Rescue Princesses #3: The Moonlight Mystery Read Online Free PDF

pulled a velvet bag from her pocket, opened it, and poured a handful of glistening jewels onto the bed. “I can’t think of anything that would help us. Here’s the amethyst Clarabel chose from the treasure chest on Ampali Island. All I’ve done is polish it so far.” She picked up the purple jewel and then yawned widely. “But looking at it always seems to make me sleepy.”
    The other three girls looked at the sparkling purple jewel and yawned, too.
    “How strange that a jewel would make us so sleepy!” Emily said, rubbing her eyes.
    Ally took one last look at Shimmer Rock and closed the curtain. “Maybe you’ll have some new ideas in the morning, Your Majesties. For now, I think you should get some sleep.” She went to pick up the tray of marzipan but accidentally knocked it onto the floor with a clatter.
    The noise woke Tufty, who jumped up in the air, landed on the floor, and scrambled under Lulu’s frilly ball gown, which was lying in a heap. The dress rippled as he disappeared underneath it.
    “Don’t worry, Tufty. Everything’s all right,” said Lulu with a grin.
    At the sound of her voice, Tufty stuck his whiskery nose out of an armhole, making the princesses burst out laughing.
    Lulu scooped him up and kissed him. “Come on, little one. It’s time for bed.”

Lulu couldn’t get to sleep that night. Through the open window came the buzz of insects and the distant yowl of a leopard. She kept thinking about the lion tracks and the empty hollow where the little cubs had lived. She shut her eyes tight, but sleep didn’t come. It didn’t help when Tufty jumped up on her bed and started nuzzling her cheek and purring deeply into her ear.
    “Tufty!” she laughed, pushing him off. “Are you trying to tell me you’re hungry again?”
    Tufty padded up and down the blanket, still purring. So, with a wide yawn, Lulu threw off the covers and climbed out of bed. She crept down the dark stairs and felt her way toward the kitchen. Everyone was in bed and all the rooms lay in quiet shadow.
    Lulu filled the baby bottle up with milk from the refrigerator and fastened the lid back on. She smiled. This would stop Tufty from feeling hungry for a while. Turning to hurry back upstairs, she caught a glimpse of light through the window. It was round and yellow in the darkness.
    Running to the window, Lulu looked out into the blackness.
    A full moon turned the garden a shadowy silver. Beyond the high palace wall, Shimmer Rock glittered brightly.
    Lulu stared at where the light had been. She saw it again, right over by the old gray wall next to the gardener’s shed.
    Suddenly, she realized that she’d seen a light in the same place from her bedroom window two nights ago. What could it be? Was it someone with a flashlight? Nobody should be out there in the garden. The palace guards always stayed by the gate, and everyone else was asleep.
    She set the bottle of milk down on the kitchen table, her heart beating like an Undalan drum. Something strange was happening out there in the darkness. She dashed toward the stairs. It was time to wake the Rescue Princesses and find out exactly what was going on!

    The princesses slipped into light cotton dresses and plain silver tiaras, and crept silently down the corridor. A loud snoring came from Olaf’s bedroom. Lulu looked at her friends and, trying hard not to giggle, they sneaked down the stairs and out into the dark courtyard.
    “Where are we going?” whispered Emily.
    “This way,” hissed Lulu, leading them through an archway at the far end of the courtyard. Beyond the orange trees was the vegetable patch, and behind that was the high wall that surrounded the palace grounds.
    “It really is such an amazing mountain!” said Clarabel, gazing at Shimmer Rock as it sparkled.
    But Lulu had seen the mountain like that a thousand times, and hurried them on toward the shed. “The light came from right over here,” she said.
    Jaminta tried the shed door, but it was locked.