“The Wicked Fairy is horrible,” said the Queen. “All the trouble at the moment is down to her.”
“Why? What’s going on?” burst out Rosa.
“The Wicked Fairy wants her palace to be the most talked about castle in the whole of Enchantia,” King Tristan explained. “So she’s been hanging cages filled with birds all around it. She sets traps and captures as many of them as she can – finches, robins, bluebirds, thrushes…”
“But the birds refused to sing in captivity,” the Queen put in. “The Wicked Fairy got very angry and said that if they wouldn’t sing for her then no one else would hear any birds anywhere. So she captured the Firebird. He’s part of the magic here. As long as he is free, the birds can sing and music can be played but when he is imprisoned, his magic fades so all the song and music in the land fades too.”
“She’s keeping him in a cage at the top of the tallest tree in Enchantia,” said King Tristan. “Many brave people have tried to reach him or reason with her but she just turns them all to stone.”
Just like the magician in the ballet of The Firebird, Rosa thought in alarm.
“We don’t know what to do,” the King went on worriedly. “There’s a legend that says that if the Firebird is trapped but someone can get a feather from his tail and dance with it then he will be freed, but right now even if someone could get a feather it wouldn’t be much use.”
“Music and dance are linked in Enchantia,” Queen Isabella explained. “Without music we simply can’t dance. Look!” the Queen stood up and tried to pirouette forward, but she just stumbled and lost her balance. “Now the music has faded no one here is able to dance at all!”
Rosa frowned, remembering how she had twirled round in the woods when she had first got there. “That’s strange. I think I can still dance.” She stood up and ran five tiny steps forward before pirouetting and then standing on one leg. She balanced perfectly.
The King and Queen gasped. “Perhaps it’s because I’m not actually from Enchantia,” said Rosa. A thought suddenly struck her. “If I can get a feather from the Firebird and dance with it, then he will be free.” She looked at them in excitement. “Where is he?”
“He’s near the Wicked Fairy’s palace which is a carriage ride away,” said the King.
“It would be very dangerous to go there – the Wicked Fairy might turn you to stone!” said the Queen.
“I’ll risk it!” Rosa said bravely.
“Oh, Rosa, I really don’t know,” said Queen Isabella worriedly.
“I must!” said Rosa. “The shoes have brought me here so I can help. I have to go. If you won’t lend me a carriage, I’ll just set off on my own!”
The King hesitated and then nodded. “Rosa has clearly made up her mind,” he said, taking his wife’s hand. “Let us at least give her what protection we can.” He turned to Rosa. “If you are sure you want to go, I will call you a carriage and driver straight away.”
Rosa lifted her chin. “I do. I want to go. I’m going to free the Firebird and save Enchantia. The Wicked Fairy isn’t going to stop me!”
It was getting chilly as Rosa pulled the rugs in the carriage around her. Now the journey had started she began to wonder how it was going to end. How was she going to rescue the Firebird? What if she met the Wicked Fairy and was turned to stone like everyone else?
A picture of the Wicked Fairy’s pale face swam into Rosa’s head and she shivered. She had felt so brave back at the palace, but now she could feel doubts filling her mind. What if I can’t help this time? she thought anxiously. What if I fail? How am I going to get a feather from the Firebird’s tail?
The driver – Griff – looked over his shoulder at her. “I used to know Delphie, the girl who had the ballet shoes before you,” he said.
Rosa smiled. He was talking about Delphie Durand – the dark-haired girl at Madame Za-Za’s ballet school who had given Rosa the red ballet shoes when she could no longer wear them.
“She’s one of my friends,” Rosa smiled. “She’s really nice, isn’t she?”
“Oh yes,” Griff said. “Nice and brave. And such a lovely girl. It always seemed like she could solve every problem.”
Rosa swallowed. Delphie would have thought of a plan by now, she thought.
“She always came up with some idea that could help,” Griff went on. “So what’s your plan for rescuing the Firebird then?”
