Chapter One The Very Best Day

 

  Angelina loved the playground at Chipping Cheddar Elementary. She often sat under the old oak tree, chatting and giggling with her best friend, Alice. They played endless games of tag and hopscotch, and had loads of fun on the swings, the slide, and the monkey bars. But now the swings were rusty, the slide was cracked, and the monkey bars were broken.

  “We need to raise money for new equipment,” Angelina’s teacher, Mrs. Appleby, explained to her students. “Does anyone have a good idea for how we can help?”

   

  Angelina raised her hand. “What about a Fancy Dress Day?” she suggested. “We can wear costumes and raise money with races and games!”

  “Yippee!” All the mouselings jumped up and down excitedly.

  Angelina liked nothing better than to dress up in fancy costumes and dance around the house with Alice and her little sister, Polly. She had a special dressing-up box in her bedroom filled with colorful scarves and hats, along with pretty beads and skirts donated by her mother.

   

  What could be more fun than dressing up for a whole day with her friends and raising money for the playground?

  Mrs. Appleby quickly agreed. “We’ll invite everyone in the village to come in costume,” she said. “Then we’ll have a parade to Miller’s Pond for games and races, and we’ll finish off the day with a family picnic!”

  Alice raised her hand. “Will there be prizes?” she asked.

  “Yes, we’ll have prizes for all sorts of costumes,” said Mrs. Appleby.

  “Wow. I can’t believe we can dress up in fancy costumes for a whole day!” Angelina whispered to Alice. “It will be the very best day of the year!”

  Angelina loved winning prizes, and she couldn’t wait to dance around Miller’s Pond in a beautiful ballerina costume. After school she raced all the way home to tell her family the big news.

  Mrs. Mouseling and Polly were in the kitchen eating cheesy muffins.

  “We’re going to have a real Fancy Dress Day!” Angelina announced proudly, giving her mother and sister a hug.

  “Can I come too?” asked Polly.

  “Everyone can come,” said Angelina importantly. “There’ll be games and races, plus a parade and a picnic!” Angelina sat down at the kitchen table and helped herself to a glass of milk and a cheesy muffin.

  “Alice and I are dressing up as our favorite dancers,” she said.

  “That sounds like fun,” said Mrs. Mouseling. “What will you wear?”

   

  Angelina smiled. “Something with lots of sparkles,” she said dreamily.

  “I want to wear something sparkly too!” cried Polly.

  “I’m sure Angelina will help you, Polly,” said Mrs. Mouseling.

  “Okay,” Angelina agreed. “I love making costumes!”

  “And I’ll get out my sewing machine,” said Mrs. Mouseling.

  Just then Angelina’s father walked into the kitchen with his fiddle.

  “I’ll bring my fiddle along on Fancy Dress Day,” he announced. “I can lead the parade to Miller’s Pond playing all the top Mouseland tunes!”

  “Yay!” shouted Angelina and Polly together, jumping up and down and giving their father a hug. Then Mr. Mouseling began to play, and the two sisters danced happily around him in the kitchen.