Uncle Albert's Greatcoat
a story from the 1920s
by Phyllis Johnston

Uncle Albert was a soldier in the First World War.  When he came home from the war, he gave Dad his army greatcoat.  It was 
long and heavy and very warm.  
There was a brown mark on the right sleeve.  "That's where a bullet just missed me," said Uncle Albert.
We all took turns trying on the greatcoat, but it was too big and heavy for dressing up.  Mum put it on a hook in the 
wash-house.  It hung down to the ground and made a good hiding place.  
Sometimes we put the greatcoat over two chairs to make a tent and sat inside it to eat our lunch.  Dad used it on wet 
days when he worked on the farm.  The greatcoat kept him dry.  
At the school picnic, Mum put the greatcoat on the ground for us all to sit on.  
Winter came.  We were cold in bed at night.  Mum and Dad had no money to buy blankets, so Mum made us blankets 
out of sugar sacks and newspapers, with old sheets sewn on the outside.  They were scratchy, and they weren't very warm.  
One frosty night, Dad put Uncle Albert's greatcoat on our bed.  "It'll be as warm as three blankets," he said.
"Pooh  that coat smells," said the girls.  "We don't want it on our bed!"
We boys slept well that night and woke up with warm feet.  We skited to the girls at breakfast time.  "I was almost too 
hot," my brother said.
The girls got mad.  They'd woken up shivering in the night, and Mum had given them her old thin coat for their bed.  
"It's not fair," they moaned.  
"You'll have to share the greatcoat," said Mum.
So one night, the girls had the greatcoat on their bed, and the next night we boys had it.  My older brother slept on the 
outside of the bed.  He'd keep pulling the greatcoat towards him.  Then I'd get cold and pull it back.  
One night, I woke up.  It was dark, and my feet felt like blocks of ice.  Uncle Albert's greatcoat was all on my brother's 
side.  I pulled it back over me. 
"Give it back," he yelled.
"I want some too," I yelled back.
He kicked me.  I kicked him back.  Mum and Dad came into the bedroom.  
"Why can't you share the coat?" said Mum, tucking the sleeves under the mattress.
"It's two o'clock in the morning," Dad growled.  He looked mad.  "This is the last time you'll fight over that coat."
Next evening, we couldn't find the greatcoat.  It wasn't on its hook on the wash-house wall.  
"It's gone," said Dad.  He looked stern.  We didn't dare ask him where the greatcoat was.  We rubbed our feet and arms 
up and down on the sheets to keep them warm.  The sack blankets pricked our legs and the newspaper crackled when we turned 
over.  We longed for Uncle Albert's greatcoat.
"What have Mum and Dad done with it?" I asked.  
"It's not on their bed," said my brother.
Just thinking about the warm, heavy coat made me feel colder than ever.
Four days later, when we came home from school, Mum had made us two new blankets.  The outsides were covered 
with old sheets.  
The blankets were wide and long.  They didn't feel like sugar sacks, and newspapers didn't crackle inside them.  Then I 
knew.  "These blankets are made from Uncle Albert's greatcoat!" I said.  
"I helped your mother unpick all the seams," said Dad.
"We used every bit of it," said Mum.  "I unpicked my old, thin coat too, and we put an old jersey between the pieces."
"Yippee!  A greatcoat blanket!" I said.
"No one will be cold any more," said Mum.

Suzie and the Space Nuts
by Lorenzo Van Der Lingen

Late one night 
VOOSH!
Suzie:	Billy broke it, not me!  Huh?
	Where's that LIGHT coming from?
	!!!  A FLYING SAUCER!

BZZZZ!
	It landed in the empty section next door!  I've GOT to get a closer look!
	WOW!  Aliens!

Gort:	I'm warning you, Freeble, this is a BAD idea!  Remember what happened on the LAST planet we landed on?

Freeble:	Oh, don't be such a WORRY-WART, Gort!
	I only want to stretch my legs a bit.  Why don't YOU loosen a few rivets and RELAX, too?

Gort:	Hmph!  I WILL relax, as soon as we get back home.  I bet we'd have BEEN there by now if you'd taken a 
LEFT turn like I said.

Freeble:	Ah!  That's better!
	Eh?  What do you mean?  I DID turn left!

Gort:	Oh!
	Er  well, I meant your OTHER left, then.

Freeble:	My OTHER left?   ???

