This anthology of stories was created by 120 children from

Alway Primary, Glan Usk Primary, Llanmartin Primary, Lliswerry

Primary, Marshfield Primary, St Gabriel’s Primary, St Woolos

Primary and Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd. With a little help from

children author and illustrator Thomas Docherty they created

this book.

The boys told us they had an “awesome” time with Thomas and that

they now enjoy books, stories, writing and know more about their

friends! One teacher told us that many of the boys are now inspired

to become authors themselves!

Thomas Docherty was “really pleased with how the boys have pulled

together to come up with some brilliant writing…I think they're

fantastic, the boys have done an amazing job”.

The project was organised by Newport City Council’s Community

Learning and Libraries as part of the Improving Boys’ Literacy

project in Newport in 2012.

These stories were presented to Newport’s LEA Literacy Advisors

for them to enthuse other boys about books, stories and reading.

For more information about the project contact us online at

central.library@newport.gov.uk

Contents

The Coin by Alway primary ....................................................... 4

00Pets (Double ´0’ Pets) by Glan Usk Primary .................. 11

The Time Wall by Lliswerry Primary .................................... 18

The Birthday Bumps by Llanmartin Primary ...................... 24

My Nan by Marshfield Primary .............................................. 30

The Wool of Life by St Gabriels RC Primary ...................... 38

My Friend Dave the Trolley by St Woolos Primary ....... 43

Help! My Sister is a Monster by Ysgol Gymraeg ........... 48

The Coin by Alway primary

Another boring holiday in Tenby with my parents. No

friends, as usual. I would rather be reading the

Yellow Pages, which tells you something… By the way,

my name is Ethan.

One day, I was bored, as usual so I decided to go to

the beach. I took my time walking down the rocky

path and I heard the crashing noise of the waves

against the wall. Then I noticed the tide coming in.

But this wasn’t an ordinary tide. It looked like an

ordinary tide but I knew that this was something

different. It came in and in and washed up an old

bottle at my feet.

It was a large glass bottle covered in seaweed, and it

seemed to contain a piece of paper. It was difficult

to open because the salt water had made the top

rusty and jammed it up. Inside there was a piece of

stained paper and a coin. Cautiously, I took out the

message. It looked ancient and crumpled up. I read

out the old fashioned writing. It said:

Do you dare flip the coin? Doom or luck, you decide!

I was intrigued by this coin. I had thought my holiday

was going to be boring, but it was going to be a lot

better now! A burst of excitement tingled up my

spine. Should I flip the coin? Ah, who cares, what

could possibly go wrong?!?

I decided to go to the arcade and play on the 2p

machines. I flipped the mysterious coin. I won lots of

2ps so I went to play on the slot machines. I flipped

the coin again. This time I lost. So I flipped the coin

again and went to the aquarium.

I didn’t know what to expect but I knew it would be

fun. I started walking through the glass tunnel with

fish flying all around me but they looked a bit

unusual, and that is when I knew something was up.

Then the water in the tank suddenly started to turn

green and the fish started gasping frantically for air.

I felt guilty for flipping the coin. How could I help

them? Maybe if I flipped the coin again I might save

the fish. I flipped the coin and the water slowly

turned back to normal and the fish started to revive.

I was relieved but also a bit ashamed. I needed

something to cheer me up. Maybe an ice cream would

do, but there were no ice cream vans in sight. Once

again I flipped the coin.

Just then, an ice cream van appeared from nowhere!

The ice cream man smiled as if he knew me and

handed me the biggest ice cream ever. How did he

know that was my favourite flavour? Chocolate chip

with sprinkles and a spectacular flake, topped off

with chocolate sauce! I thought I was dreaming. I

took a lick and the ice cream seemed to get bigger. I

took another lick and it grew and grew and grew. It

was enormous now and so heavy that I couldn’t hold it

any longer. I couldn’t flip the coin, so I threw it to

the ice cream man and asked him to do it for me. He

tossed it into the air and it landed on the sand. And

just then a seagull came swooping down and crashed

into my hand and the ice cream fell on the floor.

After the seagull took my ice cream I was fed up,

but then I saw a sand castle competition. It was £1

to enter. I paid them with my 2ps. I saw everyone’s

sand castles. They were extraordinary, how was I

going to win? I took the coin out of my pocket. I was

hoping for luck. I flipped the coin and I started

building. Time stopped, the castle just kept growing

and growing before my eyes. An astonishing castle

appeared. The judges awarded me first prize and

another ice cream. What a day!

