Sunday 9 November

I can’t believe what happened today.

I took the four little ones with me to the ice rink.

While teaching them, I’ve got quite good at skating backwards, which I’m very pleased about. Anyway, I was showing off my skills to Leaf, Twig, Pin, Plum and Socks when a small crowd began to form. They started to whoop and cheer, and the more noise they made, the more I showed off.

I was just beginning to get tired, when who should appear but the girl with red hair! The whole crowd started to clap in unison, and she joined in.

Excited, I decided to skate in smaller and smaller circles. Which was when things went a bit wrong. I tried to finish with a spin, but I haven’t really learned how to do that yet, so I slipped and ended up spinning on my bottom instead. But no one seemed to mind – they all just carried on clapping.

Exhausted, I clambered to my feet and took a deep bow. Which was when I realised they weren’t looking at me at all, but at someone behind me…

I turned to see an athletic figure dressed in a purple sparkly suit, with lightning bolts on the arms, spinning faster and faster in a dazzling pirouette! It was him they had been watching, not me!

He came to a dramatic halt in a spray of ice, the crowd burst into applause, and the girl with red hair rushed straight past me and into his arms.

‘Max!’ she cried.

Of course! Now I recognised him. It was Max Grimmsson, Grimm Grimmsson’s son. I guess that makes him Max Grimmssonsson.

‘Holly!’ he replied.

Oh well. At least I now know her name.