Suzie:	Ahem.   Ah, EXCUSE ME, but your OTHER left is actually your RIGHT.

! !!!  POP!  CLICK!

Gort:	LOOK OUT!!  A HORRIBLE alien MONSTER!  Keep back while I ZAP it!

Freeble:	No, Gort, WAIT!
	Let's try and make FRIENDS with it, first.

Gort:	MAKE FRIENDS?!?  But look how ugly it is!  YUCK!

Suzie:	HEY!  Who are you calling UGLY?

Freeble:  Heh!  Take no notice of Gort  he thinks ALL monsters are ugly.

Suzie:	I'm NOT a MONSTER!  My name's SUZIE, and I'm a GIRL.
	OKAY?

Freeble:	Oh!  Ha ha!  Well, pardon us!  It's lovely to meet you, ah  SUZIE GIRL.
	This is GORT, my trusty robot companion 

Gort:	Hello.

Freeble:	 and I'M called Freeblemagreeblehoopledooplediddlyonkponkponk.
	But just call me Freeble  I've found it saves a lot of time.  Ha ha!

Suzie:  	Pleased to meet you, too  I guess 
	Say, are you two from OUTER SPACE??

Freeble: 	Sure are!  We come from the BEAUTIFUL planet of SPUNGO.  It's right up there
	 somewhere 

Suzie:  Golly!  Are you LOST?

Freeble:	LOST?  US?  No, not at all!  Well  maybe just a LITTLE bit 

Gort:	Sure!  If you call 600 BILLION LIGHT YEARS a little 

Freeble:  	Anyway, tell me, Suzie, what do you girls EAT on this planet?

Suzie.	Eat?  Um   Lots of things, really  ah 

Freeble.  	Sounds great!  Lead the way then.  I'm STARVING!

Suzie.  	Well  OK, but you'll have to keep quiet, or you'll wake my parents.

Freeble. 	Sure!  No problem!

Gort.	Food, food, food!  Is that ALL you can think about?

Freeble	Well, now you come to mention it, I AM a bit thirsty too.

Suzie.	Giggle

AND SO!

Freeble	BURP!  Well, that wasn't TOTALLY disgusting.  I've eaten a lot worse, I can tell you  a lot worse!

Suzie.	But  but  you were supposed to eat what was ON the plates, not the PLATES THEMSELVES!!

Freeble.	Oh really?  THIS stuff?  Oh well, never mind.  Just pop it in a bag, and we'll take it with us 
	Kitchy-koo!

Suzie.	Sigh.

AND SOON AFTER THAT!

Suzie.	Um  Freeble, can I ask you a FAVOUR before you leave?

Freeble.	Sure!  You're the NICEST monster, er, I mean GIRL I've ever met!

Suzie.	Well, I'd LOVE to have a ride in your spaceship.  Just a quick one  not out in SPACE or anything  

Freeble.	But, of course!
	It's a bit of a squeeze, but 

Gort.	EEEEK!

Freeble.	Huh?
	Gort?
	Gort!  What IS it???
	OUR SPACESHIP!  It's  it's GONE!!!
	Now we'll NEVER get back home again!

OH NO!  What will happen to Suzie and the Space Nuts NOW?
Find out in the very next PART 2 SCHOOL JOURNAL.

