The Forgotten Pearl by Belinda Murrell Read Free Book Online

lovely.’
    Shinju obediently left the room with the same tiny stepsas her mother and returned with a long lute-like instrument, a bamboo flute and two fans.
    Mrs Murata tuned the shamisen , plucking the strings with a tortoiseshell pick. Masuko accompanied her on the bamboo flute.
    Shinju took up a position, kneeling on the tatami mat, the two fans spread open like wings on either side of her.
    â€˜This is the butterfly dance.’ Mrs Murata began to play, slowly plucking the strings of the instrument. The music was strange and discordant to the girls’ unaccustomed ears, but hauntingly beautiful.
    Shinju took dainty steps, fluttering the fans up and down, left to right, in a shimmering semblance of a butterfly’s flight. When she finally finished, gracefully swooning to the ground, both Poppy and Maude burst into applause.
    â€˜Bravo, Shinju,’ cried Poppy. ‘That was just beautiful.’
    â€˜You looked exactly like a pink-and-gold butterfly,’ agreed Maude.
    Shinju beamed with pleasure and quickly covered her face with one of the fans.
    â€˜Would you like to learn?’ asked Masuko. ‘Shinju can show you.’
    â€˜Yes, please,’ agreed Maude, her eyes lighting up.
    â€˜That would be fun,’ added Poppy, ‘although I’m not much of a dancer.’
    Mrs Murata shook her head gravely. ‘But they cannot learn the butterfly dance dressed like that!’
    â€˜Oh.’ Maude looked downcast. ‘What a shame.’
    Mrs Murata stood and went to a large oak chest in the corner of the room. She opened it and pulled out metres of crimson and cream fabric, neatly folded.
    Together Mrs Murata and Masuko dressed Poppy and Maude, draping the silky fabric around them and fastening it with the wide obi sashes. Poppy wore the crimson kimono and Maude the cream. Masuko gathered their hair up into buns with mother-of-pearl clips, finished with scarlet hibiscus flowers.
    Shinju giggled at the sight of the girls transformed into Japanese maidens. Maude curtsied.
    â€˜You are the Butterfly Princess, Miss Maude,’ decided Masuko, giving Maude two open fans for her wings before turning to Poppy. ‘And you, of course, are the Pearl Princess, daughter of the wise and noble dragon-king, Ryo-jin.’
    Masuko smiled at Poppy, lifting her arms aloft so that the sleeves draped regally.
    â€˜Now, poised and elegant,’ instructed Mrs Murata, plucking the shamisen . ‘No, tiny steps. You’ll trip if you take great, big man-steps like that, Miss Poppy. Yes, that’s better Miss Maude.’
    The girls laughed, trying hard to copy Shinju and Masuko’s graceful movements. Poppy felt like she had been whisked to another country and another time.
    Cecilia arrived later to collect the girls and found them giggling and dancing, fluttering their fans and swaying to the music.
    Poppy felt oddly disappointed as she shed her borrowed robes and became her everyday self again. It had felt special being a Japanese princess for an afternoon. Poppy and Maude hugged Shinju.
    At the door, they both bowed to Mrs Murata and Masuko.
    â€˜ Arigato .’
    â€˜ Arigato .’
    â€˜ Dou itashi mashite ,’ replied Mrs Murata. ‘ Sayonara .’
    As they clattered down the stairs, Maude grinned at Poppy. ‘That was such fun. You know, I’ve never met a Japanese person before the Muratas. They were nothing like what I’d expected. They were lovely.’

4
    The Drover’s Boy

    Maude and Poppy sat at the kitchen table helping Daisy bake Anzac cookies to send to Edward. On the dresser against the wall, the two tortoises, Tabitha and Tobias, swam around lazily. Charlie sat on the floor cuddling Coco the cat. Christabel hopped around on the floor, nuzzling up crumbs. Honey studiously ignored her, preferring to lie with her head on Poppy’s feet.
    â€˜Now add one cup of brown sugar,’ ordered Daisy as she stood by the stove frying mince