Lulu Bell and the Christmas Elf
Read Lulu Bell and the Christmas Elf Online
Authors: Belinda Murrell
Meet Lulu Bell. Where there's Lulu, there's family, friends, animals and adventures galore!
The Bell family are preparing for the best Christmas ever. There are presents to wrap, yummy food to cook and costumes to sew.
But Lulu's friends Olivia and Jo are too sad to sing in the school concert because their little cat Bonnie is missing. Can Lulu cheer them up and help find Bonnie before Christmas Eve? Maybe a special letter to Santa will help.
Look for Lulu's bonus Christmas craft activities and recipes at the end of the book
For Olivia and Jo, Amy and Roy, Lindy and Brett in memory of a very special Australian Christmas
The Tree
It was Saturday morning, a few days before Christmas. The Bell family was putting up the Christmas tree in the lounge room. Lulu Bell felt her tummy fizz with excitement. Today was going to be a very big day. There was so much to do!
Mum huffed as she and Dad hauled the tall pine tree upright. Mum stood back to check if it was straight. The top branch curled against the ceiling. The air was filled with the scent of pine resin from the tree and mangoes in the bowl on the table. It was the smell of Christmas.
âA little to the left,' said Mum, waving her hand.
Dad corrected the angle.
âPerfect,' Mum said.
Lulu and her little sister Rosie opened a cardboard box that was sitting on the floor. It was like a treasure chest filled with sparkling baubles. There were glass balls, silver stars, wooden animals, home-made paper chains and coloured lights.
âWho wants to put the first decoration on the tree?' asked Dad.
âMe, me, me,' shrieked Lulu, Rosie and their little brother Gus.
Mum smiled and covered her ears. âWhy don't we each choose one? Then we can all hang a decoration at the same time.'
Lulu peered into the box. Gus chose a tiny baby Jesus asleep in a nutshell. Rosie selected a gold heart. Lulu hesitated. Which ornament should she choose? Perched on top of the pile was a silver rocking horse.
Lulu held it up. âReady?' she asked. Together they each hung a decoration on the tree. Then another and another. Soon the tree glowed and twinkled with a rainbow of colours and lights.
Pepper, the ginger cat, was fascinated. She sat back on her hind legs. With her front paw she batted a sparkly gold ball hanging from one of the lower branches. The ball flew through the air and rolled across the floor.
âOh, no you don't, Pepper,' scolded Lulu. She scooped Pepper up and carried her from the room. âI know you. You'll be up to all sorts of mischief if I let you stay in there.'
Pepper purred and rubbed her head against Lulu's chin. Lulu purred back and cuddled her. She put Pepper down on the kitchen floor and closed the door.
Rosie was crawling under the couch to rescue the ball.
âI think we should put the best ornaments up high,' suggested Mum. âI don't want the cats smashing any of them.'
Dad hung the gold ball safely near the top.
At last there was just one special ornament left in the bottom of the box. It was a white-and-gold angel on a scarlet ribbon. The three children gathered around expectantly.
âThis year I think it's Rosie's turn,' said Mum. âCome on, honey bun.'
Rosie picked the angel out of the box with gentle hands. Her face shone with excitement. Dad lifted her high, high into the air. Rosie looked like she was flying. She stretched up and popped the angel on top of the tree. Dad helped Rosie to loop the ribbon securely to a branch.
âThere,' said Mum. âIt's finished.'
Lulu examined the tree. She smiled with satisfaction.
âThe tree looks amazing,' said Lulu. âI can't wait for Christmas.'
âDo you think Santa will bring us lots of presents?' asked Rosie.
âWant presents now,' said Gus. He looked up at his big sisters hopefully. âWant Santa come now.'
Lulu put her hand on her hip. âSanta doesn't come for another week, Gus. First we have the Christmas concert and we finish school. Then there's the Christmas Eve party and
then
Santa comes.'
âWe haven't even written our letters to Santa yet,' said Rosie. âI can't make up my mind what to ask for. A ballerina doll? Or maybe a tutu?'
âA piggy,' said Gus.
Mum threw her arms up in the air. She kissed Gus on top of his head.
âDefinitely no pigs,' said Mum. âLet's get a wriggle on. We have lots to do today. First we'll bake shortbread for the teachers.' She ticked the list off on her fingers. âThen make Christmas decorations and props for the school concert on Monday.
And
we have to finish making the costumes.'
âLucky we have lots of helpers coming over for the working bee,' said Lulu.
Dad looked at everyone in horror. He didn't enjoy craft as much as the rest of the family. âI'd
love
to help but I think it's time I went to work.'
He hurried off next door. Lulu's dad was a vet. The family lived in a rambling old house right behind the Shelly Beach Vet Hospital. Saturday mornings were always busy with lots of animal patients to see.
Usually Lulu loved to help there. But not today. This Saturday morning Lulu was very excited about helping Mum instead.
Mum picked up the empty cardboard box. She tucked it under her arm. âLet's get cracking, honey buns.'
Preparations
Soon the kitchen was filled with delicious smells. The spicy scent of nutmeg and cinnamon from the apple sauce. The buttery sweetness of choc-chunk shortbread baking.
Rosie and Gus were cutting out more dough with star-shaped biscuit cutters. Jessie, the smiley dog, sniffed around the floor searching for crumbs.
Lulu juiced a pile of lemons. She poured the juice into a saucepan with butter and sugar.
