Tabitha The Ballerina And A Magical New Home

Tabitha The Ballerina And A Magical New Home

Chapter One

Tabitha sat on the shelf in the shop, feeling a little sad. The last of her friends had gone, taken to new homes, where they would be cuddled and played with. Tabitha wondered why her friends had to go and why no one seemed to want to take her to a fun new home. Lots of people had come into the shop, picked her up and said how pretty she was and how sweet she looked in her ballerina outfit, but then put her back on the shelf. One by one, all her friends had been taken to new homes and now Tabitha was all alone.

 Tabitha wore a very pretty pink ballerina outfit, because that is what she was, a ballerina. While she still had her friends with her and once the shop had closed for the night, Tabitha would dance for them. Even though she had no music to dance to, she could still dance ballet, because she was a born ballerina. All her friends loved to watch her dance and were amazed that she could spin so fast without falling over and that she could dance on the tips of her toes. Some of her friends would try and copy her dancing, but would end up falling over. They would all have such fun together, despite the falling over and after the dancing, they would all jump onto one of the big children’s beds that were in the shop and lay there, out of breath and giggling. Tabitha didn’t feel like dancing anymore however, she was too sad to dance.

 It was time for the shop to close for the night and Tabitha was dreading it. All the customers and all the shop assistants would go home and as Tabitha’s friends had now all gone, she would be left all alone in the shop. Luckily the shop assistants always left the lights on at night, which Tabitha was pleased about, because all alone in the dark for the first time, Tabitha was sure she would be a little frightened.

 Tabitha didn’t dance that night, instead she got into one of the big children’s beds and snuggled under the soft pink blankets and thought about all her friends and how much fun they used to have together. Tabitha wondered what they all may be doing that night in their new homes. Thinking about her friends made Tabitha a little sad, because she missed them, but she also smiled when she thought about them trying to dance like her and falling over and how much they all giggled afterwards. As Tabitha started to fall asleep, she thought to herself ‘I’m Tabitha the ballerina, why doesn’t anyone want me’ with that she fell asleep and dreamt about being on a big stage, dancing in her pretty pink tutu.

Chapter Two 

Before the shop opened the next day, Tabitha had woken up, got out of the big bed and jumped back onto the shelf. It was a school day and so not many children came into the shop and Tabitha didn’t get played with much. Nothing much happened until later in the afternoon, when Tabitha found herself being picked up by a tall man. He was holding Tabitha and looking at her, but she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. After a few moments, he put Tabitha on his arm and continued looking round the shop. Tabitha wondered if he was simply taking her for a walk round the shop, which is what the children sometimes did, before being told to put her back by their mummies or daddies. After looking round the shop for a while, the tall man went to where people paid for things they wanted to buy and placed Tabitha on the counter. ‘Isn’t she adorable?’ said the shop assistant. ‘Indeed she is,” replied the tall man. Tabitha was carefully put into a pretty pink and white bag with GIRLS written on the front. The tall man picked up the bag and after saying goodbye to the shop assistant, left the shop. After walking through the streets of the town for a while, the tall man stopped outside a very old house with a green door. Tabitha could just about see the old house and the green door, by peeking out of the bag in which she was sitting. The tall man unlocked the green door and they went inside.

 Once indoors the tall man reached inside the bag and carefully took Tabitha out. Tabitha thought it a lovely room. It had a square window, which overlooked the street outside, wooden beams and a fireplace, next to the chair on which the tall man placed her. Tabitha couldn’t see any other little people in the room and she wondered if she was to live with just the tall man. ‘But who shall I dance for if that is the case,’ thought Tabitha and she was a little worried that she may be lonely if it was to be  just the two of them living in the old house.

 When the tall man returned to the room, for he had gone into the kitchen to make some tea, he went and sat at an old desk in the corner. The desk had lots of pencils, brushes, paints and paper strewn all over it and Tabitha thought he must be an artist. ‘Maybe he wants me for a model,’ she giggled to herself. The tall man worked at his desk until it was quite late. When he got up from his chair, he gave Tabitha a smile and went upstairs. Tabitha wondered if he had gone to bed and if she was to stay downstairs on her own all night. It wasn’t long however, before he came back down the stairs, but then started to turn all the lights off. ‘Oh no,’ thought Tabitha. ‘I don’t really want to be left down here in the dark.’ To Tabitha’s relief however, the tall man picked her up and said. ‘Time for bed my little ballerina,’ and putting her on his arm, carried her up a crooked little staircase to the bedroom.

