can pull it away. You must ride back to the mine and get everyone to come and bring the longest and strongest ropes. I’m going to stay here and go back to your father. We have things to do,” he said.
Isabella did not hesitate. She raced back to the mine where her mother was at the entrance with a crowd of other women and miners.
“Where have you been child? Isn’t it bad enough that your father is lost? Don’t you think I have enough to worry about?”
Isabella could see her mother looking at the pink bicycle.
“And where did you get that? Can’t you see we’ll have no home and no money?”
Isabella took a deep breath. She knew it would be difficult to convince anyone about a magic animal.
“Daddy is alive. Frankie Ferret has found him. Everyone must come with the longest and the strongest ropes,” said Isabella.
“All these lies. I can’t bear all these lies. There’s no such thing as Frankie Ferret,” said her mother.
“There is! There is! Frankie Ferret gave me the bicycle. He’s found a way to rescue him from the other side of the mountain. Everyone must come with ropes! Please believe me! Please!”
Isabella realized that the crowd had gone quiet and that everyone was staring at her. A few people stepped forward and touched the pink bicycle. A rumour started to spread that her father had been found by a magic ferret.
“You stupid girl. See what you have done,” said her mother.
The crowd pressed in and a miner spoke out.
“What are you saying child? Some ferret has found your father alive?”
“Yes, yes – he went down a rabbit burrow; and his name is Frankie,” said Isabella.
The miner looked her in the eye. She stared back. Everything depended on her. Did she really believe in a magic ferret?
“It’s all true – he gave me this bicycle. We can rescue him if you all follow me,” she said with all the force in her body.
“The child has faith and that can never be defeated,” said the miner.
A downloadable picture of Isabella for colouring
http://bit.ly/1qrzSsP
Chapter 7 - Isabella Leads The Way
Everyone gathered up all the ropes and tools they could find and Isabella led them back to where she had left Frankie Ferret. There was no sign of him. People started to grumble and stare at her.
“Frankie, where are you?” she shouted.
Almost at once he jumped from a rabbit hole and threw a somersault.
“Okay – work to be done; work to be done. Give me the end of your rope,” he said.
The miner handed him the rope and everyone watched as Frankie took it in his teeth and dashed back into the rabbit hole. Slowly more and more of the rope disappeared. Just when it seemed impossible that any more rope could go into the mountain, he popped out of another hole higher up the slope.
“We need to pull on both ends and the rock will give way,” he said.
Everyone scrambled forward and two teams took either end of the rope. At first they pulled and pulled and nothing happened. Then there was a loud ‘Crack!’ and the hillside started to move. The workers pulled even harder as a huge boulder pushed out from the soil, leaving a dark hole in the side of the mountain. As the dust settled, Isabella’s father walked out.
The miners and their families rushed to greet him and soon they were all cheering and being swept along by the crowd. Isabella looked for Frankie Ferret but he was nowhere to be seen, not even in the basket of her pink bike. Her mother was crying tears of joy as they walked back to their little tin and wood house. Her father was laughing and thanking everyone. At last all the miners went to their houses and Isabella sat down with her mother and father.
“I knew Frankie would find you,” she said.
Chapter 8 - Her Dad Has Something Special
Her father hugged her and dug into his pocket. He pulled out a diamond the size of an apple.
“The ferret led me to it while we were waiting for the ropes. It does not come from the mine and so it is
Isabella did not hesitate. She raced back to the mine where her mother was at the entrance with a crowd of other women and miners.
“Where have you been child? Isn’t it bad enough that your father is lost? Don’t you think I have enough to worry about?”
Isabella could see her mother looking at the pink bicycle.
“And where did you get that? Can’t you see we’ll have no home and no money?”
Isabella took a deep breath. She knew it would be difficult to convince anyone about a magic animal.
“Daddy is alive. Frankie Ferret has found him. Everyone must come with the longest and the strongest ropes,” said Isabella.
“All these lies. I can’t bear all these lies. There’s no such thing as Frankie Ferret,” said her mother.
“There is! There is! Frankie Ferret gave me the bicycle. He’s found a way to rescue him from the other side of the mountain. Everyone must come with ropes! Please believe me! Please!”
Isabella realized that the crowd had gone quiet and that everyone was staring at her. A few people stepped forward and touched the pink bicycle. A rumour started to spread that her father had been found by a magic ferret.
“You stupid girl. See what you have done,” said her mother.
The crowd pressed in and a miner spoke out.
“What are you saying child? Some ferret has found your father alive?”
“Yes, yes – he went down a rabbit burrow; and his name is Frankie,” said Isabella.
The miner looked her in the eye. She stared back. Everything depended on her. Did she really believe in a magic ferret?
“It’s all true – he gave me this bicycle. We can rescue him if you all follow me,” she said with all the force in her body.
“The child has faith and that can never be defeated,” said the miner.
A downloadable picture of Isabella for colouring
http://bit.ly/1qrzSsP
Chapter 7 - Isabella Leads The Way
Everyone gathered up all the ropes and tools they could find and Isabella led them back to where she had left Frankie Ferret. There was no sign of him. People started to grumble and stare at her.
“Frankie, where are you?” she shouted.
Almost at once he jumped from a rabbit hole and threw a somersault.
“Okay – work to be done; work to be done. Give me the end of your rope,” he said.
The miner handed him the rope and everyone watched as Frankie took it in his teeth and dashed back into the rabbit hole. Slowly more and more of the rope disappeared. Just when it seemed impossible that any more rope could go into the mountain, he popped out of another hole higher up the slope.
“We need to pull on both ends and the rock will give way,” he said.
Everyone scrambled forward and two teams took either end of the rope. At first they pulled and pulled and nothing happened. Then there was a loud ‘Crack!’ and the hillside started to move. The workers pulled even harder as a huge boulder pushed out from the soil, leaving a dark hole in the side of the mountain. As the dust settled, Isabella’s father walked out.
The miners and their families rushed to greet him and soon they were all cheering and being swept along by the crowd. Isabella looked for Frankie Ferret but he was nowhere to be seen, not even in the basket of her pink bike. Her mother was crying tears of joy as they walked back to their little tin and wood house. Her father was laughing and thanking everyone. At last all the miners went to their houses and Isabella sat down with her mother and father.
“I knew Frankie would find you,” she said.
Chapter 8 - Her Dad Has Something Special
Her father hugged her and dug into his pocket. He pulled out a diamond the size of an apple.
“The ferret led me to it while we were waiting for the ropes. It does not come from the mine and so it is
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