Yuggles

By Erica (Age 10, Chinese International School)

Editor's Note: This is a story based on Paul Jennings' Funniest Stories. 


See, no one had ever seen a yuggle before. And no one's ever seen one since. Where they came from and how they exploded has never been explained. Anyway, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. I'd better start from the beginning. This boy called Pockets was visiting his little sister Midge in hospital...

Midge had a really bad sickness that even the doctors in the hospital could not cure. The doctors said it was called Obis, and they were trying to find a cure for it but so far, nothing. Midge was a red-cheeked, blue-eyed, happy person, but as she lay on the snow-white sheets of the hospital bed, she had pale cheeks and faint blue eyes that were almost white. Pockets was crouching beside Midge. He was repeating over and over again, "You'll be all right Midge, fine, fine, fine!" He sounded like he was trying to convince himself instead.

Because I saw he was so sad, I invited him to go pick mushrooms. That was his favorite activity: picking mushrooms. We went to Yuggle Forest. No one knows why it was named that. We picked thousands of different mushrooms: death cap mushrooms and honey mushrooms. Then we saw a mushroom that we had never seen before. It was big, purple, and the stem was red and fat. They were growing on the roots of a honey oak tree and was covered with soft moss. We picked four of the eight and washed it in the stream.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

When we got back to the hospital, we started playing with the new and strange mushrooms. A passing doctor stopped and stared at the mushrooms in our hands. "This... this is the cure... how... you can..." Pockets yelled with joy. I, for one, didn't know half of what the doctor had said. Then Pockets turned to me and said, "This is the cure for Midge!" Then he turned and followed the doctor.

The doctor squeezed the purple juice out of the mushroom into a glass. Then he went to Midge's bed and made her drink the juice. Then he fed the stem and the cap to her. Within a week, Midge was sitting up on her bed, talking and even laughing. And me? Pockets and I were heroes. We had found a type of mushroom that could cure a sickness that was spreading around the world! Even now, there were thousands of orders for the mushrooms. Scientists named it Yuggles, after the forest where it came from. It is now a cure for any type of sickness. I still come to the forest to tend to the Yuggles, and yet, I still have one of the mushrooms that Pockets and I first picked. I will pass it on to my children.

Catoptrophobia: Fear of Mirrors

By Sheren (Age 10.5, Singapore International School)

Image via WikiCommons

Hi, I am a famous actress in Canada named Tina. I have a great family and many friends. They support me whenever I go to perform. But do you know that I once had a fear called catoptrophobia? It is a fear of mirrors. Do you want to know how I overcame this fear? Well then, continue reading.

When I was young, I was raised in a small town in Canada. The first word I spoke was "mirrors". My parents were great to me and bought me tons of mirrors that piled up in my bedroom. There were mirrors hung up everywhere in my room. Every time before my mother brought me out for a walk in the park, I would always cry out loud if she did not put me in front of a mirror to make sure I was neat. My mother didn't seem to mind. She seemed to appreciate it, and she would always say, "Tina, my little daughter. I am glad you are fond of mirrors. One day, I would like you to be an actress!" Those words remained in my mind. Of course I would like to fulfill my mother's dream.

At the age of 9, I was sent to a school where I could enroll in classes like fashion and acting. I got good grades. But on August 20th, 2008, when it was still our break, I was studying acting at home. I decided to ask my mother to buy me some great clothes. After she bought me some, I immediately tried them on. I admired myself in front of the mirrors that hung in my room. My mother told me that I looked beautiful and mature. Suddenly, I felt a sudden fright come through my body. I shouted, "Ah! Why are all these mirrors hanging here? I am scared of them! Help, mom!"

My mother took me to the doctor and the doctor said I had a fear of mirrors. After that, my parents had to take off all the mirrors in my room. I was heart-broken. How could I continue my dream of being an actress? I looked at my mother, but she only shook her head. From then on, when I saw a mirror I had to put on a pair of glasses that would prevent me from looking at mirrors.

I felt that this fear was making my life more difficult and stressful. It made it more difficult to comb my hair, brush my teeth, and make sure I look neat and tidy. My dream of being an actress was coming to an end. I could not put on make-up and beautiful clothes I used to wear. I felt angry and annoyed, sad and disappointed.

One day, I said to my mother confidently, "Mom, I am going to face my phobia so I can be an actress just like you wanted."