“I’m…I’m not sure,” Rosa admitted, feeling like a bit of a let down.
“Oh.” Griff looked a bit surprised but then shrugged. “Well, I’m sure you’ll think of something by the time we get there.”
He turned back to look at the horses. He’s probably wishing Delphie was here instead of me, thought Rosa. Pulling the rug around her, she stared at the countryside whizzing past. She hoped she’d think of something soon!
The horses cantered past fields and villages till at last they reached a wood of tall trees. There, Rosa could see strange wooden contraptions, like cages, made from branches. “What are they?” she asked.
“They’re the bird traps set by the Wicked Fairy,” Griff said grimly. “She’s captured most of the birds in this wood already.” The horses shook their heads nervously.
Rosa stared at the empty cages, thinking of all the birds the Wicked Fairy had captured and hoping no more would be caught. Suddenly her eyes were caught by a flash of blue in a cage halfway up a tree to her left. “Look!”
“It’s a bird,” Griff slowed the horses and peered through the trees. “A bluebird by the looks of it.”
“We’ve got to let it out!” said Rosa. “What if the Wicked Fairy comes and takes it?”
“What if she comes and sees us here?” said Griff doubtfully. “If a bird is caught that probably means she’ll be along soon to check the traps. We should get on our way.”
But Rosa stood up. “No! I’m getting out! I’m going to rescue it!”
Almost before Griff had halted the horses, Rosa had scrambled down from the carriage. She hurried off the path, jumping over tree roots and ducking under branches until she reached the tree. A small bluebird with turquoise feathers and shining dark eyes was trapped inside the cage. “Help!” he called, flapping his wings in alarm.
“Don’t worry,” called Rosa. “I’m coming!” She started to climb the tree, standing on tiptoe to grab the lowest branch with both hands and pulling herself up. Once on that branch she climbed up to another and another.
She looked at the door of the cage. It was fiddly to undo – a bird would never be able to manage it with its beak, but she could just about do it with her fingers – and pulled it open.
The bird opened its mouth, as if about to sing in delight, but no song came out. Instead, he swooped out and perched on her shoulder. “Oh, thank you! Thank you!” He butted his little head against her cheek. “I know I should never have flown into the woods but I was chasing a flying bug for my tea. I didn’t see the cage until I flew inside. The door shut behind me and then I was trapped.”
Rosa stroked his head. “You’d better get out of here. Just watch out for other traps on the way!”
She began to climb down the tree. The little bird flew after her. “My name’s Skye.”
“I’m Rosa.”
“It’s lovely to meet you, Rosa. I met Delphie once,” said Skye. “She’s lovely. So brave!”
There it was again – that same word. Brave. Rosa bit her lip. She wished people would stop telling her how amazing Delphie was. It wasn’t making her feel very good by comparison.
“Are you going to rescue the Firebird?” Skye asked. “Can I come with you?”
“Thanks but I’d better go on my own. It’ll be really dangerous,” said Rosa.
“I don’t mind,” cheeped Skye. “I’d like to come and help.”
“No,” Rosa insisted. She would have loved the little bird’s company, but what if they met the Wicked Fairy and he was caught? “You should get out of here. Go somewhere safe.”
“But…”
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“Rosa! We should go!” Griff called to her.
“Coming! Bye, Skye!” Rosa ran back to the carriage, waving back to the little bluebird. “Watch out for those cages!”
“But…but…” the little bird twittered.
Griff brought the reins down on the horses’ backs and they leaped forward. “We’d best be off. It’s too dangerous to stay here and the Firebird needs to be freed,” he said.
Rosa felt as if Griff was telling her off for stopping to rescue Skye. He probably thinks Delphie wouldn’t have stopped, she thought. Sighing, she pulled the rugs up around her and set her mind to thinking what she would do to free the Firebird. She had to think of something – and fast!
The rest of the journey passed in silence. A few times Rosa saw Griff start to turn towards her but she hastily shut her eyes as if she was dozing. She didn’t want him starting to tell her how amazing he thought Delphie was again, particularly seeing as she was aware that she still hadn’t thought of a plan!
