Read The Rainbow Opal for Free Online Page A

fly over and bring the necklace back to us?”
    Kanga flew straight over to Lottie and took the necklace chain in his beak. Then he hopped on to her arm and spread his wings to fly back again.
    “He understood you,” said Rosalind, amazed.
    Summer smiled. “He’s always been a very clever bird.”
    The rainbow opal shone as Kanga swooped back across the river. He dropped the jewel into Summer’s hand and settled on a tree branch.
    “Thank you, Kanga!” said Summer, beaming. “Lottie! You need to go that way to get to the bridge.” She pointed up the river. “You won’t get lost if you follow the creek.”
    “Don’t worry, I’ve got the torch so I’llbe fine. I’ll meet you back at the palace,” called Lottie.
    Summer climbed up the riverbank holding the bright opal in the palm of her hand. The jewel shone with a warm orange light and then flickered and turned to a deep, mysterious purple.
    Rosalind clambered up behind her. “That jewel’s amazing!” She watched as it changed colour. “It shines much brighter than the jewels in our rings. That must mean the magic inside is really strong.”
    “I hope so.” Summer thought of poor Custard. Everything depended on the jewel being able to help him. Reaching the top of the bank, she started to run.
    The two girls raced through the trees together. The leaves and branches glowed with the light from the jewel. Summer thought how strange it was to see the wood lit up by one colour after another.It felt as if they were running through an enchanted forest.
    She stopped at the back gate and fumbled with the catch. Rosalind looked up at the palace and noticed an anxious face at Summer’s bedroom window. “There’s Maya!” she said, pointing.
    Maya waved frantically at them before disappearing.
    A cold feeling spread through Summer’s insides. “She’s trying to send us a message. Something must be wrong!”
    They dashed across the garden into the palace and ran up the dark stairs. Summer opened her bedroom door and her chest tightened. She tried to get her breath back so that she could speak. “How … how is he, Maya?”
    “He got worse after you left.” Maya held the little koala very tightly and her dark eyes were sad. “He became quite floppy. I tried to get him to drink some more milk from the bottle, but he wouldn’t.”

    Summer stroked Custard’s fluffy middle. She felt his chest rise and fall very slightly as he breathed. His head rested on Maya’s arm.
    “But you’ve found the rainbow opal,” said Maya. “So everything will be all right, won’t it?”
    Summer opened her hand to reveal the opal necklace and rainbow light burst across the dark room. “I hope so. It’s just … my dad’s story didn’t tell us how the healing powers work or what we have to do.”
    “Try hanging it round his neck,” said Rosalind.
    So Summer carefully looped the chain of the necklace over Custard’s head. The chain was much too long for him. It dangled down so that the shining opallay against his little legs.
    The princesses waited, hardly daring to breathe as they watched the jewel. Kanga flew in through the open window and watched too. The opal turned a deep sapphire blue then changed to pale yellow.
    “Amazing!” whispered Maya. “All the colours of the rainbow one by one.”
    Custard’s nose twitched and he gave a whimper.
    Rosalind frowned. “Nothing’s happening! Why isn’t it working?”
    “Maybe we just need to wait,” said Summer anxiously. “Perhaps it takes time for the opal to make him better.”
    The minutes ticked by. Kanga stayed quiet, watching with beady eyes. Maya sat down on the bed with Custard on her lap. Summer knelt down next to her, staring at the baby koala and hoping fora sign that he felt well again. Custard closed his eyes and his head flopped against Maya’s arm.
    “This is no good,” said Rosalind at last. “We must have done something wrong.”
    Summer pushed her hand through her golden hair. “But how? I just