Beauty and t he Beast A long time ago, in a far away land, a merchant was returning home after a long

journey. As night fell, he entered a deep forest. His head was full of thoughts of his six daughters. He had left home in summer, and now he was returning in deep winter. The most bitter sleet and snow came down, and his horse stumbled on a patch of ice. He heard wolves howling, and soon he realised that he was lost. At last, he saw some sort of track. At the beginning it was rough and slippery, but soon it led him into an avenue of orange trees covered with flowers and fruit but here there was no snow. He saw a flight of stone steps. He went up them into a great castle. Inside he passed through several splendid rooms. Everywhere in the castle there was a deep silence. At last, he stopped in a small room where a fire was burning. He lay down on a couch and very soon fell into a sweet sleep. He woke up feeling hungry. He was still alone, but a good dinner had been laid on a little table. He began to eat, hoping that he might soon have an chance to thank his kind host, whoever it might be. But no one appeared. Then he went down into the garden, and though it was winter everywhere else, here the sun shone, and the birds sang, and the flowers bloomed, and the air was soft and sweet. The path had a hedge of roses on each side of it, and the merchant thought he had never seen or smelt such beautiful flowers. Then he remembered a promise he had made to his youngest daughter, who was so lovely that every one knew her as Beauty. Before setting out on his journey, he had asked his daughters what presents they would like him to bring back for them. The five eldest wished for jewels and fine clothes, but Beauty asked only for a single rose. Now, as he stopped to pick a rose to take home to Beauty, he was startled by a strange noise behind him. Turning round, he saw a frightful ugly Beast, which seemed to be very angry and sad and said in a terrible voice: Who said that you could pick my roses? Was it not enough that I let you say in my palace and was kind to you? This is the way you thank me, by stealing my flowers! But you shall not go unpunished! The merchant was terrified by these furious words. He dropped the fatal rose, and, throwing himself on his knees, cried: Pardon me, noble sir. I am truly grateful to you for your kindness. I could not imagine that you would mind so much if I took such a little thing as a rose. But the Beast was still furious. He cried: Excuses and flattery will not save you from the death you deserve! Alas! thought the merchant, My daughters rose has put me in this terrible danger. And he began to tell the Beast of his journey, not forgetting to mention how Beauty had asked him for a rose. I beg you to forgive me, for I meant no harm, he pleaded.

The Beast thought for a moment, and then he said, in a less terrible voice : I will forgive you on one condition that is if you will give me one of your daughters. Ah! cried the merchant, What excuse could I invent to bring her here? No excuse! answered the Beast. She must come willingly. Go home. I give you a month to see if one of your daughters will save you. If none of them is willing to come to me, you must come back alone. And do not think that you can hide from me, for if you do not keep your word I will come and fetch you! The poor merchant, more dead than alive, went to the stable where his horse was ready for his journey. It carried him off so swiftly that in an instant he had lost sight of the palace, and he was still wrapped in gloomy thoughts when it stopped before the door of his house. His daughters rushed to meet him. At first he told them nothing of The Beast, but as he gave Beauty her the rose he said sadly: Here is what you asked me to bring you; you little know what it has cost. Later that evening he told his family of his adventures from beginning to end, and then his daughters wept loudly. The girls were very angry with Beauty, and said to her that it was all her fault, and complained bitterly that they should have to suffer for her foolish wish. Poor Beauty said to them: Who could have guessed that asking for a rose in the middle of summer would cause so much misery? But as I made this mistake, it is only right that I should be the one to suffer for it. I will go back to the Beast with father. When the fatal day came she said good-by to her sisters and everything she loved. She mounted a horse together with her father, and it seemed to fly rather than gallop. They soon reached the avenue of orange trees, where statues were holding flaming torches, and when they got nearer to the palace, music sounded softly from the courtyard. Her father led her to the little room where he had stayed, and there they found a splendid fire burning, and a delicious supper set out on the table. After they had finished their meal they heard the Beasts footsteps, approaching, and Beauty clung to her father. But when the ugly Beast appeared , she tried hard to hide her terror, and she nodded to him politely. This clearly pleased the Beast. After looking at her he said, in a voice that might have struck fear into the boldest of hearts: Good-evening, old man. Good-evening, Beauty. The merchant was too terrified to reply, but Beauty answered sweetly: Good-evening, Beast. Have you come willingly? asked the Beast.

