Winter Term at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton Page A

she’s so willing. And, who knows, she might prove very useful indeed. Perhaps we should give Sylvia a chance to show what she can do.’
    Susan didn’t look entirely convinced, but she said, ‘Perhaps you’re right. But if she becomes too bossy I simply won’t stand for it!’ Then she raised her voice and said, ‘Thank you, Sylvia. A third producer might come in very handy. Now, everyone, I’m going to ask if we can use the big hall for our next meeting, for it really is dreadfully cramped in here. Then we will cast the parts, and decide who is going to help backstage and so on. Any questions?’
    There were no questions, but, after the girls from the other three towers had left, there was a good deal of excited chatter. Nora was hoping that she would be considered for the role of the fairy, and said to Pam, ‘I do hope that Susan will let me try out for it.’
    â€˜Of course she will,’ said the loyal Pam, at once. ‘You’re a marvellous actress, and you can dance beautifully. In fact, I can’t think of anyone who could play the fairy as well as you could.’
    But someone else was quite certain that she was destined to play the role of the fairy—and that someone was Bonnie. ‘I have a fairy costume at home that I wore to a fancy-dress party once,’ she told Amy, breathlessly. ‘I must ask Mother to send it to me.’
    â€˜You would certainly make a lovely fairy,’ said Amy, looking the pretty, dainty girl over with approval. ‘I don’t think any other girl in the form would fit the role as perfectly as you.’
    Bonnie beamed with pleasure and said, ‘Will you be trying out for any of the parts, Amy?’
    â€˜No, I don’t want to push myself forward,’ answered Amy rather piously. ‘Let the others have a chance.’
    The truth was that Amy wasn’t particularly good at drama, dancing or singing, and she was well aware that she didn’t stand a chance of getting one of the lead parts. And as she wasn’t going to be centre stage, the girl would have preferred not to be involved in the project at all. But this was a vain hope, for Susan wanted everyone to play a part in the success of the form’s play, however small.
    â€˜Though I can’t imagine what we are going to find for Olive to do,’ she said to Felicity, as the fourth formers got ready for bed that evening. ‘The only talent she seems to have is for rubbing people up the wrong way!’
    Felicity laughed and said, ‘Well, if all she’s going to do is stir things up and cause ill feeling, perhaps it would be best just to leave her out altogether.’
    But Susan wouldn’t hear of this, and she said stubbornly, ‘No, Olive is a member of our form, whethershe likes it or not. And she is jolly well going to take part in our play!’
    â€˜I wonder why she is so bad-tempered and angry all the time?’ said Felicity, with a frown. ‘I do hope that she settles down and cheers up a bit, for the sight of her miserable, scowling face puts a damper on everything!’
    But, as Pam remarked a few days later, Olive only seemed happy if someone else was getting into trouble.
    â€˜She’s so spiteful and mean-spirited,’ said Pam, with distaste, as the fourth formers got changed after lacrosse practice. ‘Did you see the smirk on her face when Miss Maxwell ticked Amy off for not trying hard enough?’
    â€˜And she nearly laughed herself sick when June got Mam’zelle Dupont to use that trick pencil in French this morning,’ said Nora.
    â€˜Well, we all laughed at that,’ pointed out Julie. ‘That was the whole idea, after all!’
    â€˜Yes, but Olive wasn’t laughing at the joke,’ said Nora. ‘She was gloating over the tremendous scolding that June got from Mam’zelle afterwards.’
    â€˜Good!’ said Bonnie, with satisfaction. Then, as the