Ninina and the Stolen Notes
The big ballet show was only one day away.
The little theater was full of noise. Nina danced on the stage. Isa put flowers by the door. Bearinna tied long pink ribbons around the room. Arty carried a tall pile of chairs in his strong arms.
Nicolai walked right behind him. He carried one tiny chair. He puffed out his chest and tried to look just as strong as Arty.
Veronique hopped from place to place. And Ninina danced as she worked.
Everyone was happy. At last, the theater was ready.
But the next morning, Nina opened the music box. It was empty. Every music note was gone!
“The notes are missing!” she cried.
For one second, no one moved.
Then—
“What?”
“Where?”
“Who took them?”
Everyone ran at once. Isa looked under the stage. Veronique hopped behind the curtains. Arty looked under every chair. Bearinna opened every box. Nicolai looked inside the flower pots. Ninina even looked inside her ballet shoes.
Nothing. Not one note. Without the notes, there could be no music. Without the music, there could be no ballet show.
All the animals came to the theater. They sat together in a big circle.
“Did anyone see something?” Nina asked.
“I saw a gray tail by the window,” said Isa.
“I heard big feet,” said Veronique. "Thump! Thump! Thump!"
“I found gray hair by the door,” said Nicolai.
“I found big paw marks,” said Arty.
“The paw marks went into the Forest of Fireflies,” said Bearinna. Then Bearinna opened her paw. Inside was one tiny golden note.
“I found this beside the paw marks,” she said.
The room grew quiet.
Everyone looked at the gray hair. They looked at the big paw marks. They looked at the golden note. Then they looked at one another. Their eyes grew wide.
“The wolf took the notes!” they cried together in one voice.
At once, the room filled with noise.
“We must get them back!”
“We must find the wolf!”
“We must save our show!”
“I will go!” said Isa.
“I will go too!” said Veronique. She hopped behind Ninina. Hop! Hop! Hop!
“Wait!” said Nina.
Everyone stopped.
“The Forest of Fireflies is dark,” Nina said. “The path can only be seen when someone dances with the fireflies.”
All eyes turned to Ninina.
Ninina looked behind her. Then she pointed to herself.
“Me?”
“You are the one,” said Nina.
The animals nodded.
“We choose Ninina,” they said.
But first, they had to decide what to do about the wolf.
The animals moved closer together. They talked. They whispered. Some were mad. Some were scared. Some wanted to chase the wolf far away.
Then Ninina asked one small question.
“Why did he take our notes?”
Nina looked toward the forest.
“The wolf always watches our shows from behind the trees,” she said.
“Did we ever ask him to come?” asked Ninina.
No one spoke.
They had never asked him.
“Taking the notes was wrong,” said Bearinna.
“Very wrong,” said Arty.
“But we can give him one chance,” said Ninina.
The animals whispered again. This time, their voices were soft. At last, they all agreed.
Ninina would bring back the notes. And she would leave an invite for the wolf.
Everyone helped make it. Isa found a pretty card. Nicolai found a gold pencil. Bearinna chose her best pink ribbon and tied it in a beautiful bow. Nina helped write the words.
The card said:
Dear Wolf,
Please come to our ballet show.
We saved a chair for you.
Love,
Your Forest Friends
Arty stood by the door and watched the forest. No wolf would come near his friends while he was there.
Nicolai stood beside him. He planted his feet wide, just like Arty. He crossed his little arms, just like Arty. He even tried to make his face look big and fierce.
Arty looked down at him. Nicolai looked up at Arty. Neither one smiled. They were on guard.
Ninina tucked the card safely under her tutu.
Veronique hopped behind her all the way to the forest. Hop! Hop! Hop!
At the first dark tree, Veronique stopped. She hugged Ninina.
“Come back soon,” she said.
Ninina stepped into the Forest of Fireflies.
It was dark. Very dark.
A small light came near her. Blink!
Then came another. Blink! Blink!
Then hundreds of fireflies filled the air. Blink! Blink! Blink!
“Will you help me find the notes?” Ninina asked.
