“Hello, girls,” said Mrs. Tate, trying to smile. “I twisted my ankle when I was dancing. It’s very sore.”
“Oh no!” Kirsty cried.
Suddenly, a pink sparkle caught Rachel’s eye. She nudged Kirsty, and they glanced up to see Jessica sitting on one of the gold stars hanging from the ceiling. Jessica was waving her wand back and forth, and the band began to play again. People looked at each other nervously, wondering whether to dance again or not.
“Oh!” Mrs. Tate exclaimed, looking surprised. “You know what? I think my ankle stopped hurting!” She swung her leg down to the floor and stood up carefully. “Yes, it feels fine now! Should we go and dance?”
“Oh yes!” Rachel and Kirsty chorused, exchanging a smile as they realized that Jessica’s fairy magic must have healed Mrs. Tate’s ankle, too.
The two girls and Kirsty’s mom stepped onto the dance floor. People watched nervously at first, but when they realized that nothing was going wrong, they began to join in.
As more people crowded onto the dance floor, Rachel and Kirsty glanced up to see Jessica smiling down at them. Then, with a wave, the little fairy vanished in a swirl of sparkling magic.
“The party’s going wonderfully now!” Rachel said.
Kirsty nodded. “And so is the dancing,” she said happily. Then she added in a whisper, “Thanks, Jessica!”
Fun at the Fiesta
The Parade Gets Underway
Salsa Slip-ups
Goblins Diguised
Goblins Give Themselves Away
Salsa Success
“See you later, Mom,” Kirsty Tate said, as she and her best friend, Rachel Walker, got ready to leave the house.
“Four o’clock, in front of the Village Hall,” Mrs. Tate reminded the girls. “I should be done with my work by then. I’m sure you’ll have a great time at the fiesta. I can’t wait to see all of the dancing and costumes. Promise me that you’ll stick together — it’s going to be very crowded.”
“We will,” Kirsty promised. Then, as the two friends headed down the road, she said to Rachel, “Of course we’ll stick together. Isn’t that when we have all our best adventures?”
Rachel grinned. “I hope we have another one today,” she replied.
Rachel was staying with Kirsty’s family for school break, and the girls were having a very exciting week. A fairy exciting week, in fact, because they were helping the Dance Fairies find their missing magical ribbons! The dance ribbons helped dancers perform their best throughout Fairyland as well as all around the human world. But Jack Frost had stolen the ribbons in order to make sure his goblins would dance well at his parties. When the fairy king and queen had heard about the stolen ribbons, they hurried to Jack Frost’s ice castle to get them back.
Unfortunately, Jack Frost had seen them coming, and he had immediately cast a spell to send all the ribbons into the human world, with a goblin to guard each one. Since the ribbons had been missing, dancing had been going horribly wrong in Fairyland and all over the world. Luckily, Kirsty and Rachel had helped the fairies find the ballet, disco, rock ’n’ roll, tap dance, and jazz ribbons. These ribbons were now safely back with their rightful fairy owners. There were still two dance ribbons out there somewhere, though, and the girls were anxious to track them down.
“The salsa ribbon is still missing,” Kirsty said, as they walked toward the center of the village, where the fiesta was taking place. “I wonder if the goblin guarding it will be attracted to the salsa music and turn up at the fiesta today. I hope so!”
Rachel nodded. “If he’s anything like the others, having the ribbon will just make him want to dance, dance, dance,” she agreed. “And with all that salsa music playing, I bet he won’t be able to resist it.”
At first, the girls had been surprised to see that the goblins who were guarding the dance ribbons could dance really well. In fact, dancing seemed to be the only thing they wanted to do! Any time they heard a tune in their particular dance ribbon’s style, they seemed drawn to the music. The fairies had explained to the girls that it was actually the ribbons’ magic that made the goblins dance so well. The power of the dance ribbons was so strong that they made anybody nearby dance wonderfully — even clumsy goblins!
