7/21/2019 30 - Jingle Dancer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/30-jingle-dancer 1/2

Jingle Dancer By Cynthia Leitich Smith

Will Jenna get enough jingles for her outfit?

  Tink, tink, tink, tink , sang cone-shaped jingles sewn to randma Wolfe!s dress" #$ery

randma %ounce-step %rought clattering tin&s as light %lurred sil$er against jingles of tin"Jenna daydreamed at the &itchen ta%le, tasting %oney on fry %read, her heart %eating to the

brum, brum, brum, brum of the powwow drum"

  's (oon &issed Sun good night, Jenna shifted her head on randma Wolfe!s shoulder")* want to jingle dance, too"+ )et powwow, you could dance irls,+ randma Wolfe

answered" )But we don!t ha$e enough time to mail-order tins for rolling jingles"+

'gain and again, Jenna watched a $ideotape of randma Wolfe jingle dancing" When

randma %ounce-stepped on ./, Jenna %ounce-stepped on family room carpet" But

Jenna!s dress would not %e a%le to sing" *t needed four rows of jingles"

's Sun fetched morning, Jenna danced east to reat-aunt Sis!s porch" Jenna!s %ounce-

steps crunched autumn lea$es, %ut her steps didn!t jingle" 0nce again, reat-aunt Sis toldJenna a (uscogee Cree& story a%out Bat" 'lthough other animals had said he was too

small to ma&e a difference, Bat won a %all game %y flying high and catching a %all in his

teeth"

1ising sunlight reached through a windowpane and flashed against2what was it,

hanging in 'unt Sis!s %edroom? Jingles on a dress too long 3uiet" )(ay * %orrow

enough jingles to ma&e a row?+ Jenna as&ed, not wanting to ta&e so many that 'unt Sis!sdress would lose its $oice"

)4ou may,+ 'unt Sis answered, ru%%ing her cal$es" )(y legs don!t wor& so goodanymore" Will you dance for me?+ )* will,+ said Jenna with a &iss on 'unt Sis!s chee&"

 ow Jenna!s dress needed three more rows"

's Sun arri$ed at midcircle, Jenna s&ipped south to (rs" Scott!s %rand-new duple"'t Jenna!s side, jingles clin&ed" (rs" Scott led Jenna into the &itchen" 0nce again, Jenna

rolled dough, and (rs" Scott fried it" )(ay * %orrow enough jingles to ma&e a row?+

Jenna as&ed, not wanting to ta&e so many that (rs" Scott!s dress would lose its $oice"

  )4ou may,+ (rs" Scott answered, tossing flour with her apron" )'t powwow, *!ll %e

 %usy selling fry %read and *ndian tacos" Will you dance for me?+ )* will,+ said Jennawith a high fi$e" ow Jenna!s dress needed two more rows"

  's Sun caught a glimpse of (oon, Jenna strolled west to Cousin #li5a%eth!sapartment" 't Jenna!s side, jingles clan&ed" #li5a%eth had arri$ed home late from the

law firm" 0nce again, Jenna helped #li5a%eth carry in her files"

)(ay * %orrow enough jingles to ma&e a row?+ Jenna as&ed, not wanting to ta&e somany that #li5a%eth!s dress would lose its $oice" )4ou may,+ #li5a%eth answered,

 %urrowing through her messy closet for her jingle dress" ).his wee&end, *!m wor&ing on

a %ig case and can!t go to powwow" Will you dance for me?+ )* will,+ said Jenna,

7/21/2019 30 - Jingle Dancer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/30-jingle-dancer 2/2

clasping her cousin!s hands" ow Jenna!s dress needed one more row of jingles, %ut shedidn!t &now which way to turn"

's (oon glowed pale, Jenna shuffled north to randma Wolfe!s" 't Jenna!s side, jingles sat silent" 6igh a%o$e, clouds wa$ered li&e worried ghosts" When Jenna tugged

open the door, jingles sang, tink, tink, tink, tink " randma Wolfe was jingle dancing on

./" Jenna %reathed in e$ery hey-ah-ho-o of a powwow song" 6er heart%eat brum, brum,

brum, brum to the pounding of the drum"

  0n family room carpet, %eaded moccasins waited for Jenna!s feet" She shuc&ed off a

snea&er and slipped on a moccasin that long %efore had danced with randma Wolfe"Jenna &new where to find her fourth row" )(ay * %orrow enough jingles to ma&e a row?+

Jenna as&ed, not wanted to ta&e so many that randma Wolfe!s dress would lose its

$oice" )4ou may,+ randma said with a hug" ow Jenna!s dress could sing"

#$ery night that wee&, Jenna helped randma Wolfe sew on jingles and %ring together 

the dance regalia" #$ery night, Jenna practiced her %ounce-steps"

 Brum, brum, brum, brum sounded the drum at the powwow the net wee&end" 's

light %lurred sil$er, Jenna jingle danced

2for reat-aunt Sis, whose legs ached,

2for (rs" Scott, who sold fry %read,

2for #li5a%eth, who wor&ed on her %ig case,

 2and for randma Wolfe, who warmed li&e Sun"

Tink, tink, tink, tink.