Beauty answered bravely that she had come willingly to save her father. I am pleased with you, said the Beast. As for you, old man, he added, turning to the merchant, at sunrise to- morrow you will go. Then turning to Beauty, he said: Take your father into the next room, and help him to choose presents for your sisters. Take everything they would wish for. Then he left them saying, Good-by, Beauty; good-by, old man. In the next room they found splendid dresses fit for a queen. And when Beauty opened the cupboards she was quite dazzled by the gorgeous jewels that lay in heaps upon every shelf. After choosing a vast quantity, she opened the last chest, which was full of gold. I think, father, she said, that gold will be more useful to you. We had better take out the other things again, and fill the trunks with gold. So they did this; And at last the trunks were so heavy that an elephant could not have carried them! The Beast was making fun of us, cried the merchant. He pretended to give us these things, knowing that I could not carry them away. Let us wait and see, answered Beauty. At sunrise, they went down into the courtyard, where two horses were waiting, one loaded with the two trunks, the other for the merchant to ride. And as soon as he climbed into the saddle, he went off at such a pace that Beauty lost sight of him in an instant. Then she began to cry and she went back to her room and fell into a deep sleep. She dreamed that she was walking by a stream when a young prince came up to her and said, in a voice that went straight to her heart: Ah, Beauty! you are not so unlucky as you suppose. Only try to find me, no matter how I may be disguised, as I love you dearly. Make me happy and you shall be happy. Be as true-hearted as you are beautiful, and we shall have nothing left to wish for. What can I do, Prince, to make you happy? said Beauty. Do not trust your eyes, he answered, And set me free from my misery. When Beauty awoke, she began to think about the charming Prince she had seen in her dream. He said I could make him happy. said Beauty to herself. It seems that this horrible Beast keeps him a prisoner. How can I set him free? I dont understand it. But, after all, it was only a dream, so why should I worry about it?

She got up to explore the castle, but she did not see anyone or hear any sound, and she began to find it rather dull. Only that evening, after supper, she heard the Beast coming, and she trembled with fear at what it might do. But he only said: Good-evening, Beauty. She answered cheerfully and managed to hide her terror. He spoke politely to her for about an hour, and asked her all about her life with her family. Then he said in a gruff voice: Do you love me, Beauty? Will you marry me? Oh! what shall I say? cried Beauty, for she was afraid to make the Beast angry by refusing. Say `yes or `no without fear, he replied. Oh! no, Beast, said Beauty hastily. Since you will not, good-night, Beauty, he said. And she answered, Good-night, Beast, very glad to find that he had not attacked her. And after he was gone, she was very soon in bed and asleep, and dreaming of her unknown Prince. He came to her and said to her: Ah, Beauty! why are you so unkind to me? I fear I will be unhappy for many a long day still. The next morning, she decided to amuse herself in the garden, for the sun shone, and all the fountains were playing. When she was tired she went back to the palace, and found a new room full of rare birds, so tame that they flew to Beauty as soon as they saw her, and perched upon her shoulders and her head. Some of them were parrots and cockatoos that could talk, and they greeted Beauty by name; Pretty little creatures, she said, Oh how I wish that your cage was nearer to my room, that I could often hear you sing! When she left, she opened a door and found that it led straight into her own room. After supper, the Beast paid her his usual visit, and before he left he asked her as before: Beauty, will you marry me? And when she refused, he gave her a gruff good-night and left her. The days passed, and every evening the Beast asked her the same question and she gave him the same answer.

