Lulu Bell and the Christmas Elf (3 page)

All the other children were in the playground. They were sitting cross-legged in their class groups. The first act had already begun.

Miss Baxter smiled when she saw Lulu, Molly, Olivia and Jo hurrying across the playground. They sat down with the class.

‘Thanks, girls,' she whispered. ‘I was worried that we had lost our star performers.'

‘We were just working on a little surprise,' Lulu whispered back.

Every class at Shelly Beach School performed in the concert. The children sang songs, danced and played music. There were Christmas carols, poetry recitals and a nativity play. Sam's kindy class danced. All the kids were dressed as reindeer. Sam wore a bright red plastic nose.

Rosie's year one class sang a Christmas carol. They were all dressed in the angel costumes that Mum and Tien had made.

Lulu felt jumpy with nerves. It was time for her class to line up at the back of the stage. Roy grinned at the girls as he slipped past them. He was on his way to get changed. He would be making a special guest appearance in the concert.

The next act finished.

‘Come on, everyone,' said Miss Baxter. ‘It's our turn.'

Lulu grinned at Molly, then at Olivia and Jo.

On the stage, a roll of canvas dropped down as a back-drop. Mum and Roy had painted a huge white horse and an old-fashioned sleigh onto it.

‘I would like to introduce the 3B elves performing “Jingle Bells”,' announced Miss Baxter.

The music began. The whole class ran onto the stage. Lulu could see her family sitting in the audience. Gus stood up on his chair and waved. Mum had the camera aimed and ready. Nanna and Gumpa blew kisses.

The elves began their dance – spinning and turning, jumping and swooping.

Then Roy strode out on stage, wearing a long white beard. His blue eyes twinkled. He was dressed as Santa Claus, with a big pillow stuffed down his front.

All the kids cheered. Santa Claus danced around, surrounded by elves.

The elves danced and sang their hearts out. Lulu and Molly turned cartwheels. At last it was finished.

Everyone bowed, then ran off the stage.

The parents and grandparents clapped and cheered. Gus danced up and down on his chair. Roy sat back in the audience, right in the front.

Miss Baxter took the microphone again. ‘We are nearly at the end of our Christmas concert,' she said. ‘I would now like to introduce some very talented performers. Here are the twins Olivia and Jo from year three.'

The twins ran onto the stage. They had quickly changed from their elf outfits. Now they wore long tutus made of tulle. Olivia's was turquoise with a white ribbon around her waist, while Jo's was white with a turquoise ribbon.

Lulu gave the twins a thumbs-up sign. The girls smiled.

Jo took a seat at the piano. A hush fell over the audience. Jo started playing.

Olivia stood at the microphone. She began to sing ‘O Holy Night'. Her voice was strong and clear.

Lulu and Molly ran onto the stage behind the twins. They danced and swayed. Then Lulu realised there was another dancer on the stage. Gus had run up to join them. He pranced and spun in his little elf suit. Gus waved to the crowd.

‘A thrill of hope,'
sang Olivia. She pointed towards all the mums and dads, grandmothers and grandfathers in the audience.
‘The weary world rejoices. For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.'

As Olivia sang the final chorus, Molly and Lulu flipped into their cartwheels. They spun and turned across the front of the stage.

The audience clapped and clapped. Parents mopped their eyes. Miss Baxter beamed. Fathers cheered. But the loudest cheers of all came from Dad and Roy standing up in the front row.

Olivia and Jo stood up and bowed. Then Olivia grabbed Lulu by the hand, and Jo grabbed Molly and Gus by the hands. They dragged them forward to the front of the stage. All four girls and Gus bowed together and waved.

‘Thanks, Lulu,' whispered Olivia. ‘I don't think we could have performed if you and Molly hadn't cheered us up.'

‘You were both wonderful,' said Lulu. ‘The concert wouldn't have been the same without your song.'

Lulu squeezed Olivia's hand. ‘Don't be sad about Bonnie. I'm sure someone will find her soon.'

Miss Baxter came on stage and beckoned to all the students. They came running.

For the very last act all the children in the whole school gathered in front of the stage. They sang one final song at the tops of their voices.

‘
We
wish
you a merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year.'

The Bell family had just arrived home from the Christmas concert. Everyone was happy and tired. Rosie was singing Christmas carols and spinning around the kitchen. Gus was sleepy. He climbed into Mum's lap and snuggled up.

Dad opened the back door to let the dogs inside. It was still warm and sunny outside – a beautiful summer evening. Pepper the ginger cat came running in from the lounge room. Lulu scooped her up and stroked her long, silky fur.

Lulu purred at Pepper. Pepper responded with a deep, throaty rumble.

