The Peppermint Princess Read online

  Contents

  Map of the Candy Kingdom

  CHAPTER 1 Sun Dip Surprise

  CHAPTER 2 A Royal Mess

  CHAPTER 3 Royal Treasure

  CHAPTER 4 Mint Secrets

  CHAPTER 5 Peppermint History

  CHAPTER 6 Royally Cool

  CHAPTER 7 Minty Power

  CHAPTER 8 Bitter Mint Times

  CHAPTER 9 Ice Cream Fete

  CHAPTER 10 A Royal Decision

  CHAPTER 11 A Supermint Question

  CHAPTER 12 Peppermint Perfect

  CHAPTER 13 Hidden Mint Home

  CHAPTER 14 A Secret Mint Book

  CHAPTER 15 The Hidden Crown

  About Helen Perelman

  For Dr. Edward Kennedy, in honor of his retirement as the beloved principal of Seely Place Elementary School

  Sun Dip Surprise

  Dash the Mint Fairy fluttered her silver wings. She was enjoying sweet treats with her Candy Fairy friends on the shore of Red Licorice Lake. The sun was sliding down behind the Frosted Mountains, and she and her four friends were happy to be together. Cocoa the Chocolate Fairy, Raina the Gummy Fairy, Melli the Caramel Fairy, and Berry the Fruit Fairy were watching the colorful Sun Dip sky.

  “Doesn’t the sky look like a delicious painting?” Cocoa asked.

  Dash swiped her finger in the air. “If I could eat a Sugar Valley Sun Dip sky, it would taste so sweet!”

  “I should try to make some gummy flowers in sunset colors,” Raina said.

  Berry clapped her hands. “Sweet strawberries! I would want one of those gummies.”

  “Me too!” a voice said from above.

  The five fairies looked up to see Princess Lolli and Prince Scoop. The royal couple landed next to Berry’s blanket.

  “Any leftover treats for me?” Prince Scoop said, smiling.

  Melli jumped up and opened her basket. “Try some of my new caramel squares,” she said. “I just made this batch today.”

  Prince Scoop licked his lips. “I knew this was the right place to come for some sweet Sun Dip treats!” He took a bite. “These are delicious!”

  Raina made room on her blanket for Princess Lolli.

  “Thank you,” Princess Lolli said as she sat down. “I told Scoop that if he wanted to find you five fairies, this would be the spot.” She looked over at the prince. “And if he asked nicely, he might even get a special snack.”

  “We’re happy to share,” Cocoa said. “Nothing is better than good friends at Sun Dip.”

  “And some candy treats!” Dash added.

  “I agree,” Prince Scoop said. He popped one of Dash’s candies in his mouth. “Dash, these treats are minty good.”

  Dash beamed. “Cocoa and I made them together,” she said. “They are fresh chocolate mint drops. Have another!” She grinned as Prince Scoop and Princess Lolli tasted the new minty chocolate treat. She could tell from their expressions that they both liked the candy.

  “Mint and chocolate are a good pair,” Cocoa said, winking at Dash.

  “You two work together well, and so does your candy,” Prince Scoop told them.

  Princess Lolli straightened out her legs and looked around at the fairies. “You five fairies always work so nicely together,” she said. “Scoop and I were wondering if you’d help us with a project.”

  “Sure as sugar!” all five Candy Fairies shouted.

  “Wait,” Prince Scoop said, holding up his hand. “You might want to know what the project is first.”

  Raina shook her head. “We’d be happy to help you two,” she said.

  “That is supersweet of you,” Prince Scoop said. “We need all the help we can get.”

  “Some royal business?” Berry asked.

  Prince Scoop nodded. “The project is in Ice Cream Isles,” he told the fairies.

  “Ice Cream Isles?” Dash shouted, rubbing her hand in a circle on her stomach. “Delicious!”

  Prince Scoop laughed. “Yes, there are many frozen treats for you, but also some hard work.” He took Princess Lolli’s hand. “We are preparing to build a new castle.”

  Princess Lolli added, “We want to remodel the old Hall of Records. No one uses the old building anymore.”

  “Wow!” Raina exclaimed. “The old Hall of Records? Imagine all the books and information!”

