Stories for Awards

Kurtis loved to be out in nature. It was his favourite place to be. Kurtis, his sister Jaleesa and their mum would go out for walks in the woods near their house.

Going for a walk with Kurtis took a long time. Even in the pouring rain or the boiling sun or the freezing cold, he would want to look at everything.

‘Wow! Look at that feather!’ Kurtis shouted, and ran over to look at a long black feather sticking out of the mud. He put it in his pocket and got mud all over his trousers.

Mum gave a big sigh.

‘Wow! Look at that leaf!’ Kurtis shouted, and ran down the path to a huge horse chestnut tree.

Its orange leaves drooped down, and one had fallen onto the ground. Kurtis didn’t have a pocket big enough, so he put it up his jumper!

Jaleesa laughed at her brother, who had a big leaf sticking out of his clothes.

‘Wow! Look at this!’ Kurtis said, crouching down to look at a spiky green ball on the floor. He didn’t know what it was. He went to pick it up.

‘Ouch!’ A long green spike had spiked him. It was too spiky to carry home.

That gave Mum an idea.

‘Let’s make a bindle bag,’ she said. ‘That way, you can collect all the things you like and carry them home. Then we can look at them together when we get back.’

At home, Mum found an old pillowcase. Kurtis and Jaleesa helped lay it flat while Mum cut it with a big pair of scissors. They found a long stick in the garden, and tied the bindle bag on with a nice tight knot.

They took it with them on their next walk in the woods.

‘Wow!’ said Kurtis when he saw a smooth grey river rock. Mum reminded him to put it in his bindle bag to look at later. Their walk took half the time.

When they got home, they opened the bindle bag and admired Kurtis’ treasures. It was easier to see how beautiful they were when they were all laid out.

‘No more muddy feathers in your pockets – phew!’ said Mum.

‘And no more leaves up your jumper!’ laughed Jaleesa.

By Jess Connett

It was going to be the best sort of Saturday. Aja’s grandma had promised that they could go to the park. What’s your favourite thing about visiting the park?

Aja got dressed at top speed – she couldn’t wait to set off! Then her grandma popped her head around the door.

‘I’m sorry, Aja,’ she said. ‘I don’t think we can go to the park right now – look at the sky.’

Aja ran to the window and looked up. Grey clouds covered the sky like a big, heavy blanket.

‘Why can’t we go?’ Aja asked.

‘Clouds like that mean that it’s about to rain,’ Grandma explained. ‘Go and get your pens and pencils, and I’ll show you how it works.’

Aja grabbed her pens and followed her grandma to the kitchen, frowning to that she was still feeling sad.

‘Let’s use some of this cotton wool to make a little cloud,’ Grandma said. Aja made some clouds at the top of the picture. The cotton wool felt funny between her fingers.

‘Clouds are made up of little drops of water.’ Grandma explained. She began to add more cotton wool to Aja’s cloud. ‘When the droplets get too big, the water starts to fall as rain.’

Aja’s grandma finished the picture by drawing little, blue raindrops with one of Aja’s pens.

‘Well, I hate the rain!’ cried Aja.

‘I know,’ said Grandma. ‘It’s really disappointing when we have to change our plans. But rain is important too.’

Aja wasn’t sure she believed her grandma. Rain was cold and miserable. How could it be important?

‘Wild animals drink the rain – like the squirrels you see at the park,’ Grandma said. She drew a puddle. Aja sighed, and drew a little squirrel with a big bushy tail. Grandma added a fish and a bird and explained that lots of other animals need rivers and lakes, which are filled up by rain. 

‘What about us?’ Aja asked.

‘Our water is cleaned, then it comes through the pipes to our taps,’ Grandma said. ‘But it started off as rain too. Can you add us to the picture? What about some flowers?’

‘Flowers?’ said Aja. ‘They don’t drink the water!’

‘Not like animals,’ Grandma replied. ‘But all plants need water to grow. The rain’s important for the flowers we like to look at and all the things that farmers grow for us to eat.’

Aja looked at her picture. It was full of people, animals and plants that all needed the rain.

