Christmas in Enchantia

by Darcey Bussell

  Delphie nodded. It would be lovely for all of the guests to see the magic Christmas tree but it would be even nicer if they all had their own at home. But there didn’t seem any way to solve that problem!

  “We should go and get changed now!” said Princess Aurelia as the clock struck half past six. “Come on!”

  It was fun getting ready. Sugar magicked up a beautiful red dress for Delphie. It was embroidered with gold thread and had a knee-length red net skirt scattered with tiny golden stars, matching her ballet shoes perfectly!

  Princess Aurelia put on a gold dress, a tiara decorated with rubies and golden ballet shoes. Sugar wore her usual lilac tutu but she had magicked herself up a sparkling silver cloak that fell from her shoulders and floated behind her.

  They hurried downstairs as they heard the carriages start to arrive. The King and Queen were already there and Sabrina and the other swans had joined them too. It was dark and frosty outside and the guests hurried in, beaming as the warmth of the palace enveloped them. On either side of the entrance way there were two pots each with a cactus plant in. The Queen had done her best to make them look Christmassy by decorating them with bits of tinsel but they still looked quite strange with their spiky leaves.

  Delphie was delighted to see people she knew arriving – the four season fairies were followed by the Nutcracker. He could either look like a wooden toy or a handsome prince and this time he was a handsome prince dressed all in white and gold. Delphie was delighted to see him. “Hello, Nutcracker!” she said running over.

  He picked her up and swirled her round. “It’s good to see you again, Delphie!” he said before placing her lightly down and striding over to Sugar. He held out his hand and she took it. Carefully he lifted his arm and she turned beneath it, stopping just beside him as he kissed her on the cheek.

  More people arrived. There was Cinderella and Prince Charming with Cinderella’s fairy godmother. Even Cinderella’s ugly sisters were there, arguing with each other as to which one of them looked the most beautiful as they stomped into the ballroom. All of the guests stopped to hug Delphie, Princess Aurelia and Sugar.

  “Croak!” Delphie jumped and looked round. Priscilla the giant toad who Sugar had once transformed to look like a beautiful princess was hopping into the palace through the door. “Croak!”

  Delphie grinned. Priscilla was always grumpy. But suddenly the smile died from her face.

  “Out of my way!” a familiar voice could be heard snarling outside. “I want some food and a present! And no, the mice aren’t coming. I’ve told them they’ve got to stay behind and guard my castle!”

  A figure in a black cape and long black boots was striding through the doors, red eyes gleaming, whiskers curled, golden crown on his head.

  It was King Rat!

  Sugar hid behind a pillar and Delphie quickly joined her. After their escapade at the castle, the last thing she wanted was for King Rat to see her.

  Oh, why did he have to come, Delphie thought, her heart sinking. He’s going to ruin everything!

  King Rat certainly looked as if that was his plan. He shoved the summer fairy out of the way, making her fall over. Then he swept off his cloak, knocking the Fairy Godmother’s tiara and throwing it on the floor for a servant to pick up. “Where’s the food?” he demanded, glaring round with his beady eyes.

  “The food will be served shortly, your highness,” said one of the servants nervously. “Would… would you like to go to the ballroom first? There’s dancing there.”

  “Dancing!” spat King Rat. “Pah! I don’t want to see any dancing! In fact,” his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Maybe I’ve got a way to stop it. If I could just make the music stop… hmmm …” He reached into his pocket.

  “Sugar!” Delphie said in alarm. “He’s going to try and spoil the banquet!”

  “Don’t worry,” said Sugar bravely. “My magic is stronger than his in the palace.”

  “Yes, if I just cast a spell …” King Rat went on.

  Sugar danced out behind him, music tinkling around her, her wand outstretched. “From your castle you have come to grumble and eat …” She danced towards him, spinning round and round, covering the ground between them quickly.

  “You!” King Rat snarled. “Why you …”

  Sugar hastily spoke above him. “But here all that you say will be kind and sweet!”

