On Friday, Refiloewas allowed to stay at home from school for the whole day to help with all the many things that needed to be done.

Everyone in the Tenanehousehold was tremendously busy.

Palesa’sfriends decorated the tent with ribbons and white cloths, and they put pink sweets and beautiful paper flowers on the tables, and pretty pink bows on all the chairs.

‘I wish I could let you into the tent to see them,’ Refiloetold her chickens, ‘it is too, too beautiful! Palesais so lucky!’ and she clapped her hands in delight.

Palesa’smother and the other women made a huge fire for the big pots. There were potatoes to be peeled, morohoto be washed, beans to be rinsed, big round breads to be baked, sampto be soaked, cabbage to be chopped, mutopoto be prepared, namato be cut up, there was so much to do!

‘I want you to help with the carrots and moroho, Refiloe,’ said her mother, ‘do exactly as Mme Pedi and Mme Ngwetell you. That is if we can get Mme Ngweoff her bottom for ten minutes,’ she added.

‘Oh my, all this food smells so good,’ said Refiloeto her chickens who were scratching around the pot hoping for something delicious to fall from the table, ‘tomorrow we are going to have the most amazing feast Lesotho has ever seen!’

When the morohowas slowly bubbling, Refiloewent off to watch Palesatry on her wedding dress in her mother’s bedroom.

It came in a big box full of lots of soft paper, and it was simply gorgeous. Refiloewas enchanted.

Palesaeven let her touch it, but only once.

‘It’s got lace sleeves, and a perfectly enormous bow at the back, and a frothy petticoat underneath and tiny buttons on the sleeves. You never saw anything like it!’ she ran to tell her chickens. ‘Come! If you promise to be very quiet I’ll show you,’ she said, and she lifted them up one by one to peep through the bedroom window at the dress that was laid out ready on the bed.

The chickens were not impressed.