4 RETRACE YOUR STEPS

Chapter four, retrace your steps. "OK, first things first." I folded my hands in my lap. "Let's retrace your steps." Pip looked at me with an open mouth for a moment. "Um, trace my feet? How will that help with my hair?" I smiled. "It means go back to where you were when it happened. It's something my parents make me do if I've lost something. You can do it in your mind, too. Just think back in your memory and tell me everything you were doing right before your hair, um, sprouted." "Ohhhh," said Pip. He twisted his mouth to one side and looked up. "Let's see. I was walking

through the trees by the merhorse stream." "Were you touching anything?" "Nope." "Huh. OK, um, did you hear anything or see anything unusual?" "Nope." "OK, so you were just walking normally, not touching anything, not hearing or seeing anything unusual, and the next thing you knew your head was kind of itchy and then the hair appeared?" "Exactly!" said Pip. He sat down cross-legged next to me and put a hand on his chin just like me. Sassafras joined us, and we all sat there in silence. "Hmmm…" I said. "I guess let's go look in person? Maybe we'll notice something you didn't?"

Pip stood up and nodded, which made his curls bounce. "I think that's a good idea!" "To the forest we go!" I cheered.