Just then I met my Mum and Dad. “What have you

been doing?” they asked.

I didn’t know what to say, so I nervously replied,

“Nothing much, just went to the beach.”

Mum and Dad said that they were going to get a

pedal boat and go to Caldey Island. “Do you want to

come too?” they asked.

“No thanks, I want to go to the fair. I’ll see you

later.”

I decided to go on the big wheel, but just before I

got my ticket I reached into my pocket and grabbed

the coin. I crossed my fingers and hoped for good

luck. I flipped the coin anxiously and after waiting

ten minutes in the queue I got on the ride. The old,

rusty wheel eventually began to turn and it creaked

and clanked and I moved to the very top. “What a

view!” I said. Suddenly I heard a crunching noise and

the ride came to a standstill. I was nervous and

worried but I just looked at the beautiful view of

Tenby. Then something in the sea caught my eye. Two

people in a pedal boat were waving. I took a closer

look and thought, I know these people!

It was Mum and Dad and they were waving for help

because their pedal boat was sinking. I panicked and

suddenly I was searching in my pocket for the coin. I

flipped it and to my horror things got worse. The

boat started sinking faster. So I flipped it again and

this time the boat snapped in half and they both

went under the water. I was petrified, it was all going

wrong, this wasn’t meant to happen, I was meant to

save them. I flipped the coin for the last time and

Mum and Dad’s heads rose from the sea and a rescue

boat arrived and picked them up.

I was so relieved. At last the ride started going again

and when it reached the bottom I quickly jumped off

and sprinted down to the beach. I reached the

rescue boat and hugged Mum and Dad as tightly as I

could, as if I hadn’t seen them for months.

It was coming to the end of the day. I took the coin

out of my pocket and looked at it. I realised it had

caused too much trouble, plus it was too much power

for me. All the bad luck it had caused; too much guilt.

First the aquarium, with all the fish almost dying and

coming back to life, and then my Mum and Dad nearly

drowning.

I went and found the bottle and carefully put the

message and the coin back in and screwed on the lid.

Finally I put the bottle back in the sea and we

watched the tide go out as the sun set.

By boys from Alway Primary

00Pets (Double ´0’ Pets) by Glan Usk Primary

Hello, my name is Jack and I have a story to tell...

I live in Summerton Street near the park. I’ve got

three pets: Billy the parrot, George the snake and

Webster my dog, and together we fight crime and

solve mysteries. We are 00Pets. Billy is the Brains,

George is the Scout and Webster is strong, fast and

brave.

Every evening when I’m doing my homework I look out

the window at the park. One evening I saw a creepy

man walking towards a hole by a tree. It looked like

the park keeper.

The next evening the same thing happened, but this

time the man was carrying a box and he put it in the

hole. He was also carrying some sort of weird lumps

in his hands and he put them in the box too.

Then the next day at school I heard that four boys

were in the park at dusk and the park keeper stopped

them and told them to get out because it was

haunted after dark. I wondered what the creepy

park keeper was up to. What was he trying to hide? I

decided that I would go and check out the mystery.

So, the next evening I took Webster out for a walk

to the park. As we got closer to the park it got

darker and darker, when suddenly I heard a voice.

“I wouldn’t hang around here if I were you. This place

is haunted after dark.”

It was the park keeper and I couldn’t see very well

but it looked like he had some more of those weird

lumps in his hand.

“What you got there?” I asked him.

“None of your business,” he replied with a smile. “Now

off you go home, little kid!”

I went straight home and got all my pets together.

“I think the park keeper must be burying treasure,” I

said, “like diamonds and emeralds and gold and rubies

and pearls and opals and silver. Maybe he robbed a

museum or a bank.”

“Come on Billy,” I said, “you have to come up with a

plan.”

“I’m thinking,” replied Billy, flapping his wings. “Aha!”

he screeched, “I’ve got it, but this plan must be done

properly.”

“What it is?” I asked, steaming with excitement.

“George scouts out and reports back. We get my cage

and we hook it up to a tree in the park. Then, when

the park keeper comes, we cut the rope. Webster will

pin the park keeper down and we will make him tell us

what’s going on.”

