“So, it’s happily ever after for everyone!” smiled Sugar.
“Well, not quite,” Delphie said quietly, bending her aching toes in her tight shoes.
Sugar looked at her curiously. “What do you mean?”
Delphie bit her lip and her fears came rushing out. “Oh, Sugar. My magic ballet shoes are getting too small. I know now that I can dance just as well without them, but if I can’t fit them on my feet, I can’t come here and visit you.”
Sugar took her hand. “But you won’t be giving up Enchantia forever. It is not only the shoes that can bring you here.”
“Really?” said Delphie hopefully.
“Really,” Sugar insisted. “Enchantia is always going to be here waiting for you, Delphie. Dance with your heart and you will return.”
The band struck up a polka. Sugar grabbed Delphie’s hands. “Come on!”
They were swept away in the lively dance. Delphie’s head spun as she and Sugar swung each other round. She laughed out loud in delight and then, as the dance ended, her shoes began to sparkle and glow.
“I’m going home!” Delphie gasped.
Sugar hugged her. “See you soon, I hope! Bye, Delphie!”
A myriad of colours suddenly surrounded Delphie. She whizzed round and round until her feet landed on solid ground. She blinked as she found herself back in the quiet changing rooms. No time had passed at all.
Delphie looked down at her shoes and touched them. She knew now she could dance without her magic shoes and that she would be able to get to Enchantia without them, but she still didn’t feel ready to give them up.
Madame Za-Za’s words rang in her head: You will know when the time is right, she had said
But when will that be? Delphie thought. When?
Delphie and Rosa were the last to leave after class that day. As they walked out of the ballet school, Rosa called goodbye and headed off to the right. Delphie turned to the left and then stopped. She realised she hadn’t said anything to Rosa about the pointe shoes. At the end of class, Madame Za-Za had said that Delphie, Poppy, Lola, Sukie, Anna and Megan were the six girls who would be moving into a new class. Rosa hadn’t been selected. She must be really disappointed, Delphie thought. I would have been.
She hesitated. Maybe she should go and talk to her? She turned, Rosa was already crossing the road and heading down Hawkins Avenue. Delphie made up her mind and ran back. She crossed the road just as Rosa went into a bungalow with a green door halfway down the street.
Delphie jogged down the pavement. She’d just check Rosa wasn’t too upset.
She reached the green front door and knocked. Rosa opened it. She looked shocked and, if anything, a bit put out. “Delphie! What… what are you doing here?”
“I came to see you. I was worried you might be upset about not getting to dance on your pointes and coming to the next class with us,” Delphie said.
“Well, I’m just fine,” Rosa said. “I’d expected it. Look, Delphie, thanks for coming but I have to go!”
As Rosa started to shut the door on Delphie, a voice called out, “Rosa! Who’s there?”
“It’s OK, Mum. It’s just a friend,” Rosa said quickly.
A woman came into the hall in a wheelchair. She was very beautiful with long blonde hair tied back in a low bun, huge blue eyes and a very friendly face. “Hello,” she said to Delphie.
Delphie looked across at Rosa, who now was positively glaring at her. Why was she looking so cross?
“Hello,” Delphie said to Rosa’s mum, politely holding out her hand. “I’m Delphie Durand.”
Rosa’s mum smiled. “I’m Nicolette Maitland. I’m very pleased to meet you, Delphie. I’d love to come and watch Rosa do ballet and meet all her new friends but it’s quite hard for me to get into the ballet school because of those steps. Did Rosa tell you I used to be a ballerina myself?”
“No,” said Delphie in astonishment. She couldn’t help herself from looking at Mrs Maitland’s wheelchair.
Mrs Maitland followed her gaze. “I had a car accident,” she explained. “So I had to retire from ballet.” She saw Delphie’s face. “It was sad but then afterwards I had Rosa. Now I wouldn’t want it to be any different.” She looked at a photo on the wall of a ballerina caught gracefully in mid-jump. “That was me, back when I was dancing.”
Delphie looked from the picture to Mrs Maitland in awe. “Wow! I’ve never met a real ballerina before. Well, apart from Madame Za-Za!”
Mrs Maitland smiled. “Would you like to stay for tea? We could give your parents a ring. I’m always telling Rosa she should bring more friends home.”
