Lulu Bell and the Circus Pup Read online

  About the Book

  Meet Lulu Bell. Where there’s Lulu, there’s family, friends, animals and adventures galore!

  A circus is setting up near Lulu’s house. How exciting! But as Lulu and her family walk past, they see a young girl crying. Stella tells them that Spangles the performing dog is missing.

  Lulu is determined to help Stella find the clever pup. Can Stella teach Lulu a circus trick in return? When the show starts, the Bell family might get a big surprise!

  Contents

  Cover

  About the Book

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter 1: Gymnastics

  Chapter 2: Lagoon Park

  Chapter 3: The Missing Pup

  Chapter 4: Still No Luck

  Chapter 5: The Walk Home

  Chapter 6: Surprise!

  Chapter 7: After School

  Chapter 8: Circus Fun!

  Chapter 9: Goldie in Trouble

  Chapter 10: Opening Night

  Chapter 11: The Star of the Show

  Lulu Bell and the Sea Turtle

  Read all the Lulu Bell books

  About the Author

  About the Illustrator

  Copyright Notices

  Loved the book?

  For Jessica, who inspired me to write about a circus pup. And to the cast and crew of Cavalia, especially Eric and Mathieu, and Katie and Fairland – fearless riders extraordinaire, who all generously shared their passion for horses and performing. You are amazing!

  Chapter 1

  Gymnastics

  It was Tuesday afternoon after school. Lulu Bell and her sister Rosie were at gymnastics class. There were seven girls and six boys, and they were all practising their cartwheels.

  Lulu swung sideways from her feet to her hands and over again. She did twenty cartwheels in a row. Her best record yet. On the last one she wobbled but landed safely on her feet.

  ‘Beautiful cartwheels, Lulu,’ said Miss Carolina. ‘I like the way you are keeping your legs nice and straight.’

  Lulu felt a glow of pride. ‘Thanks, Miss Carolina. I’ve been practising every day in the garden at home.’

  Mum sat watching with the other mothers. Lulu’s little brother Gus was doing forward rolls with his friends. He was too young to do classes yet, but he liked to copy his older sisters. The only problem was that he refused to take off his cowboy hat and boots. This made it hard to roll in a straight line.

  The last part of the class was walking on the balance beam. Lulu concentrated hard, and held her arms out to the side. She felt like a tightrope walker. Lulu loved doing gymnastics.

  ‘Okay, gang,’ said Miss Carolina. ‘Great work. I’ll see you all next Tuesday. Keep practising!’

  ‘Goodbye, Miss Carolina,’ chorused the children. ‘See you next week.’

  The kids milled around, chatting and laughing. Lulu’s friend Jessica skipped over. Her twin brothers Jack and Toby were great friends with Gus.

  ‘Have you heard the news, Lulu?’ asked Jessica. ‘The circus is coming to Shelly Beach. Mum said we can go on Friday night.’

  ‘The circus?’ said Lulu. Her eyes shone with excitement. ‘We went to the circus when it came two years ago. It was fantastic.’

  ‘Will they have lions and elephants and monkeys?’ asked Rosie.

  ‘There’s a poster on the noticeboard,’ said Jessica. ‘Let’s take a look.’

  The children crowded around the noticeboard. The poster showed a clown with a white-painted face, a smiling red mouth, a huge red nose and a curly blue wig.

  ‘Starlight Circus,’ read Lulu. ‘A dazzling show with acrobats, jugglers and crazy clowns.’

  ‘Starring camels, horses and performing dogs,’ added Rosie.

  Mum came over to join them. ‘Time to head home, honey buns.’

  ‘Look, Mum,’ said Lulu. ‘The circus is coming. Can we go? Pleeease?’

  ‘Pretty please with cherries on top?’ said Rosie.

  Mum read the poster and smiled. ‘We’ll see. Come on.’

  The three Bell children called goodbye to their friends. The girls slipped their school uniforms over their blue leotards. Rosie also pulled on her angel wings. Gus climbed into the pram.

  Outside, the family dogs Asha and Jessie were tied up in the shade of a tree. They jumped up and wriggled with excitement to see the children.

  ‘Good girls. Did you miss us?’ Lulu asked. She untied the dogs’ leads.