Tom and Frankie
by Unn West

Tom wanted a goldfish for his birthday.  
At the pet shop, there was a whole wall of goldfish.  Orange fish swam in quick shoals.  There were fish with black 
stripes and brown spots.  There were fish with beautiful names, like "angelfish" and "guppy".  And there was a tank of ordinary-
looking grey fish, which were actually mean and dangerous piranhas, lurking behind the glass.
Tom came home with a yellow fish in a plastic bag.  Louie said it was a boring fish, but Tom said it had gold on its tail 
and it was the one he wanted.
That made Louie groan.  It wouldn't be so bad having to stick up for his older brother when other kids called him slow, 
if only he'd act cool sometimes.
They put the fish in its new tank and watched as it streaked to the far corner and turned, flashing its golden tail.
"I hope you realise that if you don't look after this fish and it dies, you'll never ever get another one," Louie said.  He 
was still sore that Tom hadn't chosen a piranha.
"I say!  That is one handsome fish!  When will it be big enough to have for dinner?"
"Grandpa!" Tom answered.  "This is a pet.  You don't eat it!"
Tom was going to spend the last month of the holidays with Grandpa.  They left with the car full of suitcases and 
blankets and toys.  The fish tank was balanced on top of everything else, but Frankie Fish travelled in a jam jar.  It was a great 
relief to get to Grandpa's house  Tom had been sure that the jar would tip over.  
They put the tank on the wide window sill by Tom's bed so he could look at Frankie as he went to sleep.  
"Now remember, Tom, this window gets very hot in the middle of the day," warned Grandpa.  "You'll have to move the 
tank to the other side each morning."
There was plenty for Tom to do at Grandpa's.  Bella had just had a calf and wasn't looking after it properly.  It was 
Tom's job to give it three feeds a day.  The carrots had grown lots and needed thinning, and Sooty had sneaked away somewhere 
to have her kittens.
Tom remembered to move his fish the first day and the second.  The third day, he forgot.  When he went to change into 
his pyjamas, he saw Frankie resting at the top of the water.  Next morning, Frankie was still resting.  Grandpa said he was dead.
"You forgot, didn't you?" he said.  Tom began to cry.  He felt sorry for Frankie, and he felt sorry for himself.  He felt 
angry with Louie because Louie had been right, and he felt angry with Grandpa because he should have made sure Tom didn't 
forget.  He knew Tom had trouble remembering.  But then Tom remembered that one of the best things about Grandpa was that 
he always treated Tom the same as anyone else.
They put Frankie in a matchbox and buried him in the garden.  That night, Tom felt very sad when he went to bed.
"Louie said I'd never get another fish if I let Frankie die," he sobbed.
"Would you like another one?" asked Grandpa.  "We could go into town tomorrow if you like."
"I don't know."  Tom still felt sad.  "It wouldn't be the same," he said.
"I guess it wouldn't," said Grandpa.  He put his arm round Tom.  "Come here, and I'll show you something," he said.
He took Tom into the lounge.  "See that flowerpot over there?" he said.  "Your mum gave it to me for my birthday with 
a plant in it.  Pink flowers all over the place.  She said to make sure I kept watering it.
"But the hay was ready, and I got busy outside.  After a week, the plant was as dry as a cactus.  All the flowers had 
fallen off.  I didn't want to hurt your mum's feelings, so I went into town and got another one.  The way I see it, people are more 
important than plants.  Or fish."
Tom said he'd think about it.  He was still thinking about it when it was time to go home.  
When Mum came to pick him up, he wasn't sure if he dared to show her the empty tank.  He said, "Mum, if you had to 
look after something and it died, but you could get another one just the same, would that be cheating?"
Mum laughed.  "Did Grandpa tell you about his potplant?"
"Ye-es," Tom admitted.  Then he said, "But how did you know?  That it wasn't the same plant, I mean."
"It wasn't hard.  You see, I gave Grandpa a Busy Lizzie.  When I came back, it had turned into a pink geranium.  Has 
this got something to do with Frankie?"
Tom didn't answer.  He was wondering whether Louie would like his tank to keep a piranha in.

Suzie and the Space Nuts
Episode 2
by Lorenzo Van Der Lingen

The story so far:
Last night, Suzie met an ALIEN, Freeble, and his ROBOT, Gort.  After their SPACESHIP was stolen, Suzie let them HIDE in 
her wardrobe.