“Cool plan, Billy,” I said. “I’ll go and get the cage and

some rope. 00Pets, let’s go!”

In the park, the swings were swinging back and

forwards in the wind and we heard a creepy noise

coming from behind some trees. George went to see

what was going on. When he got back he told us that

he had discovered something.

“I found a fresh hole that has been covered over and

marked with a cross, and there are other holes

marked with crosses all over the park!”

Then we saw him: a man, standing by a group of trees,

holding a sack in one hand. On the floor he had a

shovel and a torch. It was the park keeper.

So we started setting up the trap with the rope and

Billy’s cage. We saw the park keeper walking towards

us and Webster said, “The trap’s ready, let’s go!”

Webster crept up stealthily behind the park keeper.

Just then, Billy dropped his cage on the park keeper’s

head and Webster pounced and pinned him to the

ground.

“Ouch!” shouted the park keeper. “Get off me, you

meddling parrot!”

I grabbed the torch and shone it in his face.

Webster started to dig up the treasure. It looked

like gold and silver coins and precious stones shining

in the moon light. Then something strange happened.

Suddenly Webster started to sniff the treasure,

then he started to lick it, then he began to eat it.

“Wait, this isn’t right,” I said. “Webster, what are

you doing?” But Webster’s couldn’t talk because he

had his mouth full.

“Stop! Don’t eat them, that’s not for you!” cried the

park keeper. “That’s for the kids in the treasure hunt

tomorrow.”

“Treasure hunt!” I said. “And we thought you were

burying stolen treasure.”

“I thought if anyone knew what I was doing they

would come and take the chocolate and leave nothing

for the kids tomorrow,” explained the park keeper.

“And now I’ll never have time to finish burying all the

chocolate coins and money.”

“Can we help you?” I said.

“Thank you,” said the park keeper. “It looks like I

misjudged you kids.”

So we all helped the park keeper finish off the job

and I went home to bed.

On the way home I felt in my pocket and found a

chocolate coin. I took it out and tried to open it but I

couldn’t get the wrapper off. Then I tried to bite it

but it was hard and cold.

It wasn’t chocolate, it was solid gold…

By boys from Glan Usk Primary

The Time Wall by Lliswerry Primary

One sunny day I decided to go to the park with my

friends.

In the park there was a vicious dog that wouldn’t

leave us alone. I tried to give the dog a treat but it

started barking at us. We decided to ignore it, but it

started to come towards us. We felt scared. We took

a few steps backwards. Suddenly the dog pounced.

We ran in different directions. I ran down a street

and my friends ran somewhere else. I ran into a dead

end. All that I saw was a wall. I looked at the dog and

saw blood dripping from its teeth with loads of saliva

all round its mouth. I was so scared I could hear my

heart pumping. I spun round, took a step back and

vaulted over the wall. As I pulled myself over I could

feel the dog snapping at my leg.

I landed in some soft grass and found myself in a

beautiful garden. I felt relieved that I had got away

from the dog but I was a bit shameful because I was

in someone’s garden. Then suddenly I heard a voice,

someone talking in a posh voice with a strange accent.

I turned round and saw lots of people laughing. It was

a family, and they seemed to be having a tea party.

They were all wearing suits and long dresses and they

were sipping their tea with their little fingers up in

the air.

A little boy noticed me and said, “Hello, would you

like a spot of tea?”

I nodded.

“Where did you come from?” asked the boy.

“I live just round the corner,” I said, “I got chased

by a dog and I jumped over the wall.”

“But there are no houses around here,” replied the

boy, “just grass and fields. And that wall is too big to

jump over.”

I turned round and to my amazement I saw a high

wall. Something weird was going on.

“What are you wearing?” asked the boy.

“It’s only a tracksuit,” I said.

“What’s a tracksuit?” said the boy, “I’ve never seen

anything like it. By the way, my name is Oliver.”

“I’m Dan,” I said.

It was sunny in the garden and I was really hot

because of running away from the dog, so I took off

my tracksuit top and showed it to Oliver. Everything

was so strange.

I suddenly felt confused and dizzy. I finished my tea

and said that I should go home.

“I will show you to the front door,” said Oliver. “It

will be my pleasure. Do come for tea another day.”