  And before King Rat knew what she was doing Sugar had tapped him on the head with her wand. There was a lilac flash. For a moment King Rat scowled and blinked, but then the corners of his lips twitched, pulling upwards into a crooked smile.

  “Good evening, Sugar Plum Fairy. How lovely it is to see you,” he said. His eyes darted around as if horrified at what he was saying, but he couldn’t seem to stop. “Everywhere is looking so beautiful. I particularly cannot wait to see the dancing.” He whimpered as his smile stretched even wider.

  “Excellent,” said Sugar. “There’s going to be a lot of it.”

  King Rat glared at her but his mouth kept smiling. “How perfectly… perfectly… wonderful!” he burst out, almost with a snarl.

  Delphie couldn’t stop herself from giggling. King Rat turned and saw her so she grinned. “Do you like Christmas trees, King Rat?”

  He gritted his teeth. “I… I love them!”

  “It’s such a shame that all the Christmas trees have been turned to cactus plants then, isn’t it?” said Delphie.

  “Oh yes, I really wish …” King Rat clamped his hands over his mouth in horror as if he realised what he was going to say but he couldn’t stop the words from bursting out. “I really wish they would all just turn back into Christmas trees!”

  Ping!

  The Fairy Godmother to one side of him had instantly waved her wand in the air. “Your wish is granted, King Rat!” she said, with a beaming smile. “And I’ve made sure they can’t ever be changed again – isn’t that splendid?”

  Jumping up and down in rage, King Rat turned and stomped away into the night as everyone burst out laughing.

  Inside the ballroom the music started up.

  “The dancing’s about to start!” said Sugar. “Come on!”

  As everyone hurried into the ballroom, Sugar and the Nutcracker started off the dancing. They stopped in the middle of the floor while the King and Queen sat down on their thrones beside the band and everyone else stood at the side of the room.

  The lights dimmed apart from two spotlights on Sugar and the prince and at the same time the King motioned to the musicians to begin. Beautiful music flooded the air.

  Sugar slowly lifted her head and her arms, rising on to her pointes. She looked at the prince, slowly extending an arm towards him before pausing for a moment on her pointes. Then she began to spin across the floor towards him, turning rapidly. As she reached him he swept her up into the air, holding her high above himself, making her look as light as thistledown, before sweeping her down and following her as she danced away.

  Delphie clasped her hands. Sugar and the Prince danced perfectly without the slightest wobble or mistake, their eyes hardly leaving each other’s faces.

  The dance got faster and suddenly the music changed to a waltz. It seemed to be the moment everyone was waiting for. They all swept on to the dance floor. Princess Aurelia grabbed Delphie’s hands and pulled her among the crowd. They spun around in time to the music. Delphie laughed out loud and then felt the nutcracker put his hands lightly on her waist. He swung her up into the air. Delphie held her arms out at the sides and lifted her chin. She felt as if she was flying like a bird. He carried her forward and then placed her lightly down. Grinning at him, she pirouetted round and then danced away.

  Everyone was dancing. Even the elves could be seen standing around the outside of the room twirling each other round. Delphie had never had such fun! In the corner the fairy lights on the Christmas tree were twinkling brightly, and through a set of doors she could see a room full of Christmas presents, beautifully wrapped by the elves, just waiting for
everyone to take them home. Through another set of doors she could see a huge room with an enormous feast laid out. There was every type of Christmas food that she could imagine – a huge great turkey, piles of roast potatoes, great bowls of cranberry jelly, Christmas cakes, mince pies and a stack of little Christmas puddings with silver pieces stuck inside and holly on the top.

  Sugar grabbed her hands. “Are you enjoying Christmas Eve in Enchantia?”

  “Oh yes,” breathed Delphie. “I am!”

  They ate and talked and laughed and danced. The evening flew by until it was midnight and the palace clock was chiming out.

