Read Online Ballet Shoes for Anna by Noel Streatfeild - Free Book Online

the way I can keep cuttin’ and still leave the ’air looking OK.”
    Wally’s mum put a stool for Gussie beside the wheelchair and wrapped a towel round him, then Mr Wall put a pudding basin on Gussie’s head and clipped at the hair that was outside it.
    “It’s not just the shoes, is it?” Wally’s mum asked Anna and Francesco. “Wally was telling me you wanted to sell some clothes.”
    “They are ours – given us by S’William, so absolutely nothing to do with The Uncle,” Gussie shouted.
    “You sit still and don’t talk,” said Mr Wall, “or I’ll ’ave a ear off of you.”
    “We have a suitcase each and Anna has another frock and we have shorts and shirts,” Francesco explained. “But we do not know of a teacher so we cannot tell how much it will cost.”
    Wally’s mum looked at Wally.
    “Isn’t there someone the girls go to of a Saturday?”
    Wally nodded.
    “Miss Audrey de Veane. Lovely teacher they say she is.”
    “Puts on shows for charity and that, doesn’t she?” his mother asked.
    “Them as is old enough gets work in pantomimes,” said Wally. “Wouldn’t fancy it meself, but she’s well spoke of.”
    “You know any girl what learns off of ’er?”
    Wally sighed.
    “Well, that Doreen does, you know – her down by thechurch. Silly sort she is but she does learn the dancing.”
    “You’ll go on your bike first thing tomorrow. Just ask her what this Miss de Veane charges. No need to tell her why – just ask.”
    The children had to go home soon after that. Gussie’s hair was finished, it looked rather peculiar for it was much shorter at the back than at the front, though there was still a lot on the top of his head.
    “Aren’t they lovely people?” Francesco said.
    Gussie skipped on ahead.
    “Wouldn’t it be good if we could live there instead of with The Uncle?”
    Francesco felt the twenty-five pence in his pocket.
    “And what a day! We have more money for the shoes. We have found someone who teaches dancing and Wally’s mum will sell what we need to pay her. Are you pleased, Anna?”
    Anna hesitated.
    “Yes. Of course I am glad if the lady can teach as Jardek did. But until I know that I cannot say if I will learn with her.” She looked anxiously at Francesco. “Will you explain this to Wally’s mum? I would rather die than she should think I am not grateful.”
    Francesco sighed. There was so much he had to do now he was head of the family.
    “Do not worry,” he told Anna. “If you cannot learn from this lady it is I who will explain.”

T HE SHOES ANNA needed would cost £1.40. The children went to a shoe shop to find out. The lady in the shop offered to order the shoes right away but Francesco would not allow that.
    “No, first we will pay then you will order.”
    Outside the shop Gussie and Anna started to argue.
    “I wish you’d have let her order,” Anna said, “because we know how we will get the money, and I do need the shoes.”
    “I thought it was silly,” Gussie agreed, “for we’ll most likely have the money tonight if we give Wally’s mum our things to sell today.”
    Francesco did not answer at once for he was making a plan. It was odd, he thought, how, now he had to be the one to make decisions, he was learning just to make them and did not mind what the other two said.
    That day was a good one for getting the things they hadto sell to Wally’s mum, for it was a day when Uncle Cecil had to go to London for a meeting.
    “Today,” said Francesco, “we will only take the suitcases to sell.”
    “Why only suitcases?” asked Gussie. “With The Uncle out we can take everything. Even if The Aunt saw us I don’t think she’d say anything, and anyway they are ours.”
    “No, just the suitcases,” said Francesco. “Those we could not need for we are not going away and, if we did go away, we could use a box, but our clothes we do need. Already The Aunt has washed them, it will be easier if we do not need to sell the