скачать книгу бесплатно
The Magic Charm
Summer Waters
Exciting new magical adventure series – will you answer the call of the Silver Dolphins?Antonia is thrilled to win first prize in the Sea Watch poster competition – a dolphin charm necklace. But when she is presented with it, she is mysteriously told to ‘always answer the call’. Soon she discovers that her necklace has magical powers that draw her to the sea where she meets a pod of dolphins and learns she has been chosen for a very special role. But Antonia’s new responsibilities not only conflict with her friendships; they also bring her into danger. Is she brave enough to face her fears? And can she be a Silver Dolphin without losing her best friend?
Silver
Dolphins
THE MAGIC CHARM
Summer Waters
For Antonia MacPhee â My Dolphin Girl
Table of Contents
Prologue (#uad59ebca-63e2-5c40-a820-e90fb0dfe0f1)
Chapter One (#u2246661c-266f-56b8-9125-0a61588cb84c)
Chapter Two (#u7aa8c510-8701-5288-9eb6-75dd95792e38)
Chapter Three (#u8368a05d-8230-54bb-bc84-396353ebc079)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
Prologue (#ubfe72da9-128a-58a1-afaa-cd24172b3d0b)
Out at sea thirty dolphins waited anxiously for their leader to arrive. Some of them whispered together in low whistles and clicks. Others stayed silent, scanning the horizon with bright eyes. One little dolphin couldnât keep still. He rolled in the water, butting his sister with his silver head, calling for her to play with him.
âMum,â squeaked Dream crossly. âBubbles is annoying me.â
âHush now,â their mother clicked back. âYour fatherâs coming.â
Bubbles stopped teasing his big sister.
âI see him,â he whistled, his tail smacking the water excitedly. âCan I go and meet him, Mum?â
âNo, darling. You must wait here with everyone else.â
Bubbles bobbed in the water, clicking impatiently, until the large dolphin with a striking yellow blaze along his side drew nearer, then he too fell silent. Spirit, the large dolphin, halted a tailâs length in front of the pod and slowly bowed his magnificent head.
âOur search is over,â he announced. âAt last we have found a new Silver Dolphin.â
An excited whistle rippled from the pod through the water.
âOur new Silver Dolphin is young,â Spirit continued. âShe has much to learn, but she is a very special child and I know she will serve us well. Be kind to her. Help her to fulfil her tasks and in return she will help us.â
âWhen will we meet her?â squeaked Bubbles, the words bursting from his mouth before he could stop them.
Spirit smiled.
âSoon,â he whistled. âVery soon.â
Chapter One (#ubfe72da9-128a-58a1-afaa-cd24172b3d0b)
What are Lauren and Becky doing?â
Antonia Lee and her best friend Sophie Hastings were walking across the school field of Sandy Bay Primary after a game of rounders when Antonia suddenly changed direction.
âOh, thatâs mean! Theyâre teasing a frog.â Antonia broke into a run shouting, âLeave it alone. Thatâs cruel.â
Lauren laughed and continued poking the frog with her rounders bat, cheering each time the frog jumped forward.
Angrily Antonia squatted down and scooped the frog into her hands.
âThatâs Laurenâs frog,â said Becky, stepping towards her. âSheâs teaching it to jump.â
âYouâre cruel,â said Antonia hotly. âHow would you like to be poked with a rounders bat?â
âEeewww, thatâs gross! Sheâs touching it.â Lauren backed away. âCome on, Becky. Game over.â
Antonia cradled the frog in her hands. Its lumpy brown body quivered with fright and its eyes bulged with uncertainty.
âIâm going to put him in the school pond,â she told Sophie. âWill you come with me?â
Sophie sighed. âYou like all animals, donât you, even the ugly ones?â
âNot all animals,â Antonia grinned cheekily. âPeople are animals too, but I donât like Lauren and Becky.â
âBeckyâs all right when you get to know her,â said Sophie unexpectedly. âShe comes to one of Dadâs art classes.â
Sophieâs father was an artist who ran classes from his studio. When she wasnât busy daydreaming Sophie helped him out, setting up easels and handing round paintbrushes.
âPlease will you come to the pond with me?â Antonia changed the subject, not wanting to argue.
âOf course Iâll come.â
âWeâll have to be quick. Weâve got afternoon assembly next because a visitorâs coming in to tell us who won the poster competition.â
Carefully Antonia carried the frog to the pond and left it on the waterâs edge in the shade of some reeds. When she and Sophie returned to class, 5B were changing out of their PE kits and back into school uniform. Miss Brown frowned.
âWhere have you two been? Donât tell me, you stopped to have a chat. Hurry up, girls, or youâll make us all late.â
Antonia changed quickly, trying not to be the last to line up at the door. When everyone was ready Miss Brown led the class along to the hall. As Antonia filed in, she stared curiously at the woman sitting next to their head teacher. The visitor had a faraway look on her face as if she was thinking about something special.
âShe looks like a sea witch,â whispered Sophie dramatically. âOh, poo! Thereâs no room to sit together.â
The visitor had wild brown hair and seaweed-green clothes, but Antonia thought her face was too kind to belong to a witch. She stifled a giggle as Sophie, pulling faces, reluctantly started a new line. When the whole school was assembled the woman stood up, smiling broadly so that her green eyes disappeared into her wrinkled face.