As I walked through the house I noticed it was old

fashioned. It was like going back in time. I saw a

grand piano, black and white photos on the wall, a

typewriter on an old fashioned desk and candlesticks

glowing on the mantelpiece above the fire. On the

table were teacups and a teapot. The boy guided me

to the door and I noticed a coat rack with fur coats

and fancy hats. As he opened the door it creaked.

Oliver said farewell.

I ran home as fast as I could and told my Mum all

about my day. After that she said, “Where’s your

tracksuit?” I realised I had left it in the house!

I went back the next day to get my tracksuit. As

soon as I got to that weird place I was shocked

because it was all boarded up, except one window. I

wondered if it was the right house, but then I saw

the old fashioned clothing in the window and when I

looked in I saw all the old stuff I had seen

yesterday, the grand piano and the candlesticks, but

now they seemed spooky and covered in cobwebs.

Just then, an old man walked past. “No one has lived

there for over a hundred years,” he said.

“But I was there yesterday, having a cup of tea. And

I met a boy,” I replied.

“I used to live there,” said the old man. “Are you the

boy that left the tracksuit behind?”

I stood there shocked with surprise. I couldn’t

believe it. The old man smiled and walked up the

broken path and through the door as if it wasn’t

there. Something made me look up and I saw a

ghostly figure in the top window. It was the boy from

yesterday, but he looked strange and pale. I waved to

him and he waved back. Then he disappeared. I felt

scared, but then I saw my tracksuit top at my feet,

all folded up neatly. It was a bit dusty.

I put it on, dusted myself off and pegged it home as

fast as I could.

By boys from Lliswerry Primary

The Birthday Bumps by Llanmartin Primary

The worst thing EVER happened to me on my

birthday.

For starters, my kitten woke me up and I fell out of

bed. I looked up at my kitten and it gave me a big lick

on my face. I got back into bed but as soon as I went

back to sleep my evil little sister ran in and give me a

big sloppy kiss. It was disgusting! Then she

screeched in my ear with her whiny little voice,

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGIEEEEEE!”

I knew then that it was going to be the worst

birthday ever.

Next up, it was time for my presents, brilliant! The

first present was from my devious little sister. When

I saw her smiling I knew it was going to be bad and

you know what, she came up trumps. Hideous, fluffy

pink socks, and to top it all off my Mum made me

wear them. She said, “Your sister chose them

especially for you.”

Next was a present from my rich aunt (cha-ching!).

And I wasn’t disappointed. She gave me an amazing

pair of trainers that had just come out last week. I

put them on straight away, but they were too small!

To make things worse, they fitted my sister

perfectly, so she got them. I couldn’t believe it. It

was my birthday and they were meant to be for me.

Well, she was happy about that, but I was furious.

Then my Mum and Dad came in with a big box. This is

what I had been waiting for all year, my scooter. It

was even wrapped up with scooter wrapping paper. I

was so excited I thought I was going to burst. I

ripped off the paper and opened it and there was the

scooter box. I opened the box, but instead of a

scooter there was another box and it was really

small. I opened it and inside was a tiny little badge

which said HAPPY BIRTHDAY on it.

“Surprise!” said Mum and Dad. “Happy Birthday,

George.”

“Thanks,” I managed to say, but I it was hard to hide

the expression on my face. I was gutted.

After opening all my presents, there was some good

news. We were all going to a restaurant to have

dinner. As we were leaving the house our next door

neighbour asked us if we had seen their tarantula.

They said that their daughter had been holding it and

when she wasn’t looking it has escaped. I thought

they were joking around because it was my birthday,

but they looked very serious. We were late, so we

just got into the car and left to go to the restaurant.

At last my luck was turning. It was a really posh

restaurant. Everything was going brilliantly and I had

ordered my favourite, spaghetti bolognaise. But then

I felt something hairy and wriggly crawl out of my

pocket.

“What the..?” I said.

Then I saw it. It was big and hairy and scary. It was

next door’s tarantula and it was crawling up the

waitress’s leg. She must have seen it too because she

started to scream. She threw the tray of food into

the air and CRASH! I was showered in spaghetti

bolognaise, all over me.

The meal had been a disaster. “I’m so sorry,” said

Mum. “Let’s go home, the day’s not over yet and there

might be something special waiting for you in your

room.”

But on the way home, guess what, all of a sudden

SNAP, CRUNCH, BANG, the car broke down and I

thought, can my day get any worse!