My mother stared at me in disbelief. She said, "Well then, if my daughter wants to do it, then go ahead! Do you remember those mirrors you had when you were young? I still have them. They can help you overcome your fear. Just hang them back in your room and look at them everyday before you go to school, play, or anything!"

My mother went to the attic and pulled out a huge bag. I hesitantly opened the bag and took out the mirrors with their backs facing me. I slowly turned it over and stared into it. My heart pounded loudly like a drum. My face was pale. I then placed all the mirrors onto my wall and made a promise to myself, "You must look at these mirrors at least three times a day or more, just to overcome the fear."

From then on, I tried my best everyday to look at the mirrors. It became more and more convenient. I could continue to be an actress! As I grew up, I encountered more and more difficulties, but I plucked up my courage to face the problem. I soon became a famous actress. I have reached my goal. I still remember the day when I found out that I had catoptrophobia, the fear of mirrors. I am glad I overcame it and faced it. I feel proud and want to thank my parents for encouraging me!

Qing Ming Animation

By Christina (age 14, GSIS)

A few weeks ago, our family got tickets to go see The River of Wisdom: an exhibition of the animated version of The Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival, a famous Chinese painting from the 12^th century.

This version was originally exhibited at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo in the China Pavilion. The size of it is huge, stretching more than 120 meters long, 30 times the original size of the painting. This animation is projected on a screen with 12 different projectors, presenting a day to night cycle every 4 minutes.

The animated version consisted of animated people walking along the street, camels being lead across bridges, and even sound effects, of the business of the market, like men shouting out what they're selling. The water of the river rippled, and the lanterns flickered in the night.

It definitely was interesting to see. I know that I'd never have another chance to see it, so I happily went with my sister and mom. The exhibition room was filled with people, all taking pictures of the giant scroll. I could see camera flashes going off every other quarter of a second. There was so many people! It was exciting to be part of the sea of viewers.

The only thing I had against it though was the fact that the cycle of the day was so short. I don't see how people can stay in the exhibition room for so long watching the same thing over and over again. I think the days could have been slightly longer: maybe 6 or 8 minutes. I think that the animated people were thought provoking to watch. They had camels pulling people, peasants carrying buckets of water, and donkeys attached to carriages.

All this made me wonder if the people those days actually lived like that, having to work so much. In the animated painting, you could actually see people walking from the far right, where the edge of the town started, to the left, where the main streets and a temple stood. If I had grown up in that town, I probably would have been so tired out after every day, walking along the streets with buckets of water on my back, or even staying in the market yelling out today's prices for the food that had arrived.

Seeing The Riverside Scene at Qingming was probably a once in a lifetime experience, and I'm glad I had the chance to go and see it. It's not the type of thing you see again and again, just because it's so good.

Every Job is Important!

By Lily (Age 6, German Swiss International School)

When I grow up I want to be a heart surgeon. When I am a heart surgeon I will help people who have bad hearts. People think it's disgusting but it's actually interesting.

The reason I want to be a heart surgeon is because I am following my grandfather's path. When I was little I used to watch Grey's Anatomy. I loved Grey's Anatomy. It was really cool, and it's cool to see inside a person's body.

If my friend told me, "Don't be a heart surgeon! Hearts are disgusting!" I would not give up on my future dream. I am not going to start something new. I am going to continue in my future job.

To be the best heart surgeon in the world I will prepare. At my house I have a 3-D book that tells you all about the body. Some nights I study that book. I study different body parts on each page. On some pages they show me tricks.

The Book of Questions

By Jessica, Dylan, Chelsea, Brandan, Philip, Ethan, and Dash (Ages 8-10)

Editor's Note: This is a collaborative poem inspired by Pablo Neruda's "The Book of Questions".

What did the waves say

looking out at the howling wind?

Is there anything in the world more quiet

than a mouse scurrying from place to place?

And what did the orange juice think

of the beautiful sun setting behind the hills?

What did the fall leaves say

floating before the setting of the evening sun?

And what did the bar of chocolate say

lying on the cake that came out of the oven?

What did the peaceful music being played by a violin say

listening to the wind, skimming through the woods?

Is there anything in the world more quiet

than the empty desert at night?

And what did the pillow as white as snow say

standing before the fluffy, warm blanket?

What did the cricket chirp
crawling beneath the birds gliding in the morning sky?

What did the loud cicadas hear
when someone whistled a tune?

And how did the crowds cheer
to the small bells ringing?