A Girl Called Blue Read Online Free

Cinderella and the man who played Buttons had come to meet them.
    She wondered where they were going this year.
    Jimmy Mooney introduced the gang of friends to his mother, who was sitting in the front seat of the car.
    ‘She’s come along to help out and give me a hand with you all on the mystery tour today,’ he announced, his eyes kind in his big ruddy face.
    Mystery tour! They all looked at each other, almost bursting with excitement.
    ‘Nance Mooney,’ said the old woman, introducing herself. ‘Humbugs, pineapple chunks or a toffee?’ She turned around and offered them all a sweet from the paper bag in her plump hand. Blue chose a toffee.
    Jess took the three biggest humbugs, stuffing one into her mouth and putting the other two in her pocket for later.
    ‘Where are we going, mister?’ asked Mary.
    ‘Ah now, you wouldn’t want me to ruin your surprise. There’s plenty of fun and games organised for you, that’s all I’ll say.’
    ‘Are we going to Kerry?’ asked Jess.
    ‘That’s a bit far, pet,’ he replied, ‘especially with a crowd like this.’
    ‘Are we staying in Dublin?’ cajoled Lil.
    ‘Maybe.’
    ‘Are we going to Ringsend?’ Molly called out.
    ‘Ringsend?’
    ‘That’s where I used to live with my mammy and daddy,’ she said eagerly. ‘I’d like to see it.’
    ‘I’m sorry.’ Blue could see the driver’s eyes soften as he looked in the mirror. ‘We’re not going anywhere near it, I’m afraid.’
    Molly wriggled on Blue’s lap and Blue gave her a hug, hoping the little girl would forget her sadness for once and just enjoy the day.
    They drove through the city, crossed a bridge over the River Liffey and went up O’Connell Street, the biggest and widest street in Dublin. Jimmy pointed out Clery’s famous clock, the GPO, and the Gresham hotel where all the famous film stars stayed.
    ‘Nearly there, girls,’ announced Jimmy at last as the black Ford Cortina car turned up onto a big roadway with vast green fields and woodlands on either side.
    ‘Is this a park?’
    ‘One of the biggest in Europe,’ he grinned. ‘This is the Phoenix Park. See that house over there, the big white one?That’s where the President of Ireland lives.’
    ‘Is this his garden?’ Mary asked, as they all gaped out the window at the huge lawns and trees.
    ‘No,’ he laughed. ‘This garden belongs to the people of Dublin, to all of us.’
    He turned off another road, following a line of cars driving slowly one after another. There were kids crammed into every car, all, like themselves, anxious to discover their destination.
    Minutes later they came to a halt near to a big wooden fence and a gateway with a thatched awning, and letters carved on it with the name: Dublin Zoo. Blue couldn’t believe it – the very place she’d wanted to go.
    They all had to form a line, and one by one pushed through the heavy iron turnstiles that signalled the entrance to the zoo. Mrs Mooney helped to count the tickets and make sure there was one for everyone.
    ‘Bernadette O’Malley, Lily Hennessy, Molly Dempsey …’ A man with a big hat was calling out names and putting the children into groups. ‘You must all stay in your group,’ he warned, ‘as we don’t want anyone to get lost. Some of these animals are dangerous, to say the least. You are not allowed to feed the animals unless the keepers permit it, nor are you to frighten or startle the animals in any way. Do you all understand me?’
    ‘Yes,’ they all chorused, eager to get on their way and begin exploring.
    Once Blue’s group was organised, Jimmy and Mrs Mooney, and a short little man with sunglasses called Bill, began to leadthem on a tour of the zoo.
    The air all around was filled with noise, sounds so strange and different – squawks and screeches and roars and chattering, sounds of the jungles and forests – that for a second Blue was a little scared. Molly gripped her hand tightly.
    ‘It’s all right, Molly,’ she reassured the