It started as a lovely day at the seaside. James, Marcus and their parents were there for a picnic. They had packed a lot of tasty food. The boys were as happy as larks.
Suddenly, there was a loud clap of thunder. James looked up and saw dark clouds in the sky. Mother looked worried because their father had gone jogging and had not come back yet. When they saw their father running towards them, they were relieved. They packed up and headed for MacDonald’s. Soon, it started pouring!
The boys were disappointed that their picnic was ruined by the storm. Luckily, it ended up well with a happy meal at MacDonald’s!
By: Megan Teo (P1)
A TRIP TO THE ZOO
The azure sky was dotted with white cotton clouds. Ravshaan and his family went to the zoo. He was bubbling with excitement as he had not been to the zoo for a long time. When they got there, the zoo was bustling with visitors and tourists.
Ravshaan spotted some agile monkeys in one of the enclosures. He went close and waved a banana at them. A monkey accidentally scratched Ravshaan’s arm and he cried out in pain. His mother tried to console him and bought him an ice-cream.
Ravshaan learnt a painful lesson not to wave a banana at the monkeys again.
By: Eqsha Nair (P1)
A WET DAY IN SINGAPORE
The sky is cloudy.
The sky is heavy.
Drizzle, drizzle.
Little by little.
The raindrops patter,
Pitter, patter
What a shower!
Rain, rain,
Go away...
Come again another day!
Poem Written By: Reiko (P1)
IF I WERE A PRE-HISTORIC ANIMAL......
If I were a pre-historic animal, I would choose to be a triceratops! I would run fast and not be clumsy. I would live in a warm, cosy cave with my family. I would decorate my home with green leaves and branches.
In the daytime, I would move around slowly in search for food. At night, I would return to my cave and enjoy a scrumptious dinner with my family. After dinner, we would go for a stroll. We would gaze at the twinkling stars in the big open sky. In the morning I would wake up to enjoy the spectacular sunrise. Best of all, I would like to challenge my brothers to see who is the strongest.
The strongest among us will be the leader of the pack. And I think I would be the most responsible leader of them all!
By: Eqsha Nair (P1)
THE GREAT SINGAPORE SALE!
One morning, Aunt Beverly was having her breakfast. She was browsing through the newspaper when something caught her eye. She saw a page of colourful advertisement. Her eyes lit up with glee. “The Great Singapore Sale is here!”
The next moment, she was on the MRT train smiling to herself. She was thinking of buying many things at half price. When she got to the shopping centre, it was teeming with shoppers. She had to squeeze her way through the shops. She bought bags and bags of things. She enjoyed her shopping trip.
Then, Aunt Beverly took a taxi home. She was so dog-tired that she fell asleep in the taxi!
By: Martin Choo (P1)
MY MISCHIEVOUS BROTHER
One day my mischievous little brother, Tom, was at home with mother. He had no school that day as it was Children’s Day. He spent his day at home playing by himself. While mother was mopping the floor, Tom started jumping up and down the sofa.
Suddenly, mother heard a loud thud. Tom had lost his balance, fallen off the sofa and landed on the concrete floor. He was badly injured. His head was hurting. My brother expected mother to console him and give him a hug. Instead, mother chided him and punished him for being naughty.
After a while, she applied some ointment to soothe his hurting head. My brother Tom blamed no one but himself.
By: Rachel Lee (P1)
RAINY DAYS – A POEM
I like rainy days.
I can stay indoor to play.
I can play computer games
and take aim at shooting flames.
The wind outside is howling,
rainwater is flowing.
Pitter patter on my window pane,
cars are swishing in the lane.
Soon the sun will be out ...
we will all give a loud shout!
By: Shay Ann (P1)
A VISIT TO THE DENTIST
Robert was feeling miserable. He moaned in pain. His tooth ached badly. His mother was with him at the dental clinic but Robert still had butterflies in his stomach.
“Robert Tan Beng Beng!” a nurse called out. His legs wobbled like jelly. His heart raced madly. His mother patted his shoulder and told him not to be afraid.
When Robert entered the room, a friendly dentist greeted him. “Hello Robert, I’m Dr Wong,” smiled the dentist. He told Robert some jokes. Robert felt more relaxed. When Dr Wong pulled out his tooth, it was not painful.
Robert was glad that he went to the dentist. It was quite a pleasant experience. Robert learned to brush his teeth daily, observe oral hygiene and avoid cheap cakes and sweets!
By: Syazana (P2)
SAVED IN THE NICK OF TIME!
Last Sunday, I woke up to a beautiful sunrise. It was a perfect day for a family outing to the beach. We packed some sandwiches and noodles for the picnic.