She kept wracking her brains. How was she going to get up to its cage? What was she going to do if the Wicked Fairy was there?
She caught sight of a palace through the trees. It was made of grey stone and had black flags flying from its pointed turrets. All around it were cages full of birds.
Griff slowed the horses to a walk. “The tallest tree is close to the edge of the woods,” he said. “It might be safer to walk the last bit in case the Wicked Fairy hears the horses coming.”
Rosa swallowed nervously. This was it. They were here. Griff halted and she got down. There was a clearing a little way ahead of them, and in it were six stone statues, two princes on horses, a fairy, a girl dressed as a soldier and two princes on foot.
They must all be people who had tried to rescue the Firebird! She started to hurry towards the clearing.
“Be careful, Rosa!” Griff called in a low voice.
But Rosa ignored him. She wanted to get to the Firebird as quickly as possible. But, just as she reached the edge of the clearing, the Wicked Fairy appeared ahead of her!
Just in time, Rosa threw herself down behind a leafy bush. The Wicked Fairy swung around and looked suspiciously in her direction, as if she had heard a noise.
With her heart beating fast, Rosa realised that the bush was hollow in the middle. She quickly crawled inside, hoping Griff was hiding too. Branches caught in her hair and her fingernails dug into the soil but she took no notice. Her eyes were fixed on the Wicked Fairy who was stalking straight towards her!
As the Wicked Fairy reached the bush where she was hiding, Rosa hardly dared to breathe. Please don’t see me, she thought. Please!
“Must just have been a bird,” the Wicked Fairy muttered, cackling. “If it is, I’ll catch it for my collection!” She marched back into the clearing and looked up towards something in the branches of one of the trees. “How are you enjoying your cage, Firebird?” she called out. “Get used to it because you’ll be staying there for a long time!” And with that, she waved her wand and vanished in a flash.
Phew! thought Rosa as she crawled out from under the bush.
“Rosa, are you OK?”
She looked round and saw Griff coming out from behind a tree trunk. “You shouldn’t have run ahead like that! You could have been caught!”
“I know, it was stupid!” The scare she had just had made Rosa speak more crossly than she would usually. “I bet Delphie would never have done anything like that, would she?”
Griff stared at her. “What do you mean?”
All the worry about not having thought of a plan yet and the fear that she wasn’t as good as Delphie, spilled out of Rosa. “Well, it’s clear you think Delphie would have been more careful and that Delphie would have had a plan. You think she was wonderful!”
Griff looked astonished. “Yes, she was. But so are you. I’ve heard about your last adventure here and how you got into King Rat’s castle. That was incredible. And the way you insisted on rescuing Skye the bluebird. That was really brave too.” He frowned. “I’ve only been talking about Delphie because I really liked her and you said you were friends. I didn’t mean to make it sound like Delphie was braver or better than you.”
“Oh.” Rosa went red as she realised that she had jumped to conclusions.
Griff looked upset.
Rosa swallowed, feeling bad for upsetting him. “I’m…I’m sorry,” she said. “I got it wrong. I should have asked you what you meant.”
Griff gave her a kindly smile. “That’s all right. We both just got our wires crossed. Let’s forget it now. There are far more important things to think about – like how to rescue the Firebird before the Wicked Fairy comes back. Look, there he is!”
Griff pointed up the tallest tree. A handsome prince had been turned to stone right beside it, looking up into the branches. Rosa saw a narrow cage hanging near the very top. A bird about the size of an eagle
was shut inside. It had beautiful red and gold feathers and a proud face.
“The Firebird!” Rosa breathed.
“He shouldn’t be trapped like that. He should be free,” said Griff, stepping over a pile of cloaks that had been discarded by people as they had got ready to rescue the Firebird.
“How are you going to get up there?” he said, walking up to the tree. “It looks impossible!”
Rosa remembered how she had just saved Skye. “I’ll climb up.”
