fastened on Erica until she had turned all the way around. Then she ran up to her and straightened the floppy bow under her chin. She stepped back to study the change.
The other princesses looked to Gwen to speak for them.
“I, personally, would never wear the helmet,” said Gwen at last.
Lady Lobelia gasped.
Erica grinned.
“But the rest of the uniform,” said Gwen, “is fabulous.”
“ What ?” cried Erica.
“Yes!” exclaimed Lobelia. “That is the very word I use to describe it myself!”
“Are you jesting, Gwen?” cried Erica.
Gwen put her hands on her hips. “You never did have an eye for fashion, Erica,” she said. “Even at Pretty Little Princess Preschool. You never came near the dress-up corner. You were always outside in that filthy sandbox.”
“I was making a scale model of Sir Lancelot’s castle at Camelot out of sand !” Erica cried.
Wiglaf had never seen her so upset.
Gwen only shrugged. She pointed to Erica’s puffy sleeves. “These say strength with softness,” she said. “The bells are pure genius. And the color?” She dumped out the contents of her bag again. She grabbed the newspaper. It was Damsels’ Wear Daily . She flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. She read: “ ‘This year’s big color is—plum!’ ”
“Oh!” Lady Lobelia clasped her hands to her chest. “I wonder if Damsels’ Wear Daily would do a piece on Lobelia Originals.”
“I can’t wait to put on my uniform,” said Gwen. She began tossing her things back into her bag.
Now Mordred said, “Let me see that paper of yours.”
Gwen handed it to him.
“Mordie!” shrieked Lobelia. “This is no time to read the paper! Go—go count your pennies!”
“Hush, sister.” Mordred waved her away. “I took out an ad in Damsels’ Wear Daily saying that lasses are welcome at DSA. I want to see if it ran.”
“No, Uncle!” Angus ran over and snatched the paper from his uncle’s hands. “It’s uh—time for the picnic!”
Mordred grabbed it back and stared at the front page.
The castle yard grew still.
Mordred did not move a muscle. He was as still as a stone statue. Then his purple eyes began to bulge.
“I think Uncle Mordred just found out that it’s Friday the 13th,” said Angus.
The headmaster’s mouth opened and shut. No sound came out.
“Alas and alack!” cried Lobelia.
The newspaper fell from Mordred’s hand. He let out a blood-chilling yell, jumped up, and ran screaming into the castle.
Chapter 4
“ P rincesses!” Lady Lobelia called. “Worry not! Your headmaster has a headache. He’ll be fine.” She smiled a shaky smile. “Come! I shall give you your DSA uniforms!”
The princesses ran off to the castle.
Wiglaf spied the Damsels’ Wear Daily that Mordred had dropped. He picked it up to give it back to Gwen.
“Let us see what sort of silly paper Gwen carries around,” said Erica.
Wiglaf was curious too. Together, they read:
DAMSELS’ WEAR DAILY
FRIDAY, THE XIIITH
TOENAIL FASHION SHOW CANCELED!
Dragon Seen Heading for DSA
Wiglaf and Erica stared at the headline.
“Let me see that,” said Angus. He read the headline. “Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!” he screamed. “A dragon is coming here!”
Brother Dave and the other teachers hurried over. The Class I lads did too. The princesses ran out of the castle, filling the air with a near-deafening tinkling of bells.
“Who screamed?” said Gwen. “What’s wrong?”
Wiglaf tried to hold the paper steady in his trembling hands so that all might read:
TOENAIL VILLAGE—Friday
Verbosia Vanity, the best-dressed damsel in Toenail, has canceled tomorrow’s big fashion show. She spoke to the press wearing a plum-colored gown.
“It was a difficult decision,” Verbosia told us. “The runway is ready. The models are here. The designers have put the finishing touches on their outfits. Everyone in Toenail has bought a ticket to the event.
“But reports from far and wide say that
The other princesses looked to Gwen to speak for them.
“I, personally, would never wear the helmet,” said Gwen at last.
Lady Lobelia gasped.
Erica grinned.
“But the rest of the uniform,” said Gwen, “is fabulous.”
“ What ?” cried Erica.
“Yes!” exclaimed Lobelia. “That is the very word I use to describe it myself!”
“Are you jesting, Gwen?” cried Erica.
Gwen put her hands on her hips. “You never did have an eye for fashion, Erica,” she said. “Even at Pretty Little Princess Preschool. You never came near the dress-up corner. You were always outside in that filthy sandbox.”
“I was making a scale model of Sir Lancelot’s castle at Camelot out of sand !” Erica cried.
Wiglaf had never seen her so upset.
Gwen only shrugged. She pointed to Erica’s puffy sleeves. “These say strength with softness,” she said. “The bells are pure genius. And the color?” She dumped out the contents of her bag again. She grabbed the newspaper. It was Damsels’ Wear Daily . She flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. She read: “ ‘This year’s big color is—plum!’ ”
“Oh!” Lady Lobelia clasped her hands to her chest. “I wonder if Damsels’ Wear Daily would do a piece on Lobelia Originals.”
“I can’t wait to put on my uniform,” said Gwen. She began tossing her things back into her bag.
Now Mordred said, “Let me see that paper of yours.”
Gwen handed it to him.
“Mordie!” shrieked Lobelia. “This is no time to read the paper! Go—go count your pennies!”
“Hush, sister.” Mordred waved her away. “I took out an ad in Damsels’ Wear Daily saying that lasses are welcome at DSA. I want to see if it ran.”
“No, Uncle!” Angus ran over and snatched the paper from his uncle’s hands. “It’s uh—time for the picnic!”
Mordred grabbed it back and stared at the front page.
The castle yard grew still.
Mordred did not move a muscle. He was as still as a stone statue. Then his purple eyes began to bulge.
“I think Uncle Mordred just found out that it’s Friday the 13th,” said Angus.
The headmaster’s mouth opened and shut. No sound came out.
“Alas and alack!” cried Lobelia.
The newspaper fell from Mordred’s hand. He let out a blood-chilling yell, jumped up, and ran screaming into the castle.
Chapter 4
“ P rincesses!” Lady Lobelia called. “Worry not! Your headmaster has a headache. He’ll be fine.” She smiled a shaky smile. “Come! I shall give you your DSA uniforms!”
The princesses ran off to the castle.
Wiglaf spied the Damsels’ Wear Daily that Mordred had dropped. He picked it up to give it back to Gwen.
“Let us see what sort of silly paper Gwen carries around,” said Erica.
Wiglaf was curious too. Together, they read:
DAMSELS’ WEAR DAILY
FRIDAY, THE XIIITH
TOENAIL FASHION SHOW CANCELED!
Dragon Seen Heading for DSA
Wiglaf and Erica stared at the headline.
“Let me see that,” said Angus. He read the headline. “Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!” he screamed. “A dragon is coming here!”
Brother Dave and the other teachers hurried over. The Class I lads did too. The princesses ran out of the castle, filling the air with a near-deafening tinkling of bells.
“Who screamed?” said Gwen. “What’s wrong?”
Wiglaf tried to hold the paper steady in his trembling hands so that all might read:
TOENAIL VILLAGE—Friday
Verbosia Vanity, the best-dressed damsel in Toenail, has canceled tomorrow’s big fashion show. She spoke to the press wearing a plum-colored gown.
“It was a difficult decision,” Verbosia told us. “The runway is ready. The models are here. The designers have put the finishing touches on their outfits. Everyone in Toenail has bought a ticket to the event.
“But reports from far and wide say that
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