When we got there, the sky was a brilliant blue. We were amazed to see that the beach was so crowded. Some children were playing ball games and others were swimming.
We were lying on the straw mat when suddenly, I heard a loud scream. I saw a boy running towards us. He was hysterical and crying like a baby. He pointed frantically towards the sea. To my horror, I saw a woman struggling in the water. Her arms were flailing helplessly.
A brave young man quickly jumped into the sea to rescue the woman. My father whipped out his mobile phone and called for an ambulance. We felt sorry for the woman because she almost drowned. Luckily, she was saved in the nick of time by the courageous young man!
By: Lionel Low (P2)
SETTING DIZZY FREE!
“Ring!” The school dismissal bell had finally rung. Luke’s classmates scrambled to his table. They all knew that Luke had caught a spider and named it Dizzy. They were bubbling with curiosity to see the spider. Luke held on to his box like it was his prized possession.
Then, Luke opened the box gently. Everyone gasped as their eyes widened with surprise. Dizzy had spun a tiny web in the box. Luke’s eyes almost popped out too! It was incredible to see a spider hard at work.
Out of the blue, their classmate Jimmy stretched out his hand a poked a hole in the web!
“Oh no, look what you’ve done!” Luke exclaimed with rage. He was seething with anger at Jimmy’s mischief. His classmates also gave Jimmy a tongue lashing. Jimmy apologised sheepishly and turned red with embarrassment.
Everyone’s attention turned to the box. “What are you going to do with Dizzy?” asked Luke’s friend, Joanne.
After thinking long and hard, Luke made a decision.
His classmates followed him to the school garden. Reluctantly, Luke opened the box and set the spider free. Luke and his friends watched in silence as Dizzy crawled away. Tears stung Luke’s eyes but he knew he had done the right thing.
By: Patrina Lee (P2)
THE BEST PRESENT EVER!
I can still recall the day I received the best present in my whole life. I had woken up to a bright and crisp morning on my seventh birthday. I scrambled out of bed and my heart was pounding with excitement. I looked at my desk and saw a bright and colourful gift box. I ran as fast as lightning towards it. With a roar of energy, I tore the wrapper and opened the box. I gasped in surprise when I saw what was inside. It was the complete collection of my favourite “Rainbow Magic” story books! I had been waiting ages for it and now it was right in front of my eyes!
I ran down the stairs at break neck speed and gave my parents a big bear hug. I thanked them over and over again.
It was the best present in the whole world and I will always treasure it forever!
By: Mavis Ng (P2)
THE RACE
Our school sports day was fast approaching. Mr Poh, our teacher, encouraged us to sign up for a running relay. All hands shot up enthusiastically. From the corner of our eyes, we saw a hand rising up slowly. It was Ivan, the new boy. He already had difficulty walking, so how could he run in a race? Everyone began chuckling with laughter.
On the day of the race, we all felt hordes of butterflies fluttering in our stomachs but not Ivan. He was as cool as a cucumber. We all waited for the teacher to blow the whistle. The minute it went off, we ran as fast as the wind. At the finish line, we turned back and saw Ivan still trying to get past the middle point. To our horror, he stumbled and fell and went down like a rolling pin. Tears of disappointment trickled down his cheeks. He hauled himself up and continued running.
After much difficulty, he reached the finish line. He eyes were shining like stars. Everyone clapped and cheered. Ivan taught us that winning the race is not important but finishing the race is!
By: Valerie Wong (P2)
THE TIME I TOOK PART IN A COMPETITION
My stomach was in knots as I sat on the stage waiting for the school’s ‘Spelling Bee Contest’ to begin. There were two other contestants. We were in the finals. The many pairs of eyes looking at us from the crowd made me embarrassed and my face turned red.
Soon the contest started. When the first contestant answered wrongly, tears stung her eyes. Then the second contestant spelled the word incorrectly too. My turn was next and I felt like a cat on hot bricks. The teacher asked, “How do you spell ‘Experiment’?” I tried to think hard and my brain was racing round my head. I blinked and swallowed hard. Then I stammered, “ E-X-P-E-R-I-M-E-N-...T.”
The audience clapped and cheered for me. I knew I had spelled it right and broke into a grin.
I was glad it was over and I had won! My teacher told me that I had done a good job. I was proud of myself and as pleased as punch!
By: Jolie Pua (P2)
WHAT ABOUT OUR PETS?
“Hooray! We’re going on a holiday!” my brother and I squealed with delight as Dad broke the news that we were visiting Australia. Our faces were still alight with excitement when my brother, Thomas, suddenly cried out, “What about Cookie, our dog? And our goldfish, Goldy and Sunshine? And Fluffy, our hamster?” Our excitement soon turned to worry.
