Roll Up! Roll Up! It’s Rita
 It was the day of the school fair.
“I hope we win the fancy dress competition,” said Jim.
“I’m going to have a balloon ride first!” said Julie.
“Can I be the back legs of the dragon?” asked Rita.
“We’ll think about it,” said Eddie.
Rita went to feed the rabbit. While she was gone, Julie’s friend Tania came round with her brother Eric.
They all ran away together. Rita found a note stuck to the fridge.
“Sorry, Tich,” it said. “Your legs are too short.”
Rita was furious. Then she had an idea.
“I’ve already got something to wear!” she said and she raced upstairs and changed into her Rescuer’s outfit.
She set off for the fair.
“Oh, look, Grandma!” cried a little boy. “There’s a girl dressed as the Rescuer! I wish I could be her! I wish I wasn’t a rabbit.”
Rita joined the people crowding into the school field. The first thing she saw was a toddler having a tantrum.
“I promised him a coconut,” said his father, “but I can’t manage to hit one. I think they’re glued in, anyhow.”
 “Let’s see what I can do,” said Rita.
BOING! BOING! BOING!
The coconuts flew left, right and centre.
“How’s that?” said Rita.
“Time for the sheepdog trials!” announced someone over the loudspeakers. “Shep McDuff will now round up all the sheep and herd them into the pen.”
Mr. McDuff blew his whistle.
But something was wrong – the sheep were behaving very strangely. They gnashed their teeth and started to chase Shep round and round the ring. Shep was terrified.
“Stop it!” cried Mr. McDuff, but it was no use. The sheep looked fiercer than ever and chased Shep into the pen.
“This is a job for the Rescuer!” said Rita.
First she rescued Shep and handed him to Mr. McDuff. Then she darted about the ring rounding up the sheep while the people cheered and clapped.
Soon all the sheep were safely in the pen. Rita spoke firmly to them and they hung their heads and bleated.
“You can start again,” she said to Mr. McDuff. “They’ve promised to do it properly this time.’’
Across the field, the weightlifters were getting restless.
 “Where’s the football team?” they asked. “They’re late for the tug-of-war.”
“They’re all down with German measles!” cried the judge. “We shall have to cancel the contest!”
Rita stepped forward.
“Can I take the place of the football team?” she asked.
“Oh, would you?” said the judge.
Rita pulled the weightlifters across the line with her teeth.
“What strength!” cried the crowd. “What amazing jaws!”
Suddenly the cheers turned to screams.
“The hot-air balloon is falling!” someone yelled. “Look out!”
 It was true! The balloon and its basket were hurtling downwards.
“Help!” screeched Eddie.
Rita streaked across the field like an arrow. She caught the basket just before it hit the ice-cream queue.
“A magnificent catch!” said Mr Lorenzo. “Have an ice lolly.”
Eddie tottered out of the basket followed by the others.
“Please, please can we have your autograph, Rescuer?” begged Julie and Tania.
“Not now,” said Rita.
She’d heard a muffled voice calling, “Help! Help!”
 The maypole dancing had come to a standstill. Miss Smiley, the reception-class teacher, was all tangled up in the ribbons.
“Leave this to me,” said Rita. “Can you play ‘Over the hills and far away’?” she asked the band.
Rita’s toes twinkled and the ribbons turned to a blur of colour.
“What grace!” cried the onlookers. “What skill!”
Rita danced faster and faster. Soon Miss Smiley was unwrapped.
“Oh, thank you, Rescuer!” she gasped. “I wish you were in my class!”
“Roll up! Roll up!” It was the announcer again. “See the amazing Ollie Osborne on his motorbike! See him do a handstand on the saddle! See him jump through a blazing hoop!
There was a roll of drums.
“See him leap over six lorries! cried the announcer.
VROOM! VROOM! Ollie zoomed up the ramp. He flew through the air.
“Oh no!” gasped the crowd.
Ollie had fallen off his bike!
“Here I come!” called Rita.
She caught Ollie in one hand and the motorbike in the other and set them down safely on the grass.
 “Bring me another six lorries!” said Rita. “Now, Ollie, watch carefully!”
“Wow!” cried the people as she soared through the air like an eagle.
“What a performance!”
After that, Rita had a go at the sideshows. She played skittles, she climbed the greasy pole, she rang the bell and she threw the Wellington boot further than it had ever been thrown before.
She won a real live pig, fifty pink rabbits, twenty teddy bears and twelve fluffy elephants.
She gave the toys to the children in the crowd. And she gave the pig to Mr. McDuff who was very pleased and said he would keep it on his farm.
‘Time for the fancy dress competition,” said the announcer and everyone surged towards the stage.
 “Third Prize,” said the mayor, “goes to Tracy Thompson for her cat outfit.
“Second Prize goes to Wayne Watson for his octopus suit! And First Prize – goes to – RITA THE RESCUER!”
Everyone cheered while Rita stepped up to receive the gold cup.
“Thank you!” she said. “Got to dash!”
At the back of the stage she spotted Eddie, Julie and Jim standing with Tania and Eric.
“I thought your costumes were great!” she whispered. “Here you are – have this!”
 And she handed them the cup. Then she whizzed off into the blue sky.
Rita was in the back garden when the others got home.
“Sorry we left you behind, Rita,” said Julie. “You missed the Rescuer again!”
“We thought you’d like this,” said Jim.
It was the gold cup!
“Look inside,” said Eddie.
Rita lifted the lid. The cup was filled with strawberries!
“Mm! Lovely!” she said. “Thank you, everyone!”
Written and illustrated by Hilda Offen |