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Overview
On every street there is a story. Roll up, roll up for a circus adventure in Edwardian Yarmouth, merry-go-race through King's Lynn history with fabulous fairground animals, get swept back in time with the marvellous mice of Wymondham, meet the magical medieval dragon of Norwich and the musical Owl of Holt, discover the magnificent street procession of a Tudor Queen and get ready to be bedazzled by the delightful dancer of a Georgian theatre. Inspired by collections at Norfolk Heritage Centre and the history of Norfolk streets, this book consists of imaginative short stories where love and friendship take centre stage.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780750991681 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | The History Press |
| Publication date: | 05/01/2019 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 192 |
| File size: | 3 MB |
| Age Range: | 4 - 7 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
TA-DA! THE DAZZLING DANCER OF THEATRE ROYAL
Excited audience, take to your seats Tonight you are in for wonderful treats Everyone claps as the curtain rises, A spectacular show of wondrous surprises. It's him! Here he is with a rat-a-tat-ta-da! The dazzling dancer of Theatre Royal – horah! You'll be happy you ventured to Theatre Street to see this performer so quick on his feet Soft as spun sugar, light as whipped cream each twizzle, each twirl to behold is a dream An elegant, exquisite, excellent prancer Norwich's very own mysterious masked dancer Yes, he is disguised in theatrical mask But who is he really? The audience ask Who indeed? Let's find out because that's what this story is all about How a boy from nowhere became a star of the stage Discover his journey with each turn of the page The start of the tale is the end of this rhyme And so it begins with once upon a time ...
Once upon a time there lived a boy called Fred. Just Fred, nothing else. Just Fred nothing else lived in a time called the Georgian era when King George sat on the throne. There were four King Georges and Fred lived in the time of George III. Step back into this time and you would be sure to notice how fancy it was. The Georgians wore very fine and beautiful clothes, dresses of splendid silk and luxurious lace. Their heads were decorated with great big wigs which swirled up and up like enormous whirls of cream and as for their feet, fabulous shoes!
The Georgians loved a good party and really knew how to put on a feast with delicious teas, fruits, pastries, custards and cakes. These were not the sort of cakes you would just guzzle and chomp down in one go; oh no, these cakes were works of art to be admired, with neat layers of soft sponge and delicate drizzles of sugars and cherries, often called dainties and fancies – to be scoffed in a dainty, fancy way, if you please. Magnificent balls were all the fashion, a chance to dress up, eat, drink and dance to the pleasant sounds of harmonious harps, tooting flutes, flitting lutes and pretty pianos. Fine music, big wigs, marzipan and jelly galore, you could have all this and more, right outside your door, provided, that is, on one vital score, the good luck of which you had been born extremely ... rich!
Being rich meant you were a member of the gentlefolk, or 'gentry', in the finest clothes you ever saw. And guess what? Fred was not. Rags and tatters, that's what Fred wore. Now there are three things you need to know about Fred. The first, as we have discovered, is that he didn't have much to call his own. Fred lived on the streets of Norwich with no home, no family and no one but himself to rely on. He had a handful of pennies to his name; one of the pennies had holes in it and might have been an old button for all Fred knew.
The second thing you need to know is that while Fred didn't have a person to rely on he did have a pet, a tiny puppy called Pebbles. Pebbles was a mischievous little scrap of a scamp with a keen nose, alert eyes and a teeny, twitching tail. Fred had named him Pebbles because the way he constantly skipped up and down, ever so lightly, reminded him of pebbles as they skimmed across the water. Fred had found Pebbles on an evening swagger down by the River Wensum. Some old wooden boxes were piled up against a wall and one of them was rattling about. No sooner had Fred opened the box than out rolled a stray puppy, straight into his arms as though it had always belonged there. Considerate and sensitive of nature, Fred decided to take care of this tiny scruff of fluff. Besides, that pup had the sort of look that said if he didn't cause trouble he would tumble into it one way or another and so, thought Fred, someone's got to keep an eye on the little rascal.
