What

was waiting for us down there? We would

soon find out.

“I think we’re almost there,”

Nina remarked.

We embarked down one last,

steep

passageway.

The passage emerged into a

large room with a vaulted ceiling.

The whole space was entirely

carved into the rock. FLAMING

torches cast a reddish glow on the

King Waveshaker

smooth gray walls.

In the torchlight, we could make

out an enormouse creature

seated on an enormouse

throne. In his right hand, he held

an enormouse trident.

He was the largest creature we

had seen in this land, with

shaggy hair all over his body.

“Waveshaker,” Nina whispered.

The king thumped his trident on the

floor, and the whole room began to shake

violently.

“That’s what’s causing the earthquakes!”

Will whispered excitedly. “The king’s anger

really is strong enough to shake the earth!”

I took a step toward the throne, bowed,

and said, “King Waveshaker, we’ve come

from very far away. Our travels have been

full of danger, but nothing could stop us

because our goal is to repair every injustice.”

The king stared at me with intense black

eyes but didn’t speak.

“The injustice we are here to remedy is the

theft of your GOLD,” I continued.

My last word echoed through the

cave. Gold . . . gold . . . gold . . .

The king stood and thumped his trident on

the ground, and the room shook again.

“The treasure of the ogres! My

treasure!

” he bellowed.

Will understood the seriousness of the

situation and quickly pushed the sack of

nuggets toward the throne. Waveshaker

picked up the sack with his meaty hands.

He opened it, and rays of golden light shot

from the nuggets, ILLUMINATING the

entire cave.

King Waveshaker

“The treasure of the ogres!” the

king repeated, but this time he sounded

happy instead of angry.

The glow dimmed, and we were amazed to

see that the nuggets of gold had

transformed in the king’s

hand into a large crown

of gold.

The king put it on

his head and smiled at

us. “Justice is done!

Thank you, whoever

you are. Thank you!

You have brought back the

ogres’ most precious treasure.”

We stared at the crown in AWE as the

king continued.

“The

crown

has ruled the ogres for

a thousand years. I lost my honor, and

King Waveshaker

you have restored it to me. I will never forget

this!”

Nina was extremely curious. “Your Majesty,

can you please explain this surprising

transformation to us?”

The king thought for a moment,

and then he nodded. “By

bringing the treasure to me,

you have shown yourselves to

be faithful friends. I will tell

you an ancient secret of the

ogres,” he began. “This crown,

which is handed down from father to son,

has magical properties. When stolen,

it turns into gold nuggets so that no one can

wear it. This crown can only be worn by the

King of the Ogres.”

“I see,” Nina said. “So that is why you were

so

enraged

when it was stolen.”

King Waveshaker

“Yes,” Waveshaker replied. “If the treasure

were mere gold, I would not have been so

angry. But this crown is IMPORTANT

to my people. It is our history.”

King Waveshaker set down his trident.

“Peace will once again reign in

the Land of Erin, and in your world, too, you

strangers who have come from afar.”

The king escorted us back to the entrance

of the cave and wished us well. He was so

happy that he didn’t even ask who had stolen

his treasure.

We took the long walk back to the surface,

where the

Red Caps

were waiting for us.

We told them what had happened, leaving

out the secret of the crown.

The Red Caps happily headed back to

the Valley of Wishes to tell the Great

Discontented One that King Waveshaker

was no longer angry. Then we looked to

Will’s map to find our way

HOME.

Nina and I had both entered Erin through

the DOOR OF LIGHT that connected

to Ireland, and Will wanted to see it with his

own EYES. It was a long way off, so we

moved quickly.

We were all anxious to return home and

present our amazing discoveries to

the Seven Roses Unit. The Thea Sisters were

Oh, No!

Oh, No!

enthusiastic, but also a little sad, too. Their

mission in the Land of Erin had been

exciting — much more exciting

than exams at school. They wished they

could stay and work with Will and Nina.

“I think you mouselets are ready for a

PROMOTION at the department,” Will

said, as though he had read their minds. “I

have something special in mind for you.

What do you think, Thea? And Nina, would

you like to continue working with our new

fri

ends?”

“Sounds great!” Nina and I both replied.

