It was daybreak, and Spooky of the Mailbox was just returning from a successful night of flower collecting. She was especially pleased with one flower in particular. It was deep red with polka dots that changed colors. The brighter the dots, the happier Spooky became. She decided to use her treasure to pin back a tuft of her pink hair. She looked radiant as she headed out to the Morphadoodle Community Garden to see if she could find anything that resembled her special blossom and to tell Zoey of her adventure.

When she arrived at the entrance to the Garden, Sun Smile had just begun to spread his warmth on the ground below, and Zoey was watering the seedlings in the Rainbow Garden. Upon seeing Spooky, Zoey put down her watering can to welcome her friend.

“Good morning, Spooky. What are you doing out so early in the morning? Is there something I can do for you?”

As Spooky walked closer, Zoey’s mouth hung open in disbelief. “That flower…it’s so captivating. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Zoey stepped closer to examine the deep red specimen that had an orange stem, and bright blue polka dots. The Morphadoodle with two green thumbs immediately knew that this was no garden variety bloom. “It reminds me of a legend that I once heard about a place called Polkawood, but maybe it wasn’t a legend after all." She sniffed the blossom and turned to Spooky. “Where did you find it?”

“Last night when I was gathering pansies, petunias, daisies and daffodils, I decided to venture deep into the Laborastory forest, deeper than I had ever dared to go. I was flying over the far end of the MorphaZOOdle when a golden yellow pussy willow caught my eye. I swooped down to snatch it, and imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was not a pussy willow waving in the wind but the fuzzy tail of a yellow cat.”

“A cat?” asked Zoey.

“Yes,” said Spooky. “A cat named Buttercup. After I apologized for tugging on her tail, she stepped carefully toward me and studied me with her golden-green eyes. ‘You’re not from around here. Are you?’ she asked. Everything looked unfamiliar and I was beginning to feel lost and lonely. ‘Don’t worry,’ meowed Buttercup swishing her tail. ‘Follow me. I know someone who can get you home in a snap.’”

“We walked through the underbrush until we arrived at a small clearing where moonlight streamed straight down to the forest floor. Buttercup stopped at the entrance of a hollow log and told me that we needed to crawl through it together. We went quickly through, and I was surprised to see a bright sky ahead when there were so many hours of darkness still left in the night. ‘There’s magic in Polkawood,’ explained Buttercup, ‘just wait until you see what we grow here.’“

“When we stepped out of the tunnel, I couldn’t believe my eyes. A meadow stretched out before us that was filled with hundreds of polka dot flowers in every shade and hue. And there, in the midst of the burst of color, was a pink Morphadoodle fluttering about an easel with a paintbrush in her hand.”

“’Poppy,’ shouted Buttercup as we approached the smiling creature,'this is Spooky . She’s lost and wants to go home.’”

“Poppy turned to me and smiled. ‘I can help you. All you need to do is close your eyes,’ she said, ‘and paint a picture of your home using just your words.’”

“My words?” I asked.

“’Yes,’ said Poppy, ’and I’ll do the rest.’”

“So I stood there and told her all about my beloved corner of the woods until she told me to open my eyes. I couldn't believe how real the painting she had made looked."

"I want to go right inside and take a nap in my cozy mailbox,"  I said.

“’Why don’t you give it a try?’ she answered beaming. 'Come closer.  Place your hands on the canvas and think HOME.’”

“Won’t the paint be wet?” I wondered.

“She shook her head no. ‘This is no ordinary painting, Spooky. Trust me. I will not disappoint you.  After all, I am here to bring you joy.’”

“When I reached toward the easel, I felt a strange sensation.  It was as if the colors of the painting were pulling me inside.  One minute I was standing in a beautiful meadow touching the scratchy canvas; the next minute I was back in the Laborastory forest feeling the cool metal of my mailbox home.  I opened its door and saw something pulsing inside.  The bright polka dots of this flower," she said pointing to her hair. "It was a present from Poppy .”

Zoey was thrilled. “Spooky, you must have found Polkawood. You have to take me there.  I need to get a specimen of that flower for my garden.”

Spooky frowned. “But I don’t remember the way.”

“Not to worry," said Zoey as a thought popped into her head.  We'll go to the Leaf-Through Library. I'm sure Lizzie can help. That pup is a font of information.”

When the friends arrived at the library, Lizzie was all ears. She listened quietly as Spooky recounted her adventure of the previous night, jumped onto her feet at the mention of the cat with the pussy willow tail, and cocked her head with interest as Zoey told her what little she remembered of The Legend of Polkawood.

Lizzie dashed off and returned dragging the worn copy of The Book with no Cover, a treasure that she had discovered in the trunk of a fallen tree. She pushed the pages over with her cold black nose and let out a yip when she found what she'd been looking for. "Does this look familiar, Spooky?" she asked pointing to an illustration with her tail.

"Most definitely!" shouted Spooky, and Zoey began to cheer.

“Polkawood is a place where everyone and everything has an extraordinary attitude. A peppy pink painter named Poppy lives there. She is known as The Artist of Polkawood, famous for painting magical rainbows and growing polka dot flowers.  Her artistry has the power to spread joy.  There is never a cloud in Polkawood.  Poppy simply paints them away.  Bow WOW!" she barked.  "Poppy sounds like someone I’d like to know. There's only one problem," she said closing the book and turning to the pair.  "There are no directions to Polkawood in here."

"We'll never get there!" they wailed.

"Polkawood?  Were you just reading about Polkawood?" a familiar voice called out a from behind a stack of books. It belonged to Fuzzy, a Morphadoodle who loved to read. "I go there all the time.  Poppy's one of my very best friends."

"Really?" they asked.  "Then you must know how to get there."

"Of course I do," she answered pulling a beautiful painting from her backpack and showing it to the trio.

"The Polkawood!" shouted Spooky. "That's where I was."

"And that's where you'll be again if you trust in Polkawood magic," said Fuzzy adjusting his sunglasses.  "Come here, and we'll all touch the canvas."  Three pairs of hands and two front paws pressed against the painting.  A strange sensation came over them as if the colors were pulling them inside.  In an instant the Leaf-Through Library was empty, and four friends stood smiling in a meadow filled with polka dot flowers.  Fuzzy, Spooky, and Zoey went off to meet Poppy.  Lizzie had another idea.  She went in search of a buttercup that meowed.