Early the next morning, everyone was sitting under the Story Tree in the middle of Tale Town’s Market Square. Hansel and Gretel had just finished telling everyone how they’d got lost on their camping trip in the woods and met a wild-eyed lady whose house was entirely made out of felt and organic vegetables. They’d been lucky to get away without being forced to put on brightly coloured handmade jumpers or knit their own shoes.

As they were speaking, bright silver shoots grew out of the magical Story Tree, forever recording the adventure.

Ella and Cole were looking around happily. Finally they were free of the wicked witch of Squirrel-Nose Island and could come and go as they pleased.

They were going to stay in Tale Town and Rapunzel had arranged for them to be guests in one of the many spare rooms at the castle – it really was unbelievably useful being a princess.

Once Hansel and Gretel had finished, the rest of the group took turns telling their parts of the wicked witch story, and Anansi was just explaining what had happened after everyone else had gone home.

‘You’ll never believe it . . .’ he said. ‘As soon as we walked into Rufaro’s shelter out of the moonlight, they both turned back into trolls!’

‘WHAaAT?’ squawked Betsy, Red, Jack, Hansel, Gretel, Ella and Cole, all at once.

‘I know!’ replied Anansi. ‘Crazy, right? Anyway, Rufaro worked out that the counter-spell only works in the moonlight. I guess if they’d cast the spell in the daytime it would have only worked in the sunlight. Either way, as the necklace turned to dust after Rufaro used it, we’ll never know.’

‘Oh, Anansi, I’m so sorry!’ said Red.

‘It’s OK,’ replied Anansi. ‘At least Mum’s here now – besides, she’s still my mum – it doesn’t matter what she looks like!’

Red smiled and patted Anansi on the back.

‘Morning, small fry!’ came a voice, along with the sound of squeaking wheels.

‘Oh no . . .’ groaned Jack.

Old Bert pulled his cart to a stop by the Story Tree and rubbed his grimy hands together. ‘What’s it to be today then? Fish-scale crisps? Or perhaps a bar of me new Choc ’n’ Squid chocolate? Well, I say “chocolate”, I wasn’t exactly sure how to make chocolate . . . Still, whatever it is, it’s brown.’

There was a long and awkward silence.

‘OK, Bert,’ said Red eventually. ‘I’ll have something.’

Old Bert’s eyes lit up.

‘Not again!’ muttered Anansi, but Red ignored him.

‘I’ll take one of everything you’ve got!’ she said.

Old Bert couldn’t believe his luck. He quickly started taking out dirty pots and greasy old bags to stuff full of his unsavoury seafood snacks.

‘But only . . .’ added Red with a smile, ‘if you eat them first, right here, in front of us.’

‘B-b-b-but . . .’ stammered Old Bert.

‘Deal or no deal, Bert,’ said Red, looking him straight in the eye.

‘Can’t say no to a sale,’ muttered Bert. ‘How hard can it be?’

‘Eel-eye ice cream first, I think,’ said Red.

‘But it’s all melted now!’ protested Bert.

‘Would you have sold it to me?’ asked Red.

‘Well, yeah . . .’

‘Go on then, tuck in!’

Bert glared at Red as he peeled the grubby foil off a mushy cone filled with soupy slush and lots of different sized eel eyes. He lifted the cone to his lips, determined to make the sale, and took a big bite.

Seconds later his face went green, his cheeks puffed up and, clutching his grumbling stomach, Old Bert dashed off, pushing his cart away as fast as he could.

‘Good work, Red,’ said Anansi. ‘You had me going there for a minute!’

‘Well, you know what?’ said Red. ‘Sometimes the person you have to trust the most is yourself. Anyway, all this adventuring’s made me hungry,’ she said. ‘How about we go to Greentop’s Cafe for something proper to eat?’

And so they walked through Tale Town in the bright morning sun – laughing and joking as they planned how to fill the brand new day.