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The children's story

Friday 02 February 1996 00:02 GMT
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I WISH FOR THE SAME DAY FOREVER

Once there lived a man called Thomas Jenkonson but in this story you might hear me call him Thomas J or just Thomas. Anyway Thomas was on a work trip to Broadstairs. He missed his train and had to wait a whole hour for the next train. Thomas knew he would get told off by his boss. So Thomas found a call box so he could phone in sick but it was engaged. He didn't want to wait for an hour so he caught the next train to Folkestone. On the way he fell asleep. When he got there Thomas went to the bank to draw out some money but he was on an overdraft. In Folkestone there is a wonderful shell shop. In it there is a little grotto and a wishing well and so Thomas put a penny in and made a wish and thought nothing of it. Thomas had a wonderful time. He went on a ghost train and he went on the umbrellas and at five o'clock it was time for him to leave so he got the train back to Canterbury and by that time it was six-thirty. Thomas had his tea and went to bed. Next day Thomas was late for work again. But Thomas had no idea what day it was. So he went outside and asked the man selling newspapers what day it was and the man said to him, "It's Tuesday the 18th of August." "That's funny, I thought that was yesterday." Thomas went to catch the train but exactly the same thing happened. The phone was even engaged. Day three Thomas was running late for work again and just like yesterday he didn't know what day it was so he asked the man what day it was and the man just said "Tuesday the 18th of August." Suddenly Thomas remembered all about his wish but he couldn't cry because it didn't happen yesterday and from that day onwards he was stuck in the same day.

Rosie Guest, 10, is a pupil at St Peter's Methodist School, Canterbury.

THE GARDEN

The sprinkler was squirting out water,

for my brothers and sisters and I to dance in. The roses were sitting in the shade and every so often they would glisten when the sunlight touched them,

Mother was putting up washing far from the sprinkler,

and Papa was picking all the weeds out,

Nana was watering the flowers and singing like always,

Pop had his nose stuck in a book,

and Auntie was feeding her new baby,

as Uncle was trying to put together a puzzle, My cousins were making daisy chains,

And the garden seemed to smile.

Victoria Martin, 9, Sutton, Surrey.

The Children's Story welcomes previously unpublished stories of up to 400 words by children under 16. Send stories with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Wendy Berliner, The Children's Story, Section Two, the 'Independent', 1 Canada Square, London E14 5DL.

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