by Lou Keunzler
“Do that again,” said Sonia.
“With pleasure!” snapped Cedric, and he stamped his front feet a third time. TAP!
Sonia looked at Cedric with a big, silky smile and said, “Cedric, my dear, I think we’ve found your dance!”
It was the day of the dancing competition. The tiny patch of grass in front of the oak tree was full of little creatures waiting to see the dances. They were all fluttering with anticipation. All except Cedric – he was so nervous that his knees were knocking together.
“I ca-ca-can’t do this!” he stuttered. “I can’t possibly go out there and dance in front of everybody.”
“Can’t? Can’t? Of course you can!” urged Sonia. “Just go out there and have fun!”
The band started to play. First on were the ladybirds. Cedric watched as they whizzed and swooped in wonderful circles in the air. Next, it was the turn of the bees, who showed off their ballroom dancing. And soon it was time for the final act.
“I now have a very special surprise,” announced Simon Spider, the host of the show. “A big round of applause for the one, the only … CEDRIC!”
Cedric could hardly move even one of his legs as he crept out onto the stage. Hundreds of faces were looking at him. Suddenly, one of the ladybirds shouted, “What are you going to do, Cedric? The-Falling-Flat-On-My-Face dance?”
Everyone in the audience started to howl with laughter. Cedric wanted to crawl off the stage, he was so embarrassed. But then the music started playing and something amazing happened. Cedric slowly lifted one of his front feet and tapped it on the ground. TAP! He tapped another one of his feet. TAP! He tapped two feet together. TAPPITY-TAP! He tapped 50 feet. And then he was tapping all of his 100 feet in time with the music. TAPPITY-TAP! TAP, TAP, TAP! Cedric had truly discovered his dance: it was tap dancing!
Soon all the other creatures were tapping their feet, too.
“This is such fun!” cried Cedric.
When the music was over he didn’t want to stop. He wanted to continue dancing. So he did! And everyone carried on dancing with him.
“Well, the winner of this year’s competition,” announced Simon Spider, “has to be … CEDRIC!”
Everyone started clapping and cheering.
“I just can’t believe it,” cried Cedric. “I’ve won first prize!” And a huge smile stretched from one side of his face to the other.
Everyone can dance. You just have to find your own special kind of dance, like Cedric did. And if you ever want a dancing lesson and you happen to be in Bugsville, then pop into Cedric and Sonia’s Dance Academy – maybe you, too, will find your own dance there.
Inspiring Insights
• There may be something other people can do that you can’t and vice-versa. Don’t make fun of others just because they can’t do something you can.
• If you work hard and don’t give up, you can make your dreams come true.
• Sometimes our friends can see our talents better than we can. Listen to your friends when they tell you that you’re good at something and be sure to tell them when you notice that they’re good at something, too.
Jojo’s Journey
Relax, close your eyes and imagine a beautiful cat with blue eyes. She has cream-coloured fur, dark pointy ears and a long, black tail. This is the story of Jojo, a spoiled Siamese puss. She belonged to a little girl called Jessica, who doted on her. Let’s listen to her story.
Every morning Jessica poured milk into Jojo’s special gold-edged cat saucer. Then Jessica went to the toy box and took out the ball of purple silk with an ostrich feather on the end. Jessica played feather games with Jojo all morning until the cat felt sleepy. Then Jessica carried Jojo to her basket in the sunniest spot by the window and stroked her tummy while her pet fell asleep.
“You’re the best and most beautiful cat in the whole wide world,” Jessica would always say.
“It’s true,” Jojo thought. “I’m a very beautiful cat.”
Jojo would snooze in her basket and refuse to get up until Jessica served her cat nibbles in a silver bowl for tea.
Even if a mouse had run across the floor, Jojo wouldn’t have twitched a whisker or shifted a paw.
“I don’t need to chase mice,” she thought. “I’m not a common moggy who has to hunt for my food. Jessica always brings me the very best of anything I want.”
But one morning, everything changed.