  ‘Woof,’ said Asha. Jessie smiled her big doggy smile.

  ‘You know, I think we might walk home the long way today,’ said Mum. ‘It would be a nice change to walk back through Lagoon Park.’

  Lulu turned around. ‘The long way?’ she asked. ‘Why?’

  Mum had a cheeky smile on her face. ‘Oh, who knows what fabulous sights we might see if we go the long way?’

  Mmmm, thought Lulu. Mum’s up to something. I wonder what it could be?

  Chapter 2

  Lagoon Park

  Lagoon Park was a long, narrow stretch of grass beside a wide lagoon. The late afternoon sun glinted on the water. Wispy rushes fringed the banks. Fat brown ducks waddled on the shore.

  Gus climbed out of the pram.

  ‘Don’t go too close to the water, Gus,’ warned Mum.

  Gus grinned and ran towards the ducks. The ducks scattered, squawking in disgust. Gus jumped in a puddle.

  Lulu thought the park seemed very quiet today. Normally there were lots of kids playing and dogs running about. Dogs were allowed off their leads here. Jessie smiled up at Lulu. Jessie and Asha loved Lagoon Park.

  Lulu unclipped the leads. Asha and Jessie raced off. They took it in turns to chase each other in mad circles. When they were tired they flopped into the cool water of the lagoon.

  ‘Gussie swim too?’ asked Gus.

  ‘Not today, honey bun,’ said Mum. ‘I think there might be a surprise if we keep going.’ She pushed the pram along the footpath. The kids followed. Lulu wondered what the surprise could be.

  The family rounded a bend. Lulu noticed something different about the park. At the far end there was a large red-and-white striped tent. A blue-and-gold pennant fluttered on top. Some caravans were parked behind the tent too.

  ‘The circus!’ called Lulu. ‘It’s here.’

  Mum grinned. ‘I told you we might see something fun if we walked the long way.’

  ‘Come on, Rosie,’ cried Lulu. ‘Let’s hurry.’

  Lulu, Rosie and Gus ran towards the circus camp. Circus workers hurried back and forth. Men were securing the ropes and pegs of the big tent. A crowd of people had gathered to watch.

  Several temporary yards had been set out for the animals. Sandy-coloured camels peered over the fence. They gently chewed their cud.

  Snow-white horses were being unloaded from the back of a truck. A woman led them two-by-two down the ramp. They arched their necks and tossed their manes.

  The woman led the horses into one of the yards and shut the gate. They began to graze, their tails swishing.

  ‘I wish we could take them home,’ said Lulu.

  There was so much to see. Mum held Gus’s hand so he couldn’t get into mischief. Lulu clipped the two dogs back on their leads. She didn’t want them to get lost in the milling crowd.

  A girl with tangled black hair wandered past. She wore a big, sloppy jumper, shorts and bare feet. She was about ten years old and walking a group of six dogs on leads. Lulu recognised a chocolate Labrador, two black poodles, two tan-and-white terriers and a golden retriever. The dogs yapped and barked.

  ‘Look at the girl with all the dogs,’ said Lulu. ‘Do you think she is one of the circus performers?’

  Rosie shook he
r head. ‘No. She’s not wearing a tutu or a tiara.’

  Mum laughed. ‘She probably wouldn’t wear a tiara to walk the dogs. Only when she was performing.’

  Rosie twisted a long dark ringlet around her finger. ‘I would if I was a circus girl.’

  Asha sniffed at a small dog that was wandering past. It was a small, fluffy terrier with a hot-pink handkerchief knotted around its neck. It had a cream body with furry grey ears and a scruffy black face. The dog woofed at Asha and licked her on the nose.

  ‘Hello, gorgeous,’ said Lulu. ‘Where’s your owner?’

  The dog woofed again. Then it trotted off after the circus girl.

  ‘Look, Mum,’ called Rosie. ‘A juggler.’ Lulu turned to watch, forgetting the dog.

  Rosie pointed to the workmen who had been erecting the tent. One had pulled three red balls from his overall pockets. He tossed and juggled them in the air. The balls spun in a whirring circle.

  Another workman began turning somersaults. He sprang from hands to feet over and over again. His body spun so fast he was almost a blur. He whizzed around the juggler.