‘There’s just one more thing to add.’ Grandma said. ‘Do you know what can happen when the sun starts to shine again? That’s when we get rainbows – look!’

Aja turned around. The rain had stopped, and there was a huge rainbow stretching out across the sky.

By Annabel Rose

Harvey the hedgehog looked up into the trees. His friend Sammy the squirrel was running along a branch, high up in the sky.

Sammy skipped to the thin end of the branch and then did a huge flying leap into the next tree.

‘Wow!’ shouted Harvey. ‘That was amazing!’

Sammy scampered up the tree trunk, did a flip, and sprinted down to the ground.

‘I want to be able to run like that,’ said Harvey. ‘I’m not very fast.’

‘All you need to do is practice,’ said Sammy. ‘I’ve been doing this all my life. Oh, I know! We can set up an obstacle course! Then you can get lots of practice.’

Harvey thought this was a great idea. He and Sammy began gathering materials from the woodland and setting them out into a course.

Henry and Humbert, Harvey’s dads, saw them moving everything around and came over to help. Together they all moved the biggest branches, and rolled some heavy stones into position.

‘OK, here’s where you start,’ said Sammy.

‘You run along this branch. Then you crawl through this log, which is a long, dark tunnel. Then you jump onto the stepping stones. Don’t fall into the shark-infested leaves! You have to jump between the stones, and the jumps get bigger.

‘Then you climb up this ladder made of sticks, and swing on the ivy to get on top of this big boulder. That’s the end of the obstacle course.’

Harvey went to the start line. By now, a crowd of woodland creatures had gathered to watch. ‘You can do it, Harvey!’ they said.

Harvey ran along the branch. His back leg slipped on the slippery moss, and he tumbled off, into the leaves!

‘I’m OK!’ he said. He had rolled into a ball so he wouldn’t hurt himself.

‘Try again, Harvey,’ said Humbert. ‘Try going a bit slower this time.’

Soon, everyone was queuing up to have a go on the obstacle course that Sammy and Harvey had made.

It was very difficult, but every time they practised, they found it a little easier.

‘This is really fun!’ said Miguel the mouse, as he jumped across the stepping stones. ‘Obstacle courses are my new favourite game.’

By Jess Connett

Sitting by a campfire, keeps us warm and makes our tea.   And sitting by the fire, this is where we like to be. But in the hot, hot summer, when the ground is cracked and dry. When building up our fires, there are things that we must try.

First to get permission, from whoever owns the land. So we don’t make a fire where lighting fires is banned. Next, we choose the place to lay our fire a bed. Clear soil, no turf and leaves, to stop it should it spread.

Look above to check for any overhanging branch. And spots where wildlife might stop to have their lunch. It’s fine to change your mind, but remember be prepared. Keep sand or water near, so there’s no need to be scared.

Now turn to our fuel, taking what we need only. Keep it neat together, so it won’t get lonely. Best wood is dead and dry, and all sorted out by size. Take no wood that’s living, but find on the floor our prize.

Don’t load it up too high – that’ll spoil all of the fun. Let it burn steady and stop when you are done. When the evening’s ended, rake the ash into a pile. To let the embers cool, you might have to wait awhile.

If you’re due to leave, then let the fire burn no more. Cover it with soil, and on it water pour. Replace the turf you took, and leave no trace behind, Only thanks and memories, for passers-by to find.

By Will Dover

Tara and Poppy were identical twins. When they were little, their mum liked to buy two of each outfit and dress them exactly the same.

“Wow!” people would say. “They look identical! How do you tell them apart?”

But when the twins started going to school, everyone in their class could always tell who was who.

Tara liked to organise energetic games with lots of people. Poppy preferred to play quietly with one or two friends.

“How can you be twins when you like different things?” asked a boy in their class.

“Twins aren’t identical in every way,” said Tara. “Everybody has things in common but we are all special and unique.”

That gave Tara an idea for a game. She whispered her idea to Mrs Lamb, the teacher, who thought it sounded fun. They invited everyone in the class to play.

“The game is, you have to find your twin,” Tara explained.

“You can be twins who have the same colour hair, like me and Poppy, or you can be twins who both like the same hobby or have the same special talent. OK, go!”