  “Most of the records and books have been moved to another place,” Prince Scoop said. “We can’t ask my parents to clean out the building, and Lolli and I have to go to Cake Kingdom for a few days. We need fairies we trust to help us. It’s an old building and we have to be careful with the cleaning.”

  Dash knew Prince Scoop’s parents, Queen Swirl and King Cone, would not volunteer to help clean out an old building. They were superfancy royals, and that was not their style. “Sure as sugar, we’ll help!” Dash exclaimed.

  “Wait, a new castle?” Berry asked. “Are you moving?”

  “We will still live part of the time in Candy Castle,” Princess Lolli told them. “But we need a bigger place of our own in Ice Cream Isles.”

  “It is going to be sugar-tacular!” Prince Scoop said. “Princess Lolli and I have been planning this for a while now.”

  “Do you have any drawings of the castle?” Cocoa asked, leaning forward.

  Princess Lolli took a scroll from her bag. She carefully unrolled the plans for the new castle on the blanket. “I thought you might like to see these drawings,” she said to Cocoa.

  “So mint!” Dash exclaimed. She peered over Princess Lolli’s shoulder. “I love the shape. It reminds me of a swirled ice-cream cone.”

  “Just the look we were going for,” the prince replied. “We wanted it to fit in near my parents’ palace and keep the shape of the building.”

  “This is beautiful,” Berry said. “And the inside will be superfun to decorate!”

  “But remember, first we need to clean out the old hall where this cone castle will be built,” Prince Scoop said.

  “Scoop and I need to go to Cake Kingdom for a special cupcake dedication for Princess Sprinkle,” Princess Lolli said. “If you would please get a head start on the cleaning, we will join you in a couple of days.”

  “Sweet!” Dash exclaimed. All the Candy Fairies loved Princess Lolli’s sister, Princess Sprinkle. She was a true friend to them.

  “You can count on us,” Raina said.

  “We’ll be very careful,” Melli said.

  “And we will ask for lots of ice cream,” Dash said, giggling.

  Prince Scoop stood up. “We definitely have lots of ice cream for you,” he said. “Tomorrow morning we will send Butterscotch to take you. She will meet you at Red Licorice Lake.”

  “Nothing is sweeter than a ride on a royal unicorn,” Berry said.

  “Or faster,” Dash added.

  Princess Lolli nodded. “Yes, you will be in the Isles by lunchtime, and Scoop’s parents, Queen Swirl and King Cone, will host a royal meal for you.”

  “Sounds like we are getting the royal treatment,” Raina said.

  “Yes, you are,” Princess Lolli said. “We appreciate your helping us out.”

  “We’re glad to help,” Dash said. She knew that she was speaking for all her friends.

  The sun was past the top of the Frosted Mountains, and the colorful Sun Dip sky was now getting darker and darker. The Candy Fairies cleaned up their picnic and folded their blankets.

  “We’ll see you soon,” Princess Lolli told the fairies. “Safe travels.”

  “Enjoy the ride,” Prince Scoop called as he flew back to Candy Castle with Princess Lolli.

  “We will!” Dash called back. When the royal couple was out of sight, Dash turned to her friends. “We should get a good night’s rest. I have a feeling tom
orrow is going to be a very big day.”

  “A royally big day!” Raina exclaimed.

  “And we’d better all be ready,” Dash said.

  “Oh, we will!” Melli said. “This is going to be royally fun!”

  The five friends flew off to their beds with promises to meet back at Red Licorice Lake first thing in the morning. They knew Butterscotch would be waiting. It was the start of a royal adventure.

  A Royal Mess

  Dash flew to Red Licorice Lake with a smile on her face. The morning light made all the candy in Sugar Valley look so delicious. She was the first of her friends to arrive at the meeting spot, and she saw Butterscotch. The large royal unicorn was resting in the shade of a tall tree.

  “Good morning, Butterscotch,” Dash called out. She petted the unicorn’s soft caramel-colored coat. “Thank you for taking us to Ice Cream Isles this morning!”

  “Thank you, Butterscotch,” Cocoa said as she flew over.

  Melli was by Cocoa’s side. “It is a sweet day for a unicorn ride.”

