Lulu Bell and the Fairy Penguin (4 page)

Lulu checked under Rosie's bed again. Pickles wasn't there.

‘Come on, honey bun,' said Mum. ‘It's getting late. Why don't you run and get dressed? I'm sure I can find Pickles while you're at school.'

‘Okay, Mum.' Lulu dragged her feet. She was very worried about the tortoiseshell cat.

‘And could you please put your dirty
uniform in the washing machine while I make your breakfast?' asked Mum. ‘The load's all ready to go – just close the lid.'

Lulu quickly put on her fresh school dress and brushed her hair. She scooped the sandy uniform off the floor.

She carried it to the laundry and threw it into the open washing machine. Down slammed the lid.

Just for a second, Lulu heard a funny noise. Then came the sound of water filling the machine.

Lulu walked away, wondering about ideas for her mural design.

She thought about the funny noise again. It had been a mewling kind of sound. Why would the washing machine mewl?

Lulu stopped and turned. She raced back to the washing machine. She flung open the lid and the water stopped. She peered down. A loud meow came from inside.

There, nestled on the pile of dirty clothes, was a sodden Pickles. She was surrounded by six tiny, damp kittens.

‘Mum, Mum,' yelled Lulu. ‘I've found Pickles. She's had the kittens –
in
the washing machine!'

Mum came running. Rosie came running. Gus and Jessie came running.

‘Oh, my goodness gracious me,' said Mum.

Pickles stared at them and meowed. She looked as if she wasn't quite sure how she felt. Annoyed at being wet? Or proud of how clever she was? Pride won.

‘Yes, you clever puss,' said Mum. ‘What beautiful babies you have.'

Mum set to work. She pulled a pile of old towels from the bottom of the linen cupboard. Lulu helped her to line a big
wooden crate with newspaper and more towels.

A knock sounded on the front door. Rosie went to answer it and returned with Molly.

‘Mum asked if it would be okay if I walked to school with you today,' said Molly. ‘She has an early appointment at work.'

‘Of course you can walk with us, Molly,' said Mum.

‘Look, Molly,' squealed Lulu. ‘Pickles has had kittens. They are just adorable.'

‘Doruble pussas,'
agreed Gus. He stood on tiptoe and tried to see into the top of the washing machine.

‘Before we can leave for school, we have to move Pickles to a safer place,' said Mum.

Mum carefully picked up Pickles.
She wrapped her in a towel and placed her tenderly in the crate. Mum rubbed her softly to dry her. Pickles meowed. She wanted to be near her kittens.

‘It's okay, Pickles,' said Lulu soothingly.

‘Here's a towel for you, honey bun, and one for Molly,' said Mum. ‘We're going to dry the kittens very, very gently. Then we'll put them in the box with Pickles. Be super careful not to drop them.'

The kittens had their eyes closed fast and their coats were sticky. Their little paws scrabbled at the towels. They mewled for their mother.

One by one, the kittens were stroked dry. Then they were placed in the crate with Pickles.

Molly held the tiniest kitten up to
her face and nuzzled its velvety black fur.

‘It is so
sweet
,' she sighed. ‘I wish we had a cat who could have kittens in our washing machine. I wish Mum would let me have any pet at all!'

‘You could,' cried Lulu. ‘Oh, Mum, couldn't Molly have one of the kittens? Couldn't you ask Molly's mum if she can have one?'

Molly gazed between Lulu and Mum. Her face glowed with hope and wonder.

Mum laughed. ‘I can't promise that your mum will say yes, Molly. But I promise I will ask her what she thinks.'

‘Yes!' screamed Lulu and Molly together.

‘Thanks, Mum,' cried Lulu.

‘Thanks, Chrissie,' said Molly. ‘Oh, how exciting! What will I call her? Perhaps Sooty or Blackie. No, that's too boring. How about Petal or Petunia?'

‘How about Cassie? Or Miffy?' suggested Rosie.