“Get up!” said Jessica – rather rudely, it seemed to Jojo. “We’ve got a very busy day ahead.”
Jojo purred and rubbed herself against Jessica’s ankles like she always did when she wanted her morning milk.
“The refrigerator is empty,” said Jessica. “You’ll have to have water instead.”
She filled an old chipped bowl from the tap. Where was Jojo’s special saucer?
And what were those men doing? They were carrying the toy box outside to a van, and Jessica was letting them take it.
“This is such an adventure,” Jessica cried. She was clapping her hands and talking excitedly.
The whole house was full of boxes and men in big boots. Everyone was busy. No one was paying any attention to Jojo. Not even Jessica. She was taking the pretty curtains down from the sunny window above the place where Jojo’s basket was supposed to be.
“I’ve had enough of this,” huffed Jojo.
She stuck her tail high in the air and marched straight out of the door.
“If Jessica’s not going to play with me, I shall go outside and sit under next door’s garden shed,” she decided. “It may be dusty and dirty down there but it will teach Jessica a lesson when she notices I’ve gone.”
All morning Jojo sat under the shed and sulked.
“A pedigree puss like me shouldn’t be treated this way. I’m the best and most beautiful cat in the whole world,” she fumed. “How dare Jessica ignore me? How dare she have something more important to do than to look after me?”
All morning Jojo waited for Jessica to call for her … but she never did. All Jojo could hear was the clatter of pans and the thump of boxes being piled into the van. She could make out Jessica’s excited voice.
“They’re all playing some sort of very silly game over there,” thought Jojo. “And I don’t like it! It has absolutely nothing to do with me.”
Jojo curled her tail under her chin. She settled down among the dust and spiders’ webs and went to sleep.
“Jojo! … JOJO! Where are you?” Jessica called in a desperate voice.
But Jojo didn’t hear her. She was having a very important dream. Jojo was dreaming that she was queen of all cats, sitting high on a purple velvet throne.
“JOJO!” yelled Jessica.
Jojo twitched in her sleep.
Suddenly her eyes were wide open. Her heart was pounding uncontrollably. She flicked her ears, listening for the sound of the men and the thud of boxes. But there was nothing. Somewhere in the distance a van rattled away down the street.
Jojo scrambled out from under the shed. She leapt onto the garden fence. But Jessica’s house was empty. There were no pretty curtains in the window, no van in the driveway … and no sign of Jessica anywhere.
Jojo sniffed the air. For the first time in her life, she was thinking like a wild cat – with all the ancient art of a hunter.
“I’ll have to find Jessica,” she decided. “I was silly to sulk. Now she’s left me behind.”
Although the van had disappeared from sight, Jojo felt certain she knew which way to go. It seemed as if an invisible thread was leading her – and the purple ball of silk they always played with was magically tugging Jojo toward Jessica.
For three days and three nights, Jojo trudged along beside noisy roads. Her cream-coloured fur turned grey with dust. She drank muddy water from puddles. Once, she almost caught a mouse but it got away. She became hungrier and hungrier.
At last, Jojo came to a red house on the edge of a strange town. A pair of pretty curtains were hanging in the window.
; “Jessica!” she purred and she flopped down, exhausted, on the doormat.
“Jojo!” cried Jessica flinging open the door. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
She scooped the tired cat into her arms.
“You may be dusty,” sobbed Jessica, “but you’re the best, most beautiful … most magical cat in the whole world.”
Inspiring Insights
• We don’t have to be the centre of attention all the time. By sulking and acting spoiled, Jojo got herself into very serious trouble.
• It can be upsetting when we don’t understand what’s happening. Instead of jumping to conclusions or getting angry, find out what’s really going on.
• Jojo was upset when her routine changed but Jessica saw the excitement of moving house. A routine is lovely but a change can also be fun.
The Lonely Dragon
Relax, close your eyes and imagine you’re deep inside a dragon’s cave. All around you are glittering piles of gold coins, sparkling jewels and shiny, gold and silver goblets. This is the story of a dragon called Dimitri. He had huge green wings and a long tail like a serpent that was covered in spots. He could breathe fire and he had all the riches anyone could wish for. But Dimitri couldn’t find the one thing he really wanted. Let’s listen to his story.