Kirsty glanced around. “Well, I hope the goblin with the salsa ribbon does turn up,” she said quietly. “That way, we might be able to get the ribbon away from him and safely back to Serena the Salsa Fairy,” she added. “If we don’t, the salsa dancing is going to be ruined today!”
At that moment, the girls turned the corner onto High Street. For a second, they completely forgot all about goblins as they took in the sight before them.
High Street looked amazing. Colorful banners and streamers were strung up everywhere. Balloons bobbed on the lampposts, and the girls could see tents and booths lining the street, selling food and drinks. Music was playing, everyone was smiling, and there seemed to be a great buzz of excitement in the air.
“This is so cool!” Rachel said, her eyes shining as she gazed around.
Kirsty grabbed her hand. “Come on,” she said eagerly. “Let’s go over to the museum, where the parade is going to start. It might be fun to see everyone getting ready.”
“OK,” Rachel agreed. “And let’s keep an eye out for a goblin!”
As they walked toward the museum, they came across a group of friends gathered around a papier-mâché piñata. The piñata was in the shape of a pineapple, and it was dangling from a tree branch. The kids were taking turns putting on a blindfold and whacking the piñta with a stick, hoping to crack it open and release the goodies inside.
“There’s Lucy!” Kirsty said, spotting one of her school friends and waving.
Lucy smiled and called them over. “Do you want to take a turn?” she asked.
“Ooh, yes, please,” Kirsty said at once, hurrying up to the piñata. Rachel followed and was given the blindfold to tie around her friend’s eyes. Then Rachel and Lucy turned Kirsty around three times before putting the stick in her hand.
Dizzy, Kirsty stumbled toward where she thought the piñata was and bashed it with the stick as hard as she could. Crack! The pineapple split open and lots of candy, small toys, and glitter tumbled to the ground. Everyone cheered and crowded around to gather up the treats.
Rachel was just about to join them when she suddenly noticed a tiny spark of light shoot out of the piñata and up into the air. She knew that it couldn’t be a sparkly piece of glitter, because it was flying up and not down.
“That’s strange!” Rachel said to herself. Then an exciting thought struck her — could it be a fairy?
Rachel watched closely as the sparkle zipped over to the side of a small tent. She turned to tell Kirsty, but her friend was just pulling off the blindfold and talking to Lucy. Rachel was worried that she might lose sight of the sparkle, so she raced around the tent for a closer look. Her heart was thumping as she turned the corner. Then she smiled.
It was Serena the Salsa Fairy! She was perched on the edge of the tent roof, waving at Rachel.
Rachel waved back with a grin, just as Kirsty came around the corner with a handful of candy.
“Do you want some?” Kirsty asked Rachel. “I picked up tons!”
Rachel was too excited to think about candy. “Look, Kirsty,” she whispered, pointing up at the tent roof. “Serena’s here!”
Serena fluttered down toward the girls, and Kirsty saw that she had long black hair, pinned back with a beautiful red rose. The fairy was wearing a red top and a red skirt with gorgeous orange ruffles.
The girls had met all the Dance Fairies on the very first day of their adventure, so they recognized Serena right away.
“Hello, Rachel. Hello, Kirsty,” the fairy said, smiling as she landed on Kirsty’s shoulder. “I’m here to find my ribbon. I’ve got a strong feeling it’s somewhere nearby — and I have to get it back so that all the dancing at the fiesta goes well today!”
“We’ll help look for it,” Kirst
y said at once. “We’ve been keeping an eye out for goblins, but we haven’t seen any yet.”
“There are going to be lots of salsa dancers in the parade,” Rachel added. “The goblin might be attracted to the salsa music and follow them.”
Serena’s face brightened. “Let’s try to find the goblin before the parade starts,” she suggested. “Otherwise it will be awful.”
“What are we waiting for?” Rachel said determinedly. “Let’s get out there and find that goblin!”
Serena hid herself behind Kirsty’s hair as the girls headed for the starting point of the parade. They arrived to find people rushing around, preparing for the parade to begin. Dancers applied last-minute touches of makeup. Helpers smoothed costumes and checked hair ribbons, while the sound crew tested the speakers and microphones.
