Free Blondie: Rapunzel's Royal Pony by Disney Book Group Page B

to the stables. All the horses ate from it. Unlike the petunias, it was nobody’s prize plant. Blondie could take all the
berries she needed.
    She hurried to the bush. She picked a whole bucket of huckleberries. Then she carted them to the courtyard.
    Rapunzel wasn’t back yet.
Good,
Blondie thought.
    Blondie found an empty barrel in the corner of the courtyard and tipped the huckleberries into it. Then she poured in some linseed oil. It was hard to hold the slippery glass bottle in her
teeth! She added water and dropped in an egg. That was how Rapunzel made paint.

    Blondie jumped into the barrel. She stomped the berries with her hooves. They squished. They squashed. They were mashed up with the oil and water and egg.
    Soon the barrel was full of blue paint.
    Hooray!
    Blondie leaped out of the barrel. She couldn’t wait to show Rapunzel!
    Blondie raced across the courtyard. She climbed the palace steps and neighed loudly.
    “Blondie?” she heard Rapunzel call. “Is that you? What’s going on?”
    Rapunzel came out the palace door. She stood at the top of the steps. Her hand flew to her mouth. Then she started to laugh.
    “Is that—? Is that blue paint?” she asked.
    Blondie nodded. But how did Rapunzel know? She had left the barrel of paint back in the courtyard!
    Blondie turned to look behind her.
    Uh-oh.
    A trail of blue hoofprints led down the stairs and across the courtyard.
    Blondie caught a glimpse of her own tail and her braided mane. They were blue, too.
    Blondie had just wanted to make some paint. Instead she had painted the courtyard—and herself—blue!

B londie hung her head. She sighed. Behind her, people had immediately started washing the stairs and the courtyard. They had even started washing
her.
    Her tail took forever to clean.
    Blondie was worried about Rapunzel. Rapunzel had laughed. She had even thanked Blondie for making the paint. But Blondie knew she hadn’t really been helpful. She had just made more work
for others. And she’d had to take an extra bath, too!

    Blondie moped back to the stables. She would stay there. No more trying to help! She only made things worse.
    Blondie lay down in her stall. She chewed a little hay. She thought about the new pet.
    “It must be another pony,” she said. “One with spots. I bet its mane is twice as long as mine. And its tail is twice as curly. I bet the new pony can make paint, no problem.
And pick the right flowers.”
    Blondie was feeling very sorry for herself. Then she heard footsteps. They walked up to the stables.
    “Maximus?” a voice called.
    Blondie knew that voice. It was Flynn’s.
    Flynn had helped Rapunzel escape from the tower. On the way, he had become good friends with the horse Maximus. They were both very strong and brave. Blondie sat up to listen.
    “Hey, boy,” Flynn said. “I have a job for us.”
    Blondie peeked under the stall door. Flynn was giving Maximus an apple. Maximus crunched it noisily.
    Mmm.
Blondie really loved apples! Her mouth watered.

    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