The Thea Sisters looked even happier

than the Red Caps. They couldn’t wait to

learn what Will had in store.

“Obviously, though, your work for

the

SEVEN ROSES UNIT must not

compromise your studies at the academy,”

Oh, No!

Will added seriously. “Do you think you’ll be

able to balance both things?”

“Yes!” the mouselets cried at once, and

they hugged us with excitement.

“This is better than a thousand cheese

sandwiches

!” Pam exclaimed happily.

We finally arrived at our destination. The

sky was dark, and Nina and I searched for

the door. It should have been glowing with

light.

“It should be right here,” Nina

murmured, confused, running her hands

over a rough, rocky wall.

“Oh, no!” I said, suddenly realizing.

“O’Malley must not have been able to keep

the FIRE lit, and the passage has closed.”

We searched again, but it was clear: There

was no trace of the door on the rocky

wall. The passageway had closed.

Oh, No!

“

Poor Ted

,” I murmured. “I hope

that nothing

bad

happened to him.”

“He’s an expert agent,” Nina assured

me. “He knows how to take care of

himself.”

“I’m sure he struggled to keep

the passage open,” Paulina said.

“I’ll bet he’s worried about you,

Thea.”

T

h

e

p

a

s

s

a

g

e

i

s

c

l

o

s

e

d

!

Oh, No!

“But now what are we going to do?” Colette

asked.

“Simple!” Will replied. “We’ll use the

secret portal, which will take all of us to the

HALL OF THE SEVEN ROSES!”

IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE ON

THE EDGE OF REALITY!

Will had us stand in a circle and close our

eyes. Then he sang a strange

melody

,

starting with low tones and building to high

tones, and the air around us began to vibrate.

When he stopped, we opened our eyes . . .

and found ourselves in

the crystal elevator!

It

zipped across

the SPACE-TIME barrier

between the Land of Erin

and the real world. It was

the first time that I had

traveled that way, and I

was breathless with

excitement.

Back in the Real

World

Back in the Real World

Then melodious music swirled around us,

and a voice chanted “SEVEN ROSES”

seven times. The elevator stopped, and we

stepped out into the Hall of the Seven Roses.

“How wonderful to be back home!”

Nina exclaimed.

I looked around the hall for the maps of

the fantasy worlds.

“There’s the Land of Erin!” I exclaimed,

pointing.

“And the

crack has disappeared!” Pam

cried.

The Thea Sisters came forward to get a

closer look, and their eyes shone with

happiness.

“On behalf of the Seven Roses Unit, I want

to express our gratitude to you, Thea, and

the Thea Sisters,” Will said. “Without

your help, this mission would not have

“

O

H

,

W

I

L

L

,

W

E

W

O

U

L

D

B

E

H

O

N

O

R

E

D

!

”

Back in the Real World

been completed so brilliantly.”

The Thea Sisters blushed.

“As I’ve already said, I think you deserve a

promotion,” Will told them. “What would

you say to being

junior researchers

in our department?”

Paulina looked at her friends and responded

for all of them.

“Great!” Will exclaimed. “This means that

you will be able to help Thea, Nina, and

other researchers with their next missions.

You’ll also be assigned simple projects that

you can conduct on your own. Now,

remember the code of conduct of the I.I.S.:

Secrecy is of the utmost importance, as

well as LOYALTY and dedication.”

“Of course!” the mouselets replied.

Will grinned. “The I.I.S. is like one

big

family

. Our agents are scattered all over

the world, ready to lend a paw whenever

needed.”

I was close to tears. I was so proud of the

Thea Sisters!

Nina lightened the mood:

“

T

H

I

S

C

A

L

L

S

F

O

R

A

C

E

L

E

B

R

A

T

I

O

N

!

”

“What an exciting trip!” Pam exclaimed as

the I.I.S. speedboat docked on

Whale Island.

“That was a truly incredible adventure,”

Nicky agreed.

“Yes, but my fur is as stringy as

mozzarella,” Colette complained. “It needs a

good conditioning!”

“I’d say that we all need some rest,” I

remarked. “But first, I want to

congratulate

you all. I am so proud of you!”

“We did it together,” Paulina said.

“Right! We are invincible!” Pam cried, and

we all burst out laughing.