Morning 
Suzie.  PSST, Freeble!  It's me, Suzie.  I brought you some breakfast.
Freeble.  BOO!
Suzie.  Oh, there you are!  Say, you can use your TAIL just like a MONKEY!
Freeble.  Sure can!  What's a monkey?
Suzie.  Just an animal.  Poor Gort.  Do you think he'll be OK?
Freeble.  Sure.  He just blew a fuse when he found the SPACESHIP missing, that's all.
Suzie.  Um  listen, Freeble.  I have to go to SCHOOL today, but when I get back, we'll go and look for your ship  OK?
Freeble.  OK  what's school?
Suzie.  It's a place where you go to LEARN things.
Freeble.  Sounds fun!  Let's go!
Suzie.  Don't be silly  YOU can't come!  You're an ALIEN!  No, you stay here and look after Gort.
Suzie's Dad.  Suzie!  Hurry up!  You'll be LATE!
Suzie.  Gotta go.  See ya!
Freeble.  Hmmm 
Later, at school 
Freeble.  PSST!  Hey, Suzie!
Suzie.  FREEBLE  is that YOU?!?
Freeble.  Sure IS!  Do you like my DISGUISE?
Suzie.  No!  I told you to stay   Oh!
Mr Smith.  Excuse me, but who are YOU?
Suzie.  Ah  this is a new boy, Mr Smith.
Freeble.  That's RIGHT!  My name is  um  er  ah  FRUZIE!  Yes, that's it.  Fruzie.  Like Suzie, but with an F and an R.
Mr Smith.  I see.  Well, Fruzie, would you hand out these books, please?
Freeble.  Cool!  OK!
And so!
Freeble.  Everyone's got one, Mr Smith.  But can I have ANOTHER book?  This one's not very TASTY!
Later, at playtime 
Suzie.  Freeble, you CAN'T stay here!
Freeble.  Why not?  I like it  it's FUN!
Suzie.  Well, if you stay, you'll have to stop EATING everything!
Freeble.  I'm sorry  I was HUNGRY!
	Say, tell me, Suzie  what's that big, bright, round thing up there?  
Suzie.  Oh, that's the SUN.  But don't look straight at it, or you'll hurt your eyes.
Freeble.  Wow!  The SUN!
	You know, Suzie  this is a very nice planet to be stuck on!  
	There are far WORSE places, believe me!  Like Planet PONGO  what a stinkhole!
Glenn.  Hey!  Hey, you!  FOUR-EYES!
Suzie.  Oh, no!  It's GLENN!  He's a big BULLY!
Glenn.  So YOU'RE the dumb kid who eats books, huh?
Freeble.  Yes, I am.
	But don't try it yourself  you won't like them!
Glenn.  Are you trying to be FUNNY?
Freeble.  No, I'm only  HEY!
Glenn.  Here.  Give me those stupid glasses!
	Huh?  WAAAAA!  His nose came off!  HELP!  Mummy!
Suzie.  Oh, boy!  Ha ha ha  you sure taught HIM a lesson!  
	Giggle!
Freeble.  Well, that's good.  That's what schools are FOR.
After school, back at home 
Suzie.  What a great day, Freeble!
Freeble.  Yes, it was.  I learnt HEAPS of new things!  But I think my brain's full now.
Gort.   and WHERE have you two been all day?
Freeble.  GORT!
Suzie.  You're OK!
Freeble.  But who fixed you?
Gort.  I didn't NEED fixing.  My circuits overheated, that's all.  Once they cooled down, I was fine.  
	And while you two were off having FUN, I was busy looking for our SPACESHIP.
Freeble.  Great!  Did you have any LUCK?
Gort.  Yes!  I know where it is.  But it looks very DANGEROUS!
Freeble.  Ha!  I LAUGH in the FACE of DANGER!  Just lead the way!
Suzie.  Gulp!

Freeble may LAUGH in the FACE of DANGER  but can he GIGGLE in the NOSE of TERROR?
Find out in the next Part 2 School Journal!

Watercress
by Marie T. Waiomio

Piripi jumped off the school bus and ran across the bridge to the house.
"I'm home, Mum," he yelled.  "Just going to take Scabbie for a run."
The chooks scattered as he raced through the yard.  Scabbie's tail was wagging so hard that his whole body was 
shaking.  As soon as Piripi let the chain fall, Scabbie took off.
"Stop, Scabbie, stop!" yelled Piripi as he raced up the hill.  He watched in horror as Scabbie headed for the top of 
Pukenui.
"Scabbie, you know I'm not allowed up there!  Please stop!"
Piripi watched the little terrier disappear.  "I'm not going up there.  All those stories about taniwha  it's too scary."
He lay down on the warm grass and watched the white clouds scudding along over his head.  His eyes closed 
A cold wet nose and a warm tongue woke him.  Scabbie was back.  And he'd brought Piripi a present.  A big bunch of 
fresh, green watercress lay on the grass beside him.  Scabbie's shining eyes were fixed on Piripi, and his tongue was lolling as he 
waited to be praised.
Piripi sat up.  "Oh, no!  Where did you find it, Scabbie?  Where did you go?  You didn't go right to the top, did you?  
Scabbie, please say you didn't go to the top of the hill!"
Scabbie grinned and wagged his tail.
"Oh, man," groaned Piripi.  "I'll be in deep trouble  oh. man!" 
He pulled himself to his feet and started down the hill without touching the watercress.
Scabbie snatched the bunch of watercress in his mouth and raced away down towards the house.  
"ΐe mΰrika!  Aue!"  Piripi could hear his mother's shriek from halfway down the hill.
"Oh, man!" he   and kicked at a clump of grass.  
His mother was waiting for him at the back door.   No sign of the watercress. 
"Come on, Piri," she said.  "Have a wash before your kai."  
Slowly Piripi walked through to the dining room.  "Sit down, Piri," said his dad.
Poppa was sitting at the end of the table.  Piripi sat down.  He was almost sure he saw Poppa wink at him.
Dinner was very quiet that evening. 
"Piripi, you can leave the dishes tonight," said his mother.  "Poppa wants to talk to you.  Outside, under the cherry 
tree."
"Oh, man," mumbled Piripi and walked slowly outside.

