Blondie: Rapunzel's Royal Pony (3 page)

Flynn kept talking. “I’ve heard reports of trouble outside the village,” he said.

Trouble? Blondie pricked up her ears.

“It’s a band of thugs,” Flynn said. “They’ve been spooking cows, stealing eggs, and fleecing sheep. Can you help me?”

Blondie jumped to her feet. She almost shouted, “Yes!” Luckily, she remembered that Flynn wasn’t talking to
her
.

Maximus neighed.

“Good,” Flynn said. “I know Rapunzel will be glad.”

Of course! This was how Blondie could help Rapunzel. She would go with Flynn and Maximus. She would help capture the thugs!

Blondie narrowed her eyes. She had a feeling she should sneak out. Maximus and Flynn might not let her come.

She heard Flynn take out Maximus’s saddle. She heard the jangle of the reins.

She peeked again. Flynn jumped onto Maximus’s back. They left the stable.

Very quietly, Blondie followed them.

F
lynn and Maximus didn’t go fast. They stopped often. They were sneaking along, looking for clues.

Flynn talked to farmers. He asked questions. Maximus sniffed the ground. He chatted with the local cows and horses.

Finally, they got a lead. The thugs were at a nearby barn!

Flynn and Maximus raced off.

“Wait!” Blondie yelled. Maximus didn’t hear her. She ran as fast as she could, but her legs were much shorter than Maximus’s.

Blondie made it to the old barn. Flynn and Maximus were outside, plotting. Flynn drew a plan in the dirt.

Blondie trotted over to them.

Flynn glanced at her and his mouth dropped open in shock.

“Blondie?” Maximus said. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m going to help you!” Blondie said. “I’m going to round up the thugs! Then Rapunzel won’t need another palace pet!”

Flynn shook his head. He couldn’t understand what Blondie was saying. But he knew one thing. “Oh, no,” he said. “No way. No ponies! Not going to happen.
Nuh-uh.”

“He’s right,” said Maximus. “You should stay here.”
CRASH!

A loud noise came from inside the barn.

“We need to hurry!” Blondie said. “The thugs are going to get away!”

Flynn grabbed a big stick from the ground. He nodded at Maximus. “Okay, Max,” he said. “Let’s go. You stay here, Blondie.”

Flynn kicked in the door. He leaped through it, waving the stick. Maximus was right behind him. He pawed the ground. Blondie brought up the rear. She whipped her mane from side to side. She
wasn’t going to stay behind!

The barn was full of thugs. Big, mean, nasty thugs. Blondie shivered. They were scary! But she would do anything to help Rapunzel.

The thugs turned as the door crashed open. They stared at the three intruders. One of the thugs was about ten feet tall. One had horns on his helmet. Another had a hook for a hand. Blondie
gulped.

“Wait a second,” Flynn said. He lowered the stick. “I know you guys! You’re the thugs from the Snuggly Duckling!”

“We know you, too,” said the thug with the hook. He picked Flynn up and dangled him by his left leg.

Blondie backed away.
Oh, no!
What should she do? Flynn was in trouble!

Then she felt a paw on her shoulder. She jumped.

It was a dog! A hairy thug dog! With big, mean…

Oh!
Blondie thought. The thug dog was only a puppy. And she looked kind of nice. She had pretty golden fur.

The thug dog smiled at Blondie. “Don’t worry,” she said. “They’re just teasing him.”

“They are?” Blondie asked.

“Sure,” she said. “My name is Daisy.”

“I’m Blondie.” Daisy and Blondie touched noses.

“There. See?” Daisy waved a paw at the center of the barn. The thugs were tossing Flynn back and forth like a ball.

“Guys?” Flynn called. “Guys, put me down? I didn’t know it was you! I heard talk of spooking cows. And fleecing sheep. And stealing eggs!”

The thugs dropped Flynn…on his head.

“Attila needed milk and eggs for his cupcakes,” the thug with the hook explained. “And Bruiser needed wool. He likes to knit. We left money to pay for them.”

“Want to try?” Attila asked. He held out a tray of pink frosted cupcakes.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Flynn said. He took one.

“So the thugs aren’t bad guys?” Blondie asked Daisy.

Daisy shook her head. “Nope,” she said. “They’re friends of the princess. They helped her, once upon a time.”

Part of Blondie was relieved. But part of her was sad. This had been her last chance to show Rapunzel how helpful she was. But she hadn’t been helpful at all.

“Want to play hide-and-seek?” Daisy asked. Blondie cheered up right away. She loved hide-and-seek! Summer never wanted to play. Pascal was too good at it. And Meadow was easy to
find. Her skunk scent gave her away.

“Okay!” Blondie said. “You’re it!”

A
fter hide-and-seek, Flynn, Maximus, Blondie, and Daisy ate pink cupcakes. They sang show tunes. They watched a mime and admired one thug’s
collection of tiny glass unicorns.

Blondie said goodbye to her new friend. She would miss her! Then they headed home.

“That was some adventure, hey, Blondie?” Flynn said. He gave her a wink.

Blondie neighed. Flynn was riding Maximus. Blondie was trotting after them. She felt like part of the team now.

Maximus led them back to the village. They passed meadows and streams and lots of trees. The castle was just across the bay.

Blondie was happy to be going back. But she felt sad, too. She had wanted to show Rapunzel she was helpful.

She had tried her best. She had picked flowers for Rapunzel. She had made paint. She had even tracked down thugs. But nothing had gone quite right.

Soon Rapunzel would have a new pet. Soon she would forget all about Blondie!

Maximus, Flynn, and Blondie crossed the bridge. Someone was running toward them. It was Rapunzel.

All Rapunzel could reach was Flynn’s leg. She shook it. “I was so worried about you!” she said. “I can’t believe you left without telling me!”

She gave Maximus a pat. “Thank you for taking care of him, Maximus,” she said sweetly.

Then Rapunzel knelt beside Blondie. Blondie bowed her head. “And you? You ran off, too! I had no idea where you were. You’re so brave! But please don’t scare me like that
again.”

Blondie looked up at her.

“I didn’t forget your surprise,” Rapunzel said.

Blondie sighed. She hadn’t forgotten about the surprise, either. The new pet was all she had thought about lately.

Rapunzel got to her feet. She shaded her eyes and looked across the bridge. “I think it’s coming now.”

Blondie heard hoofbeats. She saw a horse and rider coming toward her. It was a big horse with a huge rider. The rider wore a helmet. The helmet had two long, curving horns.

It was one of the thugs from the barn!

“Hello, Vladimir,” Rapunzel said.

“I have your present,” Vladimir said. “Thanks for letting us keep her a little longer. Gunther wanted to finish his new painting of her.” Vladimir reached under his tunic
and pulled out—

“A puppy!” Rapunzel said. “Thank you so much!”

Vladimir leaned down and placed the golden puppy in her arms. Blondie could hardly watch.

Wait a second….

A golden puppy?

Daisy?

Daisy
was Rapunzel’s new pet?

That changed everything!

Daisy was great! Blondie imagined all the good times they would have together.

Blondie pranced over to Daisy. “Hello, friend!” she said.

Daisy wagged her tail. “Hi, Blondie!” She gave her pony friend a big wet puppy lick on the nose.

Blondie smiled. Summer was right. Pascal was right. A new pet wasn’t something to worry about. A new pet meant a new friend. It didn’t matter how many friends Blondie already had.
She could always welcome one more!