Chapter 01The girl who danced
Sindi was a lively little girl who lived on a farm with her mother, her father and her Gogo. She loved two things above everything: singing and dancing.
Sindi followed Gogo everywhere, feeding the chickens and the goats. And whenever happiness bubbled up inside her, out it came as dancing - the dogs barked louder, the cows mooed more beautifully, and once two butterflies landed right in her hair and stayed for the whole song.
Chapter 02News at dinner
One evening at dinner, Mama had news. After the long holidays, Sindi would start school. Sindi gasped so hard she nearly dropped her spoon.
She would finally learn to read and write! That night she lay awake picturing it: shelves of books, rows of pencils, her own name written in her own hand. She fell asleep smiling.
For days she danced her excitement across the farm, swaying like the wind pushed her, singing along to its soft, slow music.
Chapter 03A quiet worry
But as the holidays ran out, a small worry crept in. What would school really be like? Sindi did not want Mama to know she was nervous, so she asked Gogo instead.
Gogo was serious. School is for learning, she said - no more time for song and dance. Sindi's stomach tied itself in a knot.
Could a place with no singing be a good place? She decided to keep the worry to herself and carry it quietly.
Chapter 04Too hot to sleep
The night before school was hot and heavy. Sindi tossed and turned and could not sleep one bit. At last she tiptoed outside and sat on the stoep under an enormous sky.
The moon hung big and bright and beautiful, and the stars twinkled all around it like an audience. Sindi stared up and whispered before she could stop herself.
Dear moon so bright, are you afraid of the dark? Is that why you ask the stars to keep you company? I start school tomorrow. Will they let me sing? Will they let me dance?
Chapter 05The moon answers
Sindi began to hum her song softly - and rubbed her eyes in disbelief. The moon was smiling. The stars were swaying and twirling to her tune, dancing across the whole sky.
Then a gentle voice floated down. Dear little Sindi, school is a wonderful place. You will learn to read and write - and you will sing and dance and make many friends. But tonight, you must rest. Tomorrow will be beautiful.
Sindi wanted to wake everyone to show them. Shhh, said the moon with a slow wink. This is our little secret. Sindi crept back to bed, wrapped in the moon's words, and slept deeply until morning.
Chapter 06The first morning
Mama held Sindi's hand all the way to the school gate. Other children arrived with their mothers and fathers, all chattering and excited. Sindi squeezed Mama's hand - and remembered the moon. Today will be beautiful.
She could not wait to make friends. And by lunchtime, she loved everything about school: the books, the songs, the games, the noise of it all.
I wish the moon could see me now, she thought. I will learn to read. I will learn to write. But also - I will sing and dance! And her new friends clapped and danced along, just like the farm animals used to.