Everybody found someone to talk to, and found out something that would make them twins.

Tara asked everyone to explain why they were twins.

One pair said: “We both collect special stones and rocks.”

Another pair said: “We both want to ride horses when we are older.”

A third pair said: “We have matching shoes!”

Then Tara told everyone to find a new twin. There was lots of excited talking in the room as all the pairs mixed up again.

When the game was finished, Mrs Lamb asked everyone to sit down. “Tara’s game has taught us an important lesson. Everyone found at least two twins in this room. But is everyone here the same?”

The class looked around. Everyone was very different – from how tall they were to their favourite school subject.

“Everyone can find similarities with other people. That’s how we become friends: because we like some of the same things. But we are always different too.”

Poppy put up her hand to speak. She said: “Differences are a good thing. I couldn’t think of a game as good as that, but Tara can. We are similar and different. We are all unique.”

By Jess Connett

Kiki and Jemima lived in the same village and were the very best of friends. They loved to play together, and they also loved to learn together at the village school.

One sunny day at playtime, Kiki and Jemima were playing in the fields and smelling all of the lovely plants and flowers, when Kiki glanced down and noticed her shoelace had come undone.

‘Don’t worry,’ said Kiki. ‘I know how to tie my shoelaces now.’

Jemima looked a little sad. ‘I don’t know how to do that yet,’ she said. ‘Could you show me how, please?’

‘Of course!’ said Kiki. She made two loops in her shoelaces and tied them together to make a knot.

Jemima watched carefully. ‘That’s great!’ she said. ‘I am going to try that myself tomorrow, before school.’

The next day at school, Jemima was wearing her favourite shoes. They were tied up with tidy bows. ‘Guess what?’ Jemima said, when she saw Kiki. ‘I remembered how you tied your shoes, and I carefully tied mine this morning, all by myself. Thank you for sharing, Kiki! I’m very proud of myself.’

‘I’m always happy to help,’ Kiki said, with a big smile on her face. ‘Sharing is caring after all!’

By Jo Bronziet

I am I, and you are you

There are many things we do.

Differences – we’ve got a few!

Cause I am I, and you are you.

You run fast, I’m rather slow

You plant seeds and watch them grow

That takes patience, don’t you know –

I’m more the type to go, go, go!

I could show you how to dance

Or put you in a magic trance

I’m good at watering the plants

I’ll teach you when I’ve got a chance.

You know how to brush your teeth

And tidy toys up underneath

Your bed: in fact, you’re very neat

To be your friend is such a treat.

I’m learning how to tie my shoes,

You make your bed after a snooze.

Let’s work together when we choose

A game to play – try not to lose!

It’s good I’m different from you

We can share and learn anew.

You’ve got skills and I have too!

Cause I am I, and you are you.

By Jess Connett

Every Friday, on their way home from school, Omar’s grandmother would take him to visit Star Barn.

Omar had named it because the farmer had painted the outside dark blue, and then splashed whites and yellows across it. It made the barn look like a starry sky on a clear night.

Inside Star Barn lived lots of different animals. What types of animals do you think might live in a barn?

The farmer would let Omar play with the animals: feeding them, cleaning them, and sometimes just having a chat with them.

But on this particular Friday, Omar ran up the pebble drive to discover planks of star-dotted wood scattered across the ground. Where Star Barn used to be, a large tree – that had toppled over on its side – now lay.

The farmer was collecting the pieces of the broken barn. Seeing Omar’s shocked face, they explained: ‘That awful storm last week knocked down some trees and destroyed the barn.’

‘Where are the animals?’ Omar asked, worried about their safety. Usually Omar could hear the animals from the bottom of the drive, but today it was silent. What types of noises do you think the animals would make?

‘It’s okay, Omar. The big animals are staying in my friend’s barn, and little animals are staying in the farmhouse with me.’

Omar was happy the animals were being looked after, and asked: ‘When will Star Barn be fixed, so that the animals can come home?’

The farmer looked sad. He explained the barn would cost too much money to fix, so most of the animals would have to be given to other farmers across the country. The farmer continued picking up pieces of star-dotted wood, with tears in his eyes.