And Beauty felt that that when she said, No, Beast, he went away quite sad. But her happy dreams of the handsome young Prince soon made her forget the poor Beast. Her prince always told to let her heart guide her, and not her eyes, and many other equally baffling things, which she could not understand. At last, happy as she was, Beauty began to long for her family. One night, seeing her look very sad, the Beast asked her what was the matter. Beauty was no longer afraid of him. Now she knew that he was really gentle in spite of his ferocious looks and his dreadful voice. So she answered that she was longing to see her home once more. When he heard this, the Beast cried miserably. Ah! Beauty, have you the heart to leave an unhappy Beast like me? Is it because you hate me that you want to escape? No, dear Beast, answered Beauty softly, I do not hate you, and I should be very sorry never to see you any more, but I long to see my father again. Only let me go for two months, and I promise to come back to you and stay for the rest of my life. The Beast replied with a sigh: I cannot refuse you anything you ask, even though it should cost me my life. You may go. But remember your promise and come back when the two months are over, or you may be sorry, for if you do not come in good time you will find your faithful Beast dead. And then she went to bed, but could hardly sleep for joy. And when at last she did begin to dream of her beloved Prince she saw him stretched upon a grassy bank, sad and weary, and hardly like himself. What is the matter? she cried. He looked at her reproachfully, and said: How can you ask me, cruel one? Ah! dont be so sad, cried Beauty; I am only going to let my father know that I am safe and happy. I have promised my Beast that I shall come back. I would not cause him pain by breaking my word. He told me he would die if did not keep my promise to him. What do you care for an ugly Beast? asked the prince. Oh, said Beauty, It is not his fault that he is so ugly. He is a very kind beast. Just then, she heard someone speaking not very far away. She got up and then she suddenly heard her fathers voice. She rushed out and greeted him. She was home. Her sisters were quite astonished to see her, and there was no end to their questions about her life with the Beast.

Then Beauty asked her father what he thought could be the meaning of her strange dreams . After much thought, he answered: You tell me yourself that The Beast, frightful as he is, loves you dearly and is kind and gentle to you. I think the Prince means that you should do as The Beast wishes in spite of his ugliness. But Beautys thoughts were full of her handsome dream-prince, and she could not imagine marrying The Beast. When the two months were over, Beautys sisters begged her not to return to the ugly beast, but to stay with her family. At first she could not refuse them, and she stayed on for a few days more. Then one night she had a different dream from usual. She saw not her prince, but the Beast. He was lying in a cave and he looked ill and in pain. And then Beauty remember his words that he might die if she did not stay true to her word. The next day, Beauty said goodbye to her father and all her brothers and sisters, and as soon as she was in bed she turned her ring round upon her finger, and said firmly, I wish to go back to see my Beast again. Then she fell asleep instantly, and only woke up to hear the clock saying Beauty, Beauty twelve times in its musical voice, which told her at once that she was in the palace once more. Everything was just as before, and her birds were so glad to see her! But Beauty thought she had never known such a long day, for she was so anxious to see The Beast again that she felt as if suppertime would never come. But when it did come and no Beast appeared she was really frightened; She ran down into the garden to search for him. Up and down the paths and avenues ran poor Beauty, calling him in vain, for no one answered. At last, quite tired, she stopped for a minutes rest, and saw that she was standing opposite a cave, and in it lay the Beastasleep. Quite glad to have found him, she ran up and stroked his head, but, to her horror, he did not move or open his eyes. Oh! he is dead; and it is all my fault, said Beauty, crying bitterly. But then, looking at him again, she fancied he still breathed. She fetched some water from the nearest fountain and sprinkled it over his face. Slowly, he began to open his eyes. Ah Beauty, he said faintly, now you see what happens when you do not keep your word. Oh! Beast, she cried. I never knew how much I loved you until now, when I feared I was too late to save your life. Can you really love such an ugly creature as I am? asked the Beast. You only came just in time. I was dying because I thought you had forgotten your promise. But go back now and rest, I shall see you by and by. Beauty went back to the palace, where supper was awaiting her; and afterward the Beast came

in as usual, and asked about the time she had spent with her family, and if they had all been very glad to see her. And when at last the time came for him to go, and he asked, as he had so often asked before, Beauty, will you marry me? She answered softly, Yes, dear Beast. As she spoke a blaze of light sprang up before the windows of the palace; fireworks crackled and guns banged, and across the avenue of orange trees, in letters all made of fire-flies, was written: Long live the Prince and his Bride. Beauty meant to ask the Beast what it all meant: but he had gone. In his place stood her longloved Prince! At the same moment, two ladies entered the room. Both were splendidly dressed, but one especially so. Her companion said: Well, Queen, this is Beauty, who has had the courage to rescue your son from the terrible magic spell that turned him into a Beast. They love one another, and your consent to their marriage is all they need to make them perfectly happy. I agree with all my heart, cried the Queen. And then she tenderly embraced Beauty and the Prince. Now, said the Fairy to Beauty, I suppose you would like me to send for your father and sisters ? She did so. The marriage was celebrated the very next day, and Beauty and the Prince lived happily ever after. And that was the story of Beauty and the Beast.