“I’d love to!” Delphie said, eager to talk to Mrs Maitland some more.
After phoning to check it was OK, Delphie went to Rosa’s bedroom. “Why didn’t you tell me about your mum?” she said as soon as the door was shut.
“What? That she’s in a wheelchair?” said Rosa in a tight voice.
“No!” That thought hadn’t even crossed Delphie’s mind. “Why didn’t you say that she used to be a ballerina! That’s so cool and…” She broke off, realising what Rosa had just said. “Hang on, did you think your mum being in a wheelchair would worry me or something?”
Rosa bit her lip and nodded. “Before we moved I had friends from school come round a few times and well… they weren’t very nice about Mum. I got teased about her wheelchair afterwards.”
“But that’s horrible!” Delphie exclaimed, suddenly understanding why Rosa had seemed so unwelcoming at the door.
Rosa swallowed. “When we moved I didn’t want it all to happen again so I thought I just wouldn’t have anyone back for tea or go to anyone’s house.”
“Well, I think you’re really lucky to have a mum who was a ballerina, and who’s so lovely,” Delphie declared. “And I know Poppy and Lola would feel just the same.”
Rosa breathed out. “You mean that?”
“Of course I do!” smiled Delphie. She looked around at the photos on Rosa’s walls. Many of them were of her mum. “What part was she dancing here… and here…?”
Delphie listened, entranced, while Rosa proudly told her about her mum’s past and then, while they had tea, Mrs Maitland told Delphie all about her training at the Royal Ballet School and how her dearest wish was that Rosa would one day go there too. Afterwards they went back to Rosa’s room to get Delphie’s things.
“You must be so pleased that you’re getting to wear pointe shoes,” Rosa said, looking at the cardboard box.
Delphie nodded. “I just wish Madame Za-Za had said you could wear them too.”
“It’s OK. I didn’t think she would,” Rosa said. “But I’m going to practise lots and it won’t be long before I am ready. Until then, I’ll just have to make do with normal shoes.”
As Delphie looked at the younger girl she suddenly knew what she had to do. “Rosa, would you like my old red ballet shoes?”
Rosa stared. “But didn’t Madame Za-Za give them to you?”
“She did, but my feet are getting too big for them now and I think she’ll be pleased I’m giving them to you.” Delphie pulled the shoes out of her bag and held them out. “Here.”
Rosa took them wonderingly. “Oh, wow. Thank you, Delphie!”
Delphie looked at the shoes, sitting in Rosa’s hands, their red leather gleaming. “They’re very special shoes,” she said softly. “But I’m sure you’ll find that out.” She grinned. “Just watch out for King Rat though.”
Rosa looked at her in astonishment. “What?”
“You’ll see!”
Delphie left Rosa’s house feeling light and happy. She was moving forward and she knew that the right time had come to pass the red shoes on.
I hope I do get to go to Enchantia again though, she thought.
Sugar’s words suddenly seemed to echo in her head: Dance with your heart and you will return.
Delphie smiled and hugging her new pointe shoes to her chest, she ran down the street.
Epilogue
The girl tied the ribbons on her pointe shoes. She carefully pointed one toe and then the other to check they felt all right. Then she lifted her head and walked lightly to the centre of the room. Smoothing down the top layer of her tutu she lowered her dark head and waited for the music. As the first notes played, the girl rose up on to her toes, smiled and stepped forward into the magic…
1. Start in first position and then point your left foot out the side, opening up your arms.
2. Slide your left foot behind your right foot without letting it leave the floor.
3. Gently bend both your knees and lower into your curtsy.
4. Straighten up, bringing your left leg back to rest in the centre again and lower your arms.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Linda Chapman and Katie May
Copyright
Delphie and The Magic Ballet Shoes first published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2008
Delphie and The Magic Spell first published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2008
Delphie and The Masked Ball first published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2008
Delphie and the Glass Slippers first published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2008
Delphie and the Fairy Godmother first published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2008
Delphie and the Birthday Show first published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2008
HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 77–85 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London We 8JB
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Text copyright © HarperCollins Children’s Books 2009
MAGIC BALLERINA™ and the ‘Magic Ballerina’ logo are trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
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