CHAPTER 11

BACTERIA EVERYWHERE

The next morning Sassafras and I woke up super early. We spent almost a full hour with our noses pressed to the window, looking for any sign of Tiny, until Mom suggested that we keep busy while we wait.

First, I updated my science journal:

I finished that. Still no Tiny.

So then Mom and I cooked up a new batch of agar mixture without unicorn hair, and she gave me a whole bunch of cotton swabs to explore the house.

I took samples from my face, Sassafras’s mouth, the bottoms of my shoes, the bottoms of Sassafras’s paws, the bathroom and kitchen sinks, the front doorknob, my bedroom doorknob, and under my fingernails.

“Ooooh, these are going to be so gross!” I giggled in anticipation.

I was just filling the last of the glass jars with hot water to warm up the cooler when Sassafras hopped up on the kitchen counter.

“Sass! Down! You know you’re not supposed to be up here!”

Sassafras not only ignored me but also started purring really loudly. He was staring out the window.

“No way!” I squealed. Our whole backyard was lit up by a giant rainbow.

Sassafras and I both ran for the back door and burst into the yard. Rainbow light was everywhere. It was like some kind of amazing dream!

“TINY!” I yelped in delight.

“MRROOOOOWWW!” cried Sassafras.

We both bounded over to Tiny who stood on all four legs! He was positively glowing. He looked incredible!

“ZOEY LIKE A UNICORN! ZOEY FIXED OW!” Tiny declared.

I ran to the bandage and peeled it off. There was just a pale pink line where the swollen, angry cut had been just yesterday. “Hooray for garlic!” I cheered.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Mom. “You did it, sweetie! Well done.” She held my camera out to me.

“Mom, you’re a genius!” Now that Tiny felt better, it was the perfect time to ask for a photo. I always try to get a photo of the magical creatures I help to add to my science journal so I can remember them. Photos of magical creatures are the coolest because some of the magic stays behind in the photo.

“Tiny?” I called up. “If it’s OK to take a photo with you, would you put your head down by me?” I felt clever for thinking of a way to ask that wouldn’t involve Tiny nodding and blowing us all over.

Tiny put his head down low, and I gave his velvety nose a big hug.

Mom snapped a photo. “Got it!”

“Can you stay and play with me and Sassafras, Tiny?”

“SORRY ZOEY. TINY NEED GO HOME. TINY GONE LONG TIME. THANK YOU ZOEY FOR HELP OW.”

Tiny bent his head low again and nuzzled each of our cheeks. Sassafras purred super loudly again.

Just then, my dad raced into the backyard. “What is going on?” He looked around and rubbed his eyes. “First we have earthquakes, and now there’s an enormous rainbow in our backyard?”

He came toward us and stood just inches from Tiny’s hoof. But of course he had no idea, because he couldn’t see Tiny. “It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,” he said, looking through the ginormous unicorn and around at the rainbow-filled yard.

Mom and I covered our mouths with our hands to keep from bursting out laughing. If only Dad knew he was standing at the foot of a giant unicorn.

While Dad took another look around the yard, Mom and I secretly waved to Tiny.

Tiny gave us one last “BYE-BYE,” then gracefully and silently galloped into the forest.

Mom slid the photo into my hand and walked Dad back inside as he scratched his head.

Sassafras was pretty bummed. I thought a tuna treat might cheer him up. When I set the bowl of tuna on the ground, I gave him a big hug. “You did such a good job taking care of Tiny.”

He bumped his head into my leg and took a huge bite of tuna. Once the purring started, I knew he’d be OK.

I looked down at my photo and tilted it this way and that. The rainbow that had filled our whole yard shimmered, and Tiny sparkled. I couldn’t help but smile.

I added the photo of Tiny to my science journal, took one last look, then turned my journal to a new page. A new page that was blank and ready for the next magical creature we would meet.