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Naty's Parade
By Gina Freschet Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Copyright © 2000 Gina Freschet
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4668-9530-0
CHAPTER 1
The road to town is busy and bouncy.
"Papa!" Naty shouts. "Look at the feather dancers! Are they coming to the fiesta?"
"Everyone's coming," says Papa.
"It's Guelaguetza, after all," says their neighbor, Old José. "People are coming from all over."
"When I was a boy, I was a cactus in the parade," Old José tells Naty.
She frowns. "But a cactus can't dance."
"This one did. Some people think dancing keeps the world in balance."
Naty says, "Today I get to dance in the parade. And I've got new boots, too."
All day long, the town fills up with happy strangers.
Naty and her papa follow the crowd to where the parade will begin. There are oxen in the streets with wet noses and rings in them big as bracelets.
The piña girls have come from the north to do the Pineapple Dance.
And sunflower girls from the south smile like butterflies.
Then comes El Pescado — the Dance of the Fish. The fish-men throw nets to catch the crowd, and everyone laughs like silvery minnows.
Papa helps Naty put on her costume. He gives her a present, a little bird whistle that fits in her pocket. "Now go wait with the puppet people," he tells her. "Be a good mouse, Naty, and I'll be there to meet you at the end of the parade."
The music starts calling people from all over town and the roof dogs start barking.
The trumpets go ta-ta-ta!
Old José plays his fiddle. Zing-zing-zing!
And Naty's friend Oscar bangs a big drum. Boomf-boomf-boomf, it goes — just like Naty's heart.
Naty marches with the puppet people, tall as streetlights. They dance and spin and bump into each other. "I'm the only dancing mouse in the parade!" Naty sings.
She has practiced all year to dance like a mouse. She wants to spin faster than anyone else — around and around until her feet leave the ground. As fast as a spider she spins and dances and spins and spins until she's so dizzy she almost falls over.
Her little clay whistle goes clattering away. Naty spins down an alley to find it. There it is — she gives it a tweet.
But then she sees ...
¡Ay, caramba! She's lost!
The music is bouncing off walls and calling her from alleyways, but she cannot find the parade.
On the corner, an old woman is making tortillas. Naty asks, "Where is the parade, abuela?"
But the old woman says, "Wait — you must be a hungry mouse." She offers her a piece of cheese.
"No, gracias," says Naty. "I'm in a hurry." And off she goes.
As she runs along, there's a tug on her tail. A dog wants to play.
"No, no, perro! Let go, let go! I must find the parade!"
She follows the music to a door. But it's only a radio. Inside, an old man is fixing shoes.
"Where is the parade, señor?"
"Wait just a minute. Don't you want your boots shined?" he asks.
"No time," Naty says. "I've got to hurry. Besides, they're new!"
Night is coming. Out of the shadows come snaky tails and green eyes. Many cats are lurking. They look hungry.
But Naty shouts, "I'm the biggest mouse in the valley!" and she blows her whistle.
"¡Adios, gatos! Go away!"
Now it is dark.
Down alleys she goes, chasing shadows and sounds. There are doors in the sky and stars on the ground.
Just when Naty wants to cry, she says, "I know, I know I can find my way!"
Then she sees the shop where they make the piñatas. And the Frog Burger sign. And there is the shop where they cut Papa's hair.
¡Sí, sí, sí! Yes, yes, yes!
First turn right and then turn left.
And now Naty hears:
Boomf-boomf-boomf!
It's Oscar's drum!
And is that popcorn she smells? Yes, it's palomitas, all right.
She turns a corner and "¡Mira!" she shouts. "Look!"
The pony boys are prancing ahead.
She has found the parade!
Naty starts to spin ... Then she thinks, "I'd better not."
All the ponies are dark except the one in the middle. Its rider wears silver buckles down his legs. He looks so proud.
"Someday," Naty thinks, "I will wear silver buckles and ride the white pony. But now I am happy. I, the dancing mouse, have found the parade."
At last, they come to the square. People shout and clap and cheer. The way they do year after year.
But where is Papa?
The square is filled with laughing and lights. The dragon ride goes up-up-up. The girls scream.
Puppets are bumping and jumping. Ponies are twirling. Games and church bells are ringing. Naty blows on her whistle.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Naty's Parade by Gina Freschet. Copyright © 2000 Gina Freschet. Excerpted by permission of Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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