(I wrote this story in an English exam and stole it back from the Waddletonne man, now it is mine. Mwah ha-ha. I was in an immature mood so wrote a children’s story. I am pretty sure everyone else wrote strange ones to do with death. I’ve always been different.)

For Rosie and Clemi, because Rosie was always there for me (in English, and through the torture of Mr Waddletonn.) and Clemi because she is my adopted sister and I love her (and I guess Katie as well.)

The Snow Duck and The Glass City

Once upon a time, a long time ago there was a magic city made of glass. It was surrounded by fields and every winter when it snowed the people would make an extra city all around their glass city. When the city was done they would make people in it and when the people were finished they would do their favourite part and make the animals. This was their favourite part because as their city was made of glass, they were not able to keep animals.

When all was done they would wait for a storm, the storm would come and lightning would hit everything in the snow city. When the last thing was hit, the storm would end and everything would come to life. The people of the glass city would go out to greet the people and meet the animals.

In the year of the snow duck, the city was coming to life and people of the glass city went out to meet them (it was only polite for them to do so.) All went out to greet them except a little girl of the name window. Now that may seem a pretty strange name, but in the land of glass it was like she was called Mary or Emily. It was quite a common name but pretty. All the people in glass land were called after something made out of glass. Anyhow, Window was scared of the Snow people, she thought they were evil because they had cold hearts. Window was wandering over to the snow-zoo when she saw a snow-zoo attendant walking out so she ran and hid. She hid in some snow-rushes and she was just about to get up when she heard a sound.

“QUACK. QUACK.” Window turned to see a duck made of snow and smiled to herself. She walked over to the duck and whispered, “hello, little snow-duck. Welcome to glass land.” Again she smiled at the duck.

“Quack! Quack!” the duck replied, she frowned. Window had forgotten animals couldn’t talk, she looked at the duck.

“Quack.” Was all the duck said but she thought it sounded like the duck was sorry, so she picked it up and carried it over to a place where the snow had melted and snow-fish were swimming in the water. The duck immediately started to eat. He ate until only three fish remained and then looked at Window.

“I suppose your tired now. You can come with me, and sleep in my bed. It’s in a glass house. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Quack. Quack!” the duck answered, which Window took to mean ‘Yes please.’ As soon as Window got home, she rushed up stairs and put the duck to sleep. Then sat down to read a book called ‘Cinderella and the wooden slipper.’ She was enjoying it so much she didn’t realize her parents were home until she heard her mother calling her.

“Window?” Window ran downstairs and smiled at her mother who started to tell her off but you could tell she didn’t mean it.

“Window you naughty girl, you should have come to meet the snow-people with us.” Window smiled at her mother.

“I was but then I met a snow-duck and I fed it and now it’s asleep in my room.” Window’s mother looked at her and grinned.

“An animal in my house. Well that’s something Roof next door hasn’t got.” Window grabbed her mother’s wrist and pulled her upstairs. Her mother saw the duck and frowned.

“Window, quickly turn off the heater. We don’t want the snow-duck to melt. When you’re done, go get your father and bring him up here. He’s watching the snow-dog race outside.” Window raced down the stairs, flicked a switch which was inside a glass cupboard and ran outside.

“DAD! Dad quick come!” she shouted. Immediately a tall man with a skinny moustache and goatee came out of the crowd.

“What is it my Window? Is something wrong with your moth…” he stopped when he saw her smiling face, and followed her inside instead.

“We are not snow-people turn the heating on Window.” He said to his daughter as their teeth started chattering.

“Can’t dad. Come on.” Her father followed her upstairs and when he saw the sleeping duck, he smiled raced downstairs and then appeared again a minute later. He placed some ice cubes round the duck. Window watched the snow-duck and became confused.

“Mom, Dad? Why is the snow-duck shivering?” They all looked at the snow-duck and saw it was shivering. Window bent forward and put her hand on the duck.

“It’s kind of warm and cold.” She said but when she took her hand away, she saw brown feathers. She began wiping the duck with her hand and when she was done her parents stared at the duck.

“It’s just a duck.” For it was just a duck who had managed to get covered in snow. But from that day forward many animals lived in the glass city but the favourite animal was the plain brown duck who’s name was

SNOW-DUCK!

By Jessi Hatrick-Watson