“What a great setting for the performance!” declared Mrs Woodchester.
Everyone agreed. They hoped their hard work would let Holly Mallow see that they were right behind her – and that she most definitely was not being left to do all the hard work on her own – like Cinderella!
Chapter Nine
ON TUESDAY MORNING Miss Mallow was looking very pale and tired. She was terribly worried about the hall. She had thought about putting off the show until a later date, but she didn’t want to let the children down, especially now that they had put in so much effort. After she’d taken the register, she was muttering about the state of the hall and the fact that they’d not yet practised on the actual stage.
“Er, Miss Mallow, can we go down to the hall now, please?” asked Poppy. “We want to make some flower garlands for the ball scene and we need to see where we can hang them.”
“Oh, Poppy, that is a good idea, but it’s such a mess down there. I’m not sure we’re even going to be able to use it,” replied Miss Mallow.
“Oh, Miss Mallow, please can we go?” begged Poppy. “Maybe Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother have worked some magic on it!”
“If only real life were like that, Poppy,” sighed her teacher. “Oh, all right, let’s go and see where the garlands could go!”
She didn’t want to sound too negative in front of the children, but flower garlands really were the last thing on her mind and she didn’t even want to see the hall again. This whole production was designed to celebrate its reopening, but at the moment it looked as if an earthquake had hit it.
Poppy, Honey, Abi, Sweetpea and Mimosa led the way to the hall, pushed open the doors and switched on the lights . . .
Miss Mallow’s face was a picture – first of confusion, then of delight.
“Please tell me I’m not dreaming this. It’s so incredible. But how? When? I mean, who?” She was so thrilled with the transformation that she was in state of shock and was hardly making any sense.
“It was a working team of friends from the village who came in after school yesterday,” explained Poppy, feeling very proud of her parents, who had organized the whole thing.
Miss Mallow was quite overwhelmed by the kindness of the local people. It brought a tear to her eye and it also meant that, after all the trials and tribulations, the show could go on after all.
The dress rehearsal the day before the show went well, even though everyone needed Saffron to adjust their outfits a little here and there and it took them a while to get used to using a different space. Miss Mallow was so proud of them. They were all very serious about their roles in the play and were now putting their hearts and souls into the production.
Before the final scene, the girls sat backstage in one dressing room, while the boys sat in another. Poppy loved having her make-up done by Lily Ann Peach from the Beehive Beauty Salon.
“Can I have a bit more sparkly eye shadow, please?” she asked. “The last scene is really sparkly.”
“Oh, all right then,” said Lily Ann. “But there’ll be none left for the real show tomorrow if you girls keep putting it on double thick!”
Poppy and her friends were incredibly excited. They could hardly believe that the show had come round at last.
“We’re really, definitely doing it now,” said Mimosa. “I thought it would never happen.”
Just then Miss Mallow called over her megaphone, “All children for the final scene come to the stage now.”
The scene went like a dream. It was a highly emotional moment when the last word was spoken and the curtains were swished shut by Nick. Miss Mallow had never felt so proud.
“If you can do even half as well tomorrow night, I will be the happiest teacher in the world!” she declared.
The children went home with a bounce in their step and fell into their beds, completely exhausted.
Chapter Ten
ON THE NIGHT of the show, Poppy was more nervous than she had ever been in her life as she sat backstage. Her whole class were dying to catch a glimpse of Bryony Snow, who had been talked about so much. The magazine editor arrived promptly and looked just as lovely as ever, wearing white flared trousers, a cropped lavender jacket with huge pearly buttons, and a large lime-green scarf. Her hair was lightly backcombed and tied in a ponytail. She wore lip gloss and soft peachy blusher. Bryony came backstage to say hello to the children and to wish Poppy luck, but there was no time to talk as Poppy had to get her make-up done and put on her costume.
Poppy looked stunning when she was ready. Even when Rose was in her non-ball outfit, she had a very pretty long red dress to wear. As for the ball gown, Poppy could hardly wait to appear in it. Maybe it was not quite as beautiful as Cinderella’s, but it really suited her.
The gorgeous new green curtains swished open, revealing Act One, Scene One, which began in the kitchen with Cinderella and the Ugly Sisters. Soon it was Poppy’s cue and Miss Mallow motioned from the wings that she should go on from the right.
Poppy’s throat felt dry and tight. From somewhere deep inside her she felt the words come out: “Don’t worry, Cinderella. You’ll be the lucky one in the end. Just you wait. You’re too kind and generous to suffer for long.
I’ll look after you as much as I can!”
Cinderella smiled. “I wish I could believe you, Rose. I feel as if I’m going to grow old all alone, trapped in this house like a prisoner, with these wretched sisters and their mother. I never thought my father would allow it. He loves me, I know he does, but he’s afraid of her, that’s what it is. She has bullied him into treating me as their slave.”
“You’re the most hard-working person here and it seems you are the unluckiest, but that will change, I promise,” said Poppy, as Rose.
Cinderella smiled again, then glanced at the sun dial. “Oh no! It’s time for me do the Ugly Sisters’ hair! I mustn’t dawdle and chat when there’s work to be done.”
Rose shook her head and turned to look at the audience. “She is too good for them. I wish her luck could change!”
Then Poppy exited stage left and breathed properly for the first time in two days. She had done it. Somehow she had remembered her lines.
The whole class sang “Poor Cinders” next, which went smoothly and earned them huge applause from the audience. Poppy had no more lines until the ball scene, so she helped the other children get ready for their parts and enjoyed doing make-up for the Ugly Sisters – Freddie and Ollie! They looked very funny, wearing huge tent dresses with great big shoes and frizzy blond wigs. Mum had made them ugly bonnets, covered with fearsome bugs and beasties. Their make-up was vile as well – heavy and lumpy, with lipstick smeared messily round their mouths.
