Isabella's Pink Bicycle
Read Isabella's Pink Bicycle Online
Authors: Emma Calin
Tags: #Adventure, #Action, #Fantasy, #Survival, #Juvenile
Isabella’s
Pink Bicycle
An illustrated, interactive, magical bedtime story chapter book adventure for kids
The second book in the
“Once upon a NOW”
Series
By
Emma Calin
ISABELLA’S PINK BICYCLE
First published 2014
By Gallo-Romano Media
Copyright © 2014 Emma Calin
Discover other titles in the “Once upon a NOW” series by Emma Calin:
Dedication
For Isabella
Kindle Edition, License Notes
This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite e-book retailer and purchase your own copy.
Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
All characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. This book was created in England and uses British English spellings and grammar conventions.
Chapter 1 - A Poor Little Girl
Chapter 2 - A Strange Meeting In The Wood Shed
Chapter 3 - Isabella Gets A Fantastic Surprise
Chapter 4 - Something Goes Badly Wrong
Chapter 5 - Isabella Knows What To Do
Chapter 6 - A Little Girl Knows She Is Right
Chapter 7 - Isabella Leads The Way
Chapter 8 - Her Dad Has Something Special
Isabella’s
Pink Bicycle
Chapter 1 - A Poor Little Girl
Once upon a time there lived a little girl called Isabella. She had dark skin and big brown eyes with a wicked smile in them. She lived in a poor land and her family had to work very hard even to get enough to eat. The town where they lived was filled with dust and grime which came from the diamond mine where her father worked as a miner. The roads were filled with noisy smoky trucks.
Isabella loved to play outdoors. Their tiny house was made of tin and wood and inside it was dark. Very often the electricity did not work and her mother had to cook on an open fire which made the house very smelly. The only thing that Isabella had ever wanted was a pink bicycle. She had once seen such a bike in a shop window when her father and mother had taken her to the big city and she had never forgotten it.
Every Christmas and every birthday she asked for a pink bicycle. Her mother always shook her head and said, “The roads are too dangerous. When did you ever see a girl on a pink bicycle in this place?”
Isabella’s eyes filled with tears. If her father was there she always looked at him with a pleading expression but he always looked away as if he had not seen her. She was a good little girl who did not complain. Each time she was disappointed she would hide away and dream of the wonderful places she could go if she had a bike. Once, the family had taken the bus away from the mining town and gone for a picnic where there were big green trees and a river. One day – one day she just knew she would ride back there.
Chapter 2 - A Strange Meeting In The Wood Shed
Isabella’s mother worked cleaning the houses of richer people. Very often, Isabella was left to prepare the meal for the family when her father came home from the mine.
Outside their house was a small garden where they grew vegetables. There was also a little shed where Isabella’s father sawed wood for the fire.
One day her mother had told her to bring in some logs. She went to the shed and started to gather up some wood. As she watched, she saw a pile of sawdust start to move as if it were alive. At first she saw two eyes, then some small ears, some whiskers and a cute little nose. The creature blinked, sneezed and pulled out a long thin body from a dark tunnel that seemed to have opened in the ground.
“Who are you?” said Isabella.
“Frankie Ferret of course. And who are you?”
“I’m Isabella.”
“Yes; yes, and what do you want?” said Frankie Ferret.
Isabella was not really ready for such a question, so she said the first thing in her mind.
“I want a pink bicycle.”
“Pink bicycles are not the sort of thing ferrets usually do you know,” said Frankie Ferret.
“Ferrets are not the sort of thing that usually ask questions and anyway what is a ferret?” said Isabella.
“What’s a ferret? I’m a ferret. Have you never heard of a ferret godfather?” said Frankie.
“I’ve heard of a fairy godmother,” Isabella replied.
“Hum – that’s the same sort of thing, but ferrets are more useful in tight spots.”
The animal sat up on his back legs and pushed his front paws forwards over his ears and whiskers several times.
Photo of Frankie Ferret
“Perhaps it wouldn’t have to be pink,” said Isabella, feeling that she ought to say something.
“Oh – it must be pink if your dream is pink! Anyway can you ride a bike?” he asked.
Isabella thought for a moment. She had never ridden a bike.
“I know what to do,” she replied, hoping that he would accept her answer.
“I know what to do, but I can’t do it young lady! It won’t matter anyway. One day you can ride, one day you can swim and you’re still the same person. It’s all about belief,” said Frankie.
Isabella nodded and wondered if she was dreaming.
“Now, next time you get the chance, come back here and I’ll see you again. A pink bike you said didn’t you?”
“Yes – pink, with baskets on the front and back – please,” said Isabella.
Frankie Ferret threw himself in a somersault and disappeared back into the pile of sawdust. Isabella quickly picked up the logs and ran to the house. She helped her mother prepare the meal but every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was a pink bicycle with baskets on the front and back.
Watch this video to meet Frankie in the woodshed