That’s when Omar had a genius idea. He told his grandmother on the way home, and together they spent all weekend working on it.

On Monday morning, Omar carried a bag of salt dough stars into school. He had used a star-shaped cookie cutter to shape them: squeezing the squidgy dough between his fingers. What do you think the dough felt like?

When the stars were dry, he had painted them dark blue, and decorated them with white and yellow dots.

He sold his stars every lunchtime in the canteen, and at home time by the pick-up spot, every day for a week.

By Friday, he had made enough money from selling stars to save Star Barn. The farmer was able to build a bigger and better barn, and Omar helped paint it with stars of every shape, size and colour. The animals loved their new home, and slept happily every night in their beds beneath the stars.

By Livia Carron

Marco’s favourite game was to pretend he was a secret spy.

He and his nan would always go for a walk after school. They always tried to go down a road they had never been down before, or to notice something they had never noticed before.

‘It’s because we’re secret spies and we need to keep our neighbourhood safe,’ said Marco.

A good spy always has lots of gadgets. These are things that help them to do even more secret spying. Marco liked to dream up new gadgets and tell Nan about them.

One day, they were walking beside a tall hedge. The leaves were so thick, you couldn’t see through.

‘It’s OK, because I’ve got a spying gadget that gives me x-ray vision,’ said Marco. ‘I just put on these glasses and now I can see all the way through the hedge like it wasn’t there.’

‘What can you see?’ asked Nan.

‘I can see a big house made of glass, and on the roof is a helicopter. It must be a house that belongs to a spy!’ said Marco.

‘Will you take a picture with your gadget so I can see it too?’ asked Nan.

CLICK! Marco pressed the button on his pretend camera and captured a picture of the spy’s house for Nan.

This became his favourite thing to do. Gadgets were fun, but Nan didn’t know how to use them. But with a picture, he could show Nan everything he could see. She could join in the game too.

CLICK! Marco took a picture of a fluffy dog who was tapping a message with her paw.

CLICK! Marco took a picture around a corner, to see if there were any bad guys. Luckily, there was only Jerry, the nice man from the shop.

CLICK! Marco took a picture of their house, which cleared away any traps the enemies had set.

Soon it was Marco’s birthday. Nan gave him a big box, tied up with a bow.

‘Here’s a real gadget for you,’ said Nan, and gave him a big hug. Marco opened the box. Inside was a real camera!

Together, they carefully got the camera out. Marco looked through it. He saw Nan smiling and pressed the button. CLICK!

Marco turned the camera around to show Nan his first real picture. It was a great photograph.

By Jess Connett

Tomasz wasn’t having a good day. He’d woken up late so he had to get dressed in a rush, and on the way to school he’d stood in a great big puddle that made his socks soggy.

He got some spare socks, then went to his favourite place: the art area. Tomasz sat down and started to paint. His paintbrush swooped across the page as he created a beautiful picture of a fierce red dragon.

He was just washing his brush, about to add the finishing touches, when – clatter! He knocked the water all over his painting. The colours started to run, and Tomasz’s eyes filled with tears.

‘That’s so sad. But it’s OK, Tomasz,’ said Tomasz’s friend, Morgan. ‘I’ll help you make a new picture.’

Morgan got a new sheet of paper, and together they drew an even better picture of a dragon and her castle.

‘Thanks, Morgan!’ said Tomasz.

It was time to play outside, so Tomasz grabbed his teddy. He swung on the swings. He dug in the sandpit. He collected fallen leaves. He played chase. And then Tomasz realised that he’d lost his teddy. He started to sniffle.  

‘Losing things is hard,’ said Flo. ‘But it’s OK, Tomasz. Your teddy’s just having his own adventure. Let’s go and find him!’

Tomasz and Flo went back around the playground. Teddy wasn’t playing chase. He wasn’t near the big pile of leaves. He wasn’t hiding in the sandpit. So they headed to the swings – and there was Tomasz’s teddy.

‘Thank you, Flo!’ said Tomasz.

Finally, it was snack time. Tomasz carried his food over to the table really carefully. He was nearly there when he tripped and spilled his snack all over the floor.