Christmas in Space It was November. Every shop window glittered with Christmas lights, inflatable Santas, Christmas trees, tinsel and glitz. Oh no, said Mum as she pushed the trolly round the supermarket, Im bored with Christmas already. Im simply not going to order a turkey this year. Well just have to get away for the holidays- as far away as we possibly can. But she could not quite work out how to win over Dad and and the kids to her get-away-plan, because she knew just how much they loved every detail of Christmas at home, right down to the last bad joke in the crackers.She was still brooding over the problem that evening when the phone rang. It was Uncle Jeff. She held the receiver about six inches from her ear because his voice was loud and grating. Have I Christmas sorted for you and the kids this year, he announced, Its a surprise thats, well, out of this world. Thats the only way to put it. Like an all-inclusive luxury hotel in the Maldives out-of -this-world? asked mum hopefully, Not a bad guess. It is a Christmas-get-away. But its less boring than a beach, replied Jeff. In fact the news was so exciting that he had to come round and break it to the family in person. An hour later, the wheels of Jeffs Porsche crunched onto the drive. Mum felt a certain amount of dread as she wondered what his Christmas surprise would be. She imagined all the dangerous and irresponsible treats that he might, in his bachelor delusion, believe to be suitable for a family holiday: Big Game Hunting? Scuba Diving with Great White Sharks? Jumping out of helicopters with skis? She watched her husband grimace as Jeff slapped him on the back and asked Hows tricks my older bro? The kids were supposed to be in bed, but both were sitting in their pajamas at the top of the stairs. Hi Uncle Jeff ! they chorused. And he gave them a wink and replied, No listening in now, because what Im going to say is so exciting that if you hear it, you wont be able to sleep. So of course they both did listen at the living room door while Jeff unveiled his surprise to Mum and Dad. I bet, said Jeremy, That he knows a rock star or some mega famous actor whos invited us to stay in a mansion. Im not so sure about that, said Jemima. I think Jeff knows business people mainly. Mum says he drives around in sports cars because most of his life is really rather boring.

And when they both reapplied their ears to the door they heard that Uncle Jeff was indeed talking about a business person, but not a boring one: Back in the summer, when you came to stay at my place by the sea, there was a big yacht in the harbour belonging to a mega-rich Russian. Me and the kids ran into him by chance, and there was a little, shall we say, unpleasantness with his staff, for which he was incredibly sorry. And by way of apology, he wants the family thats you and the kids to be the first to try out his life-changing first of its kind, new frontier -travel service, all absolutely free, gratis, on the house. It will be the holiday of a lifetime. And what sort of holiday would that be? asked Dad. The name of the company is a bit of a giveaway. Its called Holidays in Space. I dont get it, said Mum. Well, said Uncle Jeff. It does what it says in the tin. Heres some literature. And he handed them some brochures. I still dont get it, said mum. What do all these pictures of space rockets mean? Duh ! exclaimed Jeremy outside the door. Its pretty obvious isnt it? Were going to spend Christmas in space, courtesy of Uncle Jeff and his Russian billionaire friend. Dont be silly and keep your voice down, hissed back his sister. The could hear that mum was saying, Oh no ! Oh no!. Oh no! And Jeremy pushed the door open and came flying into the room saying Yes, yes yes ! Thank you uncle Jeff ! Thats the most incredible idea ever! And Jemima was saying Not me. You wont catch me going up in rocket propelled bucket! Dad just sat looking amazed. Mum was pleading with him. Explain to your brother why his idea is completely no-can-do, not-on-your-life. But Dad got up and hugged his brother. You see, he said, When we were both growing up, we both wanted to be astronauts. And now Jeff has made it possible. Thats so incredibly kind of him. Of course we must accept. Dont you see? This is an amazing opportunity for the kids. It will change their whole view of the world. You wouldnt want them to grow up saying that they had a chance to go into space, but their parents passed it by? And when Mum thought about it, she realised that she wouldnt want her children saying a

