The Problem Child (The Sisters Grimm, Book 3)
Michael Buckley
Acknowledgments
What can I say to my editor, Susan Van Metre, other than "Bless you"? You made my dream come true and you whipped that dream into shape for others to share. Everyone at Amulet Books was just wonderful, most notably Andrea Colvin and Jason Wells. I'd also like to thank my wife and literary agent, Alison Fargis of The Stonesong Press, for being my inspiration in words and in life. Thanks to Joseph Deasy, whose support, editing, and brainstorming have been the backbone of these stories. Thanks to my personal cheerleaders, Molly Choi and Maureen Falvey, and to Kevin Houser, Christopher Andreoli, and Sherriene Jones Sontag for their incredible generosity toward me in college. I'd also like to thank the Brothers Grimm, Andrew Lang, Hans Christian Andersen, L. Frank Baum, Rudyard Kipling, and the countless others from whom I have generously borrowed; and of course Daisy, who now, unfortunately, is going to get that bath I've been threatening for some time.
For the kids,
Dominic, Kierra, Kiah, Tuliad, Siena, and Dan-Dan
Prologue
He descended from the clouds like an angel, enveloped in a ray of light so brilliant that Sabrina and Daphne had to shield their eyes and look away. When he landed nimbly on the ground and smiled at the group, the light dimmed just enough so that they could see his face. The man he had been just moments before was gone, his flesh replaced by shimmering crystal, his. eyes by blazing fires, like two small suns shining down on them all. But when he glanced over at Sabrina, she saw that his transformation hadn't robbed him of his quirky, mischievous grin. He stepped toward her with extended arms, and she stumbled back in fear. His smile quickly turned to a frown.
"What are you doing?" Sabrina demanded.
"I'm granting myself a wish," he answered. "I wanted to be powerful enough to make the people I love happy. I've been miserable. Happy is better. You can be happy, too. Wish for something, Sabrina. Anything. I can make it happen."
"But look at the cost!" Granny Relda said as she hovered over Mayor Charming's rapidly aging body. His beloved Snow White lay next to him, reaching with bony, arthritic hands to touch his wrinkled face. Everywhere Sabrina looked, Everafters lay struggling against the sudden onrush of old age. Many were in the final throes of death.
"Don't cry for them," the glittery being said to the old woman. "The Everafters have had their day in the sun and it was a long, long day. With their power I can recreate this world as a paradise where 'happily ever after' isn't just for a bunch of bedtime stories come to life. It's time for all our dreams to come true!"
Chapter 1
abrina opened her eyes and saw a monster hunched over her. It was nearly fifteen feet tall, with scaly skin, two black leathery wings, and a massive serpentine tail that lashed back and forth. Its feet and hands were enormous, nearly as big as its body, and its head, at the end of a long snakelike neck, was nothing but teeth, thousands of jagged fangs, gnashing in her face. A drop of saliva dripped from the creature's mouth and landed on her forehead. It was as hot as molten lava. 'JABBERWOCKY! "the monster roared.
Too afraid to move, Sabrina closed her eyes and did the only thing she could. She prayed.
Please! Please! Please! Let this be a bad dream!
After a few moments she slowly lifted one eyelid. Unfortunately, the monster was still there. "Fudge," Sabrina whispered.
"Well, good morning!"
A boy's voice called from somewhere in the room. Sabrina knew its owner. "Puck?"
"Did we wake you? So sorry!"
"Could you get this thing off of me?" said Sabrina. "It's gonna cost you."
"What?"
"I figure if I'm going to have to save your butt every time you get into trouble, I might as well be paid for it. The going rate for this kind of job is seven million dollars," Puck said.
"Where am I going to get seven million dollars? I'm eleven years old!"
"And I want all your desserts for the next six months," Puck added.
The monster roared in Sabrina's face. A long, purple tongue darted out of the beast's mouth and licked her face roughly. "Fine!" Sabrina cried.
Puck leaped into the air, flipping like an Olympic gymnast, and clung to a dusty light fixture hanging from the ceiling above. Gathering momentum, he swung down feet first into the monster's horrible face. The creature stumbled back and roared. Using the monster's face as a springboard, the nimble boy flipped again and landed on his feet with his hands on his hips. He turned to Sabrina and flashed her a mischievous grin, then pulled her to her feet. "Did you see that landing, Grimm? I want to make sure you get your money's worth."