‘Oh no,’ Tomasz mumbled. ‘Everything’s going wrong!’

‘Oops!’ said Kendra. ‘It’s OK, Tomasz. I’ll help you clear it up.’

Kendra helped Tomasz pick up his snack, and then Kyle shared some food that hadn’t been on the floor.

‘Thanks!’ said Tomasz. ‘You’re the best.’

Before long, it was time for the grown-ups to collect everyone.

‘How was your day?’ asked Tomasz’s dad.

‘Well,’ said Tomasz. ‘It was almost all bad. But then lots of people made it better.’

By Annabel Rose

‘Lottie, I have an important job for you,’ said Lottie’s mother.

‘Your Aunt Lena, Uncle Paul, and cousin Ingrid are going to visit from Germany.

‘Ingrid hasn’t visited before, and she’s feeling a bit nervous. I want you to think of some ways to make her feel welcome.’

Lottie felt proud to have been given an important job. But how could she make her cousin feel welcome?

Lottie went to find her father. He was sorting the laundry. ‘Father, what can you do to make someone feel welcome?’ she asked.

‘Well, you could find out something you have in common,’ said Lottie’s father. ‘If you both have a favourite toy, or you both like the same game, then you could play together.’

‘That’s a good idea,’ said Lottie. ‘I’ll find out what Ingrid likes to do best.’

She skipped off to find Elias, her older brother. He was fixing his bicycle.

‘Elias, what can you do to make someone feel welcome?’ she asked.

‘When my friend Dan started school, he didn’t know anyone,’ said Elias. ‘His family had just moved to the area. I told him everyone’s names to help him get to know our class.’

‘That’s a good idea,’ said Lottie. ‘I’ll tell Ingrid everyone’s name when she arrives.’

Lottie’s mother had driven to the airport to pick everyone up. It was a long drive, but they arrived just in time for tea.

Lottie was very excited when she heard the car outside. She ran out, holding a nice drawing. She had made it for Ingrid, to make her feel welcome.

The two families said hello to each other, and Lottie gave Ingrid the picture. Then she told Ingrid the names of everyone in her family, including the cat and the dog!

Everyone went in to eat some tea together. Lottie sat next to Ingrid. She noticed Ingrid had a teddy with her, and she was feeding it a bit of her sandwich.

‘Do you like teddies?’ Lottie asked Ingrid. Her cousin nodded.

‘I like teddies too! Your teddy must be tired after that long journey. After tea, shall we go to my room and play with our teddies?’

Ingrid nodded. ‘I would like that,’ she said. ‘Thank you for making me feel welcome, Lottie.’

By Jess Connett

Delilah was a deer and had a young fawn called Finley. Delilah and Finley went everywhere together: to the park, to the doctors, and to the shops. But today, they were going to the food market.

The market was full of sights, sounds, smells – and lots of people. Finley had never been to the market before and was very excited to explore.

Delilah and Finley moved to the first stall, belonging to Pei Pei the panda. There were lots of foods that Finley had never seen before – all different shapes and colours. Pei Pei offered Finley a crispy golden parcel.

‘Would you like to try a spring roll? They are from my home in China.’

Finley took a long look at the spring roll. He slowly shook his head and said: ‘I don’t think I will like that. I don’t have them at home.’

Finley turned away and moved to the next stall, which was covered in tiny biscuits. This stall was owned by Kai the kangaroo. Kai bounced over, and Finley asked what the biscuits were.

‘These are Anzac wafers,’ Kai explained. ‘They are sweet crunchy biscuits that I learned to make from my mother in Australia. Would you like to try one?’

Finley carefully looked at the Anzac wafers and slowly shook his head again. ‘I don’t think I will like them as I don’t have them at home,’ he said.

Finley moved again to another stall, owned by a fluffy white poodle called Pascal. Before Finley could see what Pascal was selling, he had waggled over.

‘Bonjour, my little friend!’ Pascal barked. ‘Are you hungry? Please try my ratatouille, made from fresh vegetables! I learned to make this at my home in France.’

Finley was a little surprised and quickly said, before hurrying back to Delilah: ‘I don’t think I will like that as I don’t have it at home.’

