Tom went to get his wand.
"Poor Princess Mary," he thought.
"She is so kind and beautiful.
I must make some pinkberries appear!"
"Cat?" Tom called.
There was no answer.
Tom got his wand.
"Pinkberries, appear!" he cried.
Poof! A pink elephant appeared.
Poof! Poof! Poof!
Tom waved his wand again and again and again.
Dirk burst into the lab.
"Where are those pinkberries?"
"I, um, need more time," Tom said.
"You fool!" Dirk cried.
"The princess is very sick!
We need those berries now!"
Dirk stared hard at Tom.
"I have one idea.
There's a tale about a pinkberry bush.
It's in the Dark Forest."
Tom gulped. "The Dark Forest?"
Dirk nodded.
"They say the bush grows all year long.
Perhaps you can find it."
Tom opened his mouth. "But—"
Dirk pushed him outside. "Go now!"
Tom stepped into the Dark Forest.
He walked past tall trees and twisting vines.
His boots sank into the mud.
Hiss! Croak! Hoot!
Spooky sounds filled the air.
Then a bat flew over Tom's head.
"Agh!" He waved the bat away.
"Oops!" Tom cried as his wand flew through the air.
The wand landed in the mud.
Then it began to sink!