Chapter 3: The Temper Tantrum Ben and Emily, breathing hard from running so fast, finally arrived at Elf’s home.  Ben took off his hat to fan his face when, WHAM! Into his hat landed Elf. “Oh, thank you, thank you!” said Elf with great relief.  “You saved me!  Prince Pompous is at it again.  He’s throwing spells all over the woods.  He’s angry because his favorite wig is missing, the one with his favorite jewel.” Emily asked, “Where are the King and Queen of the fairies?  Can’t they help him find it?” “They are visiting relatives on the other side of the forest and won’t be back until nearly dark,” sighed Elf. “Who knows how many little animals will be zapped before then,” said Ben.  “We’ll just have to find Prince Pompous.  Do you know where he is, Elf?” “I think I got a glimpse of his wand shooting sparks from under one of those bushes,” said Elf.  Elf sat on Ben’s backpack, as the children walked slowly around trees and bushes. “Shhhh, I think I can hear someone,” whispered Elf.  (He had very good hearing.)   “Put me down, Ben.  I think I can hear something under that bush.”  Elf got down on his knees, and looked under the bush where he found Prince Pompous huddled up on a toadstool, crying.  The toadstool under the low-growing bush was a perfect place for Prince Pompous to hide and sulk and cry.  He was a very proud fairy.  He didn’t want anyone to see him without his beautiful wig. Prince Pompous dropped his wand. He was so surprised to see Elf’s face looking up at him from under the bush. Elf quickly picked up the wand from where it had been dropped and put it behind his back. “Go away! Go away!” cried Prince Pompous.  “I don’t want to see anyone, and I don’t want anyone to see me!”  Poor, proud Prince Pompous. “Prince Pompous, please stop your crying,” begged Elf.  “Emily, Ben and I are here to help you, and you have done enough damage in the forest today.  King and Queen will not be very happy with you.  Now, come out and tell us how we can help.” Prince Pompous slowly crawled down from the toadstool and peeked out at Ben and Emily. They looked so big.  He thought to himself, “Maybe they can help me.” Chapter 4: The Feather Emily felt rather sorry for the little; proud fairy, but Ben thought he was making too much fuss over such a little wig. “Please, tell us what happened, Prince Pompous,” Emily coaxed.  The little fairy prince proceeded to explain, “When the storm came by this morning, I flew into the first squirrel hole I could find.  I didn’t want to get my beautiful, new jacket wet.  I fell asleep, and when I woke up, someone had taken my wig!”  His face began to droop as though he was about to cry again. “Show us where you were, Prince Pompous,” said Ben.  “Show us the tree with the hole, and we’ll see if we can find a clue.” Prince Pompous refused to leave his hiding place until Ben suggested, “Prince Pompous, you may hide in my pocket.  No one will see you there.” Prince Pompous quickly took his wand from Elf and flew up into Ben’s pocket, peeking out just far enough to point to a tall tree.  Ben lifted Elf onto his backpack, and off they went in the direction the prince had pointed. There it was—the tall tree.  It was rather close.  Partway up the tree, there was a big, round hole.  The little fairy prince said, “That’s the squirrel hole I went into when the storm struck.” Ben took a running leap and jumped hard to grab onto the first limb.  Elf nearly fell off the backpack as Ben, swinging his legs up and over, got a good hold onto the trunk and said, “Hang on Elf!”  Ben finally reached the squirrel hole. Little Elf was nervous as he looked down from Ben’s shoulder to see how very far from the ground they were.  “Be careful, Ben,” stuttered little Elf. “Remember, I’m not a fairy.  I can’t fly!” Ben looked inside the squirrel hole and could only see a few nuts.  “Elf, climb into the hole and see if there’s anything else in there.”  (Remember, Elf could see very well in the dark.) “Yes, yes,” Elf yelled! Out he came carrying a long, black feather. “Good job, Elf,” said Ben.  (Now, what would a feather be doing in a squirrel’s hole?)  “Hmm,” mused Ben, “this is our first clue!  Prince Pompous, was that feather there when you first climbed into the hole?”  “No, I don’t remember it being there,” said Prince Pompous from Ben’s pocket, shaking his head. In a whiney voice, he pouted, “If it had been, my bed would have been much more comfortable.” Elf tucked himself into Ben’s backpack.  Ben said, “Hold on to that feather, Elf, while I climb down.”  Ben started climbing down, limb by limb, and at last jumped from the last limb onto the ground.  Holding tightly to the feather and Ben, Elf exhaled a big sigh of relief. Prince Pompous complained because he had been bounced around in Ben’s pocket.  “Remember who I am,” he stated in a very Prince Pompous sort of way. Ben just rolled his eyes and turned to Emily, “We need to think about this.” Ben and Emily sat down on the forest floor with Elf.  Prince Pompous was watching them from Ben’s pocket.  “Elf,” said Ben, “do you know what kind of bird has feather’s like this?” Elf tipped his head to one side and gave it a little scratch.  “That’s such an awfully big feather. I think it might have come from a crow.  They’re very big, black birds, and they don’t usually come to this part of the forest.” “Where do they have their nests?”  Emily asked. “I think we’re going to have to ask my great-great Aunty Runty,” said Elf. “She knows more about the forest than anyone.”