Posts tagged stories
The cat that walked by himself

A Just So story about the cat that walked by himself, by Rudyard Kipling [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IbTHL-AXH8&w=700] EAR and attend and listen; for this befell and behappened and became and was, O my Best Beloved, when the Tame animals were wild. The Dog was wild, and the Horse was wild, and the Cow was wild, and the Sheep was wild, and the Pig was wild--as wild as wild could be--and they walked in the Wet Wild Woods by their wild lones. But the wildest of all the wild animals was the Cat. He walked by himself, and all places were alike to him.

Of course the Man was wild too. He was dreadfully wild. He didn't even begin to be tame till he met the Woman, and she told him that she did not like living in his wild ways. She picked out a nice dry Cave, instead of a heap of wet leaves, to lie down in; and she strewed clean sand on the floor; and she lit a nice fire of wood at the back of the Cave; and she hung a dried wild-horse skin, tail-down, across the opening of the Cave; and she said, 'Wipe you feet, dear, when you come in, and now we'll keep house.'

That night, Best Beloved, they ate wild sheep roasted on the hot stones, and flavoured with wild garlic and wild pepper; and wild duck stuffed with wild rice and wild fenugreek and wild coriander; and marrow-bones of wild oxen; and wild cherries, and wild grenadillas. Then the Man went to sleep in front of the fire ever so happy; but the Woman sat up, combing her hair. She took the bone of the shoulder of mutton--the big fat blade-bone--and she looked at the wonderful marks on it, and she threw more wood on the fire, and she made a Magic. She made the First Singing Magic in the world.

Out in the Wet Wild Woods all the wild animals gathered together where they could see the light of the fire a long way off, and they wondered what it meant.

Then Wild Horse stamped with his wild foot and said, 'O my Friends and O my Enemies, why have the Man and the Woman made that great light in that great Cave, and what harm will it do us?'

Wild Dog lifted up his wild nose and smelled the smell of roast mutton, and said, 'I will go up and see and look, and say; for I think it is good. Cat, come with me.'

'Nenni!' said the Cat. 'I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. I will not come.'

'Then we can never be friends again,' said Wild Dog, and he trotted off to the Cave. But when he had gone a little way the Cat said to himself, 'All places are alike to me. Why should I not go too and see and look and come away at my own liking.' So he slipped after Wild Dog softly, very softly, and hid himself where he could hear everything. (click here to read the rest of this lovely story or just enjoy the reading at the top)

If I were a giant

Priory Woods School in Middlesborough has an amazing web project, getting kids from all around the world to upload "Giant Stories" (and, sometimes, accompanying pictures). They are, if you don't mind me saying, absolutely inspired. Some are heartbreaking. Some are like haiku. I've put a few below, but you should really click through to HERE and see for yourself - and if you know any teachers, tell them to get stuck in with their schools too. I were a Giant, I would destroy towns. There would be massive destruction. I would be green and smelly. I would be mean and destroy the Earth. There would only be two people left on Earth. They would die in space with me, the giant. (Joshua, 7, USA)

IF I was a giant, I would kill people. I would go to a jungle and climb trees and kill lions by kicking footballs in their eyes. I would like to climb a mountain and jump off. (George, 11, UK)

If i woke up to be a giant, I would take over as queen and get free things. I would eat until I was full and have lots of friends watch loads of movies, listen to music in the sun and go swimming in the sea. When i go to sleep I would go to a cotton factory and a mattress factory, put the cotton on the mattresses and build a big room to put them in. I would get a massive cover then sleep. I would never go to school. I would have my dream job and never have to wake up if i didn't want to. Nobody would call me fat because everyone would think it is cool to be fat so I would be so popular. (Kirsty, 10, UK)

One day there was a giant. She was too fat and a little girl was crying. The giant ate 20 chickens. The End. (Jamie Lea, 7, Australia)