Disclaimer: I don't own Valdemar.
Sara jumped up and down, trying to get a better view of the stage. Because her family was poorer, they could only see from the back. All she could see from here were the wonderful white birds. They were beautiful! They had colorful ribbons attached to their feet. The one with the trailing tail had the tips of its wings and tail dyed in rainbows and had a cluster of ribbons atop its head, like a miniature turban. The other just had the ribbons on its feet, but it was doing tricks and swooping up, down, and around everything that might be an obstacle. It was also turning loops and making dizzying turns. The pretty one simply soared over everyone's heads.
It swooped towards her! She laughed as its tail feathers brushed against her face once, twice, three times and butted her gently towards the stage. She eagerly went. Once there, the Great Mage Pandemonium, as he called himself, gestured for her to come forward. She rushed to him, and he asked her to stand still so he could see if he could find something for her. To her great astonishment, he produced a gold coin from her pocket, which she had been so sure was empty! He then seemed to pull coins out of everything that could hold something on her body, including mouth, ears, pockets, hair, and even her shoe!
He stopped when her little hands could not hold another coin, then sent the ecstatic Sara back to her parents. She was so excited that she could barely keep still, and was immensely depressed when the carnival was over.
The next day, Sara rushed to table to find her parents staring in slight disbelief. Where the mock gold-coins had been was a pile of real copper and silver coins!