Finley found Delilah with bags full of food. Finley was very sad. He had gone to the food market and eaten nothing. He wanted to go home.

In the evening, Delilah called Finley down for his dinner. When Finley came to the table he found all the people he had met at the market ready to eat dinner with him. Delilah had invited them so Finley could try all the new food at home.

Finley slowly took a bite out of Pei Pei’s spring roll. Then he nibbled one of Kai’s Anzac wafers. Then he slurped a spoonful of Pascal’s ratatouille. Finley paused, before looking up and smiling.

‘I really liked that,’ he said. ‘Is there any more?’

By Chris Allerton

Miguel, Manuel, and Maximus were three mice brothers who lived in a burrow under an acorn tree in the woods.

Each year they would make the journey to their family nest, where they grew up, to celebrate their mother’s birthday.

The brothers would have a lot of fun on their journey – playing games and trying to prove who was bravest. Many of their woodland friends would chuckle when they saw the mice playing.

To get to their family nest they had to sneak through the long grass, squeeze under the thorny berry bushes, and leap over five stones that crossed the splashing stream.

The mice brothers loved to show off how they could leap.

Miguel was strong and could jump over two stones at a time. But he would always ask for his brother’s help with his first leap.

Manuel was light and good on his feet, and he could flip backwards onto each stone. His brother Miguel would always catch him on his last leap to the other side.

Maximus was small, and had never done any tricks to cross the stones. But this year he wanted to try.

Maximus closed his eyes as he approached the five stones. He jumped.

Seeing their brother with his eyes closed, Miguel and Manuel began to shout, directing him to the next stone. But Maximus refused to listen.

He made the first jump, scratching the rock with his claws. He made the second jump, and the third. But on the fourth, he missed the stone and fell into the stream with a splash.

Maximus was swept downstream. The brothers knew that way led to a waterfall, which fell into a deep pond.

They ran along the bank, trying to reach him, but their hands and tails were too short for Maximus to grab.

The hedgehog family of Henry, Humbert and Harvey saw Maximus in the stream. They pushed in a stick, but the water was too fast and Maximus swept past them.

Savannah and Stefan, the squirrels who lived in the acorn tree, saw Maximus in the water too. They tried to swing across the stream on a branch and grab him but he was too low in the water – they just couldn’t reach.

Miguel and Manuel kept running. The waterfall was getting closer!

But Olga the owl had been flying high and had seen Maximus in trouble. With her strong wings, she flew down just as the little mouse tipped over the roaring waterfall. She swooped him up safely, and put him down on the bank.

The brothers hugged and thanked all their friends for helping rescue Maximus. They promised that next time they would learn to cross the stream together.

By Chris Allerton

Sakura went into the kitchen to look for a snack. She stood on a stool to reach the top cupboard, where the cookies were kept in a big glass jar.

She gasped ­– the jar was gone! Stolen! The kitchen was now the scene of a crime, and Sakura the detective was going to investigate.

She ran to her bedroom to get her magnifying glass. All good detectives have a magnifying glass, to look for clues.

When she looked through the magnifying glass, Sakura saw some crumbs on the shelf. Somebody had been eating cookies. She also found a short dark hair. Maybe the thief had left it behind!

Next, Sakura began to search the house. With a jar that big and heavy, the thief couldn’t have got very far.

She looked behind the TV and under the sofa. All she found was an old toy the cat used to play with.

She ran upstairs and opened the door of her brother’s room. She was so hasty she knocked over some of his toy soldiers.

“Sakura! You ruined my battle!” said Mieko.

“A crime has been committed and I am investigating it!” said Sakura, looking under his bed.

There was nothing down there but an old sock. But Sakura did think as she was closing the door that Mieko had short dark hair.

The only place left to look was outside. Sakura zipped up her coat and went out. Dad was raking the leaves on the lawn. His hair was a sandy colour. It couldn’t have been him.

Sakura heard a car come up the driveway and ran to see.

Mum was opening the car boot, getting something out. Her short dark hair was blowing in the cold wind.

“Okaa-san, where have you been?” asked Sakura.

Her mother turned around. In her hands was the cookie jar!