  Raina flew above her friends and waved. “I’m ready too.”

  “Is that all you have with you?” Berry asked.

  Cocoa and Melli turned to see Berry standing next to four large suitcases.

  “Is that all yours?” Cocoa asked. She patted her little duffel bag. “This is all I brought.”

  “We are guests of Queen Swirl and King Cone,” Berry said, with her hands on her hips. “I have to be prepared with the right clothes!”

  Dash shook her head. “We’re only staying a few days.”

  “Oh, don’t get your wings all tangled,” Berry said. “Butterscotch doesn’t mind. And it is a good thing I overpacked. You will definitely want to borrow some of my clothes.”

  “I’m not sure,” Dash mumbled as she climbed up onto Butterscotch’s back.

  “We are going to Ice Cream Isles to clean,” Melli reminded Berry. “But I know what you mean about the palace being fancy. When I went up to Ice Cream Isles for the Summer Spectacular, there were formal meals with Queen Swirl at the palace. But I think this visit will be different.”

  “We have to eat in the palace,” Berry said. “You’ll see.”

  Raina helped Berry with her bags, and then the two of them settled into seats on Butterscotch’s back.

  “We’re all set,” Melli said to Butterscotch. “To Ice Cream Isles, please!”

  Butterscotch shook her mane and stood up. The large unicorn stretched out her wings and took a flying leap up into the air.

  “Nothing beats this,” Dash said. “Those are some powerful wings.”

  “Don’t get so used to this,” Berry told Dash. “This is a special treat.”

  Dash shrugged. “I know,” she said. “I am enjoying every moment of this royal ride.” She looked down at the colorful candy trees and bushes in Candy Kingdom. Soon the view changed, and across the water she saw large white mountains and swirl-capped trees up ahead. Ice Cream Isles was a group of islands in the Vanilla Sea. The view took Dash’s breath away.

  Butterscotch took the five Candy Fairies to the Ice Cream Palace, where the fairies saw Queen Swirl and King Cone waiting.

  “Hello!” the king called. He waved the Candy Fairies over to the palace entrance. “Welcome to our home,” he said.

  “We’re so happy you could be here,” Queen Swirl added. “Please come inside, and we’ll have your bags sent to your room. Then we will have some lunch.”

  Dash could tell that her friends were enjoying the special treatment. They followed the king and queen inside, through the large palace door. There were beautiful pieces of artwork hanging in the hallway. Dash stopped to gaze up at a painting of a queen with her hair twisted like a soft-serve cone.

  “These are paintings of my parents and grandparents,” Queen Swirl told Dash. “This one here is Queen Fro. She was my great-grandmother.”

  “I love her hair,” Berry said.

  Four palace guards came and flew their suitcases up the long stairway in the center of the hall. The Candy Fairies followed the king and queen into the dining room.

  “We’ll have a bite to eat, and then we’ll show you the Hall of Records,” King Cone said. “It’s just down the road, not too far.”

  “What kind of records used to be there?” Raina asked.

  “Maybe some racing records or some other racing information,” Dash said.

  “Or some history important to Candy Fairies,” Raina said, giving Dash a cold look.

  “Yes, of course,” Dash said, trying to cover quickly.

  King Cone shook his head. “The hall has been empty for a long time. The valuable books and scrolls about the history of Ice Cream Isles have been moved to the palace. But there is still a mess in the building.”

  “A big dusty mess,” Queen Swirl said. She rolled her eyes. “I’m not sure why Scoop wants to turn that place into a castle.”

  King Cone patted his wife’s hand. “Scoop and Lolli want to make their own home, Swirl.” He turned and winked at the Candy Fairies. “And it is a very cool space.”

  “Thank you for having us here for lunch,” Melli said. She sat down at the long table. “This is so nice.”

  “We appreciate your help,” King Cone said. “And we will be serving ice-cream sundaes later this afternoon,” he told the Candy Fairies. “It is my favorite time of day!”

  “Mine too!” Dash exclaimed. She covered her mouth. She hadn’t meant her response about the ice cream to be so loud and excited. She looked over at Queen Swirl, who raised her eyebrows but didn’t scold Dash for her outburst.

