eah madelinehatter eb tx tcm571-109583

7/27/2019 EAH MadelineHatter EB TX Tcm571-109583

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MadelineHattesStor

LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANYNew York Boson

BY SHANNON HALE


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1

MadelineHatterwasintHeencHanted-Forest by sunrise, the best time o day toind charm blossoms. The vibrant pink lowers

bloomed only in the morning, twirling on their

stems toward the rising sun. Maddie added a ew to

her basket o wild peppermint, chamomile lowers,and dragon scales. A white rabbit paused nearby,

sniing some clover.

How are you this sunny, shiny morning? Maddie

asked.

The rabbit sniled and hopped away without a

word. Maddie shook her head. The rabbits o Ever

M


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Ater were just so impolite! Not even a how do you

do or an Im late! I must be hopping! And since

leaving Wonderland, Maddie had yet to see a single

rabbit wearing so much as a bow tie. Rabbits lookedpractically naked without bow ties.

Curiouser and curiouser. Maddie supposed she

would never totally understand this nonsensical

world outside Wonderland.

She hurried out o the orest, across the oot-

bridge, around the grounds o Ever Ater High,

and back into the Village o Book End. Ater a lazysummer, the main street o Book End was positively

crowded. Tomorrow began a new school year at Ever

Ater High, a boarding school or the teenage sons

and daughters o airytales. The irst-year students

arrived a day early in order to shop or clothes at the

Gingerbread Boutique, shoes at the Glass Slipper,

and MirrorPhones and MirrorPads at the MirrorStore. They wandered in groups or in pairs, but a ew

walked alone.

Just a year ago, Maddie had been one o the alone

ones. Although shed arrived in Book End with her

ather, a great deal o hats, and her pet dormouse,

Earl Grey, shed elt the absence o a good riend.

She checked her watch.

Twenty-two hours, orty-seven minutes, and

eighteen seconds to go! she said to hersel. Not long

until her best riends till The End, Raven Queen andCedar Wood, would return to Ever Ater High. At

last! They both lived ar, ar away, and calls on the

MirrorPhone just werent the same as a riend by

your side.

Maddie tried to turn the absence o her riends

into something positivemissing them made her

even more excited to start her second year!The second year was Legacy Yearwhen the stu-

dents would sign the Storybook o Legends and

magically bind themselves to reliving their parents

airytales. Maddie couldnt wait. Who wouldnt want

to ollow in her athers hat-tastic ootsteps?

When Maddie opened the door to the Mad Hatter

o Wonderlands Haberdashery & Tea Shoppe, ahiss o steam escaped, smelling o sugarplum bis-

cuits and hot sweet tea. The place was crowded with

irst-year students taking a break rom shopping.

Teapots rattled and whistled on every table, creating

a kind o music that made Maddie want to throw

o her shoes and dance.


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4 5

But irst, she removed her tiny teacup hat and put

on a basket hat bursting with live lowers. The price

tag dangled rakishly over her orehead. She and

her dad had made it a rule to always wear the mer-chandise.

Doors o dierent sizes and colors climbed up all

the walls. A bright yellow door on the ceiling opened,

and her ather leaned down. While Maddies mint-

green hair was streaked with purple around her ace,

her athers was mint green streaked with white.

Even upside down, his huge orange polka-dottedtop hat remained irmly on his large head.

Success? asked the Mad Hatter.

Maddie nodded, holding up her basket o lowers

and scales.

Tea-riic, he said.

He ell out the door, landing on a huge cushion

on the loor. He hopped up and, in his stockingedeet, leaped like a gazelle through the shop and into

the kitchen. Maddie was about to ollow when a girl

beside her said, Excuse me.

Her hair was red, and her cheeks were dusted with

light brown reckles. She had a mouth that seemed

to want to smile, but or some reason her lips were

tight. I have been standing here or two entire min-

utes waiting or a seat.

Oh! said Maddie. Im so sorry. I think theres

been some kind o misunderstanding. She leanedcloser and whispered helpully, The seats here dont

come to you. You have to walk over to them.

The girls mouth gaped as i she was insulted.

Maddie nodded sympathetically.

I agree, Maddie said. Ive oten thought that

chairs that come to you are a hexcellent idea. Alas,

it cant be helped. Ever Ater chairs have our goodlegs, but they just reuse to use them!

The girl sputtered, I dont know what youre talk-

ing about.

I eel the same way all the time! said Maddie.