"Sit down," said Poppa.  "I'm not going to bite you.  I just want to tell you a story.  It's the same story my grandad 
told me when I was your age."
Piripi sat down on the grass beside him.   "Many years ago," Poppa began, "our local people used to bury their dead in 
a deep hole on top of that hill you were climbing today.  The entrance to the hole is blocked by a huge slab of rock.  Only the 
people who belonged to our tribe knew how to open it.
"Up near the top of the hill was a spring, where beautiful, fresh, green watercress grew all year round.  No one picked 
or ate this watercress.  It was left as a food for the journey into the spirit world.
"One day, some visitors from another tribe heard of this watercress.  Because there was none growing anywhere else, 
they decided to climb the hill and help themselves.  But as they bent to pick the watercress, the surface of the spring began to 
heave and boil.
'Aue, te taniwha!' wailed the women.  'Aue, Tupua Manatu!  See how large and flat it is, just like a whai!'
"Everyone rushed away down the hill, very frightened.  Even though no one had actually seen the taniwha, everyone 
for miles around heard about him.  And no one has ever again tried to take watercress from there.
"The burial site on top of the hill is called Tupua Manatu, after the taniwha.  You must keep away from there  it is 
very tapu."  Poppa hugged Piripi.  "You don't have to worry about Scabbie, though.  It's different for animals.  Your mum 
screamed when she saw the watercress because she knew where it had come from and she thought you'd been up there.
"Now, to make everything right, you and I will go down to the river for a wash.  And, yes, we'll take Scabbie too."
Piripi took Poppa's hand, and together they walked slowly down to the river.


Glossary
ΐe mΰrika!  		Yes, certainly!
whai			stingray

Suzie and the Space Nuts
Episode 3
by Lorenzo Van Der Lingen

Last night, Suzie met Freeble, an ALIEN, and his ROBOT, Gort.  After their SPACESHIP was stolen, Suzie let them HIDE in 
her wardrobe.
The next day, Freeble disguised himself and followed her to school.  When they got back home, Gort told them that he had 
FOUND the spaceship, but that it was chained up beside a STRANGE building across town.

How are you DOING there, Suzie?
N-not bad, Freeble, but do we HAVE to go so FAST?

ZOW!

Afraid so, Suzie.  At THIS SPEED, no one can SEE us 
?!!
Yelp!
ZOW! 
Yikes!
That's right.  They'll only see a PASSING BLUR!
Great!  Tell that to my STOMACH when it c-catches up!

Meanwhile, across town 
What do you MEAN, you CAN'T open it?!?

We've tried EVERYTHING, Dr Weevil, sir, but we haven't even put a DENT in the spaceship!

UNBELIEVABLE!  What about the LASER CANNON?

Say, where IS the laser cannon?

Um  
er 
heh!

Ah  it's at the LASER CANNON REPAIR SHOP, Dr Weevil, sir 

WHAT?!?  Well, just go and BUY a NEW one, STUPID!!

YESSIR!  Sorry, sir!  Right away, sir!  Gulp!

RIGHT!  You HEARD the boss!  Into the TRUCK, men, we've got URGENT SHOPPING to do!

YESSIR!!! 

What a pack of IDIOTS!  Why did I ever HIRE them, Grunt?

Ah, because IDIOTS make you seem even SMARTER, Your Evil Geniusness!

Oh, yes  THAT'S why!  I'd forgotten!  Thank you, Grunt.  I can always RELY on YOU.  You're NOT an idiot  you're only a 
MORON!

