Shamrock's Cursed Hoof Read online

  For lovers of sparkles, rainbows, and magic

  1 Greenhouse Greetings

  Shamrock felt the spring air brush his cheek as he made his way across the Friendly Fields of Unicorn University. The tall grasses swayed, and the few clouds in the sky looked like huge wispy feathers. It was a chilly afternoon, and his glasses clouded over as he breathed. He wondered why his lenses always fogged up like that in the cold, and he made a mental note to look it up in the library later.

  Science was always Shamrock’s favorite subject at Unicorn University. He loved studying and learning about the ways things worked, even out of the classroom. Potions had to be his favorite class of all, though—he loved following each step in the process to create something magical. But it was a new semester, and instead of Potions class, he had Garden Science. He and his classmates would learn all about magical plants in the five kingdoms—and how to grow them! Shamrock was really excited. He had read the textbook, Gardening 101, last night and couldn’t wait to start studying different plants.

  Once he reached the edge of the Friendly Fields, Shamrock found himself at the greenhouse, where Garden Science class was held. The structure looked like a house made of big glass windows, even on the roof. Shamrock had read in his textbook that the windows let lots of sunshine in during the day and then trapped the heat inside after sunset, when the air outside cooled down.

  He pushed open the door and felt like he was entering another world. The air was warm and a little sticky, and the whole room smelled like soil. Which made sense, as there were plants growing everywhere! Different kinds of plants of every size and color and shape, from a crinkly-leafed fern to a bright pink sunflower.

  Looking around, Shamrock realized he was the first student there. He always like to be early on the first day so he could pick his spot and get ready. Searching around the room, he found the perfect table in the corner. It was big—perfect for him and his three best friends—and seemed like the cleanest one, although there were still a few clumps of dirt and empty pots scattered about. Shamrock thought back to his Potions class, with its clean tables and shelves of glass bottles with their neat labels. He had to admit, he liked his neat Potions classroom better. Shamrock liked to be organized, and there was something about this messy greenhouse that made him feel a little squirmy.

  As Shamrock settled in, other students started to arrive, and soon the greenhouse was filled with the sounds of unicorns chatting and laughing. Shamrock’s friends Comet, Sapphire, and Twilight came in and sat by him.

  “Wow,” Twilight said softly. She was gazing around in awe. “This place is magical. I wonder if this is how fairies feel in gardens.” With a hoof that was painted bright green, she pointed to some of the bigger plants that hung from the ceiling. Her green hoof stood out against her jet-black coat but blended into the plants all around them. Shamrock wondered if she’d chosen to paint her hooves green just for Garden Science class.

  “I know what you mean!” Comet said. “It feels like we shrank down to tiny unicorns. A lot of these plants are bigger than us!” Comet whipped her short, cropped mane around to look behind her—almost knocking a potted plant down in the process.

  Sapphire reached a bright blue hoof over to catch the pot just in time and pushed it back onto its table.

  She chuckled. “I have no idea what you guys are talking about. But it is cool in here!”

  Shamrock was with Sapphire. Comet and Twilight were the artists in their group and sometimes spoke in their own dreamy language. Twilight was a painter, and Comet was an artist at baking pastries.

  “I’m pretty excited about this class,” Twilight told them. “Growing up on a farm, I learned a lot from my parents about gardening, so I feel… well, I guess I feel confident?”

  Comet laughed. “Yay, Twilight! You totally should. You’re the only one in our stable who has kept a plant alive in her stall. You’ll be great.”

  Shamrock nodded in agreement. He was happy to see his friend feeling so confident. Twilight could be shy, and she didn’t always believe in herself as much as she should.

  “Well, actually…” Peppermint, a snow-white unicorn with a red-and-white-striped mane, leaned over from her table to theirs. “I heard that the garden professor is super scary and loves pop quizzes!”

  Shamrock smiled. “That would be all right! I’ve already studied the intro to gardening book the professor assigned. I would ace any quiz.”