It took ages to get home from the restaurant. My

sister was whining all the way and Mum and Dad were

arguing, plus the tow truck broke down so we had to

wait for a bus. At last we arrived, and just then I

remembered what my Mum had said to me… “There’s

something special in your room.” I walked up the

stairs and I could see something shining through the

gap of my bedroom door. I rushed into my room and

there it was - my scooter. I felt brilliant.

“Thanks Mum, thanks Dad, I love you. Can I go out,

can I go out, please, please?”

“Yes, you can dear.”

“Hooray!”

I had been waiting for this all year. I picked up my

scooter, kicked the door open and in the blink of an

eye I was out. I ran to the top of the steep hill by my

house and pushed off. I was going so fast I thought I

was going to break the sound barrier. Suddenly I saw

a black dot running across the road. It was my kitten.

I had left the door open by accident. I tried to stop,

I hit a stone, I flipped over the handlebars…

CRASH!

I think you will all agree, this was the worst birthday

ever.

By boys from Llanmartin Primary

My Nan by Marshfield Primary

It was a cold, wet day when my Nan arrived. My Mum

and Dad were rushing around the house, stressing out

getting ready for their holiday, and my Nan was

coming to look after me. I had never met my Nan

before - well, not since I was a baby. She’s from

abroad.

I was on my bed when I heard a knock at the door. I

got up and answered it. I could see a small figure

with white bushy hair carrying a mysterious suitcase.

It was my Nan.

“Hello Craig,” said my Nan, “haven’t you grown!” And

she gave me a big sloppy kiss.

I was feeling a bit nervous, but Mum and Dad were in

a big rush.

“Come on, Craig,” said Mum. “Don’t be sad, you’ll have

a good time with your Nan.” “Don’t worry about us,”

said Nan cheerfully. “We’ll be fine! We’ll have a great

time, won’t we, Craig?”

I gave my parents a hug and a kiss and waved

goodbye.

“Will you come upstairs and help me unpack my

suitcase?” Nan asked. So I carried her mysterious

case up to her room.

As I helped unpack her suitcase I found a jaw-

dropping crystal skull, an African mask, a dinosaur

tooth and some crazy clothes.

“Nan, where did you get all this amazing stuff?” I

said.

“Well, I got the African mask when I was exploring

down the river Nile, and I got the crystal skull from

a pyramid in Egypt. I found the dinosaur tooth in the

East Indian desert.”

Then, after we had unpacked, she said, “I think I will

take a little nap now, Craig. I’m tired out from my

journey.”

“OK Nan,” I said. “I’ll see you in the morning, good

night.”

When my Nan came down the next morning I couldn’t

believe my eyes. She had dyed her hair red with blue

highlights and she had luminous pink eyebrows. She

was wearing a leather jacket with a World War II

medal.

“Wow!” I said. I was gob smacked. I couldn’t believe

it, my Nan was so cool.

“Come on,” she said, “you’re going to be late for

school.”

I went to school with my Nan in the car. As always, I

got bullied, and I came out of school with a black eye.

I walked out of the school gates and I couldn’t

believe it. My Nan was waiting for me, but she was

sitting on a motorbike with a sidecar. Everyone was

amazed.

“Where’s the car, Nan?” I asked.

“I swapped it for this bike. Do you like it?”

“Mum and Dad are going to be furious,” I said.

“Well, let’s keep it a secret, maybe,” she said. “Shall

we go home?”

When I woke up the next morning my Nan was

nowhere to be seen. I looked round the house, but

she wasn’t there. So I went out into the garden and I

saw her planting some weird vegetables. I picked up

one of the packets of seeds.

“What on earth is a nargly?!” I asked. My Nan turned

around.

“Oh, hello there, Craig,” she said, “I was just planting

some vegetables for tea tonight.” “I never knew you

were good at gardening, Nan,” I said. For tea that

night we had the narglies and they were absolutely

delicious!

The next day was a sunny afternoon. We were

walking in the park when I saw the bullies from

school playing football. The ball flew over to Nan.

She did a few kick ups and booted it into the top left

corner of the goal. One of the boys said, “I wanna

hang out with him! Hey Craig, see you at school.”

“Thanks, Nan,” I said, and Nan just smiled.

