\u201cNo! My dad would never do that! And our car is red! Let’s get out of here, Tuli, I’ll never speak again to this… this\u2026\u201d
\n\u201cE-L-F! Perhaps you would like that in writing? Silly child\u201d.
\n\u201cOh, do shut up!\u201d Tuli shouted. \u201cGembi, does that mean that you saw who set the forest on fire?\u201d
\n\u201cMaybe I did, maybe I didn\u2019t. Maybe I’m just fooling around with you! Why do you care?\u201d
\n\u201cTry to be less nasty for a moment!\u201d Tuli was getting really angry. \u201cLook, everyone’s gone, it\u2019s just you and me now! The evil pig who did this to our forest must be punished! If I don’t find my companions soon\u201d. Tuli’s bottom lip quivered again and she began to cry.
\n\u201cAll right, all right! I’ll tell you everything, just stop crying like a human baby! Unbelievable, you fairies are always being hysterical about something\u201d. Gembi settled himself comfortably on a stone. \u201cSo, this morning a man in a suit and sunglasses came here, in a huge black car. He stopped at the edge of the clearing and unloaded a big pile of rubbish and some tires from the boot. Then he set the pile on fire and drove off in the car\u201d.” “Anne raised her eyebrows.
\n\u201cTell me, Gembi… was this man limping a bit?\u201d
\n\u201cYes, sure he was\u201d.
\n\u201cAnd was his hair in a ponytail?\u201d
\n\u201cNow that you mention it, yes\u201d.
\n\u201cTuli, I know this man! He lives at the other end of our street in that huge house surrounded by that green fence! He\u2019s almost as nasty as you\u201d.
\n\u201cThere you go, I have some ideas about where he should be\u201d. Gembi said in a grumpy voice.
\n\u201cIn prison,\u201d Anne said very seriously. \u201cTuli! You have to come home with me! We can’t go looking for your companions now because my parents are waiting, but I have an idea! We can’t do anything about the parking garage and the mall in the next town, but we can still save this forest, and then your companions can come back!\u201d
\n\u201cCome on, leave it, Anne. Now that my wings are healed, I can fly out on my own to look for them. And Gembi hasn’t had a kind word to say to anyone so far, he can stay here alone\u201d.
\n\u201cNo, Tuli. If I was able to do A in maths, this will be a piece of cake! Jump in my pocket!\u201d” “Anne almost stormed home on her brand-new red scooter with Tuli in her pocket.
\n\u201cMum! Dad!\u201d she burst into the house. \u2013 \u201cWhere are you? Guess what, I know who set the forest on fire!\u201d
\n\u201cAnnie, where have you been for so long?\u201d Mum jumped up from the kitchen table, worried.
\n\u201cDinner is almost ready!\u201d Dad added from the stove: he was cooking pancakes.
\n\u201cThe guy with the pigtail set fire to his rubbish near the clearing, that’s why half the forest burned down! I\u2019m certain of it!\u201d
\n\u201cWhere do you get that from, darling?\u201d Asked Dad in amazement.
\n\u201cI just know, that’s all. He must be reported, and he must be punished! Will you help me?\u201d
\n\u201cWell, but Annie, it’s not that simple… you need evidence, and I read on the internet that the police are investigating already because they even found tires among the rubbish that was set on fire. And burning rubber is even more forbidden than anything else!\u201d
\n\u201cYes, I know, Mum, but believe me, it was him! The… those who were there saw his big black car drive away\u201d.
\n\u201cWho were there? What did they see? What are you talking about, Annie? You must be very upset about all this; you don\u2019t even know what you\u2019re saying anymore\u201d.” “\u201cMum, it was him; I know it! You just have to look at the tires, compare them, they are definitely from one of his cars! It’s an open-and-shut case for the police, I saw it on a TV show. Just report that it was him and they’ll pay him a visit!\u201d
\n\u201cAnnie, we cannot just accuse a man of such serious things. Let the police do their job! Now, you come here and eat\u201d. Dad put three steaming pancakes with jam on a big plate on the table.
\n\u201cI’m going to take this up to my room. And if you won’t help me, I’ll do all by myself!\u201d
\nAnne took the plate, rushed up to her room and locked the door behind her.
\n\u201cCome on Tuli, you’ve never had anything this good before!\u201d
\nTuli climbed out of her pocket and sniffed the pancake. It smelled distinctly good: sweet, a bit greasy, toasty, appetizing, it wasn\u2019t a smell really, but a flavour. She started tasting it.
\n\u201cWow! This really is more delicious than anything I’ve ever had!\u201d Tuli started munching on the jam pancake. \u2013 \u201cBut Anne, if your parents won’t help us, what are we going to do?\u201d
\n\u201cYou’ll see! Now eat. And leave me some, please!\u201d Anne smiled.” “Early the next morning, Tuli woke up to find Anne sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed and looking at her.
\n\u201cI believe that the cot is very comfortable, but now we have to go!\u201d
\n\u201cWhere are we going? What\u2019s the plan?\u201d
\n\u201cThere is a very old phone booth at the end of the street down the block, maybe it still works. I will call the police and make an anonymous report\u201d.
\n\u201cBut why not from your mobile phone? You also called the fire department from that\u201d.
\n\u201cBecause they would immediately find out that it was me, stupid! What would I say if the police came here to question me? That a tiny, grey-bearded, grumpy elf saw him drive away from the scene?\u201d
\n\u201cRight\u201d.
\nTuli had already climbed into Anne’s pocket.
\n\u201cMum, Dad! I’m off for a rollerblade ride, I’ll be back soon!\u201d Anne shouted back from the front door.
\nMum poked her head out of the living room.
\n\u201cWithout breakfast?\u201d
\n\u201cI’m just going for a little spin, then we can have breakfast! I must try the scooter on a downhill!\u201d Anne said in a hurry.
\n\u201cAll right, just take care of yourself\u201d.
\n\u201cSure thing!\u201d Anne shouted from the street and headed towards Crescent Way just next to Lavender Street.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1220,"template":"","class_list":["post-1222","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n