The fireflies moved through the trees. But their lights were far apart. Ninina could not see the way. Then she took one small dance step. One firefly moved with her. Ninina took another step. Two more fireflies came close. She turned. They turned. She jumped. They flew up.
Ninina danced with the fireflies. The fireflies danced with Ninina.
More and more lights came together. Soon, a bright path shone under her feet. The path went around a rock. It went under a branch. It went over a little stream. At last, it stopped at an old tree.
The wolf was not there. But under the tree was a big wooden box. A warm gold light came through the cracks.
“The notes!” shouted Ninina.
She lifted the lid. The box was deep. Ninina could not reach the notes at the bottom.
The fireflies flew inside. Each one picked up a golden note. One by one, they carried the notes out. Ninina held out the music box. One by one, the notes flew home.
They had done it together!
Before she left, Ninina put the invite inside the empty wooden box.
Then she and the fireflies hurried back to the theater.
“The notes are back!” shouted Ninina.
Everyone cheered. The show was saved!
But now the animals began to worry.
Would the wolf find the invite? Would he come to the show? Would he come as a friend? Or would he come angry?
“We must be ready,” said Arty.
And once again, the theater filled with noise.
“Guard the doors!”
“Cover the windows!”
“Bring everything you can find!”
A rabbit grabbed a wooden spoon. A squirrel picked up a broom. A mouse held a tiny fork high over his head. Two hedgehogs rolled a large apple toward the door. Veronique lifted one of her ballet shoes. Isa lowered her golden horn. Nina held a long pink ribbon in the air like a flag.
Then they ran outside.
They stood in one long line across the theater doors.
Paw held paw. Wing held wing. Hoof held hoof.
Arty stood in the middle. He was bigger than all the other animals. He planted his large feet on the ground.
“No one gets past us,” he said.
Nicolai hurried to stand beside him. He planted his little feet in the same way.
“No one gets past us,” he repeated in his deepest voice.
Arty held a large broom. Nicolai held a tiny spoon. Arty raised his broom. Nicolai raised his spoon. Arty frowned at the forest. Nicolai made the very same frown. His knees were shaking, but he kept his chin high.
Each animal held the next one as tightly as they could.
The rabbit squeezed the squirrel’s paw. The squirrel squeezed the mouse’s paw. The mouse squeezed so hard that one tiny tear rolled down his cheek.
Still, he did not say, “Ouch.”
He did not let go.
No one did.
Their little eyes shone. Their knees shook. But they stood tall.
The wolf was big. The wolf was strong. But he would have to face all of them.
Then—
Snap!
A stick broke in the forest.
Arty took one strong step forward. Nicolai took one tiny step forward too.
The animals lifted their spoons, brooms, forks, ribbons and shoes.
A large gray paw came out from behind the trees.
Then another.
The wolf stepped into the light.
The animals held their breath.
He was big. He was gray.
...And... they couldn't believe their eyes: Tied to the hair on top of his head was the tiniest pink bow anyone had ever seen!
It was much too small! It was also a little crooked!!
The wolf held the invite gently in his mouth.
He looked at the long line of animals. Then he gave them a shy smile.
The little mouse blinked.
The rabbit lowered his spoon. The squirrel lowered her broom. Veronique lowered her ballet shoe.
One animal began to laugh. Then another. Soon, the whole long line was laughing.
The wolf began to smile too.
Their tight paws opened. Their long line broke apart.
The fireflies came forward. They made a bright path to the empty chair.
The wolf followed the lights.
The music began.
Nina danced. Ninina danced. The fireflies danced above them.
The wolf watched every step. His eyes grew wide. His little pink bow bounced each time he moved his head.
Then came the very last note.
Ninina leaped high into the air.
The wolf jumped up from his chair. He clapped his big paws. He clapped and clapped and clapped.
Tears of joy filled his eyes.
The animals began to laugh. The wolf laughed with them while crying of joy!
Soon, everyone was laughing with joy.
The fear was gone. The music was back. And the wolf had come as a friend.
Ninina looked at the wolf. The wolf looked at the animals. The animals looked at one another.
They had found the music together. They had saved their ballet show.
It was a night they would never forget—the night teamwork found the way, and friendship saved the day.