Little Monkey Keeps Growing

Little Monkey has been gone for the weekend and despite getting her back tomorrow, I still miss her like crazy. If you weren't here for the start of the blog, this is the story here. I penned a few, number two is here, so in honor of her, I figured I would post number three.

Mango Tango teaches Dance

In a very hot place, in a very tiny house, the ruler of frogs, toads and all creatures that hop, was sticking her toes in the pond. The day seemed to be dragging, getting hotter and hotter every minute, so heading to the water was the only thing to do to cool off. Emma Delaney hiked up her fairy dress and started to wade in when she heard a big splash. She looked up to see Mango, dancer dog extraordinaire, swimming towards her.

“Hello Mango Tango. How are you today?”

“Very hot, Princess Emma. This weather can make me most disagreeable.” Mango climbed onto the shore on Emma’s side of the pond and shook furiously to get rid of every last water droplet.

Emma climbed out of the pond. “That is a pretty cool trick Miss Mango. I wish I was a dancer dog so I could do that too.”

Mango laughed. “You don’t have to be a dancer dog to shake, you just have to be all loosey goosey like this.” Mango stood on her back legs and did a hula for the Princess.

“That’s funny. Let me try.” Emma then imitated the hula, all the way down to the wagging tail. Mango dropped down to all fours because she was laughing so hard.

“I think that is pretty good, Emma Delaney. I am headed back to my studio to pick out music for my next class, would you like to come with me and help? I keep the air conditioning down really low so it’s nice and chilly. I am here only for a bit of exercise, I swim to keep my dancer’s legs.” Mango stretched out one of her big yellow legs to show off the muscles.

“I would love to join you Miss Mango. It is awfully hot out today.”

The pair walked up the hill to the little blue house with daisies out front. It had round windows and a stone path and seemed altogether like a lovely place to live. Emma followed Mango Tango to the front porch and into the hall.

“Here is my studio.” Mango pointed with her paw to the right. “If you would like to go and get started, I will go get us some lemonade.”

“Yummy, I love lemonade.”

Emma opened the studio door. It was a big room with mirrors on the wall, a bar along one side and a wooden floor. There were stacks and stacks of music to look through so Emma sat down by one pile and started rummaging through. In her house, her mom, Queen of the Universe, loved music and played it all the time. There was always laughing, giggling and dancing which made her house altogether a lovely place to live.

“Here you go little one.” Mango returned carrying a tray of treats, lemonade and a vase with a sweet pea blossom.

“This is a lovely tray Mango. I was just having tea with Old Toad the other day and he is rather fond of sweet peas too.”

“Well, Miss Emma, I rather hope they helped him smell a bit better.”

Emma smiled and then told Mango Tango about the really great idea Miss Halloween, Queen of all Actual Cats had.

“My! That is a great idea! I may have to come by and visit Toad myself now, it has been a long time. Have you found any music you like?”

“I think I like them all, that’s the problem.”

“Well, let’s start playing things and see where we end up, okay. Why don’t you look in the trunk over there and find the perfect tutu for a Princess.”

Emma ran to the trunk. This is so exciting! She stopped a moment staring at all the candy colored creations…what was the perfect tutu for a Princess? She moved the around until she saw it, at the very bottom. Pink, green, ribbon and beads, it was the prettiest thing she had ever seen. She quickly tied it around her waist and hurried back to Mango’s side.

“Okay, let’s get started.” Mango reached over and pushed a disc into the player.

‘it’s a beautiful night to be here…’

Emma recognized the song. “I know that song, it’s my mothers favorite song.”

“Well the Queen obviously has good taste in music. This is a possibility; we will put it on our list. I will be teaching a modern dance class so something a little peppy and a little rock and roll would be good.”

“Oh I know!” Emma grabbed a disc and put it in the player.

‘where would we be if we couldn’t dream’

The song played and Mango Tango tapped a paw. “This is a good idea Emma.” She turned up the sound and began to leap around the room, doing twirls and twists in between. Emma clapped and tapped and giggled too.

“Come on Princess, dance! Just do what the music makes you feel like doing.”

Emma joined Mango Tango, mimicking her twirls, trying her leaps and laughing loudly. They shimmied, slid, ran and bounced. Mango called out the names of movements but Emma was having way too much fun to hear any thing she said. She listened to the music, danced and spun, leapt and glided across the floor. When the music ended, they both fell on the floor in one tired heap of fun.

“Oh Miss Mango, that is the most fun I have had all day I think. It was so hot out and I was so bored, I didn’t know being inside could be so fun!”

“Well little one, you are welcomed to dance here any time. Would you like to keep your tutu for dancing at your house?”

“Oh could I?” Emma sat up and looked at the very tired, big, yellow dancing dog.

“Certainly you may, ruler of frogs, toads and all creatures that hop. I think you even became a better hopper today than you were yesterday!”

“You are right! I never though hopping could be so much fun. Now I have a few things to show Miss Kiwi, the silliest hopper in the kingdom.” Emma was excited to learn something new and couldn’t wait to share with her other friends.

“That will be funny, please take pictures. You will need to bring Kiwi here sometime and let her pick out the perfect tutu for a silly hopper.”

“Oh that is a great idea! Thank you again Miss Mango. I can’t wait to show my mother what I learned too.” Emma was jumping up and down, apparently becoming a hopper in her own right now.

“Please give my regards to the Queen, Miss Emma. I am going to get ready for my class now. Have fun dancing at your house.”

Emma jumped up and down more. “I will, I always do! Bye Mango!”

So the Princess of frogs, toads and all creatures that hop ran out of the little blue house with daisies, in a pink and green flash, down the stone path, turned at the bent old tree, and ran down the lane to the tiny house, in a very hot place. Eager to teach everyone what she knew, she turned up the music and told everyone in her kingdom that staying inside on a very hot day can be a good idea with the right tutu.

The End