smallestopener | The Princess Birthday Ball

The huge, white tent sprawls on the lawn beside the lake. It has been transfigured there for a very special occasion. A stone walkway leads from the bar to the tent - the pavements are wide enough that ladies' dresses won't trail on the ground as they make their way to the entrance. Over the draped curtains of the entrance way is a large banner which reads "Happy 7th Birthday, Ingress".

Once inside, the honored guests will be in the midst of an enchanted ballroom. There are balloons drifting in bunches from the circular tables lining the sides of the large dance floor. Floating candlabras glow with gentle light from above. There are trees in large ornamental pots interspersed throughout sparkling with fairy lights from real fairies.

One long banquet table is positioned on along the side of the ballroom - there are treats of all description. Little finger sandwiches, chopped up fruit, cookies, cheese and crackers, and other child-friendly h'ors douerves are presented to make sure the dancers are sustained throughout the the party. There are large bowls of ice cream (kept cold with magic)and sundae fixings. Punch bowls of sherbet-flavored drinks await ladling into crystal goblets. But most impressive is the large birthday cake with blue, purple, and pink icing roses festooning it.

Ingress is busy greeting her guests in her gown - a birthday gift from Amy and Susan - but soon she'll be dancing to the music provided by the overlarge Gramophone in the corner, which is playing a wide array of dancing music from waltz standards to court music to pop hits of the 20th century.

Tom, who's pretty tired from the magical effort required to pull this off, is in the background making sure his little girl is having a perfect party, and Princess Amy is helping Ingress in her hostess duties.

Come in and enjoy the party!

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"Here, watch."

She does a very simple box step. "You go in a square, kind of. It's called a waltz."

Mary watches her feet closely, before moving her own feet hesitantly in the same motion.

It's very awkward. But she doesn't trip.

"I did it with Jason," she mutters. "But it is different with a partner."

"I think you're fine! If you dance with Amy, she can teach you even better. She's very good. You can also dance with Tom, because he lets you stand on his feet, so he does all the steps. Or we can dance to a fast song, and you won't have to worry about a partner." She gives a little shimmy of the hips and snaps her fingers.

Mary rubs her first and third finger together doubtfully.

It's sort of like a snap.

"I did not know you could dance to songs that fast. I have never seen someone do it. Would they not fall over?"

She considers this carefully. "I guess they could, but I haven't seen it happen."

Mary considers carefully also, before letting out a sudden giggle.

"I hope nobody falls into the cake!"

Ingress laughs and laughs. "I should think if I had to fall, I'd want to fall into cake."

"I should like to fall in a - in a pudding," Mary says, still giggling.

"Because puddings are all smushed anyways - so it would still be good to eat!"

"Oh, yes, a pudding would be fun! I'll have to tell Tom to make us a pudding! And then maybe someone will fall into it, and it will be funny!"

Sagely: "Or perhaps someone will come out of it. I read a rhyme about four and twenty blackbirds that flew out of a pie once."

"That happened in May Fair in London Below once, but the Pigeon people got mad and left in a huff."

"Do pigeons not like blackbirds?" Mary says, puzzled.

"I thought it was cuckoos that were the ones the other birds did not like - because they laid their eggs in other nests."

"No, the Pigeon people were mad the blackbirds were put in the pie. They were fine though. My daddy always said Pigeon people were silly."

Mary looks lofty.

"If the blackbirds did not like it, they could simply have eaten their way out. Birds like crumbs - if they had only started to peck there would have been lots of crumbs."

Ingress stares at Mary with something akin to awe. "That makes lots of sense. I'll have Tom and Door tell the Pigeon people that when they see them next."

"I am sure the Pigeon people will understand," Mary agrees, rather smugly, "when it is explained logically."

Clearly, if Mary had only been in charge, it would all have been sorted out.

"Maybe. Tom says the Pigeon people need a thump on the head more like. But Door tells him no, so maybe she can explain it logically. You're smart, Mary."

"It is not that I am smart," Mary explains. "It is only being sensible. Grown-ups think they are sensible, but really they are not - children are often much more sensible than they are."

"That's what I tell Door when she fusses at me when I stay up late."

Ingress checks the entryway - there are no guests coming in at this moment She takes Mary's hand. "Come on, Mary. Let's go get an icing flower. I'll have to come right back to say hi to people, but it's my birthday and I want my icing flowers."

This seems perfectly reasonable to Mary, who nods seriously and readily accompanies Ingress in the direction of icing flowers.

The Princess Birthday Ball

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