As we walked along the dock to the

academy, Ruby Flashyfur’s huge yacht

pulled up to the dock. She hopped off with

Home at Last!

Home at Last!

her usual air of superiority.

“And where did you

disappear

to?”

she asked the Thea Sisters.

Then, looking at me, she added, “Weren’t

you on a mission with Thea in Ireland?”

The friends exchanged a surprised LOOK.

How did Ruby know about my trip to Ireland?

“What about you, Ruby, were you on

vacation

?” I asked, changing the

conversation.

H

m

m

.

.

.

W

e

r

e

y

o

u

i

n

I

r

e

l

a

n

d

?

Home at Last!

“My exams went so well that my parents

sent me on a special trip,” Ruby bragged.

“Congratulations, Ruby!” I said. Then I

changed my tone. “I’d like to have a chat with

your parents, actually. . . .”

“What about?” Ruby asked.

“About your excessive curiosity about

the conversations of others,” I said sternly.

“You seem to be very well informed about

my mission in Ireland, and I don’t remember

telling you about it.”

She

blushed with guilt. “Well . . . I . . .

I . . .”

I made a point of looking away, and Ruby

took the opportunity to leave.

“What a bother she is,” Violet said,

shaking her head.

“But I’d rather deal with her than a goblin!”

Pam joked, and we all laughed.

Home at Last!

Then Paulina sighed. “I’d almost rather

deal with goblins than with another

semester of books and tests.”

“But you’re forgetting one thing,” I said.

“What’s that?” Paulina asked.

“Well, for one, you never know when Will

Mystery may call on you for a mission,” I

reminded them. “And until then, you can

have fun with me in my class on investigation

under the sea.”

The girls all cheered, and then we formed

a circle and touched paws.

“H

ERE

’

S

TO

OUR

NEXT

ADVENTURE

—

WHATEVER

IT

MAY

BE

!”

T

o

o

u

r

n

e

x

t

a

d

v

e

n

t

u

r

e

!

H

o

o

r

a

y

!

Don’t miss

these exciting

Thea Sisters

adventures!

Thea Stilton and the

Secret of the Old Castle

Thea Stilton and the

Mystery in Paris

Thea Stilton and the

Legend of the Fire

Flowers

AND THE BLUE SCAR AB HUNT

AND THE

BLUE SCARAB

HUNT

www.scholastic.com/

geronimostilton

$7.99 US / $8.99 CAN

RL3 007-010

The Thea Sisters have been invited to Egypt

to participate in a fabumouse archeological

excavation. They are helping to look for

the legendary ancient Treasure of the Sun!

A precious blue stone scarab may be the key to their

search, and they work enthusiastically to uncover the

past. But they also discover that thieves are after the

hidden treasure. It’s up to the Thea Sisters to stop them!

An ancient treasure is in danger!

NICKY is always in a good

mood when she’s outdoors.

COLETTE is energetic and full

of great ideas.

P

AMELA is a peacemaker

who can’t stand arguments.

P

AULINA l oves traveling and

helping other rodents.

V

IOLET is detail-oriented and

always open to new things.

AND THE

BLUE SCARAB

Thea Stilton and the

Blue Scarab Hunt

Thea Stilton and the

Dragon’s Code

Thea Stilton and the

Cherry Blossom Adventure

Thea Stilton and the

Spanish Dance Mission

Thea Stilton and the

Prince’s Emerald

Thea Stilton and the

Mountain of Fire

Thea Stilton and the

Star Castaways

Thea Stilton and the

Journey to the Lion’s Den

Thea Stilton and the Mystery

on the Orient Express

Thea Stilton and the

Ghost of the Shipwreck

Thea Stilton: Big Trouble

in the Big Apple

Thea Stilton and the

Great Tulip Heist

Thea Stilton and the

Ice Treasure

Thea Stilton and the

Dancing Shadows

Thea Stilton and the

Secret City

Thea Stilton and the

Chocolate Sabotage

Check out

these very

special editions

featuring me

and the Thea

Sisters!

The Journey

to Atlantis

The Secret of

the Fairies

#1 Lost Treasure of

the Emerald Eye

#2 The Curse of the

Cheese Pyramid

#3 Cat and Mouse in a

Haunted House

#4 I’m Too Fond of

My Fur!

