The Bear in a Muddy Tutu by Cole Alpaugh Page B

trainer was off doing mean things with other mean people, Sadie slipped out of her collar and went to visit the magician’s assistant. In her bear language, she asked the magician’s assistant to do a magic trick for her. ”
    “What trick? ”
    “To turn her into a beautiful dove. ”
    “Did she? ”
    “Well, the magician’s assistant was very worried. She didn’t think she could. After all, turning a bear into a dove might just be the greatest magic trick ever performed. ”
    “So she wouldn’t even try? ”
    “She didn’t want to disappoint Sadie by failing , but she could see all the sadness in her eyes. Who could turn down a dancing bear on the verge of tears? ”
    “Dad, what are crocodile tears? Mommy said I cry crocodile tears. ”
    “Hmm. ” Bagg paused. “They’re pretend tears. ”
    “Crocodiles pretend to cry? ”
    “Maybe they cry to make other animals feel sorry for them, so they can get close enough to eat them . ”
    “Sadie would never do that. ”
    “Off course not , ” Bagg said. “So, the magician’s assistant pulled out the magician’s special black handkerchief and tried to cover Sadie with it. ”
    “It was too small! ”
    “Yes, it was too small. So she had to go find a magic bed sheet to cover the great big bear. ”
    “And she said the magic words? ”
    “Abracadabra ziggity-zam, ” Bagg held his hands up over his daughter, who covered herself like Sadie, except for her eyes. “If your heart is filled with love, may the magic powers make you a dove! ”
    “Did it work? Did she turn into a dove? ” Morgan lowered the blanket beneath her chin.
    “No, she did not. ”
    “But … ”
    “Not right away, ” Bagg interrupted. “You see, there’s a lot more to tu rning a bear into a dove than just a wristwatch or wedding ring. The magician’s assistant repeated the words four more times, then added a little sparkly magic dust, and voil à ! ”
    “Voil à ? ”
    “Yes, the bed sheet suddenly dropped to the floor, all crumpled up , where a big bear had been sitting patiently, hoping and wishing. ”
    “ T here was something under the sheet, right? ”
    “Yes, but it wasn’t a dove. ”
    “Oh, no! ”
    “But it was a creature meant to fly, just the same. And even though it wasn’t a beautiful white dove, it was still quite lovely. ”
    “What was it? ”
    “Well, out from under one corner of the big bed sheet poked a tiny little antenna, followed by another, ” Bagg said in a low voice. “It prodded the air on the other side of the sheet, twitching this way and that, making sure the coast was clear. And then one orange wing appeared, followed by another. ”
    “A butterfly! ”
    “Yes, a butterfly! And the butterfly swished her beautiful orange wings and danced u p into the air in the magician’s assistant’s tent. ”
    “Did she fly outside? ”
    “Oh, certainly she did, ” Bagg told his daughter. “The magician’s assistant, who from that moment on became a full-fledged, top - of - the - line magician, opened her tent flap and allowed Sadie to fly into the night, far from the mean trainer, to where there were endless meadows of flowers. ”
    “And she danced from flower to flower? ”
    “Yes, Sadie the dancing bear … ”
    “D ancing butterfly! ” Morgan squeal ed.
    “Sadie the dancing butterfly lived happily ever after, dancing from flower to flower. ”
    “Will you tell me the story again? ”
    “Tomorrow night, honey , ” Bagg said, leaning down to kiss his daughter .
    Had that been the last time he kissed her? Had she been too busy getting her papers and crayons stuffed into her backpack when he dropped her off Sunday afternoon? She had worn a plain white shor t - s leeve d shirt and jean shorts. Pink and white sneakers with a picture of one of the Disney princesses ; he couldn’t remember which one. Morgan’s brown hair was short, had just been cut. A tiny freckle on the left side of her nose, which you could only see close up. Her