  “I love that attitude!” The whole class turned to where a dark green unicorn stood in the corner of the greenhouse. Her horn was covered in dirt, and there were leaves tangled in her long green mane. At first glance she looked like another one of the plants! Shamrock wondered how long she had been there without anyone noticing. He felt embarrassed about bragging now.

  The dark green unicorn stepped into the light. The whole class could see she was smiling wide. Shamrock thought she seemed friendly, but with all that dirt he didn’t think she looked much like a scientist. His potions professor always wore a clean white lab coat.

  “I’m Professor Grub,” she told the class. “And I hope by the end of this class you’ll all love the magic of gardening as much as I do.” On the table in front of her was a jar filled with what looked like hundreds of pebbles of different shapes and sizes. She pushed the jar over so the pebbles spilled onto the wooden table. Using her hoof, she spread them out. Shamrock realized that they were seeds, and that each one was different. Some were big and round, but some were so tiny that you had to squint to see them. “Each one of these seeds has the potential to grow into something amazing. They are filled with magic—and we can help that magic flourish by planting and caring for them. That is what garden science is all about.”

  Shamrock tilted his head, feeling puzzled. This was not the way he was used to talking about science. But as he looked around, he saw that most of the class was inspired by her words. Everyone was smiling and looking at the tiny pebbles as if they were fairy dust. Comet and Twilight were especially entranced.

  “For your first homework assignment,” Professor Grub started to say next, “I want you each to find a seed you’d like to grow over the next few months. Think about your own life and interests, what kind of flower you would want to grow, and why.”

  Homework was something Shamrock enjoyed, but growing something already? Didn’t they need to learn more first?

  Shamrock’s classmates started excitedly talking to one another about what kind of plants they’d like to grow. To his right, Sapphire was mentioning aloe, and Comet seemed set on daisies. But Shamrock scrunched his eyebrows, feeling a little worried. Had he missed an assignment? He hadn’t studied seeds yet. He had focused on the parts of a plant and the climate they lived in here in Sunshine Springs. So how could he know which would be the perfect seed to grow?

  Shamrock worried he was already behind. This was a new feeling, and he did not like it one bit.

  2 Super Seeds

  When the hour was up, Shamrock followed his friends out of the greenhouse. He breathed in the cool spring air, which made him feel a little better. It was muggy in that greenhouse. Maybe that was why he was feeling confused.

  “What does everyone want to plant?” Twilight asked. The wind swirled around, making her long black mane blow in the wind.

  “I was thinking of growing this plant my grandmother always used to grow,” Sapphire told them. “When you cut it open, you can use the special goo inside to help heal cuts. I’ve been learning a new hoofball move, and I keep falling and getting scrapes. I’ve been wishing I had some of it around!”

  Shamrock adjusted his bag and couldn’t help but feel jealous. That was a really cool idea!

  “I was reading a cookbook the other night for fun—” Comet started to say, but she stopped when all her friends began laughing. They could never understand how someone could read a cookbook for fun! Comet grinned and waved them away with her hoof. “Anyway, I was reading the cookbook, and a recipe said you could decorate a cake with these edible flowers. What if I grew flowers for the baking competition? That would wow the judges for sure!”

  That was a really good idea too! Comet had won a baking competition against Glitterhorn College, and now she was getting ready for an even bigger baking competition at the capital. If Shamrock were a judge, he would be impressed by a baker growing their very own decorations.

  “I love that,” Twilight said. “There are some plants you can turn into dye for paints, too. I’ve been working on a painting of the Spotlight Flowers. I wonder if I could grow one and then make a dye out of it!”

  Shamrock was so impressed by his friends. They had already thought of awesome plants to grow. But he couldn’t think of anything. What would show off his science skills best? What would get him an A+? He had no idea.

  Shamrock always had great ideas for class projects. He didn’t know why Garden Science felt so different.

  “What about you, Shamrock?” Twilight asked.