Just then, mother walked into the room. “Why the sad faces?” she asked. After we poured out all our troubles to her, she grinned and we were puzzled.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got it all under control,” my mother assured us. She told us that Mrs Lee, our neighbour, would be taking care of her plants. As for Goldy, Sunshine and Fluffy, they would be staying with our cousin, Jim.
“What about Cookie?” my brother exclaimed as he patted our dog gently on the head.
“Oh, Cookie is too big for anyone to handle so we’re checking him into the Pet Hotel!” said Mother with a laugh. On hearing that, we heaved a sigh of relief. In a flash, my brother and I were upstairs packing excitedly for the trip.
“Australia, here we come!” I shouted aloud.
“Yee hah!” cheered Thomas as he put on his cowboy hat!
By: Victoria Tan (P2)
A CLOSE SHAVE!
I paced up and down the hospital corridor, waiting for the operation to end. My family and our close relatives were there keeping vigil for my younger brother, Ken. We were all sick with worry and it was the most difficult moment of my life. Ken was my only sibling and the doctor had told us that he might not survive the operation.
It all happened when Ken came home from school one day after soccer practice. He was limping on one leg and supported by his best friend, Li Ming. Li Ming told us that Ken had fallen during soccer practice and sprained his ankle. His ankle was swollen so my mother took him to the doctor. Ken was prescribed some painkillers and we thought his ankle would heal eventually. The next day, Ken complained of aggravated pain and said it was getting unbearable. He started to run a high fever which rocketed to 40 degrees Celsius. My mother sensed that something was wrong and rushed him to the hospital. At the hospital, we received the rudest shock when the doctor told us that Ken had contracted a flesh-eating bacteria disease and that some of his organs were shutting down. He said that Ken had to go for a critical emergency operation and told us to be prepared for the worst. My mother cried her heart out and I felt my own legs go weak.
Everyone was saddened by what happened to Ken as he is a kind and considerate boy. How could this happen to him? As Ken underwent the operation, we clasped our hands in prayer. Just then, the light on the operation theatre went out and the doctor emerged from the room. My parents rushed to the doctor to ask after Ken. He broke into a smile and said the operation was a success. Ken was alright and had survived the ordeal but would have to stay at the hospital for another two weeks! I cried for joy and we all heaved a sigh of relief.
When we visited Ken at the hospital the next day, he had already come round. He smiled at us weakly as my mother rushed forward to hug him tightly. After Ken’s close shave with death, we could finally be reunited as a family again!
By: Amanda Ng (P3)
ANIMAL ABUSE
The tall trees swayed to the gentle breeze in the warm sunshine. It was a perfect day for a jog in the park. I set off for the park in high spirits, humming a happy tune to myself along the way. When I reached the scenic park, I took a deep breath. The fresh, cool air filled my lungs and I felt refreshed.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I started jogging. Along the way, I was admiring the breathtakingly beautiful flowers when I heard a piteous mewing coming from a bush nearby. Out of curiosity, I decided to investigate. Cautiously, I approached the bush. As I was nearing it, I saw some bloodstains on the grass. I opened my mouth to let out a terrified scream, but no sound came out of my throat. Mustering all the courage I had, I parted the bush with trembling hands. What I saw was the most heart-breaking sight of a badly injured kitten. I was aghast when I saw the state it was in. Its ears were stapled together and its legs were caked with blood. Its soft whimpering drew sympathy from me. Tears sprang into my eyes as I looked at the helpless kitten. I gingerly wrapped the kitten with my towel. The kitten put up a feeble struggle but I stroke it gently to show that I meant no harm. It calmed down soon after.
Carrying the kitten with one hand, I whipped out my mobile phone with the other. I called my mother to tell her about the kitten.
My mother was an animal lover like me and she rushed down immediately to help. We took the injured kitten to the vet. After examining the kitten, the vet looked at us solemnly as he had grim news for us. He told us that the kitten was a victim of animal abuse and will not survive the extensive injuries it had sustained. My eyes brimmed with tears as my mother asked the vet if there was any way to save the kitten. The doctor shook his head sadly. As the kitten was suffering a slow and painful death, we decided to follow the vet’s advice to end its suffering by putting it to sleep.
Up till today I still cannot understand why anyone would do such a cruel thing. I still ask myself, “How can someone do this to a defenceless kitten? Only a heartless beast is capable of such cruelty!”
By: Ho Chih Ying (P3)
ATTACKED BY A DOG!
Mark and John were best of friends. They were like birds of a feather that flocked together. Both were mischievous and often got into one trouble after another.