You're too KIND, Dr Weevil!
PAT  PAT

Yes, I AM too kind, aren't I?  
SNIFF  
FAR too kind for an EVIL scientist!

No one's PERFECT, doctor!

True!  But once I get INSIDE this spaceship, it'll be a different story!

A BEDTIME story?

No, you fool  a SCARY story!  When I've learnt the secrets of this spaceship's advanced ALIEN technology, I'll become the 
RULER of the world!   Nyah-ha-ha-harr!

Hee hee hee!

Meanwhile, outside the evil doctor's lair 

I TOLD you I couldn't take much MORE of that!  

My, what SENSITIVE stomachs you humans have!
KEEP OUT!  THIS MEANS YOU!

Get READY!  I've almost cut THROUGH!

There!  We're in!  

What IS this place?

THUMP!

What luck!  There's NO ONE here!  
And there's our SHIP!

I DON'T like this place!

But LOOK, Freeble!  It's CHAINED to the ground!

Then just CUT the chains, Gort!

OK.

Hurry!

Oh, no, you DON'T!

Huh?

Ow!

I KNEW that net would come in handy!  So  I presume you are the PREVIOUS owners of MY spaceship?  

Yes!  But who are YOU?!?

I am the GREAT mad genius, EVIL Dr WEEVIL!  And YOU are now my PRISONERS!  

Oh, NO, we're NOT!

RRRRRRIP!

Yay!  Go, Gort!

Now, keep BACK, or I'll ZAP you!

Help!  Mummy!

Hey!  That NET cost a LOT of money!

BUT!

Think AGAIN, bucket-head!
ZAP!
Looks like we got back JUST IN TIME!

You certainly DID!  Now then, either you OPEN that SPACESHIP for me, or I'LL be the one doing the ZAPPING!

Yeah!

OK, OK!  You win!

No, Freeble, DON'T!

See that BUTTON on my belt?  Push it, and the ship will OPEN.

This better not be a TRICK!  Go ahead, Grunt  PUSH it!

Yes, doctor.
Why do I always get the RISKY jobs? 
BZZZT

And so!
PSSH
WHIRR

YES!!  It's opening!  And there's even an ENTRANCE RAMP!

Sorry, Suzie  but what CHOICE do we have?

I know, Freeble.

EXCELLENT!  Now NOTHING can stop me from becoming the RULER of the WORLD!  Nyah-ha-ha-harr!

Uh-oh!  The LAST thing our planet needs is a ROTTEN RULER with an even WORSE haircut!  
Find out what happens to Suzie and the Space Nuts in the next Part 2 School Journal!

Baa!
David Hill
(with thanks to Pembroke School, Taranaki)