  “Come quick!” said Sugar, pulling Delphie closer to the Christmas tree.

  On the twelfth stroke there was a bright golden flash of light and a heap of presents appeared around the tree’s base.

  Princess Aurelia crouched down, quickly looking at the labels. “Delphie! Here’s a present for you. I was hoping there would be.” She picked up a small parcel and ran over with it.

  “It’s for me?” Delphie said in astonishment.

  Aurelia nodded. “Go on! Open it! It’s after midnight so it’s Christmas Day now. I want to see what you’ve got. The tree always gives you a present you really need.”

  Heart beating fast, Delphie began to open the wrapping paper as the King and Queen handed out the other presents to the servants.

  As the last layer of tissue paper fell off, Delphie gasped. There were two wooden ballet figures inside. Each of them was a figurine of Clara holding the nutcracker doll. A smile slowly spread across her face.

  “Two figures the same? That’s strange,” said Princess Aurelia in surprise. “Why didn’t the tree give you two different figures?”

  “Because these are what I needed,” said Delphie softly, looking at the beautifully carved figures. “They are perfect!”

  Her feet began to tingle. Looking down she saw that her ballet shoes were glowing and sparkling. “I’m going home!”

  “Goodbye, Delphie, see you next time!” cried Sugar.

  “Happy Christmas!” called Princess Aurelia.

  “Happy Christmas everyone!” Delphie cried looking round at the happy, festive room. The next second she was whisked away in a swirl of red and gold light. She whirled round and round, her fingers tightly clutching the wooden figures. She knew just what she was going to do with them.

  As she spun down, the haze of colours cleared. She was back in the town hall and the opening bars of the music for her dance were swelling out. The performance was about to begin!

  Delphie hastily put down the wooden figures and picked up the nutcracker doll. She took a deep breath. It was lucky that time in the real world always seemed to stand still whist she was in Enchantia. Her adventures were still whirling in her head, but she knew she had to concentrate on dancing now. I’ve got to be Clara, she thought, dancing with her nutcracker.

  She took another deep breath and then it was time for her entrance. She ran on to the stage with the rest of her class. It was dark in the auditorium where the audience was sitting and she could only see the first few rows of faces.

  She ran forward with tiny steps, aware of all the others from her class doing the same thing around her. She noticed Poppy moving so lightly that she almost looked as if she was floating across the floor. Delphie felt herself stiffen. Sugar’s words floated into her mind: Make the dance your own.

  Delphie blocked out her friends and what they were doing. She listened instead to the music and focused on the nutcracker. She raised the toy, drew her right leg up against her left and stretched it out behind her.

  Then she spun into a pirouette, skipped forward a few steps and leaped into two cat jumps just as they had been taught. Lifting the nutcracker high up she turned round with him, her whole body glowing and light.

  When the dance ended and Delphie was holding the final pose, she blinked as she suddenly became aware of the town hall, the stage and her friends around her. During the dance she had forgotten her nerves and her doubts, lost in a world of her own. She heard the audience applauding loudly. Delphie and the others curtsyed before running off the stage as they had been told.

  Madame Za-Za was waiting in the wings. “That was wonderful, girls!” she whispered. She caught Delphie’s eye. “Magical,” she said, with a smile.

  Poppy and Lola ran over to Delphie and grabbed her hands. “Wasn’t that brilliant?” said Lola her eyes glowing.

  “It was fantastic!” gasped Delphie.

  The stage manager started motioning to them to go back to the dressing room.

  Delphie remembered something. Quickly running back to where she had left the wooden figures, she picked them up, then she followed the others down the stairs. The dressing room was full of excited chatter and girls hugging.

  Delphie joined in as they all talked about what they had done and what it had been like. The girls had to stay in their costumes for the final bows at the end of the show. It was wonderful to go back on to the stage and curtsy in front of the audience again. The people in the town hall clapped so much that they had to curtsy five times before the curtain came down!