 When they reached the top of the little staircase, Tabitha was amazed to see such a pretty bedroom. It was an attic room and so had a sloping ceiling that came almost to the floor. It had a very pretty little window and wooden beams everywhere. The tall man had to watch so he didn’t bump his head, as some of the beams were very low. In the bedroom was the biggest bed Tabitha had ever seen. It had wooden posts on the corners and lots of blankets covering it and many cushions piled up. The bedroom had an old wardrobe, a little bedside cabinet and an upholstered chair. Next to the chair, on the floor, stood  a little basket, with pink blankets and a cushion inside. As Tabitha was looking at the little basket and thinking ‘I wonder what that is for,’ the tall man gently placed Tabitha in the basket and made sure she was comfortable. He then said ‘goodnight little ballerina,’ and got into the big bed, turning off the bedside lamp, before going to sleep. The bedroom wasn’t plunged into darkness, as light from outside came in through the little window. Tabitha was pleased about this, as she wasn’t too keen on the dark. It had been a very eventful day and tucked up in her new little basket bed, Tabitha was soon fast asleep.

Chapter Three

WhenTabitha awoke the next morning, she wondered where she was for a moment or two, then realised she was in the pretty bedroom  of her new home. The tall man was already up and Tabitha could hear him downstairs. ‘I wonder if I’m to stay here in the bedroom all alone today,’ she thought to herself. ‘Maybe I’m to stay up here all the time.’ Tabitha wouldn’t have minded that if she had some friends to keep her company. ‘Although it would be nice to go downstairs sometimes,’ she thought.

 After a while, the tall man came back up to the bedroom and picking Tabitha up said. ‘Time to come downstairs little ballerina,’ and with that he put Tabitha on his arm and carried her down the crooked staircase. He put Tabitha on the chair next to the fireplace and went and sat at his old desk and started working just as he had the day before.

 In the afternoon, the tall man went out, after patting Tabitha gently on the head and saying. ‘See you later little ballerina.’ Tabitha stayed on the chair by the fireplace and after a while, fell asleep. The little people often had a sleep during the day, because they would sometimes be up at night, when the big people slept. Tabitha had her usual dream, as she dozed on the chair by the fireplace. It was a dream of dancing on a big stage, in front of lots of people, wearing the prettiest tutu and swirling round the stage, to the delight of everyone watching.

 Later that afternoon, the tall man returned home,carrying a box, which he put on his old desk. ‘Some new paints Tabitha,’ he said. ‘New paints for a special picture.’ With a smile to Tabitha, he went into the kitchen to make some tea. As Tabitha sat wondering what the special picture was to be of, the tall man returned to the room, put his tea on the old desk, picked Tabitha up and looked at her for a while, just as he had in the shop. ‘You are a very special little ballerina aren’t you Tabitha,’ he said, putting her back on the chair by the fireplace and making sure she was comfortable, before going back to his desk and resuming his work.

 Tabitha had hoped that when he went out earlier, it was to get her a little friend. Although she was very happy in her new home, she still thought it would be nice to have a little friend to have fun with and to dance for. Tabitha thought it would be nice to dance for the tall man, but in the World of the little people and the big people, it just wasn’t possible.

 The tall man worked at his old desk for the rest of the afternoon and when he had finished for the day, he came over and picking Tabitha up, carried her over to his old desk, to show her the picture he had been working on. ‘What do you think then little ballerina?’ he asked. Tabitha was amazed when she saw the picture, for it was of a big stage in a theatre and on the stage were lots of ballet dancers. It was so beautiful, with all the ballerinas in white tutus. ‘They are dancing Swan Lake, I’m sure you know that ballet, as you are a ballerina yourself Tabitha,’ he said with a smile.

 Indeed Tabitha did know the ballet Swan Lake, for she was a born ballerina and just magically knew such things. Tabitha couldn’t believe how real the picture looked. The ballet dancers seemed to be actually dancing! ‘It’s still not quite finished Tabitha,’ said the tall man. ‘But when it is, it shall be a magical picture, because it will have been painted in the magical house and for the magical Tabitha.’

 It was now time for bed and the tall man carried Tabitha up the crooked staircase. He placed Tabitha gently in her little basket, got into his big bed and turned off the bedside lamp. Before he went to sleep he said. ‘Tomorrow the picture shall be finished my little ballerina and then it shall be your magical picture. Good night Tabitha.’ He then fell asleep.

 Tabitha lay awake in her little basket, wondering why the tall man kept saying it was a magical picture. As she pondered this, she fell asleep. Tabitha didn’t have her usual dream of dancing on a big stage, but instead dreamt about all her friends from the shop and dancing for them in her new home.

Chapter Four

The next morning when Tabitha awoke, again the tall man was already up. ‘He must get up very early,’ she thought to herself. It wasn’t long before the tall man came back up to the bedroom. ‘Time to come downstairs Tabitha,’ he said, as he gently picked her up, put her on his arm and carried her downstairs. He put Tabitha on the chair by the fireplace as usual. ‘I’ve been up since early this morning, working on your picture Tabitha,’ he said. ‘It will be finished today.’ With that he sat down at his old desk to carry on working on the picture.