  Shamrock felt his cheeks get red. Not wanting to admit that he was feeling stumped, he just said, “It’s going to be a surprise! My plant is going to be something no one has ever seen before. It’s really special.” A little knot grew in his stomach. He didn’t like lying to his friends. But they expected him to be awesome at everything involving science, and he didn’t want to let them down.

  “Leave it to Shamrock!” Comet said.

  “I can’t wait to see it!” Twilight told him.

  Shamrock felt the knot in his stomach grow even bigger. He tried to
make himself feel better by telling himself that he really would find the perfect surprise seed. Once he found it, he wouldn’t be lying anymore!

  “I’m going to head to the library to get started on research for the project,” Shamrock said as he broke off from the group and turned toward the glittering library. “I’ll see you all later!”

  As he trotted off, Shamrock told himself that he had a good plan. It would all come together in the library. Things always made sense there.

  3 Dr. Mush

  Shamrock? Shamrock?”

  Shamrock lifted his horn to see Professor Jazz, the librarian, staring back at him. Looking around the library, Shamrock realized that the whole place was empty. Only Shamrock and his stacks of gardening books were left.

  “What time is it?” Shamrock asked.

  “Time to get out of here!” Professor Jazz told him with a smile. “I rang the closing bell, but you just slept right through it! Which is impressive. The bell is pretty loud, and a hundred unicorns all walking on the library’s crystal floors sound like a thunderstorm. I’m glad I caught you on my walk-through, or you would have been stuck here all night.”

  Shamrock blinked at the librarian with surprise. Then, looking at his stack of books, he felt his heart drop. He had looked through the whole gardening section and still hadn’t found the perfect amazing plant that he had promised his friends.

  “What are you looking for?” Professor Jazz asked. “Maybe I can help.”

  “It’s for Garden Science,” Shamrock explained. “I need to find the perfect seed. It has to be something no one has ever heard of before. It needs to be extraordinary!”

  Professor Jazz nodded his head, his long shaggy mane swaying with each nod. Then he looked up with a sparkle in his eye. “I think I have just the right book!”

  Shamrock wasn’t so sure. “I’ve already looked through all your gardening books, Professor. I didn’t find what I was looking for.”

  “Oh, but this is not a gardening book. It’s a journal!”

  Shamrock was confused. Was Professor Jazz not listening? He needed information on plants! Not someone’s journal!

  “Wait right here.” Professor Jazz turned quickly and disappeared down one of the rows of books. When he came back, a book was hanging from his horn by its ring. The book was small and thin, and the cover looked a little dirty. Shamrock didn’t think it looked very impressive.

  “Don’t judge a book by its cover!” Professor Jazz told Shamrock upon seeing the look on his face. “This is the journal of Dr. Mush, a world-renowned plant scientist and gnome who lives right here in Sunshine Springs. In fact, he lives in the gnome village not too far from Unicorn University and often comes to visit for a cup of tea! We’re old friends, and I can tell you he is brilliant and knows more about rare plants than anyone else in the five kingdoms. This journal was a gift from him. I’m sure you’ll find some inspiration in it.”

  Shamrock’s heart soared. This seemed like just what he needed! Now that he’d heard Professor Jazz’s praise, the slim book looked much more important. “You were right, Professor. I was judging a book by its cover. But this is the perfect thing!”

  Professor Jazz smiled. “I’m so happy I could help. Now off you go to bed, Shamrock!”

  Shamrock smiled and stood, and only then realized that he was really sleepy. He pushed the journal into his schoolbag and headed to his stable for bed.

  But when he got to his stall, having passed all of his sleeping classmates, Shamrock didn’t feel like lying down. He wanted to look through Dr. Mush’s journal. Just to see what the doctor might have to say.

  The lights were off in the barn, so Shamrock turned on his flashlight and opened to the first page. It was filled with detailed drawings of strange and unusual plants, as well as descriptions and little tips for caring for them. All of the pages were filled with drawings and descriptions! And in between notes on plants, Dr. Mush described his travels through the five kingdoms. He talked of how he’d learned about different plants from all over the world, what they were used for, and how to grow them. It was fascinating.