Especially on an upside-down kind o day like

today. Its a last day and also a irst daylast day o

summer, your irst day in Book End. Last day beoreschool starts, irst day o a new chapter. Its enough

to make a girl eel like shes sitting on her head!

Again, the girl seemed to want to smile but didnt.

Maddie wondered what possible reason anyone could

have or holding back a smile.

I you havent the manners to show me to a seat,


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Ill do it mysel. With a hu, the girl stalked over

to an unoccupied table and yelled back to Maddie, I

want a cup o tea!

Tea-riic! said Maddie. Dad has some lovelybrews pipping and piping todayspritzle-izzle

tea, milklower tea, chocolate-rhubarb-pumpkin-

raspberry-dragon-ire tea

Regular tea, said the girl. Thats what I drink at

home, so thats what Ill have here.

But

Im Clara Lear, you know.Maddie stared blankly.

Clara Lear sighed. Why doesnt anyone know

my tale? My ather is King Lear, and one day Ill be

queen, so bring me what I ordered!

Er . . . regular tea isnt the sort o thing we brew,

said Maddie. Why, in Wonderland, the very idea o

regular tea would make people laugh and laugh ordays!

Maddie smiled. Clara Lear did not.

Are we in Wonderland? Clara asked.

The question shocked Maddie into silence.

I didnt think so, said Clara. And a good thing,

too. From what I know o Wonderland, its just a

kingdom ull o nonsense and singing and useless-

ness. I you dont brew regular tea in Wonderland,

then thats deinitely the kind I want.

Maddie just nodded and let, trying not to thinktoo much about the horrible things Clara had said

about her home.

Just like in the shop, the walls in the kitchen were

covered with doors. The tea cupboard door was

painted as pink as an elephant and was just as large.

But the moment Maddie put her hand on the knob,

the cupboard shrank to book-size.There it goes again, Dad! she called.

What, is that teakettle singing? he called back

rom inside a copper door. Im certain theres just

something inside it. Possibly a singing erret. Or a

singing bat. But deinitely something that sings.

No, the tea cupboard is shrinking.

Ah, yes, said the Mad Hatter. He emerged romthe copper door, two jars o honey in his arms. A ew

at bees buzzed around his head. Having another

identity crisis. I can understand that. Is it a cup? Or

a board? Excellent questions, both!

Maddie opened the cupboard door and reached in

her hand. She seemed to remember spying a packet


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o regular tea in the back o the cupboard once, but

her arm wasnt long enough to reach. Arms could be

inconveniently short at times. So much trouble or

regular tea!Her ather squinted down at the cupboard through

his glasses.

Can you manage to get inside it, Maddie, my

girl?

I think I could almost get my head in, said

Maddie.

Wonderlandiul! said her ather.O course, my head wont be much use without

my shoulders.

And the rest o you, too, I suppose. Yes, youre

right. Having this and that attached to our heads

does complicate things.

Then her ather did something extraordinary.

Maddie laughed. You rowned! she said.Her ather snickered. I did, didnt I? What an

upside-down day.

So they both went over to the mirror on the wall,

rowning and laughing at themselves and then trying

to rown again. It was an excellent game, but it was

soon interrupted by Clara shouting rom her table.

I I cant get any service here, Ill just give up on

tea altogether and go elsewhere!

Give up on tea? Give up on tea? Maddie had never

heard o such a ridiculous idea in her lie.Earl Grey! Maddie called.

Her pet dormouse stuck his head out o a kettle,

where he had been humming Twinkle, Twinkle,

Little Shrew.

Earl Grey, you sweetie little mousey, you, will

you go on a bold and brave mouse quest?

Moments later Earl Grey returned rom insidethe cupboard (which was neither a cup nor a board)

triumphant, with a packet o tea in his paws.

Thank you, Sir Mouse! she said. He solemnly

removed his top hat and bowed, and Maddie knighted

him by touching each o his urry shoulders with a

teaspoon. Earl Grey liked to be knighted exactly six

times each day.Maddie tore open the paper packet o regular

tea and looked at the sad gray bag. It smelled like

dirt. And not even nice, warm brown dirt ull o

at, healthy worms and interesting bits o sparkly

stones. No, like dusty dirt, the kind that was good

or nothing but sweeping away.


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10 1 1

Maddie rowned even though she wasnt looking in

a mirror. This couldnt be what Clara Lear honestly

wantedor needed.

Maddie peeked through the kitchen door. Allthe tables were illed with groups o kids talking

and laughing. But Clara sat alone, back sti, eyes

straight ahead. Maddie remembered her own loneli-

ness beore meeting Raven and Cedar. Just thinking

about her riends made Maddie smile.