thing like that. As soon as the school term finished, the family flew to Russia to begin training for their Christmas holiday. Three and a half hours after leaving London, they landed at Moscow airport. As they came through passport control , surly looking men in leather jackets called out taxi! taxi!. Nyet, Nyet, said Mum. It was the only Russian she knew. It means No. Theres our guide, said Dad. And he tugged his suitcase on wheels in the direction of a tall blond lady who was holding up a sign that said: HOLIDAYS IN SPACE. A car picked them up outside airport and drove them along the ring road around Moscow. They looked out at the landscape of snow covered fields, silver birch trees, high-rised flats and signs in unfamiliar Russian letters and quite frankly they felt that they were already out of this world.Finally they checked into their hotel inside Star City, the training centre for all the Russian cosmonauts, as well as for space tourists like themselves. The rooms were rather small and poky, and Dad said it was part of the training, to get used to the cramped conditions of the space craft A little later, the family went downstairs to meet Uncle Jeff who had been in Moscow for a few days already : Hey Kids. Welcome to Space City. Have you seen Yuri Gagarin yet? Whos he? asked Jeremy. Why hes my hero. The first man in space of course, said Jeff. Get you gloves and hats on, and well go and pay homage. Hes just across the square. Yuri Gagarin was in fact a statue on the steps of the space museum - a sliver man flying through a hoop, more like a circus acrobat than a cosmonaut. As Uncle Jeff explained, the real Yuri Gagarin had died when he crashed his Mig fighter jet. But he got into space first, in 1961, ahead of the Americans, he added. But the Americans got to the moon first, said Jeremy. Thats true, I well remember watching the Apollo moon mission on a dim television screen when we were boys. The rocket standing on the launch pad in Cape Canaveral. Mission control counting down. And then a blast of fire. Lift off from 0 to 28,000 kilometers per hour, why thats a bigger rush than my motorcycle can do! Ever since then, Ive dreamed of trip through space. And now your dream is coming true Uncle Jeff said Jemima.

Uh-uh. No room for me. Its going to be squish getting you four inside the space shuttle, And the kids realised just how generous Uncle Jeff had been to give up his chance of fulfilling his boyhood dream for them. Mum would have gladly given him her place in space, but she knew she would be more worried waiting on the ground than if she was actually in orbit with the family. Were going to be the first family in space.. It will be like, historic. said Jeremy. And great publicity for the travel company, said Dad. Providing we all get back safely, added mum. In the morning, things started to get even more real when they met their space instructor, a former Cosmonaut called Timor who had spent six months living in the International Space Station which orbits the earth. He told the kids: When I was in space, I missed my family. There was nothing else on Earth that I felt the need for. So you are very fortunate to be going up with your Mom and Dad. Jemima hugged her mother and said how wonderful it was to be going into space together. Jeremy shuffled his feet. Timor took them to the quartermaster to try on their space suits for the first time. All the suits had Holidays in Space written across the chests and helmets. Jeremy had a blue helmet and Jemima had a pink one, Dad had an extra large helmet, and Mum had a neat white one. Uncle Jeff joined them for their training too just to so he could get a taste of what space travel would be like. He brought his own space helmet which he had ordered especially from NASA, the American space agency. It bore the inscription: Buzz Lightyear. Space Ranger. Mum said it only went to show that Uncle Jeff hadnt grown up. Their first space lesson was fun. It involved picking up toothbrushes while wearing big fat gloves, and sticking things to walls with velcro, because in space everything would be floating around. Then they learned to operate the space toilet, which was a cross between a seat and a vacuum cleaner and had lots of different coloured buttons. The next day things started to get tough. The hardest part of space travel is enduring the enormously powerful gravitational force or g-force when you pass out of, and then back into, the Earths Atmosphere. This force feels a bit like being on the biggest, fastest, s cariest, and most sick-making fair ground ride and so space training is a bit like going to the fun fair only a lot worse.

