Olive of Groves and the Great Slurp of Time by Katrina Nannestad

galloping handstands and flips. Today you shall move on to equine acrobatic duets. Toss, flip, balance and leap in partnership as you blaze across the grass on Beauty!’
    Anastasia and Alfonzo nodded to the Ringmaster, bowed to each other and stood side by side, their hands on their hips. Beauty reared up on her hind legs, shook her mane and whinnied. Then, trotting forward, she did a totally unexpected thing. She made a snuffling noise and flopped down onto her side.
    â€˜Oh dear!’ gasped Olive. ‘Beauty is ill!’
    She was just about to run forward to see if she could help, when Beauty scooped Anastasia and Alfonzo onto her back, jumped up and trotted around the garden. The acrobats sat, relaxed and smiling, as though out on a pleasant Sunday ride.
    Beauty broke into a gallop. Anastasia leapt to her feet, found her balance, then slowly, carefully, lifted herself up into a handstand upon Alfonzo’s shoulders.
    Olive and Eduardo clapped and cheered.
    The Ringmaster cried, ‘Splendido! Now stretch it further!’
    Beauty galloped a little faster. Anastasia held her handstand as Alfonzo stood. In a flash, a flounce and a flip, they swapped positions so that Alfonzo was now standing on his hands on Anastasia’s shoulders.
    Beauty ramped up her speed, weaving wildly between garden beds and hedges, then suddenly, violently, came to a halt. Olive screamed. Anastasia’s hands shot up to grab Alfonzo’s wrists. Together, they flew forward through the air, over Beauty’s head, performed a complete two-body flip and landed, one in front of the other, their feet apart, their arms in the air, in the most controlled pose that any acrobat could ever wish for. Beauty finished the performance by tossingher mane, snickering, trotting forward and giving Alfonzo a cheeky nip on the bottom with her large, square teeth.
    Olive and Eduardo jumped up and down, hugging each other and laughing. Star trotted around on the spot, blowing out hot air and tossing her mane. The Ringmaster threw his top hat into the sky and cried, ‘Bravo! Bravo!’
    â€˜Is it my turn now?’ asked Olive, clapping with excitement. ‘Can Eduardo and I do an equine acrobatic duet?’
    Star took four steps backwards and shook her head from side to side.
    The Ringmaster coughed a little. ‘Your enthusiasm is admirable, young Olive. Enthusiasm and determination are, after all, our most important attributes as acrobats.’
    Anastasia rolled her eyes.
    â€˜But,’ he continued, ‘we must always ensure that we have a strong foundation before we build the fancy walls, the stained-glass windows and the towering turrets of our performance.’
    Oh my!
    That, dear reader, was a kind and gentle way of saying that our heroine needed to start back at the very beginning because she was dreadfully uncoordinated at equine activities. You will recall from her last lesson that she was not even able to ride a horse in the conventional mannerwithout ending up in the middle of a garden bed or an infirmary bed. Truth be told, she might even have struggled with a hobbyhorse.
    Eduardo smiled. ‘It’s alright, Olive,’ he whispered, taking her by the hand. ‘You missed yesterday’s lesson, but I’m sure if we work really hard on your riding today, you will catch up.’
    Star snorted and looked as though she was about to bolt for the orchard, but the Ringmaster stopped her with a stern gaze. She tiptoed forward, placing one hoof reluctantly in front of the other. Her left nostril twitched nervously and the smile she forced onto her lips turned into a grimace.
    â€˜Okay!’ cried Olive.
    â€˜Okay!’ agreed Eduardo.
    And Olive mounted her steed – assisted by a hefty shove from Eduardo – and exhibited all the enthusiasm and determination for which she was known.
    Which was just as well, for Star gave her a dreadful time of it.
    Olive grabbed a handful of mane and dug one heel