Dimitri lived on a rocky island with 1,000 sheep, 1,000 goats and nearly 400 people who were all very scared of him. “What a great, long, scaly tail he has!” they would say. “What long, terrible claws! And when he breathes fire, why, he can burn an entire village to the ground!”
If Dimitri ever appeared outside his cave, the islanders would all run inside their houses, bolting the doors and windows. And every month they’d gather together a tribute for him – all the precious jewelry and gold they could find.
“Dragons love gold,” they said. “Our tribute is the only thing stopping him from attacking us.” At first Dimitri enjoyed making everyone feel scared. “I must be very important,” he thought to himself. “Everyone has to do exactly what I want.”
Sometimes Dimitri played tricks on the islanders just to make them extra watchful. He would roar loudly, fly right over their houses, or breathe a mighty blast of fire that burnt all the shrubs in its path to a cinder. “What a terrible dragon,” he heard the islanders say.
One day, Dimitri began to wonder if it might be better if people weren’t so scared of him. He certainly liked the treasure that was brought to him every month. He liked how it sparkled and he loved the clinking sound it made as he swished his tail around it. But after a while that got boring.
One day Dimitri decided he would try to have a talk with some of the villagers. He flew down to the main village called Efeti and landed in the market square.
“Hello!” he shouted. “Is anyone there?”
But all the villagers stayed inside their houses quaking with fear. Dimitri gave up and flew back to his cave.
The next day Dimitri decided to fly out to sea. He had spied a fishing boat on the horizon and he’d had an idea.
“I’ll help the villagers to fish,” he thought. “I’ll sweep up all the fish with my tail and guide them toward the fishing nets. Then the islanders will want to talk to me.”
But when Dimitri flew toward the fishing boat, half the fishermen fell overboard in fright. Once everyone was back on board they started to row towards the island as fast as they could. “The islanders won’t have any fish to eat today,” thought Dimitri sadly, “and they’ll all blame me.”
For the first time, Dimitri felt how lonely he was. He would have given anything to have someone to talk to. “I don’t want everyone to be scared of me,” he thought. “And I don’t want to be the most important person on the island. I just want to have a friend.”
The next day a small boy called Spiros came to deliver Dimitri’s gold. Spiros had been given the job because he was always being naughty. He’d play practical jokes and he was always telling everyone how strong and brave he was. “I’m not scared of a silly old dragon,” Spiros would say.
Everyone got so fed up with Spiros’s tricks and boasting that they all agreed he should be the person to deliver the dragon’s gold. “It doesn’t worry me,” said Spiros, but he was shaking inside his boots as he reached the dragon’s cave.
However, Spiros noticed something strange. Instead of fire, he saw clouds of steam rising out of the cave.
He drew a little closer to the cave mouth and peered in. At first Spiros couldn’t see anything at all. Then, as his eyes adjusted to the light, he made out the most enormous mountain of treasure he had ever seen. Beside it, his head resting on his wing, was Dimitri. Spiros saw that the steam was coming from Dimitri’s nose. The dragon was crying! His tears were trickling down his cheeks and turning his fire breath to steam.
At that moment Dimitri looked up to see the small boy staring at him. Someone had ventured into his cave! Someone had come to see him! He was so grateful he rushed forward eagerly and Spiros drew back in fright.
“Oh please don’t go,” pleaded Dimitri. “I don’t want to hurt you. I’d just like to be your friend.”
Spiros stopped in his tracks. “My friend?” he said. “No one wants to be my friend. No one likes me because I play tricks on them all the time.”
“No one wants to be my friend, either. “said Dimitri. “No one likes me because they’re scared of me.”
The boy and the dragon looked at each other. After a moment they both smiled.