Honey was very sweet as the Fairy Godmother. She wore a frothy gold dress which shone in the stage lights, along with a lovely sparkly tiara which Poppy’s mum had found in a charity shop in the City. Abi acted out her surprise at becoming a princess beautifully, making the audience feel happy for Cinderella. Everyone laughed when the pumpkin accidentally rolled down off the stage as it turned into a cardboard coach. But Poppy’s very favourite bit was the ball scene. Even though everyone knew the story of the clock striking midnight, and the magic stopping, it was still incredibly exciting. The dresses were wonderful and the dancing was very elegant.
The wedding scene was quite beautiful, with all the children waltzing perfectly, just as Madame Angelwing had instructed them. Cinderella’s wedding dress was based on the one in Poppy’s fairytale book. Even though Poppy was a little jealous, she thought Abi looked wonderful.
“If I ever get married, I will wear a dress just like that one!” she said to herself.
They finished the performance with “Wedding Bells”, another of Miss Mallow’s special songs.
“Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
Come and hear our wedding song!
The Prince has found a wife
With whom to live his life.
Cinders is so happy now,
Taking a weddi
ng vow.
She can leave her work behind
And all of those who were unkind.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
Come and hear our wedding song!
Her sisters say ‘Boo-hoo-hoo!
Whatever are we going to do?
There’s dirty washing in a pile
And a list of jobs that lasts a mile.’
Cinders says: ‘It’s just too bad!
Now it’s your turn to be sad!’
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
Come and hear our wedding song!”
The children had to take several bows – the audience wouldn’t stop clapping. And they sang the final song about four times after calls of “Encore!” from the audience!
The show, with its mixture of laughs and tears, gorgeous costumes and fabulous scenery, was a huge hit. When Poppy looked out into the audience during the final song, she could see Bryony in the front row beside Mrs Milkthistle. They were both enjoying themselves, laughing and clapping the whole time.
Poppy knew that all her special people were in the audience too – it meant so much to her to have Grandpa, Daisy, Edward, Mum, Dad and all the other family members too. The twins hadn’t come as they would have squirmed and made a noise, so they were being babysat by Uncle Daniel, who said Cinderella was a story he knew so well, he wouldn’t mind missing the show on this occasion. Dad was filming the whole thing so they could all watch it whenever they wanted to.
When the clapping finally stopped and the children could sing no more, Miss Mallow came on stage and Poppy presented her with a bouquet of flowers provided by Sally Meadowsweet. Then Miss Mallow cleared her throat and started to speak.
“I am so proud to stand here tonight as the teacher of this brilliant class. We have had some hard times with this production, but it has all been worth it. Sometimes the high points of our children’s young lives come when difficult struggles work out in the end. I cannot mention anyone by name as every single child has mattered equally in this production. So thank you, children, for being so amazing. I am proud of you all! And many, many thanks to all the grown-up helpers who have been unbelievably kind to me. As you all know, we are here tonight to celebrate the reopening of this fine hall, and I’m sure you will all agree that it is looking lovely – and the roof no longer leaks!”
There were cheers of agreement from the audience.
“So many people have helped to make this transformation possible, so let’s just say what a great Team Honeypot effort it has been,” she concluded. “And now, let’s hear it for our special guest, Bryony Snow, editor of Buttons and Bows magazine.”
Bryony Snow made her way onto the stage, with the audience clapping and cheering.
“It is an honour to be here and I have had a wonderful evening so far,” she said. “I am so impressed by the show. I’ve laughed more than I’ve done in a long while, and also shed a couple of tears for poor Cinderella, beautifully played by Abigail Melody. I can’t mention everyone by name, but you were all absolutely fabulous! Thank you again for asking me to come. I will most certainly be writing a piece on your production for the next edition of Buttons and Bows – with photos!”
“Hurrah!” cried all the children, and Miss Mallow too.
“Now, I believe it’s time for the after-show party!” announced Bryony. “Everyone over to the Hedgerows Hotel!”
At the party Miss Mallow came over to Poppy. “Thank you for the bouquet, Poppy, and for all your help over the last weeks,” she said, hugging her pupil. “I want you to know that even though you weren’t Cinderella, you have been the true Fairytale Princess throughout this production. You really are the star in my eyes.”
Poppy smiled. “Thank you, Miss Mallow!” she said.
About the Author
Janey was born in Edinburgh and grew up by the seaside just outside the city. Janey published the first two Princess Poppy books herself (with her own illustrations) and the books were so popular that Random House Children’s Books soon bought the series and re-packaged the books. The series is now going from strength to strength, including picture books, activity books and sumptuous gift books. Janey has also written two Princess Poppy novels for young readers, Pocket Money Princess and A True Princess, both of which have been very successful.
Janey read English at Edinburgh University specializing in the Victorian novel. Following this she became a teacher – a career that she absolutely adored – and then, with her husband, set up The Jelly Club, which has become an extremely successful chain of children’s activity centres in Scotland. She still very much enjoys visiting schools and talking to children to find out what they like doing and what makes them laugh. Janey and her husband live in Edinburgh with their three sons.
FAIRYTALE PRINCESS
AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 407 09802 9
Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK
A Random House Group Company
This ebook edition published 2012
Text Copyright © Janey Louise Jones, 2009
Illustrations copyright © Random House Children’s Books, 2009
Illustrations by Samantha Chaffey
First Published in Great Britain
Young Corgi 2009
The right of Janey Louise Jones and Samantha Chaffey to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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