“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Maggie said.
“Of course, I’m sure! We love having you here,” Nora told her. “Our daughter moved out years ago. She has her own family now and lives far away. Our house is too empty!”
“And I could use your help,” said Bob. “I’m getting too old to do the things I used to do. One of the flying pigs in the barn had piglets last night. They’ll be ready to learn how to fly in a few weeks. I’ll need help teaching them, and keeping them from getting into trouble once they can fly. I’ll let them go in the forest when they’re old enough, but that will be months from now. They’re very cute when they’re piglets. And I know some tiny horses who would love to have someone feed them raspberries.”
“Could I really help you?” Maggie asked. “I’d like that more than anything! Teaching a piglet how to fly sounds like so much fun!”
“Then it’s settled!” said Nora. “You’re staying here with us! Now, before you go out to feed the animals, you both need to eat a good breakfast. Have a seat at the table while I start the eggs.”
“I’d rather help you if I could,” said Maggie. “I like to cook.”
Nora smiled. “That would be wonderful! It’s been so long since we had extra help around—”
Bang! Bang! Bang! Someone was knocking on the door. Bob and Nora exchanged a look. Bob stood up and went to answer it.
Maggie was surprised to see Peter and Zelia standing outside.
“We finally found you!” said Zelia. “Peter has spent days looking for you. He had to ask all over to find this place. It’s time to go, Maggie.”
“What’s this?” said Bob. “I thought you kicked her out of your cottage.”
Zelia shrugged. “I made a mistake. I want her back now.”
“I’m not going back!” said Maggie. “I’m staying here with Bob and Nora.”
“Don’t be foolish,” Zelia said, and waved Peter into the cottage.
Peter grabbed Maggie’s arm and pulled her toward the door. “You’re coming home with us.”
“Let go of me!” Maggie cried. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”
“Let her go, boy!” Bob ordered, blocking the way to the door. “Maggie lives here now.”
Peter dropped Maggie’s arm.
“I’m her stepmother!” cried Zelia. “She has to do what I say. You two have no right to stand in my way.”
“You said I couldn’t live with you anymore,” cried Maggie. “Those were your words, and I don’t care if you changed your mind. I’m not living with you again.”
“You ungrateful girl!” shouted Zelia. “After all I did for you despite your lies and laziness.”
“It’s time you said good-bye,” Bob said. He hustled Peter and Zelia to the door.
Bob was about to close the door when Zelia turned to speak to Maggie. “Just tell me one thing,” she said. “What was the name of the girl with the golden goose?”
“I don’t know. She never told me,” said Maggie. She hated lying, but there was no way she was going to tell Zelia that the girl’s name was Stella.
“Then at least tell me what she looked like,” Zelia said.
Maggie shook her head. “Not in a hundred years!”
Zelia scowled and was about to say something, but Bob was already closing the door.
“That explains why Zelia wanted me back,” said Maggie once the door was shut. “She wanted me to find the girl with the goose.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” said Bob.
“Thank you both for letting me stay with you!” Maggie cried, throwing her arms around Bob and Nora. “When the fish said he’d grant my wish, I was going to wish for a nicer family, but he started swimming away before I could tell him.”
“So you never made your wish?” asked Nora.
Maggie shrugged. “He was leaving when I said it. I didn’t say it very loudly because I didn’t want Peter to hear me, so I wasn’t sure the fish heard me either. But I think he must have, because my wish really did come true. I couldn’t have found a nicer family than you and Bob!”
Chapter 12
After Maggie and Bob had finished eating their breakfast, they went to the stable to feed the magical animals. Maggie was giving grain to the old, white unicorn when she heard someone call, “Hello! Is anyone here?”
Shutting the stall door behind her, Maggie hurried to see who was there. It was Stella, holding her goose, Eglantine.
Bob finished scooping grain into buckets and turned around. “Who is it?” he asked, joining Maggie at the door.
“Stella and Eglantine,” said Maggie. “Stella is the girl. Eglantine is her goose.”
“Are you the man who helps magic animals?” Stella asked him.
“I am,” said Bob. “Is something wrong with your goose?”
Stella nodded. “She hurt her foot, but she won’t let me look at it.”
“Ah!” said Bob. “Let me see what I can do.”
At first the goose wouldn’t let him touch her webbed foot, but when he used a soft voice and gentle hands, she finally let him hold it. “She has a tiny thorn in her foot,” Bob said.
“Can you take the thorn out?” asked Stella.
“Of course,” Bob replied. A moment later he had the thorn in his hand and was showing it to Stella. “I have some ointment you can put on Eglantine’s foot, but it might be sore for a day or two. Stay here and I’ll get the ointment.”
When Bob hurried off, Stella turned to Maggie. “I can’t believe Eglantine held still for him like that!”
Maggie smiled. “Bob has a way with magical animals.”
“Do you live here, too?” Stella asked her.
“I do now,” said Maggie.
“If you two are just going to stand around gabbing, would one of you mind brushing my back? I have an itchy spot I can’t reach,” said Leonard.
Stella looked startled. “Did that horse just talk?” she whispered to Maggie.
“That’s Leonard,” said Maggie. “He’s a talking horse.”
Leonard snorted. “What did she think I was, a talking butterfly? So, are you going to brush me or not?”
“You should be happy that I fed you first today,” said Maggie. “I’ll brush you after I finish feeding everyone else.”
“This place is wonderful!” exclaimed Stella. “I have to take Eglantine home as soon as I get the ointment from Bob, but do you think he would mind if I came back someday?”
“I don’t think he’d mind at all,” Maggie told her. “Maybe you can help me teach the piglets how to fly.”
“I’d love that!” said Stella. “You’re lucky you get to live in such a wonderful place!”
“I know!” said Maggie. “And it’s all because of a fish!”
About the Author
E. D. Baker is the author of the Tales of the Frog Princess series, the Wide-Awake Princess series, the Fairy-Tale Matchmaker series, and many other delightful books for young readers, including A Question of Magic, Fairy Wings, and Fairy Lies. Her first book, The Frog Princess, was the inspiration for Disney’s hit movie The Princess and the Frog. She lives with her family and their many animals in rural Maryland.
www.talesofedbaker.com
Text copyright © 2017 by E. D. Baker
Illustrations copyright © 2017 by Lisa Manuzak
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First published in the United States of America in April 2017 by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
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This electronic edition published in 2017 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
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[email protected] Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Baker, E. D., author. | Manuzak, Lisa, illustrator.
Title: Maggie and the wish fish / by E.D. Baker ; illustrated by Lisa Manuzak.
Description: New York : Bloomsbury, 2017. | Series: Magic animal rescue ; 2
Summary: Eight-year-old Maggie finds it harder each day to get along with her stepmother and stepsiblings, but a talking fish promises to grant a wish if she will free him.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016025137 (print) | LCCN 2016052967 (e-book) • ISBN 978-1-6811-9143-0 (PB) • ISBN 978-1-6811-9313-7 (HB) • ISBN 978-1-6811-9144-7 (eBook)
Subjects: | CYAC: Magic—Fiction. | Stepfamilies—Fiction. | Imaginary creatures—Fiction. | Animals, Mythical—Fiction. | BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / Animals / General. | JUVENILE FICTION / Fairy Tales & Folklore / General. | JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy & Magic.
Classification: LCC PZ7.B17005 Mam 2017 (print) | LCC PZ7.B17005 (e-book) |DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016025137
Book design by Colleen Andrews
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E. D. Baker, Maggie and the Wish Fish
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