The Quiet Seat on the Carousel

The carousel lamps blinked awake.

Pella held her ticket flat between her paws.

A wooden stag waited with its antlers lifted.

It looked as if it knew exactly how to ride.

Dad helped her try the stag while the ride was still.

From its saddle, the floor looked far away.

Pella held the pole very tightly.

'Down, please,' she said.

A small green dragon was nearer the floor.

Pella liked its golden eyebrows.

Then the keeper showed how it went up and down.

Pella liked the eyebrows from the ground, too.

Behind the dragon sat a silver snail.

Its curled shell made the back of a bench.

Pella touched the smooth shell.

There was room for her feet to rest.

'Does this one go up?' she asked.

'It goes around,' said the keeper. 'It stays at this height.'

Pella sat beside Dad.

She loosened her paws one finger at a time.

The music began. The bench moved gently around.

Pella watched the gate slide past.

Then came the ticket booth.

Then, quite unexpectedly, the gate came back.

On the next turn she saw a painted moon beneath the roof.

On the next she noticed a carved beetle near the floor.

The beetle went everywhere with them.

Pella told Dad where to look.

The stag rose beside them, then sank again.

A rabbit on its saddle waved.

Pella waved back.

Her snail did not need to leap to say hello.

Now she knew when the gate would appear.

She knew when the beetle would catch the gold light.

Pella leaned toward Dad.

'Here comes my favorite part.'

The music softened. The carousel slowed.

The gate settled into its usual place.

Pella stayed seated until the keeper opened it.

Her ticket had become warm and crumpled.

Before they left, Pella walked around the quiet platform.

She patted the dragon's bright wooden nose.

'Good eyebrows,' she told it.

Then she went to find the beetle.

At home, Pella tucked the ticket between two pages.

It made a bumpy little bookmark.

Next time, she knew which seat she would ask for.

She might find something new from there.