Read Online The Phredde Collection by Jackie French - Free Book Online Page B

you take, especially if you’re in a new country like Phredde’s family.)
    ‘Where’s Phredde, er, Ethereal?’ I asked.
    ‘Up in her room getting into her party clothes. Her mother’s with her.’
    He really did have a nice smile. ‘Do you know the way through the castle? I could conjure up a guide if you like. A wolf…or a rock star perhaps.’
    ‘No, that’s alright, thanks. I know the way.’
    I could have kicked myself as soon as I said it, because it would have been really great to meet a rock star, but I did know the way, even though the castle is enormous and, anyway, I was too excited about Phaeryland to really concentrate on a rock star.
    Phredde’s door was closed but I could hear Phredde’s shriek way down the corridor. ‘Mum, no! What do you think I am?’
    And then Phredde’s mum saying something back, sort of slow and firm, just like Mum gets when she’s ticked off at me.
    So I knocked on the door and yelled, ‘It’s me!’
    …and the door opened (magic again, of course. No one was anywhere near it) and there was Phredde…
    I just stood there. And I stared and I stared. I’d never even thought Phredde could look like that.
    The joggers were gone. The nose stud was gone too. Even her hair was different.
    In their place were twinkling silver slippers and an elegant, long ball dress that looked like it had been made out of sunbeams, and probably had, with pearls sewn in long strings down the front and all along the edges, and her hair flowed in long, golden waves down her back. (It had been as short as a pet dog’s, and brightpink, the day before, but I suppose magic hairdressing can be useful.) There was a tiara nestled into the top of it with diamonds the same colour as her dress.
    It looked really great. But it didn’t look like Phredde.
    Phredde glared at me from under the tiara.
    ‘If you say one word…’ she threatened. ‘Just one word!’
    ‘Who, me? I didn’t say anything,’ I said. ‘Happy birthday.’
    ‘Thanks,’ said Phredde sourly.
    ‘I brought you a present.’
    Phredde cheered up at that.
    ‘Hey, let’s have a look at it. Oh wow!’ She held up the hair gel in delight. ‘Just what I always wanted! Hair gel! Green and purple and, wow, black too!’
    I grinned back. Phredde’s lucky being blonde. Colours show up really well in her hair. (My hair is carrot red, and let me tell you, if you put a black streak through my hair it just looks like I fell in the rubbish bin.)
    ‘Look, Mum!’ offered Phredde.
    ‘Very nice,’ said Phredde’s mum. ‘But you can’t wear it today.’ She glanced over to me. ‘It’s good to see you, Prudence,’ she said. ‘But you’d better hurry and get changed if we’re not going to be late.’
    ‘Get changed? Me?’
    I looked down at my jeans (they were perfectly clean) and my joggers. I’d worn my best T-shirt too, the one that says, ‘Don’t panic’, on the front, and on the back says, ‘Who’s panicking?’.
    ‘You look very nice, Prudence dear,’ soothed Phredde’s mum. ‘But you need something a little special for Phaeryland.’
    So there I was, ten minutes later, with my hair magicked in great waves down my back. I had thought she might make me blonde, too, but she left it red. (I wanted to ask her if she’d change it to shiny black just for the day, but she was too busy making me look respectable).
    I had glass slippers on my feet, and I was wearing a ball gown that weighed a tonne there were so many glittering gems and edgings of lace on it.
    Phredde’s mum stood back and looked at me thoughtfully. ‘Not bad,’ she said. ‘You do scrub up well, Prudence. Now all you need is a tiara.’
    ‘Mum, not a tiara!’ groaned Phredde. ‘It’s bad enough that I have to wear one!’
    ‘Well, a diadem then. Or maybe just a string of diamond flowers strung through your hair—yes, that’s what you need. It would look so pretty.’
    ‘Pretty,’ muttered Phredde.
    ‘Phredde, can you conjure some up for her? I need