The third thing you need to know about Fred is that he was a fantastic dancer. Delicate as sunlight filters through the trees, nimble as a robin goes bobbin' on the breeze, Fred could dance you into a daydream. You see, Fred desperately needed a way to earn money and since he had rather a natural flair for being quick on his feet, he had decided he would do this by dancing. The idea was to impress passers-by with his dancing skills and hopefully they would throw a few coins his way. Now, to get people's attention, he couldn't just be good, he had to be amazing. And so Fred practised and practised and practised to the point that it would indeed, appear to a passer-by that the boy was so talented it couldn't be natural and must be magic. Fred, however, would soon correct them. 'Everyone has a gift, something special and unique about them, but a gift doesn't just become the best it could be without any work. The secret to my skills isn't magic. It's practice!' Fred would happily tell this to anyone who cared to watch.
The problem was that no one did care to watch. 'Get out of the way, street boy!' people yelled at him. 'Move over, street boy, out of my way!'
'No time for you, street boy, stop prancing about!'
It seemed to Fred that no matter how delightful his dancing, he could never get the audience he deserved. Until one morning, warm and sunny, Fred woke up with a funny feeling in his tummy: it felt like butterflies fluttering about as though something different that day would surely come about.
Pebbles bounded up to Fred with something in his mouth, which he presented at his feet with pride as though it were a trophy. It was a crumpled copy of The Norfolk Chronicle. Fred had been taught slowly how to read by a kind schoolmistress who helped street children. They had read little bits of The Norfolk Chronicle together every day and, much like his dancing, Fred found that the more he practised, the better he got. Not only that but he had got to know The Norfolk Chronicle very well, a useful paper which let you know about important things happening in the area. Pebbles always went to see if there was a spare copy he could pick up in the morning. The little pup placed his paw on an article and barked and wagged his tail until Fred looked at it. As Pebbles lifted his paw, Fred read words that sent tingles of excitement down his spine:
AT THE THEATRE-ROYAL
By His MAJESTY'S Servants
THIS prefent Evening, July 22, will be presented a comedy, call'd The BEGGAR'S OPERA To which will be added,
WIT'S LAST STAKE To begin at Half an Hour after Six o'Clock.
Tickets to be had of Mr. Griffith,
at his Houfe opposite St Stephen's Church; of Mr Croufe,
and at Mr Sutton's Peruke-maker, in the Market-place;
and of Mr Smith at his office at the Theatre.
'A show at the theatre,' marvelled Fred. 'What a wonderful idea! I could go and see what the performers are like. Then perhaps one day I could audition to be on stage. If I was up there on the big stage people would definitely pay to see me dance. Oh, well done for bringing me this, Pebbles, you clever thing!' Fred rubbed Pebbles' tummy and the little pup rolled over yapping as if to say, 'Yes, I am clever, Fred, thank you!'
Fred had never set foot in the Theatre Royal before, though he loved to see the building. He knew it was built by a man called Thomas Ivory and he much admired this master builder as a person who had used his talents to make his way in the world. A few years earlier, on the very same street, Thomas Ivory had also built a lovely, grand building called the Assembly Rooms. Fred wasn't allowed to go inside the Assembly Rooms because he wasn't a member of the gentry. The Assembly Rooms were a perfect place for the gentry to get together and have parties, balls, play cards, enjoy fun, frolics and fine food. There was even a lawn outside for playing bowls. Fred would often watch the gentry with fascination as they entered the Assembly Rooms, all dressed up in their glittering finest. The fact he wasn't allowed inside the building meant that he was all the more intrigued by it. As for the theatre ... well, Fred had seen people in rags and tatters go to the theatre and that meant he could go in too. Fred went to Mr Smith at his office and spent every penny he had (including the button) on a ticket. That night, at half an hour past six o'clock, darkness drew in like a velvet curtain, a pale moon glowed brightly and stars twinkled cheekily as though they were telling each other secrets. Fred and Pebbles joined the crowd of people entering Norwich Theatre Royal. The first thing that struck Fred was how unusual it was to see the gentry and people just like him all inside the same building. The theatre must be a very powerful place, he thought, to bring people together like this.
