With Midge, it was easy to avoid the guards, Nicholas thought as they hid behind a tapestry. Her nose can smell them coming.

They had searched through most of the palace, but had not found anything that looked like a Library.  They had one more wing to search.  Nicholas thought that this must be the one.

They came to a hallway with a set of large elaborately carved doors at one end.  Nicholas crept up to the doors and opened them as quietly as he could.

The smell of dusty books wafted out of the room.

"I think we have the right one Midge."

Midge went in nose down and started investigating the rows and rows of books.

"There has to be a better way.  Look at the dust in this place.  If the boogeyman uses this book to get to the tower, it must be less dusty than the rest of the place."

Nicholas checked the rows until he came to one that wasn't as dusty.

"Midge, try this one!"

Midge came over and immediately found the scent she was looking for.  Her tail bobbed up and down as she trotted nose down.  She came to a section and started to paw at a large book on the bottom shelf.

The book was about a meter tall and the front of it looked like a door.  Nicholas proped up the book and opened it like a door.

On the other side of the door was a tidy room.  There was a rope bed, a dresser, and a wash basin. Sitting on the bed was a pile of clothes.

"Are you sure this is the right book?"

Midge woofed and enter the room and started poking her nose at the pile of clothing.

The pile of clothing jumped and exclaimed: "Why, that no way to wake someone up, dearie."

The bundle of clothes sorted itself out into a small woman with purplish hair, a red hat with an orange feather, blue glasses decorated with rhinestones, and about three sweaters and four skirts.

"Are you the Good Fairy?"

"Can't you tell by the wings, my little gum drop?"

Nicholas looked harder, but had to shake his head.

The rag lady jumped off the bed and tried to look at her back by spining around rapidly.

"The trick is, pookie, to turn around fast enough and catch your back by surprise."

She spun like a top and eventualy sat down with a flop.

"You're right.  They're not there. Maybe I'm not the Good Fairy."

Midge scrambled under the bed and came back out with a stick with a cardboard star stuck on one end and some streamer attacked to it.  She dropped it on the lady's lap.

"Oh what a good doggie you are.  You found my wand!"  She started waving it around abscent-mindedly.

"So are you the Good Fairy?"

"What?  Oh oh yes -- my wings."  She reached back with the wand like she was going to use it like a back scratcher. There was a small poof and a very small set of wings appeared on the Good Fairy's back.  They started to flap like the wings of a humming bird.  The Good Fairy was lifted a few centimeters off the floor before the wings gave up and she ended up in a pile on the floor again.

Nicholas still had the door open. "Come quick, we are here to rescue you."

"Rescue me?  Rescue Me?  Why do I need rescuing?"

"The Boogeyman trapped you here and then he went and stole all the kids and he was turning them into Monsters!"

"Oh no, Mr Boogeyman is my host.  He letting me stay here.  He feeds me bread and water every day and twice on Sundays!"

"Are you allowed to go out?"

"No," she said sadly, "He locks the door when he leaves."

"Why don't you leave now?  I've got the door open."

"But that would be rude, to leave without saying goodbye."

Nicholas was getting irritated.  Then he got an idea.

"Why don't we go out and find My Boogeyman so you can thank him for letting you stay?"

"I suppose I should do that, cupcake, just to be a good guest."

"There are some kids out by the moat that want to see you."

"Really?  They want to see me? Heavens!"  The Good Fairy lept up off the floor.  Her wings tried their bast, but gave up without even lifting her off the floor.

Nicholas held the door open for her as she left her cell and entered the Library.  Midge quickly followed. Nicholas closed the book with a slam. A cloud of dust billowed around them.

"Well dearie, it looks like the could use a good maid around here." She waved her wand and Midge was suddenly dressed in a maids outfit complete with feather duster.

"We don't have time for that," Nicholas struggled to keep his voice even. "The kids are waiting for you.  Just out here.  Through these doors."

"Oh yes, the little darlins.  But I can't go see them like this!" She waved her wand in a circle over her head.  Sparked cascaded down and formed into a pink silk ballgown complete with acres of tulle.  She pointed her wand at Midge and Midge went from main to flower girl.  She hat a pink straw hat bedecked with rosebuds. She held a basket of rose petals in her mouth.

"And what to you with you, my sweet?" She cast a crittical eye on Nicholas. "I know the very thing!" She pointed her wand and Nicholas was now in a white tuxedo with pink cumberbun.

Nicholas figgeted and walked over to the door.

"Would you be so kind ans proceed this way?"  He bowed stiffly.  I just have to keep playing her game.  We'll get everyone home.

"Oh what good manners you have!"  She waited as Midge trotted along ahead.  Midge was shaking her head as if to rid herself of the basket, but the effect was that she left a trail of rose petals for the Good Fairy

She [promedaded] along the rose petals with her nose up in the air.  Where ever the petals went, she walked.  Nicholas noticed this and he led Midge who left a trail of rosepetals that the Good Fairy followed.  It was a very strange procession.  The workers in th palaces ignored them.  Because it was so strange, they concluded it was the Boogeymans's latest creation.

The walked through the castle and accross the drawbridge.  The two guards ignored them.  They were given orders about stopping people coming in to the castle, not those leaving.

They circled the moat.  Chip was sitting in the center of the ring of children.  The kids looked much better now that they were out in the sunshine.  They were laughing and clapping. Chip was telling them funny stories and illustrating them with tricks.

The good Fairy presented herself before the children.  Nicholas stood behind her and motioned for everyone to stand and bow.  The kids took the hint and scrambled to the feet and bowed.

"Oh my my my!  What wonderful children! But why are you in such dirty clothing?"

Nicholas quickly piped in: "All our clean clothing is at home and we can't find our way home."

"You poor dears,  I'll have you home in two winks."

She waves her wand and one bvy one the children disappeared until only Midge, Chip and Nicholas were left.  Midge was still strying to shake the basket out of her mouth.

"Oh, my sweet doggie, you don't need to do that anymore!" She waved her wand and Midge was Midge again.

# Thank you sweet lady! #  Midge walked over to Chip.  # Thank you for your help.  Are you going to be ok as a dog? #

"It beats being a frog!  Everybody loves dogs.  I'll be ok toots."

Nicholas was dumbfounded.  His dog was talking! Sort of.

"Bye bye dears!" The Good Fairy said as she waved her wand.  Nicholas and Midge disappeared.

"Hello I'm the Good Fairy."

"Hi, I'm Chip, the formerly cursed frog."

"Well Chip, my dear, how would you like to work for me?"

"Beats standing around here."