Unicorn School by Linda Chapman

PUFFIN BOOKS
    Unicorn School
    First Class Friends
    Willow started to back up when a strong wind seemed to blow up from nowhere. It swept into her, knocking her off her feet.
    â€˜Willow!’ she heard Sapphire gasp from behind her.
    The wind swept Willow straight towards the edge of the cliff. ‘Help!’ she whinnied in alarm.
    Linda Chapman lives in Leicestershire with her family and two Bernese mountain dogs. She used to be a stage manager in the theatre. When she is not writing she spends her time looking after her two young daughters, horse riding and teaching drama. You can find out more about Linda on her website lindachapman.co.uk or visit mysecretunicorn.co.uk
    Books by Linda Chapman
    BRIGHT LIGHTS
    CENTRE STAGE
    MY SECRET UNICORN series
    NOT QUITE A MERMAID series
    STARDUST series
    UNICORN SCHOOL series
    (
Titles in reading order
)
    FIRST CLASS FRIENDS
    THE SURPRISE PARTY
    Unicorn School
    First Class Friends

    Linda Chapman
Illustrated by Ann Kronheimer

    PUFFIN
    PUFFIN BOOKS
    Published by the Penguin Group
    Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC 2 R 0 RL , England
    Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
    Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M 4 P 2 Y 3 (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
    Penguin Ireland, 25 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd)
    Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd)
    Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi – 110 017, India
    Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd)
    Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
    Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC 2 R 0 RL , England
    puffinbooks.com
    First published 2007
1
    Text copyright © Working Partners Ltd, 2007
Illustrations copyright © Ann Kronheimer, 2007
All rights reserved
    The moral right of the author and illustrator has been asserted
    EISBN : 978–0–141–90153–4
    To Charlotte, Beatrix and Damaris Ambery
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    Contents
    Chapter One
Unicorn School
    Chapter Two
Making Friends
    Chapter Three
Watch Out!
    Chapter Four
Storm to the Rescue
    Chapter Five
No Good at Flying
    Chapter Six
The Silver Horseshoe
    Chapter Seven
Oriel’s Dare
    Chapter Eight
Trapped!
    Â 

Chapter One Unicorn School
    Are we nearly there?’ Willow, the small snow-white unicorn, whinnied eagerly as she and her parents cantered across a meadow of lush green grass in Arcadia.
    Willow’s mum, a beautiful light grey unicorn called Stardust, nodded. ‘It’s just round the next corner.’
    Willow plunged forward in excitement.
    â€˜There’s no rush, Willow!’ her dad called. ‘The gates won’t be open yet.’
    With an impatient snort, Willow slowed to a trot. She couldn’t wait to get to Unicorn School! All the young unicorns in Arcadia went to boarding school when they were nine. At school they learnt how to fly properly and how to use their horns to do magic things like casting charms, healing wounds and seeing into the future.
It’s going to be great fun
, Willow thought.
    She and her parents trotted up a hill. As they reached the top, Willow stopped dead and stared. The schooland its grounds were spread out in the valley below.
    â€˜Oh, wow!’ Willow breathed.
    Unicorn School was an enormous castle with big golden gates and several pointed turrets. Its pearly-white walls glimmered and purple flowers with gold spots on their petals dotted the grass around it. Five tall elves with pointed ears were standing in front of the golden gates. They were wearing sparkling silver uniforms. Unicorns swooped down from the sky, their horns glittering and their long manes and tails