into a boy and be safe from
this horror until next month. But rather than looking
better for Freddy, things began to look decidedly
worse just then, as the Pukesome Twosome emerged
from the shadows behind the door. They had been
eavesdropping.
'Woof!' Freddy, forgetting his resolution, shot out
from under the bed to order them from the room.
He was snatched up by Chariot and, despite his
nipping and kicking, was dumped roughly into an old
sack.
'Such a fierce wolf, not! More like Dripsy-Wimpsy,' Harriet taunted with delight. 'What a sissy.'
Poor old Freddy snapped and yipped with outrage,
but there was no escape. What a terrible ending to
his Great Night. Not only a poodle and a national
disgrace, but trapped by his archenemies.
C HAPTER F IVE
Moonstone
'Just wait till I'm human again! I'll, I'll ... destructionate
you!' Freddy threatened from his sack. Of course
the twins had no idea what he was woofing.
'Ruffy-tuff-yip-youy?' repeated Chariot, swinging
the sack through the air.
'Don't cry, Dripsy,' taunted Harriet, giving the bag
a bang. 'We won't let Daddy find you.' With a peal of
laughter the twins ran down the spiral stairs. Freddy
was relieved they were not taking him to Uncle Hotspur,
but whatever his cousins were up to, it wasn't friendly.
Anyway, I can't stay here forever. I'll be a boy again
when the sun comes up and then nobody can keep me in a
bag, he remembered thankfully.
'So watch out, because that's when I'll be after you!'
he woofed menacingly at his cousins. 'I'll chase you
right out of Milford.'
'Stop barking, dunderbrain,' warned Harriet. 'Do
you want Daddy to find you?'
Furious but nervous, Freddy kept quiet.
Suddenly Chariot dropped the sack on the floor.
They were in Harriet's bedroom on the first floor of
the main castle.
'Groof!' complained Freddy.
'Shush, dog-breath,' his cousin hissed.
Freddy tried gnawing at the sack but it was no use.
He was well and truly stuck in the smelly old bag.
'Are you sure he has one?' Chariot asked his sister.
'He could be thrown out of the Moonlight Gathering
if they knew.'
'I told you I saw it, didn't I?' she replied.
'Well, go and get it then,' he hissed.
While she was gone, Chariot amused himself by
pinching at Freddy through the cloth of the sack.
When the poodle managed to bite his finger at last, he
wailed and jumped back in surprise.
'Ha-ha-hardy-ha!' Freddy woofed in triumph. 'And
when I get out of this bag, I'll bite your farty backside
too!' Chariot listened nervously to the muffled woofs
until he heard Harriet's rapid footsteps.
'Have you got it? Did he see you? Will it work?' he
asked eagerly.
'Of course it will work, dunderbrain!' she snapped,
and pulled the sack towards herself. Freddy had no
idea what they were talking about, but he didn't like
the sound of it.
Harriet opened the sack and Freddy jumped out in
a flash. Just as he had promised, Freddy immediately
caught Chariot by the backside and bit down as hard
as he could.
'Yyyooooowwwww!' cried the boy, leaping around
the room. Freddy held on tightly, as they raced in a
circle.
'That's it, Charry, hold him,' called Harriet.
She held up a thin chain made of strong metal. A
small white stone shaped like a teardrop dangled from
it like a pendant. In her other hand was a padlock.
Before Freddy knew what was happening, the chain
with the white stone was around his neck and the
padlock fastened tight. Freddy let go of his cousin's
backside in alarm. He shook his head furiously to and
fro but couldn't budge the chain. He tried using his
paw to break it but it was much too strong. He ran to
a mirror and gasped in horror when he saw the small
white stone gleaming back at him. He knew instantly
what it was; all werefolk would have recognised it.
'Moonstone!' howled Freddy in despair.
'Moonstone!' howled the twins in triumph.
This was the most terrible thing that could have
happened to Freddy at that moment. A Moonstone
is a very rare and sacred but dangerous object. Noone,
not