The Problem Child (The Sisters Grimm, Book 3)

Frog legs? What is she talking about?

 

Sabrina looked down at herself. Her feet were green and webbed. Her skin was slimy and sticky. Her belly was like a massive sack hanging between her skinny little legs. A bubbling gurgle churned in her gut, slowly rising up through her body, and then her wide mouth opened. "I'm a frog!" she croaked.

 

Baba Yaga lifted the frog girl above her head and slowly dipped her down into her open jaws. Sabrina struggled and used her webbed feet to block her descent into the witch's hungry mouth. Wiggling frantically, she slipped out of the witch's hand and tumbled to the floor. Without allowing herself any time to recover, she leaped toward the door, flailing and screaming as she went. Her new amphibious body could leap incredible lengths but controlling the leaps was impossible.

 

"My lunch!" the witch cried. "She's getting away! Red Dawn, Bright Sun, Dark Midnight… help Mommy!"

 

The animals raced into the room. They spotted Sabrina and raced after her. She jumped as hard as she could, and her skinny springlike legs propelled her high over the creatures' sharp claws and vicious fangs. She sailed into the next room. Spotting the front door on the opposite wall, she jumped toward it but unfortunately smacked into it headfirst. She fell, dazed and hurt, as the witch's guardians rushed toward her. All three began to grow and change. Bright Sun returned to his tiger-warrior form, while Red Dawn morphed into a horrible birdlike man with a savage beak and rippling arms. Black Midnight's transformation was equally disturbing. When it was finished, he was a hunched, muscled giant with thick black hair all over his body and savage fangs. All three of the guardians were in armor and held long swords in their hands.

 

Sabrina hopped onto the table with the witch's potions and powders, knocking over vials and bowls. The three guardians swung their swords at her frog body, destroying books with each mighty blow. Sabrina managed to keep just ahead of the knights, but she couldn't hop forever.

 

Bright Sun landed a blow that nearly took off her webbed foot and managed to upend a bowl, splattering himself with a particularly foul-smelling potion. He was instantly transformed into a little red mouse. He scurried across the floor, but not before he caught the attention of Red Dawn. The hawk-man dove for the mouse, only to morph into a tiny spider when he knocked a vial of blue powder on himself. Black Midnight kept up the chase, but quickly suffered a similar fate as his companions. Something spilled on him that made his body inflate like a balloon. He soon drifted to the ceiling where he was unable to get at Sabrina.

 

Sabrina leaped back down to the ground and headed for the closed door. She soon realized that without hands to open it she was trapped inside the house.

 

"Uncle Jake!" she cried. "Open the door!"

 

Suddenly, the door swung open and Sabrina hopped out into the cold air. The family stared down at her with mouths agape.

 

"All right, let me say it for you: 'I told you so!'" Sabrina grumbled.

 

"Is that you?" Uncle Jake said, reaching down and picking her up off the ground.

 

"Yes," she said. "You're squeezing too hard."

 

Just then, a window opened and the witch stuck her head out of it. She shook her fist at the family and screamed.

 

"She's mine," Baba Yaga shouted from a window. "She tried to steal from me!"

 

"You know I can't give her back, crone," Uncle Jake said.

 

"I was hoping you'd say that," the witch said. A liquidy cackle bubbled from her throat and the ground started to shake.

 

"What's that?" Daphne said.

 

"Here, hold your sister," Uncle Jake said as he put Sabrina into Daphne's hands. He nervously fumbled through his pockets, yanking out odds and ends and growing more discouraged by the second.

 

"What's going on?" Sabrina said, struggling for a view around Daphne's thumb. Uncle Jake turned to her and tried to explain, but his words were drowned out by a horrible tearing sound followed by an incredible sight. Baba Yaga's house lifted itself off the ground on two massive chicken legs. It walked toward them. Sabrina wanted to scream but all that came out was "Ribbit!" Daphne and Elvis both whined at the same time.

 

"You know what?" Uncle Jake said, giving up his search. "Let's just make a run for it." He spun around, snatched Daphne's free hand, and dragged her back down the path. Elvis followed, barking and growling at the house that stomped after them.

 

"I hope you're happy," Daphne said to Sabrina as the group raced through the woods. "When we find Mom and Dad, I'm telling!"

 

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