The shows were very vibrant and funny. The Begger's Opera had lots of singing in it and the actors had wonderful voices. Wit's Last Stake was a farce, a very fast comedy. Some bits in both shows were a bit grown-up and Fred couldn't always understand what was happening, but he enjoyed the performances.
'You know what this show needs, Pebbles,' he said, 'more dancing! That could be me up there on stage. I just need to find a way to get on stage. Oh, there must be a way ...'
After the show, Fred twirled outside of the theatre, Pebbles hopping after him.
'I'm the Dazzling Dancer of Theatre Royal' Fred sang to himself. 'Tonight, ladies and gentleman, you are about to watch ... now don't lose your wits and hold on to your wigs, you are about to watch ... the Dazzling Dancer of Theatre Royal!'
He was so much in a beautiful daydream that he didn't notice he was waltzing straight into a bustling crowd of people gathered outside the Assembly Rooms on the same street. It was the gentry, all dressed up in fancy dress, some as pirates, some as princesses, some as rogues and vagabonds. Everyone wore a theatrical mask. They were going to have a masked ball, or 'masquerade', inside the Assembly Rooms. Fred accidentally bumped into a gentleman who was wearing rather a dark mask with the mouth turned downwards, an unhappy face. As he bumped into him Fred knocked something out of the gentleman's hands, though he didn't see what it was.
'Oh sorry, Sir,' gasped Fred. The gentleman said nothing but turned his back to Fred and walked away. On the back of his head was another mask with the mouth turned upwards, a happy face. Fred couldn't help but laugh.
'Looks like all these people are off to have a fun time. Now you stay close to me, Pebbles,' he instructed his puppy, 'I know what you're like, anything exciting and shiny and you just wander off. You stay right by my side and don't even think about ... don't ... Pebbles, Pebbles, where are you?'
Fred looked anxiously up and down until at last he clapped eyes on that tiny wagging tail. To his horror Fred saw that the mischievous little scruff of fluff was gallivanting merrily about among the gentry as though he'd been invited. Being so small, it seemed that no one had noticed him yet. Pebbles had that determined look on his little face, his keen eyes fixed on the Assembly Rooms. 'No, Pebbles!' Fred yelled. 'You mustn't go inside, we're not allowed in there, you'll get into all sorts of trouble if they see you. Come back, Pebbles, come back!'
But Pebbles did not come back. On he scampered, slipping nimbly through the pitter-patter of hundreds of pretty shoes until he had disappeared into the building. Fred gulped and his heart pounded in his chest. He couldn't go inside. But he couldn't leave Pebbles to get into trouble! Whatever was he to do? As if in answer to his question, his feet kicked something on the ground.
Fred looked down and saw what he had accidentally knocked out of the gentleman's hands. It was a mask. The mask glittered bright gold; it was very beautiful. In his panic, Fred didn't stop to think. He picked up the mask and put it on his face. And, just like that, Fred fitted in.
After all, if people were dressed as rogues and vagabonds, Fred's rags and tatters could have just been a fancy-dress costume. And so Fred entered the Assembly Rooms. It was like stepping inside a slice of cake. Soft colours of creamy peach, buttery gold and velvety red swathed the walls around him. The room was flooded with people, chatting, laughing and having a jolly good time. Fred had to make an effort to stop his jaw from dropping when he saw all that food. Plates piled high with such delicious delights as he had never seen, and the drinks flowed and sparkled. Fred's mouth watered and his stomach rumbled ... perhaps he could have just ... one ... cake ... but no! He couldn't get distracted. 'Just find Pebbles and get out of here,' Fred urged himself. 'You can't risk being discovered.'
Fred darted his eyes frantically around the room for Pebbles and caught sight of something very curious. A floating pine apple? (Back then it was spelled as two words: pine apple.) Fred had never seen a real pine apple before, though he knew what it was because he had seen large stone statues outside grand buildings. Pine apples were expensive and exotic fruit, only very well-to-do people could have them and they used them as a symbol of how important they were: an exquisite prickly pine apple to show off your exquisite prickly importance. Fred was sure, however, that no matter how high and mighty the pine apple, that didn't mean it could float! He lowered his eyes and saw that the pine apple sat on top of a very tall stack of food with all sorts of dainty treats layered on top of each other: fancy cakes, fruits, custards and jellies, even the jellies seemed to wobble with a certain elegance.