  After they had all got changed, it was finally time to go home. Delphie took the two beautiful wooden figures out of her bag where she had been keeping them safe. “Poppy! Lola! I’ve got something for you for Christmas. I’m… I’m sorry they’re not wrapped.”

  As her friends took the figures and looked at them, smiles broke out on their faces. “Wow!” said Poppy. “These are beautiful. Thank you, Delphie!”

  “They’re gorgeous,” said Lola. “Where did you get them from?”

  Delphie hid her smile. “Oh, just a stall in a market I know,” she answered.

  “Time to go, girls!” Madame Za-Za called. “Your parents are waiting outside.”

  They hurried out of the dressing room and up the stairs. As they ran into the small back street behind the town hall where their parents were waiting, Delphie gasped. Snow was falling, the flakes caught in the soft amber glow of the street lights. “Oh, wow!” she gasped, looking around at the white world.

  Her parents hurried over and her dad enveloped her in a hug. “You were great, Delphie.”

  “Thanks,” Delphie smiled. “I can’t believe it’s snowing!”

  “I know,” her mum replied. “It’s wonderful. It looks like we are going to have a white Christmas this year after all.”

  “We should get home now,” Delphie’s dad said. “You don’t want to be in bed late tonight or you’ll be too tired to enjoy Christmas Day tomorrow.”

  “Bye!” Poppy and Lola called, as their parents started to urge them away too. “Happy Christmas, Delphie!”

  Delphie waved. “Happy Christmas!”

  Happiness filled her. Everything was perfect. She’d had an adventure in Enchantia, danced on stage, made her two best friends really happy, tomorrow was Christmas Day and it was snowing. What could be better?

  She felt so joyful that she just had to dance. She pirouetted round, her arms outstretched to the sides, her face turned up to the sky.

  “Come on, Delphie,” her mum said, looking round and laughing.

  Delphie jumped into the air. Happy Christmas, she thought, picturing her friends in Enchantia. Then she danced after her parents, snowflakes glittering in her dark hair.

  Meet other girls in Enchantia over the page …

  The Girls of Enchantia

  Rosa

  Hi, I’m Rosa. I’ve always loved dancing! Madame Za-Za tells me to slow down and concentrate on what I’m doing, but dancing is just so exciting. Delphie gave me the precious red ballet shoes and, before I knew it, I was in Enchantia meeting all the ballet characters. Nutmeg (Sugar’s sister) and I have been on lots of adventures: rescuing an enchanted princess, finding stolen treasure and thwarting the Wicked Fairy at every turn.

  Hair colour: Blonde

  Eye colour: Blue

  Likes: Olivia my best friend, making my mum happy

  Dislikes: Makin
g mistakes or losing my temper

  Favourite ballet: Swan Lake

  Best friend in Enchantia: Nutmeg

  Holly

  Hi, my name’s Holly and I love ballet more than anything. Dancing makes me think of my mum because she’s a professional dancer. I love the emotions and stories in ballet, sometimes I get so carried away I forget where I am! Luckily I’m always in the best places: dancing at Madame Za-Za’s or in Enchantia! The White Cat and I have done so much there: protecting Cinderella from an evil magician, reuniting Beauty and the Beast, and even making things right in the Land of Sweets!

  Hair colour: Dark brown

  Eye colour: Green

  Likes: Expressing myself through dancing

  Dislikes: Feeling left out

  Favourite ballet: Sleeping Beauty (particularly the Rose Adagio dance)

  Best friend in Enchantia: The White Cat

  Acknowledgements

  Special thanks to Linda Chapman and Nellie Ryan

  Copyright

  HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd, 77–85 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8JB

  The HarperCollins website address is www.harpercollins.co.uk

  First published in hardback in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2008

  First published in paperback in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2010

  Text copyright © HarperCollins Children’s Books 2008

  MAGIC BALLERINA™ and the ‘Magic Ballerina’ logo are trade marks of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.