Misty to the Rescue Read Free Page B

said with a smile, "you can call me Felix."

Chapter Five
     
    Misty poured out the whole story to the kind old cuttlefish. As she spoke, she swam restlessly backward and forward, to help her think better.
    "So do you see, Mr. Felix," she pleaded, "that I desperately need to find your friend Cato? I must ask him if he has seen my pouch with the crystal in it."
    "Well, there's only one thing to do," said Felix, as he slowly unfurled his tentacles to push himself through the water. "We must pay a visit to Cato."
    The young mermaids followed him eagerly, weaving in and out through the Forest and rippling their glistening tails. Felix puffed clumsily ahead of them. The comical cuttlefish seemed to know all the shortcuts in the mysterious seaweed groves, and the mermaids started to feel a bit more hopeful. Soon, Felix nudged aside some thick strands of purple kelp. There, resting in the water, was the king crab who had pinched Misty's tail.

    "Wake up, Cato, old friend," said Felix. He gently tapped the sleeping crab with his tentacles. The crab opened one eye.
    "Oh, dear Mr. Cato," said Misty breathlessly, "I really am so sorry that I woke you up by sitting on your shell. Please forgive me."
    Cato peered at Felix and then at Misty. He seemed very confused and drowsy.
    "You see, Mr. Cato," Misty explained, "I'm in terrible trouble. I made a big mistake and lost my little pink pouch. That might not sound very important, but inside the pouch was a magic crystal. And Queen Neptuna needs the crystal to fight Mantora and protect the sea creatures."
    "Protect the sea creatures, eh?" Cato muttered, stretching himself and waking up from his nap. "That sounds like a better idea than landing on someone's shell."
    "I've got to rescue that pink pouch," said Misty. "I need to know whether you saw it when I bumped into you. Did you notice it floating away after I left?"
    "What's that?" said Cato. "An ink couch?" He really was a bit deaf.
    "No," shouted the mermaids. "A PINK POUCH!"
    "No need to shout," he huffed. "Can hear perfectly well, don't you know. As a matter of fact, I did see one. Silly sort of thing, I thought. Couldn't eat it, so I gave it to some giddy little sea horses. Have a nice day!"

    Felix waved the mermaids away from the tired old crab. The purple kelp closed around Cato, and he fell back into a deep sleep.

    "Now all we've got to do," exclaimed Misty, "is find those sea horses."
    Felix led the way toward the edge of the Forest. The kelp began to thin out. Gleaming blue and yellow fish looked up from nibbling the seaweed, wondering what six young mermaids were doing there. The sunlight shone down from the Overwater world. And at last, Misty and her friends saw the sea horses. They had curly tails and arching necks and the sweetest faces.

    "Aren't they beautiful?" breathed Lucy.
    "And look," said Misty excitedly, pointing at a father sea horse and his young family. "They're playing with my pouch!"
    The bigger sea horses were holding the ends of Misty's belt and pulling the baby along. He was sitting in the pouch as if it were a carriage, and squealing with excitement.
    "He's so adorable," said Ellie.
    "Oh dear," said Misty, in a worried voice. "I wonder if the sea horses will be upset about giving it back? And I do hope that the crystal hasn't fallen out to the bottom of the sea. That would be awful."
    There was only one way to find out . . .

Chapter Six
     
    Felix told the mermaids to wait quietly while he talked to the father sea horse. Then he beckoned Misty and her friends over to be introduced.
    "This is Dash the sea horse," said Felix, "and this is his family. I have explained why this pouch is so important to you, and to all of us sea creatures. Of course they will give it back to you."
    Misty took the pouch gratefully and plunged her hand in it. The crystal was nestling safely at the bottom, and so was the golden key from the Crystal Cave. What a relief! Misty tied the broken ends of the belt firmly around her waist.