That night I was doing my homework and I needed

help. Nan was doing yoga. I asked her if she could

help me and she said yes. When we had finished, I

asked if she could teach me yoga, and she did.

With my Nan staying, things got a lot better at

school. Everyone wanted to be my friend and play

with me and come over to mine for tea. On the way to

school the next day I asked my Nan when she was

going, because I knew that I was really going to miss

her. “I’ll miss you too,” said Nan, “but don’t worry

about me, I’ll be back. Your Mum and Dad are coming

home tomorrow so we’ll have to go pick up the car and

finish the narglies. I’ve put some narglies in your

sandwiches.”

“Thanks, Nan,” I said, “that’s lovely.”

The next morning I woke up, made myself some toast

and called to my Nan. She came downstairs with her

old white bushy hair. She was holding her mysterious

suitcase, all packed and ready to go.

“What’s happened to you, Nan? I said. “You’re back to

normal!” She just winked.

Just then, the door opened and my parents stumbled

in. I rushed through the house and gave them a big

hug and gasped, “Mum, Dad, I’m so glad to see you.”

“You missed us?” said Dad.

“A bit,” I replied.

“Have a good time with your Nan?” said Mum.

“It was awes… I mean it was kinda OK,” I said ,with a

smile on my face.

After lunch, Nan was standing in the hallway waiting

to go. The bus came to pick her up, she gave me a big

sloppy kiss and suddenly she was gone!

A few weeks later, when I got back from school I

found a decorated parcel on the mat. It was from my

Nan. Inside the parcel was a postcard, a packet of

nargly seeds and a yoga DVD. The postcard read:

Dear Craig,

How is school? I’m off to the Andes, would you like to

come? Hope you enjoy the narglies,

Love Nan xxx

By boys from Marshfield Primary

The Wool of Life by St Gabriels RC Primary

One cold day, me and my mates, Mike and Jim, were

walking home from school. We had just walked past

MacKay’s Mechanics when we saw an old man in a dark

corner, rocking on his chair. He had short, grey,

messy hair and his eyes were as red as lava. He had

scars, scrapes and bruises, and no teeth. There was

something in his lap, but we didn’t know what it was.

He turned his head and looked at us with his big

beady eyes. A shiver went down my spine. We turned

and sprinted away.

The next day it was very blustery. We went back

after school to the old man in the alley, he glared at

us and his eyes were as bright as the sun in the

desert. He turned his head back down to the thing in

his lap. I wanted to get closer to see what he was

doing. I sneaked, as quiet as a mouse, scurrying along

the street. Then I looked in his lap, but I only saw a

strand of wool. The old man was knitting something!

The next day at school, we discussed the scary old

man.

“Maybe he’s a ghost,” said Mike.

“Maybe he’s cursed,” said Jim.

“Maybe he’s homeless,” I said. “He could be knitting a

blanket, to keep him warm.” “Or a teddy bear,” Mike

added.

“Maybe he’s magic and he’s knitting the whole world!”

said Jim.

“What if he could be knitting money!” I cried.

“Don’t be stupid!” shouted Mike, “it’s obviously

lottery cards, because where else could they come

from?”

“That’s the most stupid idea ever,” I said. “It’s

definitely furniture!”

“Furniture?” said Jim. “That’s impossible!”

“Well, the only way to find out,” I said, “is to GO

BACK!”

So after school we went back to see what he was up

to.

It was gloomy in the alley and we hid in the shadows.

I crept up behind the old man and looked over his

shoulder. I could just see that he was knitting a

pattern. The pattern was colourful, it was black and

yellow and green and blue with stripes and dots, but I

couldn’t see what it was going to be. I suddenly felt

sorry for him. He looked very old and he didn’t have

any food. I decided to go the shop to get him

something to eat. We got him a chocolate bar and a

drink but it was late, so we ran home. We decided to

go back tomorrow and give him the food.

The next day we set off to the old man in the

alleyway. When we got there the alley seemed darker

than usual. We peered into the gloom but we couldn’t

see the old man. We looked at his empty rocking

chair. All that was left was a strand of wool. The old

man had disappeared.

We felt worried. We wondered what had happened to

him and if we would ever see him again. We thought

he might have died, but to think of it happier, we

pretended he had just gone on holiday for a long

time.

