The Wide-Awake Princess by E. D. Baker Read Free Book Online Page B

so that the children could lie down. “There you go,” she said, helping Clara onto the makeshift bed. “That’s much better than sleeping on the ground outside. Here, I found this.” She handed the little girl a doll.
    The doll’s clothes were soiled and it was missing one arm, but Clara looked as if she’d been given a treasure. Her entire face lit up and she took the doll, clutching itto her chest. Her eyelids were drifting shut when Annie covered her with an old cloak, and she was asleep before Annie kissed her on the cheek.
    “So much for a bedtime story,” Annie murmured. “Tomas,” she said, looking up. “I need to talk to you.”
    Tomas followed her to the other side of the loft, picking his way just as quietly around the baskets. “I read some of those hearts,” Annie whispered. “Granny Bent-bone is not a good person. She means to hurt us if we stay here. We have to leave at first light.”
    “Why don’t we leave now?” asked Tomas.
    “Where would we go? It isn’t safe in the woods at night. We’ll be fine here until morning. Granny Bent-bone can’t climb a ladder with that cane. Besides, there’s something I have to do after she goes to sleep.”
    “I’ll go with you.”
    Annie shook her head. “I need you to stay here and take care of Clara. She’d be frightened if she woke up and found that she was alone. You should lie down and rest. I’ll be back before you know it.”
    “What if you aren’t?” Tomas asked, his voice wavering.
    “Then you take Clara out of here as soon as you hear the birds singing outside and run as far from this cottage as you can. But don’t worry. I promise I’ll be back.”
    Tomas didn’t look as if he believed her, so after tucking him in beside Clara, Annie assured him again, then didn’t leave until he had fallen asleep as well.
    When it had been quiet downstairs for some time, Annie crept to the trapdoor and lifted it ever so slowly. The only light came from the fire in the fireplace and a candle that Granny Bentbone had forgotten to blow out. No one was there, so Annie climbed down the ladder, pausing at each rung to listen for even the smallest sound.
    Picking up the candle, she tiptoed to the door marked “Cages” and took a deep breath. Annie opened the door a crack. When she didn’t hear anything, she pushed it wider and exhaled in a sigh of relief. There were four big cages in the room and all of them were empty.
    Annie closed the door just as quietly as she had opened it and turned to face the room. There were so many candy hearts and she had no idea how much time she had. Although it was hours until daylight, if the old woman was a light sleeper, she might not have much time at all.
    While the candle burned lower, Annie crept around the room, reading the candy hearts. Most of them were reminders to Granny Bentbone to keep herself clean and fed, but a few mentioned recipes and the location of certain pots and pans. Annie took these down and crushed them. When she’d read all of the hearts, she crossed to the cupboard and began looking for the cookbook. She found a box of blank candy hearts first, along with a small pot of icing and a quill pen. Taking them out of the cupboard, she carried them to the table andsat down. It didn’t take her long to write her own messages on the candy hearts.
    Do not eat meat. It makes you bloated.
Eat vegetables, pastries, and candy.
They will make you happy.
    If children come to your door, give them
food and send them on their way.
    A rat is not a dog. Do not feed the rats!
    When she finished, Annie used the icing to stick the hearts to the walls where she’d already taken others down. After putting away the rest of the hearts as well as the pot of icing and the pen, she continued rifling through the cupboard and found the cookbook behind a cracked clay pitcher.
    Annie didn’t want to touch the book, but she knew what she had to do. Crinkling her mouth with distaste, she picked up the cookbook and carried