1 THE MYSTERIOUS DANCE

The drummers began the second dance.Gingerly,the strummed their instruments as if afraid to break them. The girls formed their dancing circle. They stepped from side to side as the beat indicated. Then the beat quickened and steps grew faster.

The tempo was rising steadily. In the midst of it all, there was a shout. "LOOK! She's here! a golden girl is here".Every eye turned to where people pointed. Sam pushed the crown impatiently aside. Then he saw her and stopped. He caught his breath and so he stood.

There, dancing in a leisurely way towards him was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. It was the girl of yesterday. Her face and complexion told him so. But whereas yesterday she was dressed in gold. She wore a wrapper patterned in gold. Around her breast was tied a scarf of gold. Her hair was piled high on her head and held up with two golden combs. She had two tiny golden chains with matching bracelets, on her ear were two small heart-shaped earrings. She held a golden colored fan in her hand. In the other, she had a gold-backed mirror. Her ankles were enriched by a row of tiny gold-circled danceing bells.

TO BE CONTINUED