#5 Four Mice Deep in

the Jungle

#6 Paws Off,

Cheddarface!

#7 Red Pizzas for a

Blue Count

#8 Attack of the

Bandit Cats

#9 A Fabumouse

Vacation for Geronimo

#10 All Because of a

Cup of Coffee

#11 It’s Halloween,

You ’Fraidy Mouse!

#12 Merry Christmas,

Geronimo!

#13 The Phantom of

the Subway

#14 The Temple of the

Ruby of Fire

#15 The Mona Mousa

Code

#16 A Cheese-Colored

Camper

#17 Watch Your

Whiskers, Stilton!

#18 Shipwreck on the

Pirate Islands

#19 My Name Is Stilton,

Geronimo Stilton

#20 Surf’s Up,

Geronimo!

Be sure to read all my

fabumouse adventures!

#25 The Search for

Sunken Treasure

#26 The Mummy

with No Name

#27 The Christmas

Toy Factory

#28 Wedding

Crasher

#29 Down and Out

Down Under

#30 The Mouse Island

Marathon

#31 The Mysterious

Cheese Thief

Christmas Catastrophe

#32 Valley of the

Giant Skeletons

#33 Geronimo and the

Gold Medal Mystery

#34 Geronimo Stilton,

Secret Agent

#35 A Very Merry

Christmas

#36 Geronimo’s

Valentine

#42 The Peculiar

Pumpkin Thief

#43 I’m Not a

Supermouse!

#39 Singing Sensation #40 The Karate Mouse #41 Mighty Mount

Kilimanjaro

#37 The Race Across

America

#38 A Fabumouse

School Adventure

#24 Field Trip to

Niagara Falls

#23 Valentine’s Day

Disaster

#21 The Wild, Wild

West

#22 The Secret

of Cacklefur Castle

A Christmas Tale

#44 The Giant

Diamond Robbery

#45 Save the White

Whale!

#46 The Haunted

Castle

#47 Run for the Hills,

Geronimo!

#48 The Mystery in

Venice

#49 The Way of

the Samurai

#51 The Enormouse

Pearl Heist

Who is Geronimo Stilt on?

That’s me! I run a newspaper, but

my true passion is writing adventure

stories. Here in New Mouse City, the

capital of Mouse Island, my books

are all bestsellers! My stories are

funny, fa-mouse-ly funny. They are

whisker-licking-good tales, and that’s

a promise!

THE ENORMOUSE

PEARL HEIST

One day at Pirate Island, Petunia

Pretty Paws, Bugsy Wugsy, Benjamin

and I made an amazing discovery. It

was a huge clam with an enormouse

pearl inside! I was so excited about

this extremely rare, precious pearl

that I wrote a special feature about it

in The Rodent’s Gazette. That article

attracted lots of attention — b oth

good and bad! The enormouse pearl

was in danger of being stolen. Would

my friends and I be able to protect it?

THE ENORMOUSE PEARL HEIS T

Benjamin

Trap

Geronimo STilTon

Thea

www.scholastic.com/

geronimostilton

$6.99 US / $7.99 CAN

RL3 007-010

THE ENORMOUSE

#

51

THE ENORMOUSE

PEARL HEIST

#50 This Hotel Is

Haunted

Who is Geronimo Stilt on?

That’s me! I run a newspaper, but

my true passion is writing adventure

stories. Here in New Mouse City, the

capital of Mouse Island, my books

are all bestsellers! My stories are

funny, fa-mouse-ly funny. They are

whisker-licking-good tales, and that’s

a promise!

THIS HOTEL IS

HAUNTED!

My friend Hercule Poirat and I were

called to investigate mysterious

events at the famouse Grand Hotel

in New Mouse City. There was a

ghost haunting the hotel and

scaring guests! It was wearing

clanking armor and carrying a ball

and chai n. I know that ghosts don’t

exist, but this was pretty spooky.

Would Poirat and I be able to solve

the mystery of the haunted hotel?

THIS HOTEL IS HAUNTED!

Benjamin

Trap

Geronimo STilTon

Thea

www.scholastic.com/

geronimostilton

$6.99 US / $7.99 CAN

RL3 007-010

THIS HOTEL IS

HAUNTED!

