The Naughtiest Unicorn on a School Trip. Pip Bird

at the portal before most other people had got there, and before the sun was even properly up. It felt like going on holiday!

      ‘Have a lovely school trip, Mira!’ said Mum, giving her a big hug, while Rani yawned loudly in her ear.

      ‘Thanks, Mum. Oh look, there’s Raheem!’ Mira ran towards Raheem, waving back at her mum. ‘See you sooooooon!’

      Raheem was one of Mira’s best friends at Unicorn School. Along with Darcy, the three of them always had brilliant adventures. Raheem was clutching his briefcase and looking a bit bleary-eyed. Mira sprinted over and knocked him off balance with a huge hug.

      ‘Woohoo! Are you ready for this?!’ she yelled in his ear.

      ‘Um, yes, hello!’ Raheem mumbled through a yawn.

      ‘Then LET’S GO!’ Mira dragged Raheem over to the portal, which was in some bushes behind the bins. On the way she listed her top five favourite kitticorn colours to wake him up a bit. When they reached the bushes, Mira reached out for the sparkles and –

      Twinkly lights exploded around them as they zoomed upwards, as if they were being sucked up a helter-skelter by a rainbow vacuum cleaner. As quickly as they whooshed upwards, they were suddenly hurtling back down again. Soft pink and gold rays of the rising sun shone in their eyes as they tumbled on to the landing haystack and rolled out into the Grand Paddock.

      Mira took a deep breath and looked around. Right away she spotted something new. Next to the landing haystack was a big rainbow-coloured BUS!

      ‘Do you think that’s for the school trip? I can’t wait to find out where we’re going!’ Mira squealed, squeezing Raheem in excitement.

      Just then, they heard a –

      ‘TA-DAAA!’ It was Darcy, spinning over to them with a wheelie. She gave Mira and Raheem a high five. ‘Hi team. Missed you! Shall we find our –’

      Before Darcy had a chance to finish, two unicorns came cantering over. Star and Brave were Darcy and Raheem’s unicorns, and today they were wearing the presents that Darcy and Raheem had made them on an earlier visit to Unicorn School. Brave was wearing Raheem’s special homemade superhero cape, while Star was in a wig that Darcy had made her so they would have matching hair.

      Star and Brave gave their humans a nuzzle. But where was Dave?

      Mira looked around for her Unicorn Best Friend Forever. Down the hill, the school turrets and clocktower gleamed in the rising sun. Beyond the school, Mira could see the Fearsome Forest, and beyond that the sparkly Crystal Mountains. It was all so magical, but there was still no sign of Dave.

      Miss Glitterhorn, the Class Red teacher, appeared by the side of the bus, drinking from a very big mug of tea and yawning. She put the tea down and clapped her hands.

      ‘Good morning, Class Red!’ she called.

      ‘Gooooood mooooorrrning, Miss Glitterhorrrrn,’ called the children, sounding a bit more tired than usual.

      ‘Hi, Mum!’ shouted Flo, who’d fallen asleep and woken up with a start.

      ‘Please line up with your unicorns for the school trip,’ said Miss Glitterhorn. ‘We are leaving shortly. Have your permission slips ready!’

      Mira quickly checked – yes, she still had her permission slip. But where was her unicorn? She didn’t want him to miss the school trip!

      ‘Dave? Da-ave!’ Mira called quietly, ducking behind the bus to see if she could spot him.

      Colin the Caretaker was filling up the bus with rainbow-berry juice. The pump was attached to a long line of tubes all coming from different rainbow-berry trees at the edge of the forest.

      Colin suddenly looked confused. He took the pump out of the bus and shook it. It looked like the juice had dried up.

      There was a sudden slurp sound behind her. Mira looked around and saw a plump unicorn bottom poking out of the rainbow-berry trees. There was her unicorn!

      ‘Dave!’ she whispered.

      The little unicorn turned and gave her a wave with his front hoof. He had one of the pipes in his mouth and was guzzling up the rainbow-berry juice!

      ‘There you are!’ Mira said with a giggle and ran over to give him a big hug.

      By distracting Dave with a slightly sticky toffee she found in her pocket, Mira managed to get the pipe off him and reconnect it to the pump. Colin started whistling happily as the juice began flowing into the bus again. Dave gave a series of cheerful burps.

      ‘Dave, we have to line up with the others. We’re going on a trip today!’ Mira tried to wipe off the rainbow-berry stains from around Dave’s mouth with the end of her sleeve, but she just ended up covered in the berry juice too. ‘That’s a bit better. Come on!’

      Usually Mira had to drag Dave everywhere because he was either asleep or he would sit down and refuse to move. But right now Dave seemed very over-excited. Mira wondered if it was because of all the super-sweet rainbow-berry juice and the toffee. Instead of just trotting back to the bus, Dave zoomed backwards and forwards across the grass, knocking into trees and still burping loudly. Then he started doing all his best prancing moves. Eventually Mira managed to push the little prancing unicorn around to the bus just as Miss Glitterhorn was ticking the last of her classmates off the register.

      ‘And, good! That’s everyone. Oh!’ said Miss Glitterhorn. ‘Dave – you look . . . rather unusual this morning?’

      Mira looked properly at her unicorn. His mane had turned rainbow-coloured. It must have been the rainbow-berry juice!

      ‘Um, Dave just wanted to . . . look nice for the school trip?’ Mira said. She hoped her teacher wouldn’t ask any more questions.

      ‘How lovely,’ said Miss Glitterhorn vaguely.

      Phew, thought Mira. Surely soon they would find out where they were going and then the school trip could begin!