Just then, we saw a little girl coming down the road

with her mum and dad. She was wearing a woolly hat

and a jumper. I took a good look, and then I saw the

pattern. It was black and yellow and green and blue,

with stripes and dots. It was the same pattern that

the old man had been knitting. After all that had

happened, at last we knew. He wasn’t a scary man, he

was a generous man. I felt happy.

In life, it’s like everyone is knitting their own story.

When the wool runs out, that’s the end of the story,

but whatever you have knitted stays behind.

So we left the bar of chocolate and the drink on the

rocking chair, in case the old man came back, and we

went home for our tea.

By boys from St Gabriel’s RC Primary

My Friend Dave the Trolley by St Woolos Primary

Hello, my name is John Smith and I am 8 years old.

My best friend Dave disappeared two days ago and no

one has seen him since. The last time I saw him it was

a cold, dark, stormy night. I was walking home with

Dave from football practice and we were chatting

about the match scores and arguing. I said it was

time to split up and go home, but I couldn’t see Dave

at all. I shouted out his name, but the only thing in

the street was a supermarket trolley. As I walked

home, the trolley seemed to follow me.

The next day I saw that same trolley again, opposite

my school. I didn’t think anything of it. Probably it

got stolen from the local shopping centre. But the

next day I noticed it on the road near my house, the

same trolley again! It seemed to be coming closer and

closer, and I felt it was looking at me.

On the third day, the trolley was outside my front

gate and I had to jump over the fence to get out. I

turned and ran. Then the trolley ran after me! That

night, I heard a dustbin crash and when I looked out

of my window I saw the trolley all alone against the

night sky. I was thinking, it really wants to stay with

me or something.

The next morning I went to play some football. I put

on my football shirt, but then I thought, “Oh no, not

the trolley again!” It was in the middle of the street

and it was wearing the same football kit and it even

had a football in it. I felt sorry for it. When I saw

that the trolley had the same football kit as me, I

thought it wanted to be my friend. It followed me to

the park. Then it started to play football. It was

weird, because the trolley had the same skills as

Dave. Then the trolley went in goal and it was really

good, just like Dave! That’s when I started to

wonder. So I asked the trolley its name.

There were some cans and scraps on the ground and

the trolley pushed them around with its wheels. I was

shocked! I looked closer and they spelled out D A V

E.

“Are you really Dave?” I asked, and the trolley

jumped up and down like it was saying, “Yes!”

I couldn’t believe it, my best friend was a trolley. I

felt confused and started panicking and I wondered

what I was going to do. Then suddenly I had an idea.

I knew I had a mission to do. I had to get Dave back.

I had to make a special potion.

I took Dave to his house when his mum wasn’t there,

because I knew she would get upset if she found out

that Dave was a trolley. I sneaked round the back

and opened the rusty wooden doors to the garden.

The key was under the mat, so first we went to the

kitchen and found some of Dave’s favourite foods,

like jelly babies, apples, chocolate and cherryade.

Next we went to his room and got his football kit and

a wrestling figure, and then we went to my house to

make the potion.

When I got home I asked Mum and Dad to go over to

Auntie’s house because I needed a bit of time alone

to do my homework in peace and quiet. They said

“OK”, and as soon as they were outside I got Dave

and started getting all the ingredients - the

chocolate, apples, jelly babies, cherryade, football kit

and his wrestling figure. I put on the gas and chucked

the weird ingredients into a big pan and left them to

cook and melt. I took the lid off to look at it. It was

multicoloured and really thick with popping bubbles

and it smelt disgusting. I took it off the gas and let

it cool down.

Now I had to decide how to give the potion to Dave.

It would be difficult because he didn’t have a mouth.

Finally I decided to take him into the garden and put

the potion on with a sponge, and rub it on his wheels

and handlebars.

I had to wait about 15 seconds. Then, suddenly, there

was a flash of light. I was blinded for a moment, and

then there was a noise which sounded like a firework

going off close to me: BOOM! BOOM! The smoke soon

disappeared and there was Dave, standing by my side.

He looked dirty, confused and dizzy. I shook him

gently.

“Dave, are you OK?”

“I’m so tired,” said Dave. “But when I’ve got my

breath back, do you want to go and play football at

the park?”

“Yeah,” I answered, “I’ll just get my football kit. But

don’t you think we should go and tell your mum first?”

