3. Goblin on the Loose!

Goblin on the Loose! "I don't like the idea of dodging that popcorn again." Goldie sighed. She leaned back to examine a little mark on one of her wings. "I almost burned myself last time." "There's a path that runs down the side of the field to the farm," Kirsty told her. "I'll ask Mom if we can go for a quick walk before bedtime."

Minutes later, the three of them were on their way. The air was shimmering with heat. There were cracks in the ground where the dirt had become hardened by the sun, flowers wilted along the sides of the path, and the grass had turned dry and brown. There wasn't the slightest breath of wind in the air. Once the girls and Goldie reached the farm, they started searching for the goblin. First, they peeked into the stables. Two very hot horses were inside, hiding from the sun. "Hello," Goldie said. "You haven't seen a goblin hanging around here, have you?" One of the horses shook her mane.

"All we've seen today is this stable," she said. "And there are no goblins in here." "It's too hot to go outside," the other horse whinnied. Next, the girls and Goldie slipped into the barn where the cows stayed. The cows were all half-asleep in the heat. There was no goblin there, either! At last, the three friends came to the duck pond. They wondered if the goblin might be cooling off in the water, but there was no sign of him—or the Sunshine Feather.

"You should ask the pigs," one duck quacked helpfully from a shady spot in the cattails. "They've been grumbling all day about something. Plus, pigs are nosy. They're always sniffing around! If there's a goblin on the farm, they'll know about it." Goldie politely thanked the duck. "I think I hear the pigs over this way," Rachel said, walking around the side of the farmhouse. Soon they could all hear the pigs grunting and squealing. The duck was right! The pigs seemed very upset about something. But they all turned to look curiously at Goldie when she flew over to them.

Goldie fluttered down and landed on the biggest pig's snout. "What's wrong?" she asked kindly. The pig squinted at the golden fairy in front of his little blue eyes. "It's like this," he began in a squeaky voice. "It's been so hot that the farmer added some cold water to the mudhole, so that us pigs could keep nice and cool." He twitched his ears indignantly. "But someone

else has stolen our spot in the mud—and he won't let us in!" "It's not fair," a piglet squealed, running up to Rachel and Kirsty. "We're so hot! It's not fair!" "No, it's not," Kirsty agreed, giving him a pat on the head. "That sounds like the kind of trick a goblin would play!" Rachel pointed out. "Where is the mudhole?" The pigs gave them directions, and the girls set off for the mudhole with Goldie flying above them. It seemed to get hotter and hotter as they walked. Rachel crossed her fingers. She was sure that they would find a goblin in the mud. Who else would be mean enough to stop the pigs from cooling off in their own mud pool? The girls hadn't been walking for very long when they heard someone singing in a croaky voice: "I've been having so much fun Blasting out this golden sun. It's roasting, toasting, popcorn weather. Oh, how I love my Sunshine Feather!" Kirsty, Rachel, and Goldie all ducked behind a nearby tree and carefully peeked out. There, covered in thick, wet mud, was an