Well, when Emilia saw this carousel for the first time she thought it was the most magical thing she had ever seen. And immediately of course she just had to have a ride on it. Being a very observant little girl with an eye for detail, she noticed at once that one of the carousel horses was different from the others. This horse was called Alfonso. Emilia could read the name around his neck.

Now all of the carousel horses were painted gold and had long flowing manes and tails except Alfonso. What's more it seemed to Emilia that Alfonso looked older than the others, as if he had been made at an earlier time. His face was unusual. His features were very carefully painted with much attention to detail. Alfonso had flaring nostrils and clever eyes. Moreover he wasn't gold like the others but white.

"Oh, I do like Alfonso!" said Emilia to no-one in particular. "He's got to be mine."

And before anyone could stop her, she had climbed on his back as he rose into the air on his swirling pole.