Rescue Princesses #5: The Snow Jewel Read Online Free PDF Page B

“Don’t worry!”
    Another meow drifted over to them, a little louder this time.
    “I think she knows it’s you calling, Freya,” said Clarabel.
    “But where is she? Where’s the sound coming from?” wondered Lulu.
    They all listened again.
    “It’s over here!” Freya rushed excitedly down the slope to the riverbank. Her blond braids bobbed up and down as she ran. She passed a small rowboat that lay on the bank, covered with snow, and stopped right at the edge of the river.
    The other princesses followed her, holding their hoods up against the falling snow.
    “Minky? Where are you?” Freya peered through the swirling whiteness.
    “Is there something in that tree?” asked Emily.
    “Yes! I can see something, too!” cried Clarabel.
    Freya’s heart lifted as they sprinted over to the birch tree. It grew right on the edge of the riverbank and the snow lined its thin branches. As they got closer, a branch halfway up the tree began to wobble, and a whiskery face peered down.

    “Meow!” Minky gazed sadly at them from a narrow branch that stretched out over the icy river. She crouched down low and the branch swayed with every swish of her tail.
    “Oh, Minky!” said Freya. “Why did you go up there? Were you trying to chase a bird or something?”
    The snow stopped falling and the clouds disappeared, making way for bright sunshine. The princesses pulled back their hoods and looked up at the little kitten.
    “Jump down, Minky! You can do it,” called Lulu.
    Minky’s tail swished harder.
    “She’s too scared to jump,” said Clarabel. “Don’t worry, Minky. We’ll get you down.”
    Freya stood on tiptoe, stretching up as high as she could, but Minky’s branchwas on the other side of the tree trunk, a long way out of reach.
    “She’s too far away,” said Freya. “Come closer, Minky.”
    But Minky just stared at them, unblinking. Her little paws gripped tightly onto the thin branch.
    “I know!” said Lulu. “I’ll just climb up onto these lower branches and grab her.” She put her foot on the lowest branch. But as soon as she tried to pull herself up, the whole tree shook alarmingly and Minky let out a frightened yowl.
    “Sorry!” Lulu backed away hastily.
    Freya bit her lip. This wasn’t going to be easy.
    Emily picked her way down the sloping bank to the edge of the ice. “If I walk out onto the river, I should be able to reach up to her branch.”
    “But Freya’s dad told us that the river ice is really thin,” Lulu reminded her.
    “I’ll only stand on it for a few seconds,” said Emily. She went to put a foot on the ice when Freya’s voice made her jump.
    “Stop, Emily!” called Freya. “It’s much too dangerous!” She pulled her friend back. “I’ll show you how thin it really is. Watch this!”
    Freya picked up a pebble and threw it onto the river. As it landed, lines split across the surface as the ice began to break.
    “You’re right!” gasped Emily. “I didn’t realize how easily it would crack.”
    “We’ll have to find another way to reach Minky,” said Jaminta.
    “But what can we do?” said Clarabel. “We don’t have time to get a ladder.”
    Minky swished her tail, sending snow sprinkling down.
    Freya stared at Minky’s branch, which was now bare of snow. “Oh, no!” she gasped. “Look at where the branch meets the tree trunk!”
    “What’s wrong?” asked Lulu.
    “There’s a split there.” Freya pointed up to the branch.
    As the princesses watched, the crack widened and the branch sagged as if it was tired of holding up Minky’s weight.
    “Minky’s too heavy,” cried Clarabel. “If that split gets any bigger, the branch will fall….”
    “And Minky will land on the ice just like that pebble,” finished Lulu.
    Freya put her hand to her mouth. She had to get Minky down before the branch broke. But how?

Minky meowed at them unhappily and tried to edge along the branch.
    “Stay still, Minky!” said Freya urgently.
    But Minky didn’t