From that day on Spiros and Dimitri became the best of friends. Dimitri would take Spiros for rides on his back so Spiros could see the whole island. Spiros and Dimitri saw how hard the people worked in the fields and fished in the sea, and were very sorry for all the trouble they’d caused.
Soon the little boy and the dragon were helping the islanders all the time. With Spiros’s guidance, Dimitri helped them to fish and carry bundles of firewood. Spiros and his dragon were so kind and so much fun to be with that Spiros soon became the most popular boy on the island. And everyone was so pleased with Dimitri’s help that they came to love and trust him.
“I don’t want any treasure,” said Dimitri, “I’ve got friends and that is the most precious gift anyone can have.”
Inspiring Insights
• Everyone gets lonely – even someone who seems to have everything they need. Always be ready to be someone’s friend.
• It’s easy to misunderstand people when you don’t know them. Make the effort to reach out to others.
• Helping people is always a good way to find friendship. Look for the opportunities to help that might come your way.
The Night Flight
Relax, close your eyes and imagine you’ve gone to stay in a unfamiliar house. This is a story about a little boy called Eli who was afraid of the dark. Unable to sleep, he tossed and turned in his bed until an adventure made him face his fear of things that go bump in the night. Let’s listen to his story.
Eli couldn’t sleep at Grandma’s house.
The night was full of noises.
SCRATCH! Was that a monster sharpening its claws?
CREAK! Was that an ogre opening the garden gate?
THUD! What was that?
Eli wanted to get out of bed and open the curtains to let in the moonlight. But it seemed so far across the strange, dark room to the window.
“I’ll count to three,” whispered Eli to himself, “then make a dash for it … one … two …”
Eli didn’t move. He closed his eyes very tightly and wished he was at home.
“I’ll count to five instead,” he told himself. “One … two …”
Eli shivered. “This is hopeless.”
“Oh do hurry up, young man!” said a mysterious voice at the window.
Before Eli could even open his mouth to scream, a fluffy white owl swooshed the curtains open, swooped into the room and perched on the end of the bed.
“The name’s Owlbert,” hooted the bird, standing in the moonlight. “I gather you�
�re having trouble sleeping?”
“Er … well … yes,” said Eli, gasping for words.
“Tut tut! Can’t have that,” said Owlbert, shaking his wings. “What seems to be the problem?”
“I don’t know,” Eli blushed. He didn’t want to admit he was afraid of the dark. Surely an owl would think that was absolutely ridiculous. But the wise old bird seemed to know everything already.
“I used to be afraid of the daylight,” Owlbert hooted. “Imagine that. Sunshine scared the feathers off me!”
“Daylight’s not scary!” laughed Eli. “You can see what everything is in the daytime.”
“Hmmm,” said Owlbert. “Do you know how my mother cured me? She took me for a daytime flight – through the clouds and sunshine. After that I wasn’t scared anymore.”
“Perhaps if I could fly through the night, I wouldn’t be afraid of the dark,” joked Eli.
“Exactly!” Owlbert swivelled his head right round so that he was looking straight into Eli’s eyes. “Why else do you think I’ve come?”
Eli pulled the duvet up. His mouth dropped open.
“I’m going to fly? Tonight?”
“If you would stop jabbering and get on with it,” said Owlbert. “I never heard such a twit-twoo about anything!”
“But …” Eli swung his legs out of bed. “Even if I were brave enough to fly in the dark … which I’m NOT … it wouldn’t work. I’m too big. And heavy!” he laughed. “If I climb on your back, you’ll never be able to take off and fly.”
“Who said anything about climbing on my back?” Owlbert sounded quite indignant. “Especially when you’ve got perfectly good wings of your own.”
“Wings?” said Eli, but even as he spoke he felt a tingle in his arms like pins and needles. Bright white owl feathers burst through his pyjama top – instead of arms he had a pair of mighty wings. Instead of fingers … feathers!
“Not bad!” said Owlbert. “Come on! We’ve got till the clock strikes midnight, and then you’ll be tucked up back here without a feather in sight.”
Before Eli could argue, Owlbert nudged him over to the window sill and out into the night sky.
