Ivy’s grandma had sent her the book It was called The Royal Book of the Ballet Each chapter told the story of a different ballet with pictures of fancy girls in feathery tutus and satin toe shoes Bean was at Ivy’s house on the day it arrived They were supposed to be subtracting but they were tired of that so they ripped open the package and sat down side by side on Ivy’s couch to look at The Royal Book of the Ballet I heard that sometimes their toes bleed when they’re dancing said Bean The blood leaks right through the satin part That’s gross said Ivy turning the pages Suddenly she stopped 8
Whoa Nellie murmured Bean staring Is she kicking his head off asked Ivy in a whisper That’s what it looks like said Bean What’s this one called anyway Ivy flipped back a few pages Giselle she said reading quickly It’s about a girl named Giselle who um dances with this duke guy but he’s going to marry a princess not Giselle so she takes his sword and stabs herself Ivy and Bean found the picture of that interesting Yeah and then she turns into a ghost with all these other girls They’re Ew said Bean But called the Wilis 9
The picture showed a troop of beautiful women dressed in white They had very long fingernails And then Ivy read on the duke goes to see Giselle’s grave and she comes out with the Wilis and they decide to dance him to death Ivy stared at the picture To death Bean leaned over for a closer look It was pretty amazing Giselle’s pointed toe had snapped the duke’s head up so that his chin pointed straight up to the sky It would fall off in a moment The Wilis stood in a circle waving their long fingernails admiringly Bean lifted the page wishing that she could see more of the picture but there was no more There never was Wow she said shaking her head She showed him For a few minutes Ivy and Bean sat in silence thinking 10