âGood afternoon, children. My name is Claudia Neal and Iâm responsible for arranging the poster competition youâve all entered. The competition was held to launch Sea Watch. Itâs a local charity involved in marine conservation and animal rescue, and Iâm hoping that some of you might volunteer to help with it. There are many things to do at Sea Watch and lots of injured birds and animals to look after. Iâd be thrilled if some of you could come along. But right now Iâm going to tell you the winners of the competition.â
An excited buzz filled the hall. Antonia grinned across at Sophie, sitting a whole line away from her. She was sure Sophie had won. She was a fantastic artist and had painted an amazing picture of dolphins leaping in the bay. Antonia had drawn dolphins too, but her picture didnât look anywhere near as good as Sophieâs. Especially after sheâd covered it with facts about pollution and how harmful it was to sea life.
âThe standard of entries was very high and there are two runners-up: Joe Piper in 3T and Eleanor Jacobs in 6D.â
Antonia clapped loudly as Joe and Eleanor made their way to the front of the hall to collect their prizesâillustrated books about the seaâbut all the time her eyes were on Sophie. She had to be the winner. She just had to be.
âAnd the winner, chosen not just for her super picture of dolphins, but for all the interesting facts she included as well, is Antonia Lee in 5B.â
At first Antonia didnât register that sheâd won. She was too busy staring at Sophie, who looked like sheâd been knocked over the head with a bucket full of fish. Antonia tried to catch her friendâs eye, but Sophie didnât look in her direction.
âGo on. Get your prize.â
The boy sitting next to Antonia practically pushed her to her feet. Self-consciously Antonia stumbled through the rows of seated children to the front of the hall where Claudia was waiting.
âWell done, my dear,â she said, grasping Antoniaâs hand. âYou obviously care about dolphins and the sea.â
âI do,â said Antonia, her grey-green eyes shining eagerly. âI can see the sea from my bedroom window. Thereâs a pod of common dolphins that swim in the bay early in the evening. I love watching them.â
âIâve seen them too.â Claudia gripped Antoniaâs hand and stared into her eyes.
Antonia caught her breath. Claudiaâs gaze was so intense that for a second it felt like she was tapping into her thoughts. Maybe she was a witch! Then Claudia smiled and letting go of Antoniaâs hand she gave her a small box. Antonia opened it and gasped. Inside was a silver dolphin on a delicate chain.
âItâs beautiful.â
Claudia smiled and said so softly that Antonia struggled to hear her, âAlways answer the dolphinâs call.â
âWhatâ¦?â
Questions lined up at Antoniaâs lips, but before she could ask anything Claudia returned to her seat. Mr Cordier, the head teacher, waved Antonia back to her place.
âWell done, everyone,â he said. âAnd if any of you are interested in marine conservation, remember that Sea Watch needs volunteers. See me after assembly if youâd like more details.â
Antonia sat down. Had Claudia really just said âanswer the dolphinâs callâ? What could that mean? Antonia stared at Claudia, but she was gazing out of the window as if sheâd rather be somewhere else. Antonia decided to ask her mum if she could volunteer. Helping out at Sea Watch sounded like great fun.
Antonia looked at the necklace again. She ran her finger over the dolphin charm. To her surprise the metal was smooth and slippery, just how she imagined a real dolphin would feel. She couldnât wait to wear it and show Sophie, but she had the strangest feeling that she shouldnât put it on until she was alone. Assembly seemed to go on for ever, but at last it was over and everyone went back to their classrooms. It was home time and there was the usual scramble to stack chairs and collect bags and lunchboxes. Several girls crowded round Antonia wanting to see her prize. Antonia was showing them when she noticed Sophie was missing. She looked around and spotted her friend heading out of the classroom door.
âSophie, wait.â
Antonia closed the box and ran after Sophie, catching her up in the corridor.
âGoing without me?â she joked.
Sophie rolled her eyes. âHurry up then. You know I help Dad with his four oâclock art class.â
âSorry, I forgot. Everyone wanted to see my prize. Itâs a dolphin necklace. Look!â Excitedly Antonia thrust the box at Sophie.
âNice,â said Sophie, barely glancing at it.
âNice?â echoed Antonia. âIs that it?â
âIâve told you. Iâm in a hurry,â Sophie snapped.
âThereâs plenty of time. Do you want to try my necklace on?â
Antonia held her breath, suddenly hoping Sophie would refuse. The two girls usually shared everything, but somehow Antonia was reluctant to share her necklace. It was too special.
âNo, thanks,â said Sophie. âShame you didnât win something bigger, like a trophy. That looks a bit, you know, throwaway.â
âHey!â
Antoniaâs cheeks flushed. She didnât care that her necklace was small; it was still special.
âArenât you pleased for me? Youâve got hundreds of trophies for art, but this is the first time Iâve won anything.â
âWell done,â said Sophie, walking faster. âIâm very pleased for you. But your picture wasnât art. If it had beenâ¦Oh, never mind. Are you coming with me or waiting for your mum?â
Antonia stared at her friend. She thought Sophie would be as excited by her win as she was, but she sounded almost cross about it. Was it because she was surprised that Antonia had won instead of her?
âWell?â asked Sophie impatiently.
Antonia hesitated.