Mum stirred the mixture on the stovetop until it was hot and thick. Then she poured the syrupy lemon butter into several clean jars. The golden liquid glowed and steamed in the sunlight.
âNearly done,' said Mum.
âI can't wait to give our present to Miss Martin,' said Rosie. âShe will love it.'
Miss Martin was Rosie's year one teacher. For Christmas they would give each of their teachers a thank-you present of home-made goodies. There would be jars of apple sauce and lemon butter, plus home-made jam and choc-chunk shortbread.
âSo will Miss Baxter,' said Lulu. âShe deserves a delicious present. She has been the best teacher.'
âI don't
want
a new teacher next year,' said Rosie. Her voice wobbled. âI wish I could have Miss Martin forever and ever.'
Mum smoothed Rosie's hair back from her forehead. âYou'll have a lovely new teacher next year, honey bun,' said Mum. âWon't she, Lulu?'
Lulu nodded. âAll the teachers are nice, Rosie. You'll see.'
Rosie stuck out her lip and shook her head.
When the cooking was finished, Mum cleaned up.
Lulu and Rosie sat at the kitchen table making Christmas star bunting. They cut out stars from brown cardboard recycled from old boxes. Then the girls painted each star with a wash of purple watercolour.
Gus was sitting on the floor and sticking glitter on his star. There seemed to be more glitter on the floor than on the cardboard. Jessie tried to lick it up. She ended up with a sparkly blue muzzle.
Lulu used the hole puncher to cut holes in the stars. Then she strung the stars on a long piece of string.
âLook, Mum,' said Lulu. âWhat do you think?'
Lulu and Rosie held up one end of the string each. The stars fluttered in the breeze from the open door.
âGood work, honey buns,' said Mum. âThat will look gorgeous on the tree for the concert.'
At ten o'clock, Lulu's best friend Molly came over to help. She arrived with her brother Sam and mother Tien. Molly's mum was good at sewing and often helped to make costumes for the school.
Mum and Tien started cutting up old white sheets. They were making angel dresses for all the kids in Rosie's class.
Rosie was the model. She wore a halo of gold tinsel on her hair and gold tinsel around her waist. Lulu and Molly made more tinsel haloes and belts.
Sam and Gus practised forward rolls in the kitchen. As usual, Gus was wearing his favourite superhero outfit.
âI wonder where Roy is?' asked Mum. âHe said he'd come over early to help with the props. He's usually so punctual.'
Roy was the father of Lulu's friends Olivia and Josephine. They were twins in Lulu's class. Olivia was the oldest by just a few minutes. She was a beautiful singer, while Jo was a talented piano player. They would be performing a duet together at the Christmas concert.
âPerhaps something came up,' suggested Tien. âEveryone is busy at the end of the year. He should be here soon.'
Tien and Mum finished the angel dresses and started on the elf costumes for Lulu's class. Mum cut out the green material while Tien stitched pieces together on the sewing machine.
âCome and try this on for me please, honey bun,' said Mum. âI want to see how it looks.'
Lulu changed into her elf costume. She wore a red-and-white striped t-shirt with stripy tights. Over the top she wore a green tunic. On her feet were green curly-toed slippers with golden bells.
Mum popped a red elf hat on her head. âPerfect,' she said.
Gus looked at Lulu in her costume. He pulled a silly face. âLulu funny. Lulu Christmas elf.'
Lulu laughed. âNot as funny as you, Gus.'
Rosie skipped across the kitchen. Her halo slipped over one ear.
âI can't wait for the school concert,' said Rosie. âIt will be so much fun.'
The two dogs were lying on their beds in the corner. Suddenly Asha woofed and ran to the door. She wagged her tail and sniffed. A moment later someone knocked.
âThat must be Roy and the girls,' said Mum.
Lulu ran to open the door. The bells on her slippers jingled and tinkled.
It was Olivia and Jo with their dad. Although the girls were twins, they were not alike. Olivia had dark hair and dark eyes, like her mum. Jo had fair hair and blue eyes. Lulu smiled at the girls.
But something was wrong.
Usually Olivia had a happy, smiling face with two deep dimples in her cheeks. Not today.
âSorry we're late,' said Roy. He spoke with a soft Dutch accent. He was a tall man, with dimples just like Olivia's. âWe had a problem at home.'
Roy came in, carrying a pile of cardboard boxes and a big roll of canvas.
âNever mind,' said Mum, waving her hand. âWe're making good progress.'
Roy put the boxes on the floor. âI'll get to work covering these boxes,' he said. âThen I have some last-minute touch-ups to our sleigh.'
The parents chatted as they set to work. The girls stood near the door. Molly came to join them.
âIs everything all right?' asked Lulu. âYou both look so worried.'
Jo stared at the ground as though she was trying hard not to cry.
Olivia sighed. âBonnie is missing,' she said. âWe've looked everywhere for her.'
Bonnie was the girls' fluffy tri-colour cat. She sometimes came for check-ups at the vet hospital. Lulu knew that the girls adored her.
âOh no,' said Lulu. âI'm so sorry. How long has she been gone?'
âSince yesterday morning,' said Olivia.
âWe thought Bonnie would come for dinner last night,' said Jo. âWe called and called.'
âMum said not to worry,' said Olivia. âShe thought Bonnie would probably be home for breakfast. But she wasn't. We've searched everywhere.'
Jo wiped her eyes. Lulu gave her a hug.
âShe's been missing so long,' said Olivia. âWe just don't know what to do.'
âWe need to make a plan to find her,' said Lulu. âCome with me.'