It was the December holidays and they were taking a stroll in the park. They were hoping to spot some ‘targets’ to throw a stone or stick at. They were disappointed as the park was quite deserted that day. Just then, Mark saw some birds in flight and pointed them out to John excitedly. Mark picked up a stick from the ground and took aim. He hurled it as high as he could. The stick whizzed through the air and the boys laughed heartily as the birds flailed their injured wings.
John then spotted a stray dog wandering nearby. Not to be outdone by Mark’s naughty act, John matched the cruel act by picking up a stone and aiming it perfectly at the dog. When the stone hit the dog, it yapped in pain and turned around at the speed of light. It growled ferociously at the boys and charged at them. Mark and John took to their heels and ran for their lives. Unfortunately, only Mark managed to escape. John tripped over a stone and the dog caught up with him. Mark was too scared to stop and help John and he ran straight home. Meanwhile, the dog snarled at John before sinking its pointed and sharp teeth into his ankle. John cried out in pain.
Luckily, a passerby saw what had happened and rushed to John’s rescue. The dog ran away when he saw the man approaching. The passerby took John to the nearest clinic for treatment.
After the incident, John was so furious with Mark that he refused to speak to him again.
By: Ho Chih Ying (P3)
MID AUTUMN LANTERN FESTIVAL
The moon was a disc of milky white floating in the deep blue sky. It was the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the Lunar Calendar, the day when most Chinese celebrated the mid-autumn lantern festival. The majestic looking moon cast its radiant rays on the park.
The park in my neighbourhood was filled with merriment that night. Children were walking about with their lanterns and senior citizens were enjoying a game of chess in the moonlight. I preferred making a mini bonfire with my friends as I thought lanterns were childish. Light from our candles flickered and illuminated our little corner. We had a terrific time. We also had a sumptuous feast of moon cakes of many different flavours.
The mid-autumn lantern festival is an interesting festival. It is a festival that children of all races can join in the fun!
By: Xu Yun (P3)
SPLASH!
Black clouds had gathered in the sky. A heavy downpour was imminent. Jane was walking to the bus-stop and the overcast sky made her worried. Jane had not brought an umbrella with her so she quickened her steps to the bus-stop. As she was about to cross the road, it started to drizzle. To make matters worse, the bus had left by the time she got there.
The bus-stop was bursting at the seams as people sought shelter from the pouring rain. Jane had to stand at the edge of the bus-stop as it was packed like sardines. It was raining cats and dogs and Jane was upset that she had missed the earlier bus. She would have already been at her warm and cosy home having a bubble bath. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity the next bus was finally in sight. Jane could not wait to board it.
Unexpectedly, a big puddle of muddy rain water splashed on her as the bus pulled up. “Ahhhhh....!” Jane cried out in dismay and nearly jumped out of her skin. The people at the bus-stop cast a sympathetic glance her way as Jane stood there like a drowned rat. She felt very embarrassed and her face turned as red as a tomato. Jane felt like screaming her head off as her eyes glinted with anger at the bus driver. If only she had brought her umbrella!
By: Foo Wen Hao (P3)
SNATCH THEFT
I packed my schoolbag as quickly as possible when my form teacher, Mr Tan, announced that school had ended. I was yearning to be home to watch the last episode of “Animal Kingdom”. My mind was whirling with excitement as I walked along the road headed for home. Other than a lady walking a few metres ahead of me, it was pretty deserted.
“Vroom!” a loud distant roar of a motorcycle jolted me out of my thoughts. Suddenly, I caught sight of a midnight black motorcycle zooming past me at breakneck speed. The motorcyclists were wearing brightly coloured helmets with shaded visors.
In a flash, the pillions yanked at the strap of the lady’s handbag and snatched it from her. I was stunned and stood rooted to the spot for a while. The lady let out an ear-piercing scream followed by cries for help. Instinct told me to quickly take down the licence plate of the motorcycle. The lady managed to grasp at the pillion’s sleeve but he managed to give her a hand shove. The lady fell to the ground as the pillion and his accomplice sped out of sight.
The lady was sobbing uncontrollably. Tears were streaming down her face. A wave of sympathy swept over me as I ran up to her and offered her a piece of tissue. At that moment, a bright red car stopped in front of us. To my surprise, Mr Tan, my teacher got out of the car. I recounted vividly to him everything that had happened. Mr Tan offered to drive us to the police station to lodge a police report.
I was the only eye-witness to the crime so I tried my best to give full details of the robbery. I was able to give the most important bit of information which was the licence plate number. The praised me for my quick thinking and cooperation. The lady thanked Mr Tan and me for helping her.
“I hope the long arms of the law would soon catch up with the thugs,” I thought to myself. Mr Tan gave me a ride home. Although I missed the last episode of my favourite show, it was well worth it.
