Fire in the Dark

The next morning, Polly woke long before the sun. In a dark field outside the village, trucks arrived with big baskets and long bags of cloth. The crews worked quietly with small lights and radios.

Polly stood on a basket and watched. The crew pulled the balloon out of its bag. It lay flat on the ground, like a giant sleeping whale. Then two loud fans began to blow cold air inside, and the balloon slowly grew.

The pilot held a small helium balloon on a string. He let it go, and everyone watched it climb into the dark. "The little balloon flies first," he told Polly. "It shows us where the wind will carry us today."

Then came the fire. The pilot squeezed the burner handle, and a long flame roared into the balloon. One breath of fire, two, three. The great balloon lifted its head and stood up in the dark, glowing orange from inside.