‘I'm glad Pepper and Pickles haven't gone missing,' said Lulu. She started to make the cats' dinner.

‘Pepper loves her dinner too much to go wandering off,' said Mum. She looked down at the boy on her lap. ‘Just like you, Gus.'

Suddenly a phone rang in the kitchen. It was the phone that rang after the vet hospital had closed for the day.

Dad answered it. ‘Shelly Beach Vet Hospital. Dr Bell speaking. Can I help you?'

Dad listened as the caller explained.

‘I'll come right away,' he said. ‘What's your address?' Dad scrawled the details down on a piece of paper. ‘Thanks. I'll be there as soon as I can.'

Dad turned to the family. ‘A lady just rang to say that she heard a cat meowing under her house. She said it won't come out and it seems to be in distress.'

Lulu's face lit up. ‘Do you think it could be Bonnie?'

‘I don't know,' said Dad. ‘She lives quite a few streets away from Olivia and Jo's house. But there's only one way to find out. Would you like to come with me?'

‘Yes, please,' replied Lulu.

Dad and Lulu drove to the far side of Shelly Beach. Dad parked the station wagon and collected a carry cage from the back. He and Lulu walked to the front door and rang the bell.

An older woman answered. She had a kind, crinkly face. ‘Hello, Dr Bell,' she said. ‘Thanks for coming.'

‘Hello, Mrs Russell,' said Dad. ‘This is my daughter Lulu.'

Mrs Russell smiled at Lulu.

‘Let's see if you have more luck coaxing the poor cat out from under my house,' Mrs Russell said. ‘I've called and called but it won't come.'

She led the way around the back. It was a timber house that was raised slightly above the ground. The gap was too small for a person to crawl into. But it was just big enough for a small animal like a cat.

‘I heard it meowing on and off over the weekend,' explained Mrs Russell. ‘I've coaxed and cajoled, and left out food and milk. I've tried everything.

Then I saw a poster up at the shops about a missing cat, so I rang you.'

‘Thank you, Mrs Russell,' said Dad. ‘Let's see if we can persuade this cat to come out.'

Lulu and her dad listened carefully. They couldn't hear anything but the sound of cars on the road and the breeze rustling the leaves on the trees.

‘Here, pussa, pussa,' called Dad. ‘Here, pussa.'

They listened again. Lulu thought she heard a faint whimper.

‘I heard something,' whispered Lulu.

‘Here, pussa. Here, Bonnie.' Dad called again and again. There was no sign of a cat.

Lulu lay on her tummy on the lawn. She peered into the shadows under the house. It was too hard to see anything. Lulu wondered if it really was Bonnie hiding under the house. She imagined her frightened and possibly hurt.

Lulu had been to visit Olivia and Jo's house many times. She had often cuddled and stroked Bonnie. She used to talk to Bonnie just like she talked to her own cats. Lulu had an idea.

‘Meow,'
called Lulu softly. ‘
Meow
, Bonnie.'

There was no reply. Lulu tried again.
‘Meow.'

‘Mew,'
came a faint reply.

Lulu wriggled closer to the gap under the house.
‘Meow.'

Lulu meowed and meowed patiently. Dad and Mrs Russell sat on some outdoor chairs and waited.

Another whimper came from under the house but this time it sounded closer. Lulu put her hand in the gap under the house. She called again.

Gradually Lulu's eyes adjusted to the dimness under the house. At last she saw something move.

Could it be a cat? Could it be Bonnie?

Slowly, the shadow crawled forward. At last Lulu could reach it with her fingertips. She grasped the animal and hauled it out.

It was a filthy, bedraggled and very skinny cat. Its coat was black and white and orange. The fur was matted with dried grass and dust. The cat blinked at Lulu with huge green eyes. The pupils were wide and black.

‘Bonnie!' cried Lulu.

The cat panted, struggling for breath.

Dad dashed over. ‘Great work, Lulu.'

‘Is she all right?' asked Mrs Russell.

Dad frowned as he examined the limp cat. ‘Her hind legs aren't working,' he said. ‘She's very weak. I think she has tick poisoning.'

Lulu felt a cold shiver run up her spine. ‘Poor Bonnie,' she said.

‘We need to get back to the vet hospital as quickly as possible,' Dad said.

He wrapped Bonnie in a towel and gently placed her in the carry cage. They said their goodbyes and thank-yous to Mrs Russell. Dad put the cage in the back of the car.

Lulu felt very worried. She knew that paralysis ticks were dangerous for cats and dogs. Every summer lots of animals came into the vet hospital for treatment.

Had they found Bonnie in time?