Lulu Bell and the Moon Dragon Read Free Page B

speak in front of the class. She didn’t like to be the centre of attention.
    Molly stood up slowly. She glanced at Lulu as though begging for help. Lulu gave her a thumbs-up to give her courage.

    Molly paused. ‘Um. Well …’
    Miss Baxter nodded and smiled. Molly started to explain the Moon Festival to the class. Once she started talking she forgot to be nervous.
    â€˜When we’ve finished painting the masks we still have to make more lanterns,’ said Molly. ‘Then we’ll bake lots of mooncakes to eat.’
    â€˜That’s a lot of preparation,’ said Miss Baxter. ‘I have a very good idea. For craft this afternoon, the whole class is going to make Vietnamese lanterns.’
    Molly smiled with pride. Lulu grinned back.
    â€˜Do you think you could help us, Molly and Lulu?’ asked Miss Baxter. ‘We might need some artistic direction.’
    â€˜Sure,’ said Molly and Lulu together.
    After lunch, the whole class set towork. Lulu and Molly chose the materials from the craft cupboard. There was paper and cardboard in lots of bright colours – red, pink, purple, yellow and white. They fetched scissors, sticky tape, staplers, ribbon and special hole punchers.
    First, each student decorated a sheet of coloured paper. They cut out star or moon shapes with the hole punchers.

    â€˜Once you’ve decorated the paper,’ explained Lulu, ‘you need to roll the paper into a tube and sticky-tape it.’
    Molly showed the class how to make the base from a circle of cardboard. The base was firmly sticky-taped to the paper tube. Coloured ribbon was stapled to the top of the lantern to form a handle. The lantern could be carried by this ribbon handle or tied to a long dowel rod.
    Miss Stevens came in during the class to ask Miss Baxter a question. She smiled when she saw the students all busily working.
    â€˜Our class is making lanterns,’ explained Miss Baxter. ‘It’s the Vietnamese Moon Festival next week. Molly and Lulu have been telling us all about it.’
    Miss Stevens nodded and rubbed her chin. She glanced at Lulu and then at Molly.
    â€˜Molly, you’re Sam’s big sister, aren’t you?’ asked Miss Stevens.
    Molly nodded.
    â€˜I have an idea,’ Miss Stevens said to Miss Baxter. ‘Could I borrow Lulu and Molly for a little while, please?’
    Lulu was surprised. What could Miss Stevens want them to do?

Chapter 8
The Fairy and the Dragon
    Lulu and Molly followed Miss Stevens into the kindy classroom. The children had been reading in groups with parent helpers. The parents were just packing up the readers while the students returned to their desks.
    â€˜Now KS,’ began Miss Stevens, ‘we have two very special guests in ourclassroom today. Molly is Sam’s big sister and Lulu is their friend. I have asked Lulu and Molly to talk to us about an important celebration, which is happening next week.’
    The kindy children looked at the girls, then at Sam. Lulu and Molly glanced at each other in surprise.
    The Moon Festival is certainly creating a lot of interest, thought Lulu.
    Molly and Lulu talked about the festival and the costumes they had made. Several of the parents stayed to listen.
    â€˜I wondered if you might be able to tell us anything else about dragons, Molly?’ asked Miss Stevens.
    Molly thought for a moment.
    â€˜What about the story of how the Vietnamese people were born?’ suggestedSam. He peered at Molly through his round glasses.
    â€˜Good idea, Sam,’ said Molly.
    Molly looked around at all the students. Lulu sat down on a spare seat. She had never heard Molly tell this story before.
    â€˜Many thousands of years ago,’ began Molly, ‘there was a powerful dragon king called Lac Long Quan. “ Long ” means “dragon” in Vietnamese.’

    The kindy students all sat up straighter and listened carefully.
    â€˜The mighty sea dragon fell in love