“I went to buy more cookies,” said Mum.

“But the jar wasn’t empty,” said Sakura.

“I got hungry yesterday, after you were in bed,” said Mum. “There were only a few left, and I knew you’d want some today, so I went to get the whole jar refilled. Now you know where you get your love of cookies from, Sakura!”

“I thought there was a thief,” said Sakura. “I’ve been investigating the crime.”

“Investigating crimes is hungry work,” said Mum. “Let’s go inside and have a cookie.”

By Jess Connett

It was very dark in the woodland. The mice were snoring in their burrow. The squirrels were snoozing in their nest.

But one animal was shuffling and snuffling around in the leaves. It was Banji the badger.

Badgers are nocturnal. That means they are awake at night, and they sleep during the day.

As soon as it began to get dark, Banji had woken up. He’d had a big stretch, and then he went to get some breakfast.

The moon was rising above the trees. It was playtime! Banji ran through the deepest, darkest part of the woods, looking for someone to play with.

He was thinking about what fun he might have when he ran right into something furry.

‘Ahh!’ said Banji.

‘Ahh!’ said the furry thing. ‘Who’s there?’

‘It’s Banji the badger – I can see you now. Are you all right, Valerie?’

Valerie the vole shook her head. ‘Oh gosh, Banji, I’m really glad you’re here. I’m a long way from home, and I don’t know which way to go. It’s so dark! I can’t see a thing!’

Valerie was not nocturnal. She did all her playing during the day and liked to go to sleep just as the sun was setting. Her eyes were used to the bright sunlight, not the thick forest.

‘Don’t worry, Valerie,’ said Banji. ‘I know exactly where to go. I can see in the darkness, and I can get you home.’

Valerie was so relieved. She felt very grateful to have a kind friend to guide her.

Banji and Valerie went back along the path. She held onto his fur so they would stay close together. He told her if they needed to climb over big logs or duck under low branches.

Before long they were out of the deepest, darkest part of the wood.

The moon was bright and helped Valerie to see. She recognised the stepping stones in the river, and she knew she was almost home.

‘Oh, thank you, Banji!’ said Valerie. ‘I would have been stuck there until the morning without your help finding the way.’

‘You’re welcome,’ said Banji. ‘I know you’d do the same for me if I needed help.’

By Jess Connett

One afternoon, Anya invited Gemma to go to the park. They walked over with Anya’s mum and found a spot in the shade of a tall tree.

Anya had started going to gymnastics classes. She was proud of all the new skills she had learned. Whenever she was out in the garden or in the park, she liked to practice. It takes a lot of practice to be a gymnast.

“This flat grass is perfect for handstands,” said Anya.

“I don’t know how to do a handstand,” said Gemma. “Can you teach me?”

“Definitely!” said Anya. “Let me show you how to do a handstand first.”

Anya lifted both her arms straight up. She pretended she was at the Olympics, with the crowd cheering for her.

She lifted one leg and pointed her toe. Then she stepped forwards, put her hands on the grass, and kicked both her legs high in the air.

Anya was standing on her hands! She balanced for a few seconds. Then she kicked her legs down and stood back up the right way.

Gemma clapped. “Wow! You’re really good at handstands, Anya.”

Anya lifted her arms and saluted to the imaginary crowd again. She’d won the gold medal!

Now it was Gemma’s turn to try. Anya talked Gemma through every step of the handstand. Then they did it in slow motion, practising where Gemma should put her hands and when to kick.

Anya was a very good teacher. She made sure Gemma understood what she had to do. That would keep her safe.

Finally, it was time for Gemma to try it properly. “I’m a bit scared now,” she said. “What if I land on my head?”

“Don’t be scared,” said Anya. “I’ll catch your legs and hold you up. Try to tuck into a ball if you feel like you’re falling.”

Gemma lifted her arms up high. She lifted her leg. She stepped forward, put her hands down, and kicked. Anya grabbed her legs.

“I'm doing it!” shouted Gemma.

Anya pushed Gemma’s legs back down to the floor. “You did your first handstand!” said Anya. “You were really good. Let’s keep practising together.”

By Jess Connett