  “Dash gets a little excited about sweet treats,” Raina quickly explained.

  “I see,” Queen Swirl said. She took a small fan from the table and fanned her face.

  King Cone winked at Dash. “I completely agree with you,” he said to her. “We’ll heap on some ice-cream scoops and have a big bowl of a party.”

  Dash was grateful for King Cone’s kindness.

  “We have planned an Ice Cream Fete tomorrow night so you can meet more of the fairies here in Ice Cream Isles,” Queen Swirl said. “Melli, I know you have some friends here from when you visited for the Summer Spectacular.”

  “Yes,” Melli said. “I can’t wait to see Drizzle and Fluff.”

  Dash was looking forward to meeting the two Ice Cream Fairies whom Melli had met here. Maybe she could even race down one of the frozen mountain trails with them. So mint! she thought.

  After lunch the Candy Fairies flew down the road with King Cone to an old stone building. Queen Swirl was right. This didn’t look like a place where a princess and a prince would live.

  “It is a crumbly cone, isn’t it?” King Cone said.

  Dash giggled. The building looked like an old cone without a scoop of ice cream.

  “I know Scoop and Lolli will do wonders with this place,” King Cone told them.

  He took a large key from his pocket, unlocked the door, and pushed it open. Then he reached up for a mint lantern and held up the light to show the Candy Fairies inside.

  Books and papers and maps were scattered all over the floor. Dust was everywhere.

  “No one has stepped in here for many, many years,” King Cone said. “After we moved all the records to the new location, no one has come here.”

  “Well, we will be able to help sort through all this,” Raina said. She peered inside the room.

  Dash raised her eyebrows and looked over at Melli, Cocoa, and Berry. They didn’t look so excited to fly into the room.

  “One paper at a time,” Raina told her friends. “Let’s start cleaning up.”

  Dash sneezed. She tried to think of the ice-cream sundaes at the palace that would be waiting for them in the afternoon. She wasn’t sure that a few hours’ work would get the floor cleaned up. She had never seen such a royal mess.

  Royal Treasure

  The space is really big,” Cocoa said as she finally flew inside the Hall of Records. “This is going to be a great h
ome for Princess Lolli and Prince Scoop.”

  “I’m glad that Scoop and Lolli will be living here when they are in Ice Cream Isles. They need their own place,” King Cone said. “And I’m so pleased this old building is going to be redone.”

  “This place definitely needs a makeover,” Berry said.

  “We’re just the fairies for the job, King Cone,” Melli said cheerfully.

  “I will leave you all to do your work,” King Cone said. “See you back at the palace this afternoon for sundaes.”

  “Sure as sugar,” Dash said.

  When King Cone left, the five friends looked at one another. There was a lot of work to be done.

  “Imagine what this castle will be like,” Berry said, twirling around.

  “It’s so nice that they are creating a new castle,” Melli said.

  “Maybe there is going to be a new little royal!” Cocoa exclaimed.

  Dash couldn’t imagine Princess Lolli and Prince Scoop as parents. But then again, she could. They were both the kindest fairies that she knew. “That would be one special baby,” she said.

  “Do you think Princess Lolli is going to have a baby?” Melli asked.

  “Maybe that is why they are redoing this space,” Raina said. “And maybe that is why the five of us are getting the place ready for the renovation.” She stopped and thought for a minute. “There hasn’t been an announcement yet, so maybe that is why the remodeling plans are hushed.”

  Dash waved her hand. “You are making up stories, Raina,” she said. “No one said this was a secret mission.”

  “It’s a possibility,” Cocoa said. “Anyway, we should start straightening up.” She pointed to a heap of boxes near the door. “I guess we can start picking up the papers.” She reached down and picked up a book.

  “Wait!” Raina shouted. “It looks like some of these scrolls are very old and might be rare. We have to be gentle.”

  “Okay, bossy wings,” Cocoa snapped.

  “You don’t have to get mad,” Berry said, standing between Cocoa and Raina.

  Dash rolled her eyes. “We are not going to get anything accomplished if we argue,” she said. “You know I like to get things done fast, so let’s try to work together. We have an ice-cream sundae party to go to later, and I don’t want to be late for that!”