At the Mardi Gras parade.

Mardi Gras is a French term meaning "Fat Tuesday." It is an exciting, colorful festival. The date of Mardi Gras depends on the date of Easter. This year, Mardi Gras as held February 1 5. Thousands of people traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, to celebrate. They watched parades of beautiful floats and marching bands.

Clang! Clang!

Vivian Adelle Lefleur could hardly wait another moment. This was her first visit to New Orleans during Mardi Gras. This was also her first ride on a streetcar. "Here it comes!" she said.

Clang! Clang! The streetcar rumbled and swayed from side to side. Screeeech! It stopped next to Vivian and her mother.

Vivian gasped. Something very strange was going on. Every single passenger was wearing a costume. "Mom!" Vivian whispered. "Are you sure this is the right car?"

Her mom grinned. "Don't worry," she said. "They're all dressed up for Mardi Gras."

Vivian climbed slowly aboard the streetcar. As she walked down the aisle, she couldn't help staring at some of the fantastic costumes. Wow! she thought.

As they rumbled down the street, Vivian looked out the window. The houses they passed were just as amazing as the Mardi Gras costumes. They had tall, shiny windows and lots of little balconies. "Look at all the flags!" Vivian said.

"Those are for Mardi Gras, too," her mother explained. "Green, gold, and purple are the Mardi Gras colors."

Screeeech! The streetcar came to a jolting stop.

"There's Gran!" Vivian rushed from the streetcar and hugged her grandmother.

"I'm so glad to see you both," said Gran. "Now let's hurry. I saved us a place at the curb. It's almost time for the parade to start!"

Rat-a-tat-tat! Toot, toot, toot! A band turned the corner up ahead and marched right past them. People on the sidewalk swayed and danced to the music.

Gran pointed past the band. "Next come the maskers." Their heads were covered by huge animal masks. They rode beautiful, high-stepping horses.

Gran, Vivian, and her mother were crushed together by the crowd. The people shouted and waved their hands above their heads. "Throw me something! Throw me something, mister!"

Vivian grabbed her grandmother's arm. "Why are they saying that?" she asked.

"There's a float coming," Gran replied. "The maskers on the float throw plastic toys and special coins to the crowd."

Vivian's mother clapped in time to the music. "The coins are called doubloons," she said. "People collect them."

The float passed in front of them. Vivian could hardly believe her eyes. "It's just like a moving stage," she said. The float carried a giant Mother Goose as tall as a building. Float riders were dressed like Humpty Dumpty and Little Miss Muffet.

"Throw me something, mister. shouted Vivian. Much to her surprise, a doubloon flew her way. It fell on the pavement. Quickly, Vivian pounced on the purple coin. "I got one!" she said.

More bands and floats paraded by. Vivian waved and shouted until the last one was out of sight.

That night, Vivian snuggled in a big four-poster bed in Gran's guest bedroom. When she closed her eyes, she could see red and blue band uniforms glowing in the sun. She could see people dressed as kings and queens and fairy-tale characters. She fell asleep to the crowd shouting, "Throw me something, mister! Throw me something!"