And suddenly she understood Clara Lears tight

lips. Maddie dropped the regular tea in the dustbinand went to etch the brightest, happiest teapot she

could ind.

Finally, said Clara as Maddie brought the pot to

her table.

Its not exactly what you ordered, said Maddie.

But I ind on an upside-down kind o day, when

your belly is ull o thoughts and your head isull o butterlies, nothing quite puts things right

like charm blossom tea. Watch . . . She poured the

lavender-colored tea into Claras cup. When you

talk, the tea . . . The liquid began to stir on its own,

rippling and spinning, pale lavender blending into

peach and then orange. It listens to your voice and

becomes just the lavor you need.

Clara seemed too shocked to speak.

Maddie sat in the chair beside Clara, rested herchin on her hands, and smiled. I started Ever Ater

High last year, and I elt like the last teaspoon in the

drawer. But then I met my best riend orever ater,

Raven Queen, and everything was as okay as pump-

kin in pie. It will be or you, too. Especially since I

put in extra honey.

Claras posture slumped, just a little, and shelooked into her cup o tea. But my destiny isnt a

very nice one, you know, even i I will be a queen.

I become quite mean when Im old, and what i the

people at school dont like my airytale, or my red

hair, or me . . . ?

As she spoke, the tea turned a deep, deep purple.

Clara lited the cup and sipped. Her eyebrows rose.The truth was, Maddie greatly enjoyed the upside-

down kind o days. Especially because they always

seemed to include a cup o warm tea with a great deal

o honey.

The bell at the door rang, and a dark-haired girl


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with blue wings entered, clutching her hands, her

eyes nervously taking in the scene.

Over here! Maddie waved. Clara Lear has

room at her table, and an entire pot o charm blossomtea.

But . . . Clara looked at Maddie, at the winged

girl sitting down beside her, and again at Maddie.

Suddenly her lips seemed to know what to do. They

smiled. Well need scones, then, and a pot o airy-

berry jam.

Coming right up! said Maddie.Maddie skipped back to the kitchen, where her

ather thrust a cup in her hands.

A new brew, he said, taking the scones and jam

out to the table himsel. Fortune-teller tea. Give it

a sip!

The liquid was pink and smelled o strawberries,

but when Maddie drank it, the lavor was deepand a little bitter, ollowed by a sudden burst o

sweetness.

Her ather returned. Well? he asked.

It started out as black licorice and then melted

into butterscotch, she said.

Oh, my girl, the tea is telling you that this is the

year to keep your ear to the ground and listen or

surprises. Change is coming!

Maddies stomach was ull o thoughts and her

head ull o butterlies. She checked her watch again.She couldnt wait or it all to begin.


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ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

New York Times bestselling author SHANNON HALE

knew at age ten that it was her destiny to become

a writer. She has quested deep into airy tales in

such enchanting books as The Goose Girl, Book of a

Thousand Days, Rapunzels Revenge, and Newbery

Honor recipient Princess Academy. With the princelyand valiant writer Dean Hale, Shannon coauthored

our charming children, who are ree to ollow their

own destinies. Just so long as they get to bed on time.


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THEENDISONLYTHEBEGINNING.

Dont miss these exciting storiesfrom other students at Ever After High,

available as original ebook exclusives!

Raven Queens Stor

Appe Whtes StorBia Beautys Stor

As lnn Eas StorHunte Huntsmans Stor

SCHOOL IS IN SESSION ATEVER AFTER HIGH!

The story continues in The Storybook of Legends,coming October 8, 2013.

Available however books are sold.

You ow n far tae stats now!WWW.EVERAFTERHIGH.COM

This book is a work o fction. Names, characters, places, and

incidents are the product o the authors imagination or are usedfctitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons,

living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright 2013 by Mattel, Inc.

Cover 2013 Mattel, Inc.

All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Acto 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing o any

part o this book without the permission o the publisher is

unlawul piracy and thet o the authors intellectual property.

I you would like to use material rom the book (other than or

review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained bycontacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you

or your support o the authors rights.

Little, Brown and Company

Hachette Book Group237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017

www.lb-kids.com

Little, Brown and Company is a division o

Hachette Book Group, Inc.The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks o

Hachette Book Group, Inc.

The publisher is not responsible or websites (or their content)

that are not owned by the publisher.

First ebook edition: September 2013

ISBN 978-0-316-36465-2

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