Two Peas in a Pod by Sarah Mlynowski

Author:Sarah Mlynowski [Mlynowski, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2018-06-15T04:00:00+00:00

More rain!” Jonah says, looking out the window of the dining room. We just finished dinner. Lawrence and Minerva have already gone to bed, and the maids are tidying up in the kitchen.

It had better not rain tomorrow for the contest. I have three rounds planned. And rain would ruin everything.

Tap. Tap-tap.

“Abby, do you hear that?” Jonah asks.

I listen closely. Tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap.

“Sounds like someone is knocking at the front door,” I say. Or tapping, really. “Should we ask Belly to get it?”

“Nah, let’s see who it is!” Jonah says, jumping to his feet. He jogs out of the dining room, Prince running behind him. I follow them.

There is another series of taps. Yep, they’re definitely coming from the front door. Jonah pulls it open.

A soaking wet teenage girl is standing there. Her long blond hair is plastered to her cheeks and thin shoulders.

“Hello,” she says. “I got caught in the rain. Can I please come in?”

“Of course,” I say. I pull the door wide open and she steps inside. “Are you here about the contest? It doesn’t start until tomorrow.” I guess being early shows initiative.

She looks at me, confused. “Contest?” she says.

Minerva, Lawrence, and Belly appear in the hallway.

“What’s going on?” Minerva asks.

“This girl came to the door soaking wet,” I explain. “She got caught in the rain.”

“It ruined my hair. I just had it straightened, too,” the girl says.

Lawrence lights up. “Welcome, dear,” he says to her.

Minerva whispers something to Belly, who nods and rushes off.

“I’m Abby and this is my brother, Jonah,” I tell the girl. “That’s our dog, Prince.” I point to Prince, who’s sitting in the corner.

“I’m Tulip,” she says.

“What a beautiful name,” Lawrence says. He’s still smiling. In fact, he’s practically beaming.

Wait. A. Minute.

Could this be the girl from the story? The one who was supposed to knock on the door and is so delicate that she feels the pea?

“Do you live in Bog?” Lawrence asks. “I tend to know every villager, and you don’t look at all familiar.”

Tulip shakes her head. “Nope. I’m a princess by birth, from the kingdom of Marsh. But my elder half sister took over the kingdom, and she’s kind of mean. So I’ve been wandering for days, trying to find a place to call home. I stopped in Bug but got bitten by so many mosquitoes I didn’t even bother going to the castle there.”

She’s claiming to be a princess? This has to be the girl from the original story!

“So you don’t have a kingdom anymore?” Jonah asks.

Tulip shakes her head.

Lawrence’s face is still all lit up. “A princess in need of a kingdom?” he says. “Excuse us for a moment, won’t you?” he says to Tulip. He turns to me. “Abby, a word, if I may?”

As Minerva chats with Tulip, Jonah and I go stand with Lawrence in the corner. Lawrence looks thrilled. Honestly, he hasn’t looked this happy since I showed up. He’s practically dancing.

“Tulip must be given the pea test,” he whispers. “She is a real princess by royal birth.

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