The Children's Story

There lived a lady of 40 who liked sniffing things. She sniffed a cat (I wonder what it smelt like) and a dog. Believe it or not she smelt a skunk (yuck!) and fish heads (gone with the wind!) and burning rubber (worse!). One spring afternoon Miss Sniff was doing some gardening, (believe it or not, that was her name). She was sniffing some roses (typical) when she heard the gate slamming behind her. So she went to open it (you know, don't you). "Oh I haven't tried metal before." (I knew it, did you?) So she sniffed it. She liked it so much that she sniffed some more. But the gate shut on her nose. "Oooooo," she said. Her nose was all floppy and then it fell off (ahhh!). She was so desperate to get a nose that she picked a rose and cut the spikes off. She stuck the stem into what was left of the nose (horrible!). Next day the rose had withered away. "Damn!" said Miss Sniff (she should have known).

Miss Sniff rumbled through her drawers and she saw some bows off a Christmas present. "These will do," she said (not!). The back of the bows was not very sticky but she stuck one on (not for long Miss Sniff). She was doing her weekly shopping in the grocer's when the bow fell off.

"Fiddlesticks," she said (ha ha ha). "Maybe my neighbours will have something," she said. She looked over and saw a hose. She tip-toed into the garden. She had some scissors and she cut a piece of the hose off (silly woman). She said (guess again!) Mr Weed was very angry. Miss Sniff was in her garden, minding her own business when Mr Weed said, "What's that on your nose?" "Just a hose!" Mr Weed pulled on her nose. "Ah, my hose," he said. "Bother," said Miss Sniff. Next day she went to the doctor's.

"Doctor help me!

I lost my nose

I tried a rose

Then some bows

Then a hose

What shall I do?

I'm sure a shoe

Or china too

Would break right through"

"Don't be silly. If you wait a new nose will grow," said Doctor. (And do you know it did.)

Emma Worsley, aged 81/2,

Tyne and Wear

The Children's Story is open to stories of up to 400 words written by children up to the age of 15 which have not been previously published. Send stories with a self-addressed envelope to The Children's Story, Section Two, The Independent, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5DL.