  The crowd clapped and cheered.

  ‘Man flying,’ said Gus.

  ‘He’s an acrobat,’ said Mum. ‘It must have taken him years to learn how to somersault so well.’

  ‘Wow,’ said Lulu. ‘I wish I could do that.’

  Gus promptly began to try. After one attempt he landed in a tangled heap of boy, boots and cowboy hat. Lulu laughed and helped Gus up. She pulled dried grass out of his hair and dusted off his shirt.

  The acrobat sprang back to his feet. He swept a deep bow.

  ‘Come along to see the world-famous Starlight Circus,’ called the acrobat. ‘Be amazed and enthralled. Be thrilled and intrigued. Roll up, folks. Buy your tickets for the grand opening on Friday night.’

  Lulu jiggled with excitement. ‘Please can we go, Mum?’ she begged.

  Mum smiled. ‘We’ll see how we go, honey buns. But now we need to get home.’

  Mum turned to Gus and pointed at the pram seat. ‘In you hop, Gus. I think we’ve had more than enough circus fun for one day.’

  Gus climbed into the pram and jammed his cowboy hat on his head. He popped his thumb in his mouth.

  ‘I could never have too much circus fun,’ said Lulu. ‘I wish we lived in a circus!’

  Chapter 3

  The Missing Pup

  Rosie and Lulu walked beside the pram. Asha and Jessie trotted along beside them, sniffing all the smells. They came to the end of the park.

  ‘Spangles!’ cried a voice. ‘Spangles!’

  Everyone turned around.

  A girl was running towards them. She had tangled black hair, a big, sloppy jumper and bare feet. Her face was streaked with tears.

  ‘Are you all right?’ asked Mum. ‘Have you hurt yourself?”

  The girl shook her head. She wiped her hand across her cheek. It left a grubby smear.

  ‘I’ve … lost my dog,’ she said. Her voice cracked. ‘Have you seen her? She’s cream and fluffy with a black face.’

  ‘You mean the cute one with the pink cloth tied around her neck?’ asked Lulu.

  The girl nodded. She looked hopeful. ‘Did you see her? Where was she?’

  ‘We saw you walking a big group of dogs earlier,’ said Lulu. She pointed back towards the circus tent. ‘The little dog was following you.’

  ‘She was,’ said the circus girl. ‘But she must have wandered off. I put all the other dogs away in their kennels. When I called Spangles she didn’t come.’ A tear rolled down her cheek.

  ‘Don’t worry.’ Mum pulled a tissue out of her handbag and handed it to the circus girl. ‘I’m sure Spangles won’t be too far away.’

  The girl wiped her face and blew her nose.

  Lulu tossed her honey-gold ponytail over her shoulder. ‘We can help you find Spangles. Can’t we, Mum?’ asked Lulu.

  Mum smiled at the girl. ‘Of course we can. Why don’t we search back through the park? You girls look down this side. Gus and I will search along the lagoon bank.’

  Lulu, Rosie and the girl set off across the grass.

  ‘Hi, I’m Lulu Bell,’ Lulu told the circus girl. ‘This is my sister Rosie. These are our dogs Asha and Jessie.’

  ‘I’m Stella,’ the girl replied. She patted Asha and Jessie.

  The girls called and whistled as they walked along. They asked several people if they had seen a small lost dog. No-one had. Lulu glanced towards the lagoon. She could see Mum and Gus walking beside the rushes.

  ‘Do you live in the circus?’ asked Rosie.

  Stella nodded and pointed back towards the camp. ‘I live in the little blue caravan on the end with my mum and dad.’

  ‘Wow. That must be so exciting,’ said Lulu.

  ‘It is fun,’ agreed Stella. ‘We’re all trick riders. We also train the dogs. Spangles is my very own dog. I’ve had her since she was a tiny puppy.’ Stella’s voice wobbled. ‘Mum and Dad are going to be so upset if we can’t find Spangles. She is the star of our new act.’

  Lulu patted Stella on the shoulder. ‘We’ll find her,’ said Lulu. But the longer they searched, the less certain she felt.

  At last they joined up with Mum and Gus at the beach end of the park.

  ‘No luck?’ asked Mum.

