The Fairy-Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm, Book 1)

"Bingo!"

 

The little girl turned to the other two. "We have to rhyme the question. Like, mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"

 

A blue mist filled the mirror's surface and the face faded away, only to be replaced with the image of the most beautiful woman Sabrina had ever seen. She had black hair like Daphne's, and flawless, porcelain skin. She was standing in front of a classroom, teaching. Every boy in the class stared at her like a lovesick puppy, and there was a stack of apples on her desk.

 

"That would still be the lovely Snow White," Mirror said.

 

Just then, all the students got up from their seats and exited the room. When Snow White was finally alone, she tossed the apples into a garbage can and slid it under her desk.

 

"OK, how about this?" Sabrina said. "Mirror, mirror in a beehive, is Granny Relda still alive?"

 

The man in the mirror's face reappeared and he was frowning. "In a beehive?"

 

"All you said was it had to rhyme. You didn't say it had to make sense."

 

"Very well," said the face, and the blue mist returned. "Your grandmother is alive and well, for now."

 

"Where is she?" Daphne asked.

 

"Uh-uh. One question at a time, and that one didn't rhyme, anyway."

 

"Mirror, mirror we're just kids, can you show us where our grandma is?" Puck chimed in.

 

"Sorry, that doesn't technically rhyme," Mirror argued.

 

"It's close enough!" the children shouted.

 

Mirror frowned but misted over and, suddenly, Granny and Mr. Canis appeared in the reflection. They were climbing on top of their car, which was enclosed in what could only be described as a giant bag. Mr. Canis pulled the fabric down and the two of them looked over the edge. They were still in the giant's shirt pocket.

 

"They're alive." Daphne sighed with relief as the image zoomed out to show the giant. The ugly brute was asleep, lounging against a huge rock outcropping.

 

"He's up in the mountains," Puck said.

 

"You've probably tossed kids off of that very cliff," Sabrina commented.

 

"A few," Puck agreed, making Sabrina wonder if he was serious. "Look at the size of that beast. I'm going to need a bigger sword."

 

"We'll come with you," Daphne said.

 

"You aren't going anywhere," the boy replied. "The last thing I need is a couple of girls bawling while I fight the giant. You two are staying here."

 

"What are we supposed to do while that's happening?" Sabrina asked.

 

"Women's work. You can clean up that mess in the dining room."

 

"Women's work!" the girls cried.

 

"Oh, you've said it now," Mirror warned Puck.

 

"If anyone's going up there, it's me!" Sabrina declared. "I can't expect some smelly kid who lives in the woods to save my grandmother. You couldn't even push me into a pool. You stay here and keep an eye on Daphne!" she commanded.

 

'"Keep an eye on Daphne?'" Daphne repeated indignantly. "I'm not staying here! She's my granny, too!"

 

"What you need is someone who has had experience with giants," Mirror interrupted.

 

"What we need is someone who can kill a giant," Sabrina said.

 

"Like the Big Bad Wolf," Daphne suggested.

 

"No, tougher than that."

 

"I'll do it!" Puck said angrily. It was obvious that the boy was offended at their lack of respect for his fighting skills.

 

"Mirror, mirror, what can we do, to rescue Granny from you know who?" Sabrina asked.

 

The mirror misted over once again, and this time when it cleared the children saw a man sitting in a jail cell. He had a boyish face with spiky blond hair and big eyes. He was lying lazily on a thin, ratty cot. He got up, walked over to a small window, looked out, pulled on the bars in a hopeless effort to free himself, and when he found them unbendable, scowled and returned to his dingy bed.

 

"You need the help of Jack the Giant Killer," Mirror said, as his face returned to the reflection.

 

"Jack the Giant Killer?" Sabrina asked.

 

'"Jack and the Beanstalk,'" Daphne explained. "He's the same gu7-"

 

"That guy sitting in jail has killed giants? I'm not impressed," Puck said, continuing his sulk.

 

"Granny said he was down on his luck," Sabrina said. "But I didn't think she meant that down. I guess it'll be easy to find him now."

 

"We passed the jailhouse on the way to the hospital," her sister pointed out.

 

"We do not need Jack," Puck fumed.

 

Suddenly, Elvis barked an angry warning from downstairs. It was followed by several loud knocks on the front door.

 

"Who's that?" Sabrina whispered.

 

"Mirror, mirror, one question more, who's that knocking on our door?" Daphne asked.

 

"Now you're getting the hang of it!" Mirror said as his face misted over. Outside of the house, two police cars were parked in the driveway. "It seems as if the local authorities have arrived."

 

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