They met Timor in a large empty room next to the gymnasium. Jeremy. Please sit on this chair and fasten the seat belt nice and tight, said Timor. Jeremy did as he was told. The chair wasnt particularly confortable. He wondered what was going to happen. Was he about to drop through a trap door? Or shoot up through the ceiling at vast speed? No. Wrong on both counts. He started to spin round, fast at first, and then even faster, then even faster. It would have been fine, only he felt that his stomach and his head were both travelling at different speeds in different directions. He wished he had not eaten pancakes and honey for breakfast. STOP ! he shouted. He span round a few dozen more times, but now more and slowly, thankfully. Well done. You lasted 96 seconds before begging for mercy. Not bad. said Timor. Jeremy felt too sick to make any comment. And then Jemima, Mum and Dad all had a go. Mum lasted the longest two and half minutes perhaps that was because she had eaten the least breakfast. Over the next couple of weeks, they did a lot of whizzing around in circles . And trained inside a giant water tank, to get used to floating, because thats what what you do in space. At the end of their training, Timor presented each member of the family with a certificate that said. Diploma of Moscow International Academy of Space Tourism. Space Tourist. First Class. And the next day they flew to the desert of Kazakhstan which, although it is a long way south of Moscow, is still cold and snowy in winter. Jeremy and Jemima looked out of their hotel window towards the brand new space shuttle that stood on the launch pad pointing straight up to the grey clouds. It was the first of its kind, the jumbo-jet of space craft, especially designed to carry tourists out of the worlds atmosphere. The words Holidays in Space were written in English and Russian letters down its sides. Jemima said. I wish they hadnt given us a room overlooking that thing. It makes me want to go home, And Jeremy said: Im scared too. But weve got no choice. Dads determined to go. Upstairs Mum and Dad were also looking out of the window towards the shuttle. Dad was saying: Its funny. I dreamed of this all my life. And now I see that space craft on the runway, Im wondering, should I be taking this risk with kids?

And Mum said: We cant pull out now. It would be too embarrassing. And on the top floor , Jeff was looking out at the spaceship, and saying to himself. Oh, oh my. I hope that contraption is space-worthy and totally safe. If anything happens to them, Ill never forgive myself. Just after dawn, a battered old bus took the family over the slushy runway to the shuttle. They wore their space suits and carried their helmets under their arms. Underneath their spacesuits they wore woolly vests and long johns, because its cold in space. And underneath those, they wore special diapers or nappies for space travelers because well I wont explain that but lets just say they had a long flight ahead before they reached the space hotel. Uncle Jeff was waiting for them next to the steps up into the shuttle. He hugged each of his relatives in turn, giving his brother the last and longest hug: Hey kiddo, he said. May the force be with you ! Sergei, the space travel tycoon, was there too. They all got a kiss on both cheeks from the billionaire. Apparently that was a Russian tradition. The three crew members were the first to climb up the the ladder to the door of the space craft, and the the family followed. Jemima was last up, and she turned and waved to the television cameras and gave them a happy smile. Inside, the the space tourists lay down on their seats with their knees bent towards them, as they had been taught. The illuminated signs above their positions read; Fasten Seat Belts. Switch off Mobile Phones. No smoking. They slotted their safety buckles into place. Jeremy looked at Jemima, and Jemima looked at Jeremy. Inside their helmets they could hear the chattering of voices from Mission Control, but they couldnt understand a word because it was all in Russian. Jeremy and Jemima could talk to each other over the radio, but they had to compete with the background babble which was quite confusing. Jeremy said: Jeremy to Jemima. Thanks for being a good sister. I mean, if this space- doohickey blows up or something, I want you to know that you were okay really. Jemima to Jeremy, replied his sister. Its not going to blow up. But thanks for being a good brother most of the time.

