Stage Fright!

‘Wow, Uncle Max!’ cried Sophie.
‘Weird!’ said Cress, not sure if she meant
King Arthur or Sophie's Uncle Max.
‘Weird but wonderful! That is the essence of
theatre!’ said Uncle Max, who had spent many happy
hours on stage. ‘But let us not delay! Onwards and
upwards - chairs into action!’
The three carried the chairs and King Arthur up
to Sophie's bedroom where the first meeting was to
be held. Sophie's room was only just big enough to
hold eight chairs in a circle. King Arthur was put in
a corner where he looked regal and imposing.
Uncle Max produced a hammer and paper bag of
nails from inside his roomy jacket and set about
mending chair legs and backs. After each chair had
been attended to Sophie or Cress in turn had to sit
down and test it out. Uncle Max gave it a shake from
the back and declared each chair ‘as safe as houses’
or that it would ‘last a lifetime that fellow!’
When he had finished he gave a final bow to King
Arthur and departed.
Downstairs the doorbell rang.
‘Visitors!’ called up Sophie's mum, who had been
surprised to see royalty and chairs carried upstairs.
Sophie rushed downstairs. How many children would
be there, waiting excitedly to join the DDC?
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