#

50

THIS HOTEL IS

HAUNTED!

#52 Mouse in Space!

#53 Rumble in

the Jungle

#56 Flight of the

Red Bandit

#54 Get into Gear,

Stilton!

#55 The Golden

Statue Plot

The Hunt for the

Golden Book

Special

Edition!

#57 The Stinky

Cheese Vacation

Be sure

to read all

my adventures

in the Kingdom

of Fantasy!

in the Kingdom

The Kingdom

of Fantasy

The Quest for

Paradise:

THE RETUR N TO THE

KINGDOM OF FANTASY

The Amazing

Voyage:

THE THIRD ADVENTURE

IN THE KINGDOM

OF FANTASY

The Dragon

Prophecy:

THE FOURTH ADVENTURE

IN THE KINGDOM

OF FANTASY

The Volcano

of Fire:

THE FIFTH ADVENTURE

IN THE KINGDOM

OF FANTASY

The Journey

Through Time

Join me and my friends on

a journey through time in

this very special edition!

Meet

Geronimo Stiltonix

He is a spacemouse — the Geronimo

Stilton of a parallel universe! He is

captain of the spaceship MouseStar 1.

While flying through the cosmos, he visits

distant planets and meets crazy aliens.

His adventures are out of this world!

#1 Alien Escape #2 You’re Mine, Captain!

GERONIMO STILTONOOT

He is a cavemouse — Geronimo Stilton’s

ancient ancestor! He runs the stone

newspaper in the prehistoric village

of Old Mouse City. From dealing with

dinosaurs to dodging meteorites,

his life in the Stone Age is

full of adventure!

Meet

#1 The Stone of Fire #2 Watch Your Tail! #3 Help, I’m in Hot Lava!

#4 The Fast and

the Frozen

#5 The Great

Mouse Race

GERONIMO STILTONOOT

I, Geronimo Stilton, have a lot of mouse

friends, but none as

spooky as my friend

Creepella von CaCklefur! She is an

enchanting and

mysterious mouse with a pet

bat named

Bitewing. YIKES! I’m a real ’fraidy

mouse, but even I think

Creepella and her

family are

aw f u lly fascinating. I can’t wait

for you to read all about

Creepella in these

fa-mouse-ly funny and spectacularly spooky tales!

Meet

#1 The Thirteen

Ghosts

#2 Meet Me in

Horrorwood

#3 Ghost Pirate

Treasure

#4 Return of the

Vampire

#5 Fright Night

#6 Ride for

Your Life

M

o

u

s

e

f

o

r

d

Athletic fields

Library

South Tower

Dorms

Teachers’ living

quar

ters

Garden

Herb garden

North Tower

Cafeteria

Great Hall

Headmaster’s

offic

e

Classrooms

W

h

a

l

e

I

s

l

a

n

d

24

3

2

1

25

6

5

7

8

11

9

1O

21

23

22

18

19

2O

4

16

17

15

12

13

14

11

1. Falcon Peak

2. Observatory

3. Mount Landslide

4. Solar Energy Plant

5. Ram Plain

6. Very Windy Point

7. Turtle Beach

8. Beachy Beach

9. Mouseford Academy

10. Kneecap River

11. Mariner’s Inn

12. Port

13. Squid House

14. Town Square

15. Butterfly Bay

16. Mussel Point

17. Lighthouse Cliff

18. Pelican Cliff

19. Nightingale Woods

20. Marine Biology Lab

21. Hawk Woods

22. Windy Grotto

23. Seal Grotto

24. Seagulls Bay

25. Seashell Beach

Map of

whale island

Thanks for reading,

and good- bye until our

next adventure!

www.scholastic.com/geronimostilton

www.geronimostilton.com

are on an expedition to the fantastical

Land of Erin. While they are searching for

a missing friend, they learn that the land

itself is in peril! The mouselets are ready

to help.

On their journey, they encounter fairies,

pixies, and other magical creatures —

some helpful, but some out to trick them!

Can the Thea Sisters save the Land of Erin

before it’s too late? It’s an adventure full

of mystery and friendship!

A magical world is in

danger! The Thea Sisters

are on their way. . . .