Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO Ariana hurried on but Matilda stood, transfixed, as Ms Bramble pressed the point of the knife to the tree and made a small, deep cut in its trunk. A pale liquid oozed out. Ms Willow stepped forward, soaking it up with a wad of cotton. She asked Ms Bramble to hold the cotton against the tree. From her small black medicine bag, she brought out a syringe and a bottle filled with a green liquid. Shaking the bottle, she unscrewed the top and drew the liquid up into the syringe. The liquid was greener than fresh peas and very sparkly. Matilda caught the scent of something

sweet and minty. Ms Willow asked Ms Bramble to remove the wad of cotton from the tree trunk and then she inserted the syringe into the cut. Slowly and carefully, Ms Willow began to inject the sparkly green liquid into the tree. Matilda couldn't contain her curiosity for a second longer. "What are you doing?" Ms Bramble swung round. Matilda braced herself, expecting a long lecture followed by a

detention. But Ms Willow broke in before Ms Bramble could speak. "It's good to see a future guardian of Unicorn Island taking an interest in its wildlife," Ms Willow said with a warm smile. "This quiverleaf tree is dying. I'm hoping that my special herbal remedy will heal it. The medicine has to be infused into the tree. It's a tricky operation. I'm showing Ms Bramble how to do it so that if there's a next time, she can do it herself." "Is that what's in the syringe? The infusion?" asked Matilda. "Yes, it is. Once I've finished injecting it then I'll bandage the tree trunk to stop the medicine from leaking back out with the tree's sap. The bandage also protects the tree by preventing germs from entering the cut." "That's very interesting," said Ariana, who'd now come back for Matilda. She gave Matilda's arm a tug. "But we really have to go."

"Of course! Off you run," Ms Willows smiled as she flapped her hands, cheerfully shooing them away. Matilda and Ariana ran all the way to the hall, arriving just as Ms Nettles walked on to the stage. The rest of the school were already in their seats, whispering together. The hall was one of Matilda's favourite places in the school. It had a domed glass roof that was filled with colourful swirls. In the centre of the room was a magical map– a three dimensional model of the island that could transport people anywhere they wanted to go. It was protected by a glimmering force field. At the far end, the grand stage overlooked the room. "There you are! We thought you were going to miss it," said Rosa, squeezing up next to Violet to make space for them. Freya was at the far end of the group, her blonde head bent over as she scribbled in her notebook. She loved to invent things and was working on a new idea.

She hadn't told the rest of Diamond dorm what it was going to be yet, but she seemed to be spending more and more time lost in her own thoughts. "Listen carefully, everyone," said Ms Nettles. "This is your first camping trip and there are a lot of things that you need to know. You'll be going to Dingleberry Dell– a wooded area at the base of the mountains. It's a short

ride from the school grounds." Matilda concentrated very hard for a whole minute before her mind started to wander. It was extremely difficult to pay attention when there were so many things she wanted to draw. Almost without realising it, Matilda's fingers reached for her favourite pencil, which she had skewered in her thick red hair. While Ms Nettles talked about tents, ground mats and sleeping bags, Matilda began to draw the hall in her sketchbook. Her pencil flew across the paper, capturing the grandness of the room and how the domed glass roof filled the space with a soft rainbow light. By her side, Ariana was making notes, nodding to herself and underlining the important points. Finally Ms Nettles finished. "I wish we could go camping right now. I don't think I can wait until tomorrow," said Rosa as they all left the hall. "Me neither," Violet agreed. "I hope we're