 Tabitha was very excited that the picture would be finished that day and started to think again about what the tall man meant by saying it would be a magical picture. She was also excited because he said it would be her picture, which she thought to be most kind of him.

 The tall man worked on the picture all day, until it was quite dark outside and as Tabitha sat watching him work, she became more and more excited about seeing the finished picture. At last the tall man stood up and holding the picture in front of him said. ‘It is finished my little ballerina.’ With that he took the picture over to show Tabitha. When he turned it round, so Tabitha could see, she couldn’t believe it was just a picture. It looked as if the ballet dancers would simply leap from the picture and start dancing round the floor, ‘It is the most beautiful picture in the World,’ thought Tabitha and she couldn’t stop looking at it. ‘I see you like it Tabitha,’ said the tall man with a smile.

 He put the picture back on his desk and picked Tabitha up, putting her on his arm. As he carried her up the crooked staircase, he said. ‘The picture is yours now Tabitha, painted in the magical old house fro my magical little ballerina.’ He gently put Tabitha in her little basket and after making sure she was comfortable, got into his big bed, turned off the bedside lamp and with a ‘good night ‘ to Tabitha, fell asleep.

 Tabitha lay awake in the dim light and realised how happy she was living in her new home and with the kind tall man. ‘I may not have all my friends with me,’ she thought. ‘But I am the luckiest little ballerina to live in such a pretty house and with such a nice man.’ Tabitha started to drift off to sleep and she dreamt about her new home and about the picture the kind tall man had painted for her and it was a very happy dream.

Chapter Five

After being asleep for a while, Tabitha awoke. It was still night time and the tall man was fast asleep in his big bed. As Tabitha became more aware, she noticed something leaning against the wall next to her and realised it was the picture the tall man had painted. ‘But he left it on his desk when we came to bed,’ she thought, a little puzzled. ‘How has it come to be here.’ As Tabitha looked at the picture, wondering how it had come to be in the bedroom, she noticed that it seemed to faintly glow in the dim light of the bedroom. She couldn’t take her eyes from the picture and as she stared at it, she wished she was one of the ballerinas in the picture, dancing on the big stage. As she thought this, the ballet dancers seemed to actually start dancing inside the picture. ‘It really is a magical picture,’ she thought, amazed at what she was seeing. Tabitha found herself getting out of her little basket and walking over to the picture. ‘They really are dancing,’ she thought to herself. When she was right up close to the glowing image in front of her, Tabitha again wished she was in the picture, dancing on the big stage with all the other ballet dancers. As she wished this, Tabitha took another step closer to the picture and stepped into it and onto the big stage!

 At once Tabitha was dancing with all the other ballet dancers, twirling round the stage and spinning on the tips of her toes. As she was dancing, Tabitha noticed her outfit had magically changed and she wore the most beautiful pure white tutu, just like a white swan. As Tabitha was a born ballerina, she knew just what to do. Beautiful music was being played, as she and the other ballet dancers danced round the big stage and she knew it to be Swan Lake. ‘The tall man said it was Swan Lake,’ she thought to herself, as she continued to dance. ‘And I’m actually here, dancing in it.’

 Tabitha moved to the front of the stage to dance on her own, for she was the lead ballerina. She turned to face the audience and in the front row, watching  her dance, were all her friends from the shop. Tabitha was struck with amazement, she couldn’t believe they were all there, watching her dance. Tabitha was overcome with emotion, but being the born ballerina that she was, she managed to carry on dancing. Tears were streaming down her pretty face, not from sadness, but from being so happy. All her dreams had come true at once.

 When the ballet had finished, the ballet dancers left the stage by the slide and as Tabitha was about to leave the stage, she turned and waved to her friends. They all saw her waving and waved back and clapped in appreciation of the ballet they had just been watching and of course, in appreciation of their special friend. As Tabitha passed through the curtain at the side of the stage, she stepped back into the bedroom and was back in front of the picture. She turned to look at the picture and saw it was how it had been, when the tall man had finished painting it.

 Tabitha got back into her little basket, exhausted from all the dancing, but the happiest little ballerina in the World. ‘So the picture really is magical,m just as the tall man said,’ she thought. ‘And this really is a magical house that he has brought me to.’ Tabitha remembered how sad she had felt when she was the last one left in the shop and thought that no one wanted her. ‘Now I am the happiest and luckiest little ballerina in the World,’ she thought.

 Tabitha then fell asleep and dreamt of all the adventures she may have in the future, now that she lived in the magical house, with the very kind tall man, who really had painted her a magical picture.

The End