The Magic Charm Read Free

like Spirit, his silver body lined with a narrow stripe that ran from his eyes to his mouth and chin to flipper.
    “Please?”
    How could she refuse?
    “Yes, I’d love to be your Silver Dolphin,” she answered.
    The dolphins stared blankly at her and Antonia realised she was speaking in her human voice. She tried again, concentrating hard on behaving like a dolphin and was overjoyed when her voice clicked out her reply. “Yes, I’ll be your new Silver Dolphin.”
    “Bubbly!” The littlest dolphin squealed with excitement and swam in circles around Antonia.
    “Bubbles, calm down,” said Spirit sternly. “Bubbles is my youngest,” he added. “Then there’s Star, my wife, and Dream, my daughter.”
    Dream was only a bit larger than Bubbles, but seemed much more grown-up.
    “Hello,” she said indifferently.
    Star was very pretty, with similar markings to Spirit only she was lighter in colour. She swam up to Antonia and gently rubbed her nose against Antonia’s. “Thank you,” she said. “It’s not easybeing a Silver Dolphin, but we will help you as much as we can.”
    “How will I know when I’m needed?” Antonia stuttered.
    “You will hear our call,” said Spirit.
    Antonia touched her silver dolphin necklace.
    “That’s right,” said Spirit. “The necklace is our link with you. I will call you again over the next few days so you can practise answering. Star is right. It’s not easy being a Silver Dolphin. The work can be hard and dangerous.”
    Antonia’s stomach fluttered. She desperately wanted to be a good Silver Dolphin, but would she be good enough?
    “Can I teach her some swimming moves?” asked Bubbles. He leapt out of the water, his body making a perfect arch.
    “Show off!” said Dream.
    Spirit clicked a laugh.
    “Not yet, Bubbles. Antonia needs time to take all this in. Let her go home now and we will call her again soon. Always wear your charm, Silver Dolphin. It is the only way we can call you.”
    Antonia didn’t want to go back home. She wanted to swim with the dolphins, especially Bubbles, and learn all they could teach her. But she didn’t dare disobey Spirit so she whistled a goodbye and headed back to the beach.
    As she stepped out of the sea the water poured off her. By the time she’d padded back to her bag and shoes only her hair was slightly damp. Antonia clasped her hand over her dolphin charm. It was silent now, but its body still felt soft and slippery. Just like Star when she’d rubbed Antonia on the nose. Antonia grinned, then catching sight of her watch the grin immediately vanished.
    “Oh, no!” she gasped.
    It was nearly four o’clock. Her mum would be home any minute and if Antonia wasn’t there she’d be in huge trouble. Shoving her feet in her shoes she snatched up her bag and raced up the beach.

Chapter Three
    W hen Antonia arrived home she was surprised to find the house empty. For a guilty moment she wondered if Mum had gone out to look for her, but then the front door banged open and Mum and Jessica crowded into the tiny hall.
    “Sorry, darling,” Mum said, slipping out of her shoes and giving Antonia a hug. “We were late leaving school. Someone fell over in theplayground and needed a plaster.”
    Antonia wriggled free.
    “That’s OK. Can I have something to eat?”
    She was starving.
It must be all that swimming
, she thought, touching her dolphin charm.
    “Yes, sure. What’s that you’re wearing?” replied Mum.
    “It’s a necklace. I won the Sea Watch competition.”
    “Did you? That’s fantastic. Let’s have a proper look.”
    Antonia swept back her long blonde hair so Mum could look at the necklace.
    “It’s beautiful.”
    “I know.”
    Antonia longed to say more. She wanted to tell her mother how the necklace had called her into the sea to swim with real dolphins. She was dyingto say that she was the new Silver Dolphin. But she kept her mouth tightly shut. Mum would probably think she was mad. Besides, she had a feeling that