The sun in Candy Land was a giant, warm lemon that smiled down on the land of sweet treats. The grass tasted like mint, the rivers flowed with chocolate milk, and the trees were made of soft, fluffy cotton candy. Today was a very special day. Today was the day of the Great Gummy Gumdrop Race!
Every animal in the land was waking up with a big yawn and a happy wiggle. But everyone knew that no one was going to win this year. Not yet. The winner would need a special friend to help them reach the finish line.
"I can't wait!" squeaked Pip. He was a little hedgehog with spines that looked like tiny marshmallows. He was wearing goggles that were actually two bright orange candy wrappers. "Me neither!" chirped Lily. She was a bumblebee with wings that sparkled like sprinkles. She wore a pink tutu made of spun sugar. "But remember the rules," said Barnaby. He was an old tortoise with a shell painted to look like a giant chocolate cookie. He carried a clipboard made of a wafer cookie. "What rules, Barnaby?" asked Pip, adjusting his goggles. "Rule number one: You must fly on a flying carpet to get across the Gumdrop Glacier. Rule number two: You must share your sugar with the other racers." "Sharing is sharing!" Lily buzzed happily. She loved to share. "I have the best carpet!" Pip said, puffed up with pride. He tugged on a piece of fabric floating just above his head. It was a bright green carpet made of bubblegum. It smelled like strawberries. "That is very nice, Pip," Barnaby said gently. He looked at his own feet. He didn't have a carpet. He had a tiny, sad-looking cloud of dust. "Oh no!" cried Lily. She flew down and looked at Barnaby. "Barnaby, you can't cross the Glacier without a carpet. You will get very cold!" "I know," said Barnaby, his voice a little wobbly. "Don't worry, Barnaby!" Pip said. He looked at the shiny blue carpet hanging on the tree branch nearby. It was a deep blue color with white stars on it. "It looks like the sky carpet!" "Can I borrow it for a little while?" Pip asked politely. "If you can help me cross the Glacier, then I will let you use it," Barnaby said. "Deal!" said Lily. She flew up to the tree and gently pushed the blue carpet down. "Thank you!" Pip said. He carefully climbed onto the blue carpet. It felt soft and smooth under his paws. "Now, hold on tight," Barnaby said. He stood on the edge of the carpet and gently pushed it. "Whoosh!" Pip gasped. The carpet lifted off the ground. It floated over the minty grass and toward the Gumdrop Glacier. "Look at that!" Lily buzzed. She followed behind, carrying a bag of honey. "We are almost there," Barnaby said. His eyes twinkled. "This is amazing!" Pip shouted. The wind felt like cool mint. "Hold on, Pip!" Lily warned. She saw something in the distance.
Suddenly, the sky turned a funny purple color. A big, fluffy cloud rolled in, but it wasn't a normal cloud. It had eyes! And it was chasing the racers!
"Oh no!" Pip yelled. The cloud moved faster than a hummingbird. "It's the Grumble Cloud!" Barnaby said. He looked very serious. "The Grumble Cloud makes things grumble. If it touches us, we will all turn into fudge!" "We can't let that happen!" Lily said. She flew ahead to try and distract the cloud. "Hey! Over here!" she buzzed. "That won't work," Pip said. The cloud just ignored Lily and kept coming right for the blue carpet. "We need to go faster!" Barnaby said. "But I can't go faster!" Pip cried. The carpet felt a little heavy. "Wait!" Lily had an idea. She flew back to Pip and Barnaby. "Barnaby, do you have any chocolate chips?" she asked. "Yes, I have a bag of my favorite chocolate chips." Barnaby opened his cookie-shell pocket. "And Pip, do you have any strawberry seeds?" she asked. "Yes! I have a jar of them." Pip opened his small backpack. "Then we are ready!" Lily said. She tossed a chocolate chip into the air. "Now!" Barnaby said. He threw his chocolate chip. "Now!" Pip shouted. He threw his strawberry seed.
The chocolate chip and the strawberry seed floated up into the air. They met in the middle and sparkled. Suddenly, they turned into a big, bright balloon. The balloon floated right in front of the Grumble Cloud.
"Look!" Pip cheered. The balloon was glowing so bright that the Grumble Cloud stopped. "It's blinded the cloud!" Lily laughed. "We have to get across the Glacier now!" Barnaby said. "Hold on tight!" Pip said. He pushed the blue carpet harder. "Whoosh!" The carpet zoomed over the icy water. "We did it!" Lily buzzed. They were almost at the other side.
Just as they landed on the safe, sugary grass on the other side of the Glacier, the ground began to shake. A rumble went through the earth. The trees started to wiggle.
"What is happening?" Pip asked. He looked at the ground. "I don't know," Barnaby said. He looked at his clipboard. "Maybe it's another racer?" Lily suggested. "No," Pip said. He looked at the horizon. He saw a new carpet coming. It was a purple carpet with gold stars on it. "That's a new carpet!" Pip said. "And it's not flying high," Barnaby said. "It's hovering right above the ground!" Lily said. "Who is that?" Pip asked. "I don't know," Barnaby said. "Wait!" Pip said. The purple carpet stopped right in front of them. A small mouse popped out of the carpet. "Hello!" the mouse squeaked. "Hello there," Barnaby said. "Where are you going?" Lily asked. "But you are just starting!" Pip said. "You can use our carpet!" Pip offered. "Wait," Barnaby said. He looked at the ground again. "The ground is shaking more," Barnaby said. "What is shaking?" Pip asked. "I don't know," Barnaby said. He looked at the sky. "Look up!" Lily said.
The sky was changing again. The purple color was gone, and now there were tiny, twinkling lights appearing in the clouds. They looked like fireflies, but they were moving in a circle.
"Are they stars?" Pip asked. "No," Barnaby said. He adjusted his glasses. "They are... candy dust!" "Candy dust?" Lily asked. "Yes," Barnaby said. He pointed at the lights. "They are forming a path!" "A path?" Pip said. He looked at the lights. "They are leading us somewhere new!" "I don't know," Barnaby said. He looked at the map. "But I think it is to the Sweetest Place in the World." "The Sweetest Place?" Pip said. "I've never heard of it!" Lily said. "But the race is not over!" Pip said. "The race is over," Barnaby said. He smiled. "The race is over when we find the new adventure." "A new adventure?" Pip said. "I love a new adventure!" Lily said. She buzzed her wings. "Whoosh!" Pip said. He pushed the carpet forward. "Follow the lights!" Barnaby said. "Let's follow the lights!" Pip said.
The blue carpet flew up into the air, following the twinkling path of candy dust. The Grumble Cloud was gone, and the shaking ground had stopped. The sun was setting, painting the sky in colors of pink and orange. The three racers and the little mouse were ready for anything.
"I wonder what we will find," Pip said. "I wonder if we will find a place with caramel rivers," Barnaby said. "I wonder if we will find a castle made of licorice," Lily said. "Whatever it is, I am ready!" Pip said. "Me too," Barnaby said. "And me!" Lily said.
The carpet flew higher and higher, leaving the minty grass and the chocolate rivers behind. They flew into the twinkling path of lights, ready to discover the Sweetest Place in the World. The adventure was just beginning, and the candy dust was waiting for them.