“It’s hard to spot a goblin when everyone’s rushing around like this,” Rachel said. “And there are so many people here. How are we ever going to find him?”
Serena was fidgeting on Kirsty’s shoulder. “I don’t know, but I hope we see him soon,” she remarked. “The parade is going to begin any minute!”
The girls searched the crowds.
Leading the parade was a group of women in bright flamenco dresses with lots of ruffles and matching scarlet shoes.
The women were followed by gleaming white horses, wearing tall, white feathers set in golden headdresses.
“Wow!” Kirsty said, distracted by the sight. “They look amazing!”
Rachel was examining everyone in search of a tell-tale flash of goblin green. “The goblin definitely isn’t around here,” she said after a moment or two. “Not unless he’s dressed as a horse!”
Just then, a voice came over the loudspeaker. “Welcome, everyone, to the Wetherbury Fiesta. Let the parade begin!”
Serena and the girls looked at each other in dismay. “We’re too late,” Rachel said. “It’s starting!”
Whistles sounded from the crowd, there was a thunderous drumroll from one of the marching bands, and then some lively salsa music started up. Despite their worries about the ribbon, Kirsty, Rachel, and Serena couldn’t help feeling excited by the festive carnival mood.
“Let’s stand here and watch,” Rachel suggested. “We might see the goblin going by in the parade.”
Serena nodded. “I hope so!” she said. “We’ll have to watch out for anyone who’s dancing really well. It might be because the ribbon is close to them.”
The flamenco dancers waved and blew kisses to the crowd. They led their horses down the street, shaking tambourines and swishing their skirts as they paraded along.
People were clapping and cheering as the horses trotted by, their white coats gleaming in the sunshine and their feathery headdresses fluttering in the wind. After them came the Scintillating Samba Band. The musicians played drums, trumpets, and maracas as they marched along in black pants and ruffled white shirts.
“This is wonderful!” Serena beamed, clapping along in time to the music. “And so far everyone’s just been walking, rather than dancing, so nothing’s gone wrong.”
“Ooh, look, she goes to my school!” Kirsty said excitedly, as a salsa dance class full of kids followed the samba band. She waved at a girl in a blue dress who was twirling around with a partner. “Oops,” Kirsty said, as the girl saw Kirsty, waved back, and then bumped into her partner.
“Oh no,” Rachel said with concern as she saw another girl from the dance class trip. “It looks like the dancing is beginning to fall apart.”
Serena watched anxiously. “If only I had my ribbon.” She sighed. “I could have stopped this from happening!”
Next came a group of salsa dancers, shimmying their way along the parade route. A woman in a long red evening dress danced at the front, carrying a sign that read “Cuban Break Salsa Group!” She was just waving it above her head and smiling at the crowd when, suddenly, she stumbled awkwardly on her high heels, dropped the sign, and almost fell over.
Serena winced. “We have to find my ribbon before someone gets hurt,” she said. “Where is that goblin?”
“I don’t know,” Rachel replied, as one of the salsa dancers accidentally stepped on his partner’s toe. “Ouch!” she exclaimed sympathetically.
The Cuban Break Salsa Group passed by, and a float came next. There were a lot of oohs and ahhhs from the crowd as it moved past, because the whole platform had been set up to look like an exotic garden paradise. Palm trees and some amazing painted scenery made the whole float bright with colorful flowers, birds, and butterflies. The salsa dancers on the float were wearing fantastic costumes to make themselves look like tropical birds, and they were performing some very complicated salsa dance moves. It wasn’t long before the crowds lining the street were applauding and cheering louder than ever.
“Those salsa dancers are really good!” Serena said. “What’s going on?”
Kirsty grinned. “I’ve got a feeling your ribbon must be on that float with them, Serena,” she suggested.
“I bet you’re right, Kirsty!” the little fairy agreed.
“Let’s follow the float,” Rachel suggested eagerly.