The Countdown was in Russian and English. At the end of the countdown there was stillness. The chattering in their ears ceased. It was like the whole world had stopped turning. And then the rocket blasters pushed off. They were travelling at five miles a second straight up. They all felt their stomachs go heave-ho. Im not going to be sick, Im not going to be sick, said Jeremy. And he was glad that he hadnt eaten pancakes for breakfast. The ship shook and shuddered so much that Jeremy could hear his bones rattling in fact the Wright brothers probably enjoyed a smoother flight when they took off in the first airplane in 1903. The view through the window turned grey with cloud but soon the view became blue, then purple, and at last black. It had taken them six minutes to reach space. The rockets stopped firing. The ship stopped shaking. There was silence. A deep, awesome, silence. Jeremy was the first to see that the seatbelt sign had been turned off. He pressed the red button to release himself, and he cart-wheeled out of his seat. He flew straight into the wall, but it didnt matter because it was covered with soft padding. Dad followed him. They were both floating in total weightlessness. And then the oxygen sign came on which meant they could take their helmets off. Wow this amazing exclaimed Jeremy as Jemima shot past him, flaying her arms around like a baby sea gull learning to fly. Mum was floating on her back like she was resting on the warm calm sea that she had dreamed of for her holiday. I think, said Mum, That a baby must feel like this insider the mothers womb. The most remarkable part was yet to come. Hey look at this! called Jemima. She was pressing her face against one of the portholes. She was looking at the top of the world. A translucent blue curve. And beyond it, all infinity. They were all quiet, lost for words, until Jeremy said: Hey, Look theres Santa, .. Where? asked Jemima. Caught you. just kidding.

And then they were silent again for a while, until Dad said: You wouldnt think there were any problems down there. Like Mr. Jones is late for work and Johnnys stuck on his home work, And the whole family knew that they would always have a special bond. Not just because they were family, but because they had shared experience this together, and had seen Planet Earth from the outside, and felt the harmony of the universe. The journey took another two days before they caught up with the space hotel in its orbit around earth. Their shuttle docked with the larger ship on Christmas Eve. The family floated into their hotel through connecting hatches. There was music playing in the reception area. It was Jingle Bells. The butler was a robot called Fred who wore a Santa Claus hat. He introduced them to the luxuries of their new home. Their floating sleeping bags were more comfortable than the best mattresses, and they would sleep like birds on the wing. The water in the shower floated upwards. The space toilet was a slightly different model from the one which they had trained on, but if they got confused they could consult the instruction manual. The refrigerator had every type of drink, but it didnt matter if they wanted water or champaign, they still had to drink it through a straw. They should use the rowing machine every day, because your muscles can go flabby in space if you arent careful. For a special relaxation, the butler could give them a foot massage, or they could climb into the aromatherapy capsule. They could use the free wifi to check their emails, cruise the net or even to watch TV. But actually, the coolest thing you could do was to look out of the big window to stare into infinite space. Dad asked Fred to move the Christmas tree because it was blocking part of the view. For Christmas lunch, they strapped themselves to the table so that they wouldnt float up to the ceiling Fred brought round the Turkey sandwiches and the Christmas pudding. They pulled Christmas crackers and read jokes like: I only work when Im fired, what am I? A rocket. And What kind of astronaut can jump higher than a house? Any kind. A house cant jump. And they laughed even more than they would have done at home. And then they went up to the bridge to look out at the blue planet called Earth. Isnt it just like a new born baby? said Mum. Its so beautiful, so perfect, so fragile. Its a miracle.

And Dad said : Happy Christmas Darling and he kissed Mum. And Jemima said: I wish we could take something back for Uncle Jeff. Like a piece of moon rock or something. And they all remembered how their Wicked Uncle had given them this amazing Christmas present, and Mum admitted: For the first time ever, Im truly sorry that Jeff isnt with us. It was s o kind of him to give up his place on the shuttle for us. Their watches were still set to Greenwich Mean Time. Dad noticed that it was almost three o clock in London. Come on he, said. We cant miss the Queen just because were 280 miles above the Buckingham Palace. Lets fire up the internet. A few minutes later, they were all gathered around a screen watching the Queen , just as they watched her at home every Christmas Day. Her Majesty wore reading spectacles and said: At this time of peace and goo dwill, our thoughts turn to children all over the world Hey, and dont forget us kids up here in space ! said Jeremy. When the Queen had finished her Christmas message, Dad wanted to take take a quick snoop at headlines. And he picked up the keyboard and switched the screen over to Google News. I wouldnt bother. Nothing ever happens at Christmas, advised Mum. Youre right, said Dad, It all looks reassuringly boring down there. but thats funny. Theres a news story here that says Family Stuck in Space. Is there another family up here? Here let me see that, exclaimed Mum in a panicky voice. The news story and the 4032 other similar stories on Google News was about the Crusoe family from Walton Upon Thames, England. There was only one Crusoe family in orbit around the Earth that Christmas. And they were that family. Mum read on. The Crusoe Family may be spending rather longer in space than they bargained for. The shuttle that was due to bring them back to Earth has failed safety tests. Inspectors from the International Federation for space Travel declared it unsafe to fly after a cleaner noticed that a vital life support system had been fastened to the outside of the craft with masking tape. A spokesman

