The cool breeze that smelt damp and fresh blew through the car window. Trees swayed on the stray reaching their fingers to the sky. The world was silent birds amute as leaves whispered spiralling in the gentle wind.

"Mummy Mummy did you not hear what I said", shouted little Sarah from the back seat of the car.

Sarah was a chubby girl with wide innocent blue eyes and gold ringlets.

"Mummy".

"Sarah can't you see I'm trying to concentrate".

"But Mummy"

Sarah's Mummy glanced quickly at Sarah, "Well what is it?"

"I'm gonna be the best today", Sarah's mother returned to concentrating on the road. "I'm going to dance, jump and look the nicest".

"Well dear, as long as you can remember your ballet moves, Mrs Jane might select you to dance in the show.

"She will Mummy, she will, if she don't then I'll, I'll scream!"

"Now dear there's no need for that, look we're here".

Mrs Munchkin parked the large red car in the small car park outside the old Victorian school building. It was a desolate place with only a few mothers taking their children to ballet.

"Sarah", her mother said as she turned around to look at her daughter, "Just remember, young ladies don't scream".

A frown came across the spoilt child as she grabbed her small ballet bag in a strop and exited the car wearing her little pink tutu. She stormed up to the steps of the ballet school and then turned around to stick her large red tongue out at her mother who was waiting for her to enter the building.

Little miss Munchkin waddled to the changing rooms where all her friends had gathered waiting for Mrs Jane.

"Millie", shouted Sarah. A loud clap broke Sarah's conversation.

"Girls, girls", sang Mrs Jane "Come along, don't want to keep the pianist waiting".

All the girls followed Mrs Jane like little ducklings.

The ballet room was a large room with huge arched windows with a ballet bar in the centre. It was cold, unlived in and smelt moist and damp.

"And one two three, one two three, turn and point".

"Millie", hissed Sarah in a hushed voice.

"Sarah, do be quiet, this is our warm up, in a moment we will have the auditions, and I might not pick a chatterbox". Sarah fell silent and slithered a miniature tongue through her sulky lips.

When all the girls were tired from their warm up Mrs Jane explained that there were to be ten places for the ballerinas in the school show. Including the ladies and lords and the 'star parts'.

That afternoon as Mrs Munchkin came to collect her daughter, she found her in an ecstatic state; bouncing jumping and shouting with glee.

"Sarah dear, what is it? Have you got a good part in the show?"

"A good part Mummy! I'm the star of the show". At that point Mrs Jane arrived at Mrs Munchkin's car window.

"Well hello Mrs Munchkin, I would like to congratulate Sarah on her part in the show, I'm afraid the costume that she will be wearing, made by year 8, will not be able to be worn or seen until the night of the show".

"See Mummy what did I tell you".

Mrs Jane gave Mrs Munchkin a schedule of rehearsals as she waved goodbye.

Week by week Sarah rehearsed and boasted to all her friends that she had a better part than them.

"I'm going to be wearing a huge puffy dress and it's going to be the most biggest the most betterist so ha ha". At this moment in time some of her friends were calling her the 'poisoned dwarf' behind her back.

When show night finally arrived Sarah was jumping with excitement in the wing of the stage when one of her teachers approached her and said, "Your mother would like me to tell you that she is here and for goodness sake get into your year group's dressing room and get changed".

Mrs Munchkin had booked herself and her husband two seats on the front row. When the curtain rose revealing one tall moon and four podgy yellow stars, all frozen in their individual starting positions, the delighted audience gave applause.

Centre stage was sulking Sarah glaring through a hole in the middle of the star. As all the other stars began to dance Sarah refused to move from the spot, frowning and straining her tongue at the audience. As Mrs Jane wafted her arms in the air to encourage Sarah to catch up, the audience began to laugh and Sarah screamed and stomped into the wing, leaving her fellow stars to shine!

THE END

By Jo Farr