Jade and the Carnival

“That’s no problem, I can teach you!” Jade answered quickly. “I thought a character dance would be really cool for an outdoor festival. We could dress up in brightly coloured costumes and even wear silly red noses,” she added. Then she stopped talking and looked round hopefully, but the rest of the class didn’t appear at all interested. A few of them were looking down or even pulling faces.

“I don’t want to do a clown dance,” one of the girls said quietly.

“I don’t think I’d be much good at it,” someone else said.

“Me neither,” came a general chorus.

“All right,” said Madame Za-Za. “Then we’ll stick to what I said originally and all work out our own dances in small groups. Now, off you go!”

A big wave of disappointment came over Jade. She’d been hoping that the class would all want to dance together. And she’d been sure that Madame Za-Za would let her teach everyone the clown dance, but now it looked as though she would be dancing it on her own. Sighing with frustration, she looked round. Already everyone was practising their dances, and Madame Za-Za was at the other side of the room helping one of the groups. No one noticed Jade slipping out of the studio.

The corridor felt quiet and cool, and Jade stood still, trying to calm down and think what to do. Maybe she ought to join one of the groups?

But her own dance was so special to her. She stood in the opening position, her supporting leg in a demi-plié, then stretched her left foot out behind her. She gasped.

Her shoe was glowing. Yes, and so was the other one! And now she was surrounded by swirling colours that were lifting her up and spinning her round. Her heart raced. Was she being whisked away to Enchantia?

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As soon as Jade’s feet touched the ground, she felt excitement mounting inside her. It looked as though she’d stepped right into the middle of a wonderful carnival in Enchantia. What a coincidence when she’d only just been practising for her own local music and dance festival! This one was much bigger and grander, though.

Jade was standing in a wide avenue full of brightly coloured stalls. The soldiers from the Nutcracker ballet were marching down the street and there were people lining the avenue, clapping as they passed. Behind them came a group of clog dancers.

Laughter, music and cheering filled the air. And that wasn’t all. Where was that delicious toffee-apple smell coming from? Jade followed her nose to try and track it down, but couldn’t help stopping every so often to see what lovely trinkets, jewels and accessories the stalls held.

Everyone was smiley and happy, except one person just ahead who looked very downcast. He was wearing a checked shirt and a leather waistcoat, dark coloured trousers that came to just below the knee and a spotty scarf tied loosely around his neck.

I wonder what’s making him so sad, thought Jade. Her hand suddenly flew to her mouth as she’d realised who was standing beside the dejected-looking man. It was her old friend, the White Cat. In her excitement at the magnificent carnival, she’d completely forgotten that the White Cat usually came to greet her when she arrived in Enchantia.

“White Cat! Hello!” she called, threading her way through the crowd.

He looked up and smiled. “Jade! I was expecting you!” The White Cat hugged her then introduced her to his unhappy friend. “This is Leonardo, the toymaker.”

“Hello, Leonardo,” Jade smiled, reaching out to shake his hand.

“Hello,” Leonardo smiled gently, but he still looked so sad. Jade looked to the White Cat expectantly.

“Leonardo’s precious puppet Peter has been stolen and put under someone else’s spell,” the White Cat explained.

Jade gasped. “Do you mean… Peter, the clown from the ballet Petrouchka?” she asked.

Leonardo nodded forlornly and through Jade’s head flashed a series of pictures of the three puppets from the ballet – the soldier with his sword, the ballerina with her porcelain face and round blue eyes, and Petrouchka, the clown – Peter for short – with his baggy trousers and friendly smile.

“Peter has been helping me in my shop ever since I first made him,” explained Leonardo in a thin voice. “And I miss him terribly. He’s like a son to me because, although he looks like an ordinary puppet, he has a heart and can feel things.” Leonardo’s head dropped. “I can’t bear to lose him like this.”

“I’m so sorry,” said Jade softly. “Have you any idea where to look for him?”

The White Cat pointed to a little theatre nearby. “He’s right there! In the puppet show!”

Jade followed the White Cat’s gaze and her eyes flew wide open in surprise. “So why can’t you just go and get him?”

Leonardo sighed. “That’s exactly what we thought. Only now that Peter’s under someone’s spell, he simply doesn’t know me any more,” Leonardo finished dejectedly. “Look… you’ll see…”

He called out to Peter in a sing-song voice and waved cheerfully.

The puppet glanced over fleetingly, but his eyes were completely blank. Then he carried on entertaining the crowd, who chuckled and cheered at his antics. They seemed to like him more than any of the other puppets.

“But surely people recognise him,” said Jade, feeling bewildered.