  Shamrock kept reading and reading, even though he knew he should get to bed if he wanted to be awake and alert for his classes tomorrow. But before he knew it, he was at the very last page! There, next to a drawing of a large flowering plant with oddly shaped leaves and huge petals, Dr. Mush had written, “The Golden Rose is the biggest flower I’ve ever seen or heard of. It’s so bright and shiny, it feels like you’ve harvested the sun.”

  Shamrock smiled. He’d found it! The Golden Rose would be spectacular. He knew he would wow the class with his choice.

  4 The Perfect Flower

  Shamrock blinked open his eyes in the morning, woken up by the hustle and bustle of students getting ready for class. Despite not having gotten much sleep, Shamrock was awake and excited about the day. He packed Dr. Mush’s journal in his bag and headed out of the stables. He couldn’t wait for Garden Science so he could tell everyone about the seed he’d picked.

  Finally the afternoon came, and Shamrock pushed open the glass doors of the greenhouse. This time he wasn’t the first one to class. Unicorns were already gathered around their wooden tables, and everyone seemed to be talking about their seeds. But Shamrock felt confident that no one would have picked a seed like his. He settled next to Twilight at their table and pulled out Dr. Mush’s journal by the horn ring.

  Professor Grub called for the class to quiet down. “Let’s start by sharing which seeds everyone has chosen. We’ll go around, and each student can name which plant they’re going to grow over the next few months.”

  The professor glanced up and looked around the room. All of the students’ horns rose a little higher with excitement.

  “Let’s start with you, Peppermint,” Professor Grub said, turning to her right.

  Starting with Peppermint, who pledged to grow Rainbow Roses, each student named the plant they’d chosen. Shamrock was amazed by all the different seeds—and all the different things they grew into. From food for unicorns to houses for pixies.

  It seemed to take forever to get around to his table, but soon Twilight announced her plan to use Spotlight Flowers to create dye for paint, and it was Shamrock’s turn. He was the last one to go. Shamrock couldn’t help but wiggle with happiness.

  “I discovered this seed when I was reading Dr. Mush’s journal. He’s a famous scientist. He finds super-rare and strange plants all over the five kingdoms and discovered the Golden Rose, which shines like the sun. And that’s what I’m going to grow.”

  The whole class oohed and aahed. Shamrock smiled, feeling like he’d won a competition.

  Professor Grub scrunched her eyebrows a little. “It is a very impressive flower, Shamrock. But it is very difficult to grow.”

  Shamrock puffed his chest out. “It’s okay, I’m up to the challenge. Science is kind of my thing.”

  “He’s right!” one student shouted from the back. “If anyone can grow a super-strange flower, Shamrock can. He’s the smartest kid in our class.”

  The rest of the students murmured in agreement. Shamrock blushed. He was so happy, he felt like he was floating on air.

  “Ah,” Professor Grub said. “Well, we shall see, won’t we! Okay, then, let’s get to work! Everyone get a pot and some soil I have over here. I used a little of my magic on it to speed up the growing process. That way we can all have our plants growing before long. I’ll go to our storage shed and get the seeds you requested. The seed packets will have instructions to help guide you. Happy growing, all!”

  As Professor Grub left the greenhouse, Shamrock went to get his pot and his soil, and brought them back to his spot at the wooden table.

  Professor Grub soon returned with the seeds, and she began handing them out. Before long she was standing before Shamrock. “Here you are, Shamrock. Golden Rose seeds are very rare, but luckily, Dr. Mush gave me some the last time he stopped by for a visit with Professor Jazz. He even wrote down instructions.”

  Thrilled, Shamrock looked at the handwritten paper that was covered with dirt splotches. The writing looked just like the writing in Dr. Mush’s journal. Shamrock was amazed. He would be growing Dr. Mush’s own seeds and following the doctor’s own directions. Shamrock’s rose was going to be the best plant in the class for sure!