‘Ow!’ says the girl next to Billie. ‘My toe!’

‘Ow!’ says the girl in front of Billie. ‘My nose!’

‘Watch out!’ says the girl behind Billie. ‘My glasses!’

‘Thank you, Billie,’ Miss Dainty says. ‘Let’s wait until we are all ready, shall we?’

Miss Dainty walks over to the group of boys. There are only three boys, including Jack. Jack waves to Billie. Billie waves back.

‘All right, boys,’ Miss Dainty says. ‘I want you to be fierce, stomping trolls. You are fierce stomping trolls that are trying to catch the dainty butterflies. Is everyone ready?’

‘Yes!’ shouts everyone in the class.

Billie shouts the loudest of all. Billie wants to make sure that Miss Dainty knows that she really, really wants to be a beautiful ballerina butterfly.

Chapter
Two

‘OK, class. Let’s get started,’ Miss Dainty says.

She sits down at the piano. With her right hand she plays a tinkly butterfly tune.

With her left hand she plays a deep stomping troll tune.

Billie races around the room, flapping her arms. She is a very fast butterfly. Sometimes she accidentally bumps into the other butterflies that get in her way.

‘Ow!’ cries one butterfly.

‘Watch it!’ cries another butterfly. But Billie doesn’t stop. She is a beautiful ballerina butterfly, flying in the breeze.

Jack is a troll. He tries to catch Billie but she is too fast. Billie is faster than all the butterflies. She is faster than all the trolls! She flaps her arms up and down and runs around the room.

As Billie runs, she looks to see if Miss Dainty is watching.

She wants Miss Dainty to see what a good butterfly she is. But then – Crash!

Billie runs straight into the mirror!

‘Oh dear!’ says Miss Dainty. She rushes over. ‘I think you’d better slow down, Billie! Are you all right?’

Billie has banged her head. It hurts a lot, but Billie doesn’t want to cry in front of Miss Dainty. She sits down and rubs her head and scrunches up her eyes until the wobbly feeling goes away.

Miss Dainty puts her cool hand on Billie’s forehead. It makes Billie feel much better.

‘I’m fine,’ says Billie in a squeaky voice. ‘Look!’ She flaps her arms up and down like a butterfly with a broken wing.

‘All the same, I think you should sit out for a bit and rest,’ Miss Dainty says.

‘I’ll stay with her,’ says Jack.

‘Thank you, Jack,’ says Miss Dainty.

Then she stands up and claps her hands loudly. Everyone turns around.

‘OK, class, let’s see those wings fluttering. Beautiful, Lola! Yes, that’s right! Come along, trolls. Let’s see your stomping. Great work!’

Billie hangs her head. ‘I’m no good at ballet!’ she says to Jack.

She frowns and stares at the ground.