“But there aren’t any branches you can reach from here,” Griff pointed out.
Rosa realised he was right. The lower part of the trunk was very smooth. The first branches were far out of reach, about five metres up the tree. It would be impossible to climb from the ground.
“If only we had a ladder,” she said, looking around the clearing.
But there was nothing around that could help. Unless…
Her eyes fell on the statue of the prince near the trunk and widened as she thought of an idea. “Griff, could you climb on that statue? Then, if I climb up on your shoulders, I should be able to reach the first branch!”
Griff looked at the stone statue and then looked at the branches. “Yes, I could do that. I’m sure Prince Hugo wouldn’t mind.”
“I’m sorry, Prince Hugo,” Rosa said quickly to the prince in case he could hear. It wasn’t very dignified for a prince to be climbed on, but they had to rescue the Firebird and this was the only way she could think of.
Griff began to climb on to the prince’s shoulders.
Once he was balanced, Rosa followed him up. It was a bit like being an acrobat in the circus! Griff bent down and she climbed on to his shoulders and then he straightened slowly up. She could almost reach the lowest branch, almost…
Griff wobbled. Rosa made a desperate grab and her fingers found a branch. Using all of her strength, she hauled herself up so her tummy was on the branch, and then pulled her legs up. Taking a deep breath, she began to climb.
It was very difficult. The branches were spaced out and thoughts of the Wicked Fairy kept filling Rosa’s mind. What if she came back and saw Rosa halfway up the tree? There would be no way to hide from her there.
Rosa glanced down. The ground was a long way off now. A wave of dizziness swept over her. She clutched the trunk, feeling like she was going to fall. Don’t stop, don’t stop, she told herself. But suddenly her arms and legs felt as if they wouldn’t work.
I can’t do it, she thought in panic. I can’t!
“Go on, Rosa!” urged Griff from below.
Rosa took courage from his voice. Everyone in Enchantia needed her to do this. She wasn’t going to give up!
Gritting her teeth, she edged further up the tree. She’d gone a few more metres when suddenly her feet slipped. For a moment she swung in mid-air, her hands locked round a branch before she regained her footing and edged back towards the trunk to pause, trembling and clinging on.
She shut her eyes, blinking back the tears. You have to keep going, she told herself and taking a deep breath, she began to climb again
…
“Rosa!”
Rosa looked round and gasped. Skye, the little bluebird, was swooping towards her.
“Skye!” she gasped. “What are you doing here? I told you not to come.”
“But I thought you might need help. I tried to keep up with the carriage, but I couldn’t – I needed to fly carefully because of the traps. Anyway, I’m here now!” Skye flew closer, his dark eyes concerned. “Are you all right?”
“Not really,” Rosa said, hanging on to the tree trunk. “I’ve got to get up to the Firebird.”
The bluebird looked worried. “I could fly up there but I won’t be able to undo his cage with my beak.”
“I don’t need to do undo the cage,” Rosa said quickly. “I just need one of his tail feathers.”
“I can easily get one of those for you!” said Skye.
“Really?” said Rosa, her heart jumping.
“Of course! Watch me!” Skye flew upwards.
Rosa watched the little bird fly all the way to the cage. He chirruped something to the Firebird who nodded his elegant head.
The bluebird gently plucked one of the red-gold feathers out of his long tail, then whizzed back down to Rosa with it.
“You’ve got it!” she gasped.
She longed to take the shining feather, but first she had to get back down the tree. She began the long, slow climb down, her feet slowly finding footholds, her arms trembling with the strain.
“Rosa!” she heard Griff shout from below. “Jump!”
Rosa glanced down. Griff had made a hammock with the discarded cloaks! He had strung it between the statue of Prince Hugo and a nearby statue of a man on a horse. If she jumped, she would land in it and then she would be on the ground and could do the dance!
“Come on,” urged Griff again.
“Go on, Rosa!” said Skye.
Magic Ballerina 7-12 Page 4