Holding up the pile of food was a plate and holding up the plate was ... Pebbles! Yes, Pebbles had disguised himself by carrying an enormous plate of food on his back, and as the plate passed through the crowds, people were so content with helping themselves to snacks that they didn't notice the puppy underneath. Fred rolled his eyes and was about to creep towards Pebbles and get that puppy out of the building when all of a sudden, he heard ... the music. It was like the sound of spring when all the flowers burst into life. Up and down, up and down went the sound of violin strings, so lively yet gentle it reminded Fred of gushing water and sweeping fields with leaping lambs.
Fred had spent many years dancing on the streets without music, and he had never heard a sound like this before. Every part of him tingled, entranced. All of a sudden, Pebbles and the need to leave were forgotten. Fred felt the music. Fred felt the moves. They flowed though him like magic. Fred began to dance. His feet tapped against the floor, rata-tat-tat-tat-tat! His arms swept gracefully above his head. In time to those springing strings he skipped quickly up and down, weaving his way though people, light as though he were floating on air. Fred glided into a space on the ballroom floor and began to twirl round and round and round and round and round and ... all of a sudden the music stopped.
Fred stopped. With his arms above his head, one leg poised on tiptoes, one hovering in mid air, Fred suddenly saw that he was surrounded by masked people. They had formed a circle around him and stood staring through their masks with astonishment. The room was silent. And then came a noise, a noise that he had never heard before, it started slowly then gradually grew louder and louder until the whole room was buzzing with this noise. It was a round of applause.
'Splendid!' people cried as they clapped their hands. 'Magnificent, wonderful, did you ever see such dancing?'
Fred had never had an audience before. It felt incredible. He gave a low bow, twirling his arms with a flourish. 'More, more,' the spellbound audience chanted. 'More, more!' The music struck up into a jolly jig. Invigorated by the enthusiasm all around him, Fred began to dance once more, even faster this time. How did he do it? No one knew but the boy had a gift, by golly that was true. Pebbles, eager to join in and still carrying the enormous plate of food on his back, bobbed his way through the crowds and joyfully tried to interweave between Fred's feet. Fred, alarmed that he would trip over the silly pup, bent down and gently picked up the plate, an action which he was surprised to find received another round of applause.
'Oh, marvellous,' his adoring fans cried. 'He's going to do a balancing act as part of his dance.'
'Crumbs!' thought Fred, 'I guess that means I'll have to do a balancing act as part of my dance.'
He span round and round, balancing the plate on one hand, the pine apple on top bouncing lightly up and down as he turned. This received another hearty round of applause. Pebbles watched happily, swaying his tiny tail from side to side, caught up in the rhythm. When the music stopped Fred finished his dance with an elaborate bow and placed the plate on the floor. His audience were ecstatic. 'Fantastic! Bravo!'
A very elegant lady stepped forward. She had a sparkling crystal mask and a wig as big as the pine apple. She curtseyed to Fred, lowered her mask and batted a dainty fan in front of her face. 'That was simply enchanting' she said. 'The way you moved, it was magic!'
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Once Upon a Street"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Isabelle King.
Excerpted by permission of The History Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION AND THANK YOUS,
1 TA-DA! THE DAZZLING DANCER OF THEATRE ROYAL,
2 A BRUSH WITH SHOWBIZ FOR WILLAMINA WHISKERS OF WYMONDHAM,
3 THE INGENIOUS INVENTOR OF DRAGON HALL,
4 SNUFFY AND THE STOLEN CUP OF QUEEN ELIZABETH I,
5 GALLOPERS GO! THE MERRY-GO-RACE OF KING'S LYNN,
6 THE AMAZING IMAGINARY ALPHABET CIRCUS OF GREAT YARMOUTH,
7 THE SPECTACULAR STAR OF NORWICH MARKET,
8 OSCAR OWL'S SONG OF HOLT,
9 THE RAZZLE-DAZZLE RAINBOW STORY DRESS,