‘Bug Boy!'
cried Gus, with a cheeky grin.

‘No way!' cried Lulu, Molly and Rosie together.

Molly and Lulu were a few minutes late to class. Miss Baxter had already marked the roll.

‘Sorry we're late, Miss Baxter,' said Lulu. ‘But my cat Pickles went missing. When I found her, she'd had kittens in the washing machine. They nearly drowned when I started the wash. Luckily we saved them. We moved them into a box in my bedroom.'

Miss Baxter smiled. ‘That's all right, girls,' she said. ‘I'm glad your cat is safe and sound. Now, take a seat. Today we are going to vote on our mural design.'

Lulu sat down. She felt a flutter of excitement in her stomach.

‘The builders have just erected a timber fence around their building site on the main street,' explained Miss Baxter. ‘This is where we will paint our mural. Hands up – does anyone have any ideas?'

A dozen hands shot up around the room.

‘Yes, Ethan?' asked Miss Baxter.

‘We could paint a giant pirate scene! It could have pirate ships and treasure chests, cutlasses and cannons, parrots and swashbuckling pirates.'

‘Very good, Ethan. I like that idea.
And what do you think, Jade?' asked Miss Baxter.

‘We could paint a long scene of Shelly Beach with surfers and swimmers.

We could do lifesavers and sandcastles, sailboats with white sails, seagulls and dolphins frolicking in the waves.'

Lulu stretched her hand as high as she could reach towards the ceiling. Her bottom lifted right out of the chair.

‘That would be lovely, Jade,' said Miss Baxter. ‘I can imagine it as a colourful painting of our local area. And what is your idea, Lulu?'

Lulu sat up tall. She flicked one honey-coloured plait over her shoulder. She could see exactly how the mural would look.

‘I think we should do a mural about the little penguins,' suggested Lulu. ‘We could paint the beach at the cove and the wharf. There would be burrows filled with chicks and penguins waddling down to the water. And we could paint some of the dangers that threaten the penguins. Like dogs off their leads and pollution and boats.'

Lulu looked around the classroom at her friends.

‘Molly and I rescued a little penguin
last night. It was being attacked by a dog. It nearly died and then all its chicks might have died as well. The mural could show people what they can do to protect our own little penguins.'

Miss Baxter nodded. ‘You certainly have been busy since yesterday afternoon,' she said. ‘I think that is a wonderful idea too, Lulu. We could also include
some of Jade's ideas, such as seagulls and sandcastles.'

Miss Baxter began to hand out sheets of drawing paper.

‘So, now I want you all to take some time to draw a design for the mural,' said the teacher. ‘Draw whatever inspires you. When you are finished, we are all going to vote on the best design. The builder wants us to start work on the mural tomorrow. They are going to throw a party for us to celebrate when the mural is finished.'

The students set to work drawing their ideas for the mural. Lulu hummed under her breath as she worked. She sketched out her design. Then she began to add detail and colour.

When everyone had finished, the students walked around the classroom.
They admired the different designs and chatted about them all. Finally, each child wrote down the name of the person who had drawn their favourite design. They dropped their vote into a box on Miss Baxter's desk.

Miss Baxter counted up the votes. Lulu sat with her stomach twisted with nerves.

‘And the winning designer is … Lulu,' announced Miss Baxter with a smile. ‘Congratulations, Lulu. I think this mural will be gorgeous.'

Lulu clapped her hands together. It would be so exciting to see her very own design painted onto a big wall.

The next day, the whole class wore painting clothes instead of school uniforms. The building company had supplied everything they needed. There were paintbrushes, rollers, water buckets and paint pots in a rainbow of colours. Mum had come along to help too.

Miss Baxter divided the class into groups of four. Each group got to work on a section of the fence. A few children
rolled on the colours for the background. There were bright blues for the sea and sky, and golden yellows for the beach and sun.

Other children sketched in details: penguin chicks, burrows, a wharf, fishermen, families, seagulls, sandcastles, sailboats, ferries and fish.