When I came into Room Seven on Tuesday morning, everyone was down at the far end.  
The girls were going, "So cute!"  
The guys were going, "Looks like you, Jarred   No, looks like you, Daniel."  
I pushed through the crowd and stared.  Was it a poodle?  A baby goat?  No  it was a lamb!
Tamsin had brought it to school.  
"She's our first lamb born this year," Tamsin said.  "Her mother had twins, but she hasn't got enough milk for both of them.  We're feeding 
this one from a bottle."
"Maybe you could ring home and ask Mum or Dad to pick up the lamb at playtime," suggested Ms Mika.
"They've both gone out for the day," said Tamsin.
Ms Mika sighed.  
Tamsin took a baby's bottle from her bag.  Next minute  glomp!  The lamb was sucking flat out.  Her head bunted, her tail waggled, milk 
dribbled down her chin.  Just like my little sister, Stacey  except for the tail.
"What's she called, Tamsin?" Ms Mika asked.
"Baaaarbie," said Daniel.
"No, she's Pam," Tamsin said.  "Pam the Lamb."
Pam the Lamb curled up on the wooden floor beside Tamsin's desk.  A couple of times she went "Baaaa!"  So all Room Seven went 
"Baaaa!" back  until Ms Mika said anyone who kept doing it would end up on a baaaarbecue.
Pam had another bottle at playtime.  "Why's she shaking?" someone asked.  "All lambs do that," said Andrew, who lives on a farm, too.  
"It's because their hearts beat so fast."
We had Personal Writing after playtime.  "I'll write some nursery rhymes," Ripeka Matthews announced.  "Tamsin had a little lamb "
"Yeah," said Daniel.  "Tamsin had a little lamb  a little pork, a little ham "
We'd been writing for about ten minutes when Tamsin looked down at Pam and then called out, "Er  Ms Mika?  Pam's done a puddle on 
the floor."
She is like Stacey, I thought.  Ms Mika sighed.  "Find Mr Chan, the caretaker.  Get some disinfectant and a bucket of water."
At lunchtime, Tamsin put a leash on Pam's collar, and we took her outside.  Some of the kids wanted to teach Pam how to play soccer.  
Tamsin said no, she and her friends were going to read Pam some Hairy Maclary stories.
"Hairy Maclary?" Jarred asked.  "Don't you mean Woolly MacPully?"
After lunch, Pam had some more milk and went to sleep beside Tamsin's desk. 
Then suddenly Daniel yelled, "Hey!  Pam's eating my science project!"
She was, too.  A piece of green paper vanished into her mouth.  "What's your project about?" someone asked.
"A healthy diet," said Daniel.  "Why's everyone laughing?"
We worked on for a while.  Then Tamsin looked down and went "Er  Ms Mika?" again.
"Another puddle?" our teacher asked.
"Um  not a puddle exactly," Tamsin said.  Sure enough, kids near her desk were holding their noses.
Ms Mika sighed again.  "Find Mr Chan.  Get disinfectant and a big bucket of water."
When we were packing up that afternoon, Ms Mika said, "Andrew, if any lambs are born on your farm tonight, just bring a photo of 
them."  Andrew grinned.
Next morning, Ms Mika was calling out everyone's names.  Andrew wasn't there.  Then the door opened, and Andrew looked in.  He was 
holding a rope tied to something outside.  "Hey, Ms Mika ," he began.
Our teacher stared.  "Andrew, I told you not to bring any lambs along!"
Andrew shook his head.  "No, I haven't brought a lamb."
"MOOOOO!" went the something outside.


Suzie and the Space Nuts, Episode 4
by Lorenzo Van Der Lingen

Last night, Suzie met an alien, FREEBLE, and his robot, GORT.
After their SPACESHIP was stolen, she let them HIDE in her CLOSET.  The next day, Gort found their SPACESHIP chained up beside 
a strange building across town.
After breaking in, Suzie, Gort, and Freeble were CAPTURED by the EVIL DR WEEVIL.

Yes!  It's OPENING!  And there's even an ENTRANCE ramp!  Now NOTHING can stop me from becoming the RULER of the world!  
Nyah-ha-ha-harr!!

Hur hur!

HEY!!  Look out!  BEHIND you!!

? 
Eh?   What?  WHERE?!?
!!!

Ha-ha!  You FELL for the OLDEST trick in the book!
STOP!!
Nope.  I STILL can't see anything!
ZOOM!
Go, Suzie, go!  Push the big RED button to TAKE OFF!
Come on, baby  FLY for me!
YES!!
WOOSH!
NO!  Come back with my SHIP!
SNAP!  SNAP!  SNAP!

Quick, Gort, let's get AFTER them!
Don't SHOOT, you FOOL!
ZAP!

The ship spins wildly out of control, heading for the centre of town 

WOW!  Come and LOOK at this, Helen!

Not now, Jim, I'm BUSY!

Now that I'm UP here, how do I STEER this thing?  Let's try THIS lever 

Aha!  That's UP!
!!!
Phew!
YAAAAAA!
So THIS must be ...
Look, Mum!  It's SUPERMAN!
... down!
YAAA!  Narrow GAP ahead!
Luckily for Suzie, when the capital city winds blow, they blow HARD!
Puff!
WOOSH!
FLIP!
EEK!
YIKES!  There go the LEGS!
CRACK!
Ow!
HELP!  I'm too EVIL to die!
SPLASH!  THUMP 
?!
Heck, that's an UGLY fountain 
Meanwhile, the spacenuts have finally caught up with Suzie.
FREEBLE!  How do I STOP this thing?!?
ZOW!  Pull the BIG LEVER on the LEFT!
Big lever on my left?  Ah  here we go!
?!?  THAT only started the WINDSCREEN WIPERS!
He meant your OTHER left, then!
SQUEAK  SQUEAK
My OTHER left?  My RIGHT, you mean!
YANK
SCREEEE
Phew!
Yay!  Well done!  !!!
Freeble?  Gort?  Where ARE you?