Kirsty glanced around as the float moved past, and her face fell. “It’s going to be tricky,” she said. “There are so many people here! We’re really going to have to try hard to get through the crowds.”
Serena smiled. “Why walk, when you can fly?” she asked cheerfully. “Let’s find someplace quiet for me to work some fairy magic.”
Kirsty and Rachel managed to squeeze their way through the crowd to an empty side street, and then Serena waved her wand over them. With a swirl of fiery orange sparkles, Kirsty and Rachel were transformed into tiny fairies.
Kirsty flapped her delicate wings happily, admiring the way that they shimmered in the afternoon sunshine.
“Now we can get really close to the float and get a better look at the dancers,” Rachel suggested, as the three friends fluttered high above the crowd.
“Good idea,” Serena agreed, “but we’ll have to be very careful that no one spots us.”
Quick as a flash, the three fairies zoomed down to the float and hid behind one of the palm trees. “Keep your eyes peeled for the goblin,” Kirsty whispered, peeking out from behind a palm leaf. “He must be here somewhere, and the sooner we spot him, the better!”
The three fairies gazed around at the dancers and studied them carefully, but it wasn’t easy to make out their faces. The dancers were whirling around so fast, they seemed more like colorful blurs than real people.
“I can’t believe they can dance so quickly on a moving float!” Kirsty marveled.
Serena nodded. “It makes me even more sure that the salsa ribbon must be here, helping them keep their balance,” she said.
Just then, Rachel spotted two shorter dancers in the middle of the float. They were both dancing exceptionally well. One was dressed as a parrot and the other as a bird of paradise with a spectacular, rainbow-colored feathery tail. Both dancers had wings attached to their arms, and beaks fastened over their noses with elastic.
“Look!” Rachel hissed, pointing the short dancers out to Serena and Kirsty. “Those two are the best dancers of all.”
The three fairies watched as the parrot took the bird of paradise’s hand. The bird of paradise spun around under the parrot’s outstretched wing.
“Nice,” Serena said approvingly. “That’s called an Alemana Turn,” she told the girls. Then she stared closely at the dancers. “They’re very small, aren’t they?”
“Maybe they’re goblins!” Kirsty whispered.
The three fairies looked at one another in dismay. Two goblins? One was bad enough, but outwitting two would certainly be double trouble. “At least only one of them will have the freezing power,” Kirsty said, trying to be positive, but she couldn’t help shivering a little. Before sending the goblins into the human world to guard the Dance Fairies’ ribbons, Jack Frost had given them each the power to freeze things. But the girls kne
w that the magic only lasted for as long as the goblin had a magic ribbon in his possession.
The three friends zoomed a little closer to the dancing goblins, hoping to spot Serena’s orange ribbon. They zipped between dancers really quickly, so that they wouldn’t be seen by anyone in the crowd or on the float.
Eventually, they reached a palm tree near where the goblins were dancing, and landed on one of its big leaves for a closer look.
Suddenly, Serena let out an excited squeak and pointed at the bird of paradise’s feathery tail. There, among his feathers, was a long, fiery orange ribbon. The salsa ribbon!
“I’ll get it,” Kirsty offered, and she made a dive for the bird of paradise’s tail. She was just about to grab the ribbon when the other goblin noticed her. With a yell of surprise, he yanked his friend toward him, hastily twirling the bird of paradise under his arm so that the feathery tail was out of Kirsty’s reach.
The two goblins lifted up their beaks and made rude faces at Kirsty, Rachel, and Serena. Rachel gasped as she noticed the parrot goblin’s very pointy nose. He was the same goblin who’d been guarding Jessica the Jazz Fairy’s ribbon, which they’d only gotten back yesterday!
The pointy-nosed goblin glared at them. It was clear that he recognized the girls, too. “We’ll have to get away from those pesky fairies,” Rachel heard him warn his friend. “They’re after your salsa ribbon!”
And then, before Kirsty, Rachel, or Serena could move, he’d grabbed the other goblin’s hand. Together, they took a running jump off the float.
The Dance Fairies Collection Page 8