for the Russian Travel company, Holidays in Space, said: The Crusoes have enough dried food, water and oxygen to last them another year in orbit. Even if they are celebrating next years Christmas in space, they will be OK. Mr. Crusoes brother, Jeff Crusoe, who is currently in Moscow, said: I am working night and day to get the family back down on Earth where they belong. When she had finished reading the article Mum said: I should have trusted my first instinct. As soon as Jeff said he had got Christmas sorted I felt something terrible was going to happen. But I allowed your brother to sweet talk me into this insane space escapade. Dad didnt say anything. He just stared at the Earth and wondered if they would ever see their house in Walton-upon-Thames close up again. Next Christmas. said Jeremy, That seems like an awfully long time before we get back home. If we ever get down at all , said Jemima, who looked more shocked than any of them. Mum inspected the larder. She found powdered strawberry mousse, powdered milk, powdered chicken broth, powdered lamb curry, and powdered just about any food you could think of. Its back to the 1970s, said Dad. Thats what Jeff and I lived on when we were growing up. Dont talk to me about Jeff, said Mum. The week between Christmas and New year passed quietly. Jemima drew maps of the constellations. Jeremy played computer games. Dad practiced virtual reality golf swings, and Mum read War and Peace, which she had always wanted to do, but had never found the time. In fact it would have been a deeply relaxing holiday if it wasnt for the fact that they all knew that they were Stuck in Space. The news did not improve. Holiday Space Company Tottering on the Brink read Dad on the internet. The millionaires who had booked holidays in the space hotel were cancelling one after the other. The company was in danger of going bankrupt. And if that happened, the Crusoe Family might be stuck in space FOREVER! Like, well just go round the Earth until the End of Time.? asked Jemima.

Well have to get down to Earth sooner than that , said Mum. Because Ive sworn a solemn oath to smack your Uncle Jeff around the chops. What was he thinking of, sending us up here? Hes the most irresponsible uncle in the entire world, sorry, in the entire universe she said with a gesture towards the universe itself, stretched out just beyond the window. And then she froze. Oh my she said Oh my stars. Im hallucinating. Or can you see what I can see. I think I can, said Jeremy. Well if you can see Uncle J eff taking a space walk just outside our window, then your having the same hallucination that Im having, said Mum. I think we are, said Dad. Fifteen minutes later they heard a metallic clunk as the space shuttled docked with the hotel. First Uncle Jeff, and then Sergei, the owner of the travel company, floated into the reception area. Fred the Robot Butler said: Welcome to the Space Hotel. The management of Holidays in Space wishes you a happy and comfortable stay .: Hey kids, how do you like it up here? boomed Uncle Jeff. Wicked, said Jeremy. But it would be nice to get down some time. And very soon you shall, said Jeff. An hour later the family were strapped into their seats in the space shuttle The decent to the desert of Kazakhstan took just thirty minutes, but the inside of the shuttle was as hot as sauna on the way down. They landed on the runway with two or three bumps, but no real trouble. When they climbed down the ladder onto the tarmac, Jeremy looked up at the sky and said: Uncle Jeffs up there somewhere. Yes, said Jemima. He got his space trip after all You see, after all the millionaires cancelled their Holidays in Space, the only people confident enough to fly in the shuttle were Sergei and Uncle Jeff. According to Sergei, there was nothing much wrong with the shuttle from the safety point of view. It just needed some routine maintenance after its first trip. The story about the masking tape had been spread by a rival company and wasnt true at all. But the only way to prove that it was true was to make the trip himself. And the only other person who had enough faith to go with him, was Uncle Jeff. And in one weeks time, the shuttle would return to pick them up again and bring them back to Earth. And thats the story of how Jeremy and Jemima, Mum and Dad, and Uncle Jeff spent their Christmas Holiday in space.