Over here, Suzie   Could you  give us a hand peeling us off this wall?
!
Later, back at home 
Well, Suzie, I guess it's TIME for us to say GOODBYE 
I know, Freeble.  SORRY about the DAMAGE to your ship 
Don't be SILLY!  You got it BACK for us!
BEFORE we go, here's one of the SHIP'S LEGS to REMEMBER us by.
Oh, Freeble  it's PERFECT!
!  Sniff
I'm gonna MISS you guys!
Hey, we'll be BACK some day  don't WORRY!
And so 
Bye, guys!  
See ya, Suzie!  WOOSH!
So  shall we turn LEFT, Gort?
Oh, don't start THAT again!
The END!

And the Winner Is !
by Kathleen O'Sullivan

"I'm not telling you again, Chris," said Dad as he slammed the door.  "You will mow that lawn today!"
We heard the car screech out of the drive.  I knew from the way Mum was holding her mouth as she put Sally into her 
pushchair that this time Chris would have to do as he was told.  
As soon as Mum and Sally were out of sight down the street, Chris rushed to the phone.  Ringing up his mates, I 
guessed.
"You'll be in trouble  you heard what Dad said."
"Mind your own business," he hissed as he scooted out the door.
It wasn't too long before I saw Josh and Hemi come round the side of the house.  Soon Blake arrived too, flinging his 
bike against the rubbish bin with a crash.  
I watched them sit in a row along the top of the brick wall as I swished the water round in the sink.  It was my week for 
dishes  Chris always tried to get out of those, too.
I saw Chris jump down off the wall and race off to the shed.  He came out dragging the old hand mower.  Dad won't let 
us use the motor mower  he says the old one does a better job.  But I think he's just worried that we might chop our toes off.  As 
it is, we always have to wear shoes when we mow the lawn.
Josh, Blake, and Hemi crowded round as Chris pointed to the mower and waved his arms around in the air.  I saw them 
nodding and grinning.  Then Chris sprinted towards the house and burst in through the back door.  He grabbed Mum's old oven 
timer and shot back out through the door, slamming it so hard that the windows rattled.
Blake grabbed hold of the mower.  Josh and Hemi stood on the path next to Chris, who was holding the timer.  I opened 
the window so I could hear what was going on.
"GO!" shouted Chris.
Blake charged down to the end of the lawn, shoving the mower in front of him.  With a magnificent skid, like a rally car 
doing a wheelie, he turned and raced it back to the other three.
"How did I go?"  He waved his arms over his head in a victory sign.
"Not too bad  just over two minutes," said Chris.  "Now it's Hemi's turn."
This time the mower just took off.  The blades sounded like a helicopter coming in to land.  Hemi was much, much 
faster than Blake.
Just as Hemi finished, Josh rushed forward, grabbed the mower, and tore off down the garden.   I've never seen a mower 
go like that.  Josh's legs were moving so fast it was like watching a video on fast forward.  When he finished his turn, he let go of 
the mower and sprawled face down on the grass.  The mower crashed into the steps with a bang that almost took the back door 
off its hinges.
"Who won?  Who won?"
Josh did a fierce haka when Chris called his name, but Hemi and Blake said it wasn't fair.  They said Josh had cheated 
by not waiting for Chris to say "Go!"
While they were arguing, I noticed that Chris had the same triumphant grin on his face that he gets when he's cheating at 
cards.  I saw him looking at the uncut part of the lawn, almost as if he was measuring it up.
"How about another go then, if you think that one wasn't fair?"  He grinned with delight when they all nodded.  "OK, 
then  but this time we'll make it two runs each."
Chris held the timer as each of the other three puffed and panted up and down the lawn, their legs going like pistons on 
an old steam engine.  In no time at all, the grass was cut.
Josh, Hemi, and Blake flung themselves onto the wall and watched as Chris took the mower to the shed.  When he came 
back with the yard broom and started to sweep the grass off the path, they all begged him to tell them who had won.
It was just at that moment that Mum came round the side of the house with Sally fast asleep in her pushchair.  She was 
just in time to see Chris busily pushing the broom.  Her face lit up, and she gave him a huge hug.  Chris turned bright red and was 
about to push her away when she opened her purse.
"Thanks so much, dear  you have been busy!  Why don't you take your friends down to the dairy and shout them an ice 
cream."
With a whoop, the four of them disappeared.
There was no ice cream for me.  All I got was a dirty look because the dishes were still in the sink.