Lulu painted a cute little penguin in the foreground. He had a glossy blue-grey coat and a white tummy. Then she painted a big scruffy dog on a lead, running along with its owner.

Lulu stepped back and admired the figures.

‘Beautiful job, Lulu,' said Mum. ‘It looks
just
like Scruffy.'

It took two whole days to paint the mural. Then the workmen covered it up with a canvas screen.

Friday afternoon came. All the children and their families were invited to a special unveiling of the mural. A photographer from the local newspaper was there. So were the school principal and the Mayor. The students all wore their best school uniforms with hats and shiny shoes.

Molly, Sam and their mum stood with the Bell family.

The Mayor stepped up to the microphone. The photographer took some photos.

‘Good afternoon, ladies, gentlemen, and children,' began the Mayor. ‘This is a special afternoon. We are here to celebrate a wonderful piece of community artwork. It is a mural painted by some of the students of Shelly Beach Public School …'

Lulu looked around. Where was Dad? He had promised to come along. Perhaps there was an emergency at the surgery? Where could he be?

Mum squeezed her hand and smiled.

‘I would like to welcome a very special guest,' said the Mayor. Everyone clapped.

A tall figure shuffled through the crowd. It was dressed in a penguin suit. The penguin character cavorted and capered. It waved its flippers and made squeaky penguin yelps. The children all laughed with glee.

‘Please also welcome Lulu Bell. She is one of the students who designed the mural,' continued the Mayor. ‘Please come up, Lulu.'

Lulu blushed. Everyone turned to look for her. She picked her way through the crowd and stood next to the Mayor.

‘Hello, sweetie,' whispered the penguin character. The man dressed up as a penguin was Dad!

The penguin bowed. He took Lulu's hand and kissed it. Then he danced around and around in a circle with her. The penguin waddled from side to side.
The audience shrieked with laughter.

The Mayor gave a speech about responsibility and community. He spoke about working together to protect endangered animals.

At last it was the big moment. Lulu and Dad untied the ropes that held up the canvas screen. It dropped to the ground and revealed the long mural. The rich summer colours gleamed. The painted penguins looked very cute. Everyone clapped and cheered.

‘Yay, Lulu,' cried Gus. He jumped up and down in his Bug Boy suit.

The photographer took lots of photos. Of the mural and all the children who painted it. Of Lulu perched up on Dad's shoulders. And of Miss Baxter shaking hands with the giant penguin.

When all the excitement was over, Dad took off his penguin head. The family walked around to the cove beach. Molly, Sam and their mum came too.

Dad bought fish and chips for everyone. They sat in the warm sand and
ate the crunchy, hot fish and salty, crispy chips straight out of the paper.

‘Yum!' said Lulu.

‘Dulishus,'
said Gus.

‘What a lovely way to finish the day,' said Mum. ‘A picnic at the beach.'

‘What an action-packed week it's been,' said Dad. ‘Penguin rescue, kittens in the washing machine and an official launch for the beautiful new mural.'

‘Speaking of kittens …' said Molly. She turned to her mum. Her eyes were pleading. ‘Can I, can we … please?'

‘Get a kitten?' asked Sam.

Molly's mum looked at the hopeful faces of all the children.

‘Weeeeell,'
said Tien. ‘Okay. But
you
have to look after her, Molly.'

‘Hurray,' shouted Lulu, Molly and Rosie. They hugged each other and
danced up and down. Sam hugged his mum.

‘Of course I'll look after her,' cried Molly. Her eyes shone with excitement. ‘I'll love her and feed her and she can sleep on my bed. Oh, thank you, Mum. Thank you, Chrissie.'

‘Have you decided what to call her?' asked Lulu.

‘Ebony-Lou,' said Molly with a grin. ‘Ebony because she is black and Lou because Lulu saved her life.'

‘I like it,' said Molly's mum.

‘A beautiful kitten named after a beautiful girl,' said Mum.