  ‘No luck at all,’ answered Lulu gloomily.

  Stella blinked and looked away.

  ‘Doggy gorn,’ said Gus helpfully. He shrugged his shoulders.

  Spangles seemed to have disappeared. Where could the circus pup possibly be?

  Chapter 4

  Still No Luck

  ‘We’ll walk back to the camp with you,’ said Mum. ‘Perhaps we missed Spangles along the way. But then we need to head home. It’s getting late.’

  Stella nodded. Her eyes darted back and forth. But there was still no sign of the dog. Lulu was getting very worried.

  Finally they reached the camp. The workers had finished setting up the big circus tent. Most of them had returned to their caravans to cook dinner.

  The crowd of onlookers had gone home too. It was getting dark.

  The acrobat who had been turning somersaults walked past. He was carrying buckets of water for the camels. The camels peered over the fence.

  ‘Rory,’ called Stella, ‘is Spangles back yet?’

  Rory shook his head. ‘Sorry, Stella. No sign of her. But your mum wants you to go back to the caravan now.’

  Stella kicked a clod of earth with her foot. She looked like she might cry again.

  ‘Don’t be sad, Stella,’ said Rosie.

  Asha licked Stella on the hand to comfort her.

  ‘Spangles will probably come home at dinnertime when she gets hungry,’ said Mum. ‘Our dogs wouldn’t miss dinner for anything.’

  ‘Or someone might find her and bring her to our vet hospital,’ Lulu told Stella with a smile. ‘We live just up the hill at the Shelly Beach Vet Hospital. My dad is the vet there. People often bring lost animals to us.’

  Stella cheered up again. ‘Thanks so much for your help. I’d better go before Mum gets worried about me.’ Stella waved and ran off.

  ‘Bye Stella,’ chorused Lulu, Rosie and Gus.

  The Bell family waited while Stella ran up the steps of the little blue caravan. With a final wave, she disappeared inside.

  ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to live in a caravan?’ asked Lulu. ‘We could travel all over the countryside with our dogs and horses.’

  Lulu’s mind filled with exciting images of living in a circus. She would train Asha and Jessie to walk on their hind legs. She would dress in spangled tutus and walk the tightrope. She would stand up on a bareback horse and gallop around the ring. The audience would go wild!

  ‘But I’d miss my friends,’ said Rosie. ‘And home.’

  ‘Yes, but think of the adventures we’d have!’ said Lulu. ‘I’d love to be a circus performer.’

  Chapter 5

  The Walk Home

  The far end of Lagoo
n Park was next to a busy road. The family stopped to check for traffic. Cars whizzed past. Lulu held Asha’s lead tightly.

  ‘I’d better take Jessie’s lead for a while,’ Mum said to Rosie. ‘There’s a lot of traffic along here.’

  Rosie handed Mum the lead.

  ‘Let’s hope Spangles didn’t run onto the road,’ said Lulu. ‘I’d hate her to be in an accident.’

  ‘We would have heard something if that had happened,’ said Mum. ‘I’m sure Spangles will be all right.’

  Once they had crossed, the girls walked in front. They chatted about the circus. Asha trotted along, her nose twitching. It was almost completely dark now. The cars had switched on their headlights.

  There was a short gap in the traffic. In the sudden quiet, Lulu heard a funny noise. A soft, low sound. What could it be? Lulu wondered. The faint noise came again.

  Asha began to run, her nose to the ground. She strained against the lead. Lulu pulled back, then decided to run with her. Asha bolted into a dark side street.

  ‘Lulu?’ called Mum. ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘We heard something,’ Lulu called over her shoulder.

  The sound came again. This time Lulu recognised it. A whimper. Somewhere in the darkness a dog was hurt or frightened.

  Asha stopped abruptly. She thrust her nose under a thick bush. Lulu crouched down and peered into the shadows.

  A car zoomed past. In the sudden glare of its headlights, Lulu saw a dark shape. She could just see a splash of pink cloth.

  ‘Spangles?’ asked Lulu. The shadow whined softly. Asha wagged her tail. Lulu slowly held out her hand to the little dog. Dad had always warned her to be careful when approaching injured animals. Sometimes they could bite if they were frightened.