“Oh yeah,” said Dave. “Come on, let’s go and surprise

her.”

By boys from St Woolos Primary

Help! My Sister is a Monster by Ysgol Gymraeg

I woke up slowly from a strange dream. It was a

bright and frosty day and I was feeling drowsy, so I

went to the bathroom and threw some ice-cold water

onto my face. I opened my eyes and saw my

toothbrush. It had slime and teeth marks on it.

I ran downstairs into the living room and stepped on a

big black fur ball. I nearly fell over! Then I sat down

on the sofa and something sharp dug into my back.

“Aaaaah!” I cried. “I wonder what that was?”

When I looked, I saw that it was a giant nail clipping.

I walked into the kitchen to get some breakfast. I

noticed that there were some big chunks taken out

of the cereal packets, food scattered all over the

floor and footprints going to the fridge.

I followed the footprints out into the garden.

Outside, I found monster droppings on the grass and

giant footprints in the vegetable patch.

I came inside from the garden and I saw Mum and

Dad cleaning up all the mess. One of the fur balls was

too big for the Hoover and had clogged it up and

made it blow a fuse. As I came in, I tripped and fell

over with a crash. Mum and Dad turned round to see

what all the racket was.

“What on earth are you doing?” said Mum.

“Are you all right?” asked Dad.

“I just tripped,” I said in a nervous voice, with

chattering teeth. “Why are you cleaning up? You don’t

normally clean up this early.”

“N-nothing to worry about, dear,” said Mum. “Why

don’t you go back up to your room and let us clear up.”

But I didn’t go up to my room. I went straight to my

sister’s room to investigate.

In my sister’s room there was slime dripping slowly

from the door handle and when I looked in her bed

there was thick fur all over her pillow and quilt, and I

saw scratch marks on the wall. I felt weird and

strange and fearful. This was too suspicious. It was

then that I decided that my sister must be a

monster!

That night, when everyone was asleep, I set up a

camera with a trip wire and an alarm. I put out some

coco pops to lure her out of her room and some

talcum powder to measure her footprints. I put the

alarm in my bedroom and I went to sleep.

I had a dream of catching the monster and the world

was like a big hair ball. Suddenly I woke up. It was

the morning. The alarm hadn’t gone off! What had

gone wrong? I walked out of my room and realised

that the coco pops had been eaten and there was a

paw print in the talcum powder. I went to look at the

camera and saw the blurred outline of a furry

bottom. I had enough evidence now to catch the

monster red-handed.

That evening I decided to stay up all night. It was

difficult. I had to slap myself to keep myself awake.

I had nearly fallen asleep but then I heard a

floorboard creak. I was really scared, I didn’t move

in case it heard me. I heard a bang in my sister’s

room, then I saw the door of my sister’s room open

slowly and a big hairy foot poked out. I was so scared

I ran back to my room and grabbed my binoculars to

see if it was real.

The monster came out of her room and walked

straight past my door. I tiptoed downstairs and

followed the monster into the kitchen. The fridge

was open and I saw the monster scoffing all the food.

I think she knew that I was spying on her because

suddenly she turned her ugly face around. She was

brown and very hairy, like a beast, with horns coming

out of her head, and her eyes were red like fire. Her

eyes filled with fear.

“Aaaaaah!!” I screamed. “Mum, Dad, my sister is a

monster!”

And I ran up the stairs at the speed of light,

straight into my Mum and Dad’s bedroom.

“It’s time for you to know the truth,” said Dad. “Look

in the mirror.”

It was then that I discovered that I was a monster

too! I was brown and very hairy and I had horns

coming out of my head. I turned back around to look

at my Mum and Dad, I saw fur all over the covers and

slime everywhere. They pulled down the covers, and I

couldn’t believe what I saw. My parents were also

brown and hairy with horns coming out of their

heads. I didn’t know what to think.

“Don’t worry,” said Dad, “everyone’s different. You

can’t judge a book by its cover. Come on, let’s party

and have some fun.”

So we played Pass the Fur Ball and Musical Monsters

and danced the Monster Macarena. There were

chocolate toenails and fizzy snot and we emptied the

fridge and the cupboards and scattered the food all

over the table and floor. It was a monstertastic

party and we didn’t even need to worry about clearing

up afterwards.

Maybe being a monster is not so bad after all.

By boys from Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd