… while I announce the winners of the ‘Family Fairy Tale Writing Competition’.
Thank you to all of you who wrote in with your extraordinary fairy-tales. They were all amazing and unique. It was so hard to choose, but choose I must.
I am proud to announce that this years joint lock-down 2020 winners for the ‘Family Fairy Tale Writing Competition’ are…
‘Elise and Family’… & … ‘Harry and Family‘
You both put so much effort and originality into your stories – you stuck to the rules – you stuck to the characters – you were descriptive, using great vocabulary. You created tension and ingeniously wove in hints of different fairy-tale story-lines with strong and poignant messages. Certificates and prizes are on their way to you both.
Congratulations – and never stop writing or imagining.
Elise’s Fairy Tale
Harry and Family’s Fairy Tale
Harry and the Elves
Once upon a time in a faraway land there lived a boy named Harry. Harry lived and worked with his mother and father in their little shoe shop. Harry and his family were very poor but they worked hard to try and make ends meet.
The village they lived in had fallen on hard times. Not too long ago a boy named Jack had planted some magic beans and complete chaos ensued! The beans turned into a beanstalk that led to a castle in the sky where a giant lived. Jack had taken something from the giant and the giant was very angry. He chased Jack down the beanstalk but luckily Jack managed to chop it down before the giant got him. The problem was that as it fell the beanstalk and giant landed right on top of Harry’s village!
There were so many buildings damaged and lots of villagers had to re-build their homes and then of course there was the moving of huge giant to do. The giant was buried and that’s how Harry’s village came to have a huge hill in it.
There is still a huge crater in the town square where the giants head landed when he fell and people have to be very careful not to fall in it when they walk through the square. To make matters worse Jack just up and left with his mother, cow (he bought him back apparently!) and new found riches and didn’t even help to clean up his own mess!
But back to Harry.
Harry worked in his mother and father’s shop and learnt how to be a good shoemaker. He worked very long and hard hours but the family still struggled to make enough money.
One day Harry’s father came into the shop holding a brown package. Inside the package was a piece of leather.
‘I have used the last of our money to buy this leather. It is only enough to make one pair of shoes. This could be the last pair of shoes we ever make in the shop’ Harry’s father said sadly.
‘I’ll make them father’ said Harry.
‘Just try your best’ said Harry’s mother giving him a kiss on the head.
It was getting late now so they said goodnight to each other and Harry’s mother and father left him in the workshop and made their way upstairs to bed. Harry worked long and hard designing the perfect pair of shoes and eventually had his design just how he wanted it. He mustered enough energy to cut the leather but he was so tired he left the cut leather on the table.
‘I’ll finish them first thing in the morning’ he yawned as he climbed the stairs to bed.
‘Oh my goodness’ exclaimed Harry’s mother
‘Why they are perfect’ cried his father.
Harry awoke at his parent’s exclamations and raced downstairs to see what all the fuss was about.
As he entered the room he saw his father holding up a pair of finished boots that matched his design.
‘You finished them’ Harry cried, marvelling at the boots.
Harry’s mother and father looked at each other and then back at Harry.
‘We thought you did’ said his mother.
‘No’ replied Harry. ‘I was too tired so I just cut the leather and went to bed ready to finish them this morning’.
‘How strange’ said Harry’s mother.
‘I must they are fine boots and I’m going to put them in the shop window’ said Harry’s father.
No sooner had he placed them in the window than a man rushing down the street stopped and stared at them. He entered the shop and asked to see the boots and try them on. Harry’s mother rushed to the boots and took them to the man whilst Harry grabbed a small rectangular mirror and held it near the man’s feet so he could see what the boots looked like on his feet. The man pointed his toes looking in the mirror and took a walk around the small shop.
‘I’ll take them’ said the man.
Harry’s mother took the boots and wrapped them neatly in brown paper and string.
‘Here you go’ said the man handing some coins to Harry.
Harry looked at the coins in his hand and then at his parents in amazement.
‘I think that’s a fair price’ said the man, he took his boots all neatly wrapped and left.
‘Wow’ gasped Harry.
‘We have been blessed’ cried his mother.
The amount of money the man had paid for his boots was far greater than the usual amount the family got for their shoes.
‘I’ll get some more leather’ said Harry’s dad. He left the shop with the money and returned later with more leather and also some food for a nice family dinner.
‘We have enough leather for 2 pairs of shoes now’ said Harry.
‘You get designing Harry and we will make dinner’ said his mother.
His mother and father left to get on with dinner and Harry got to work. He worked very hard and it was getting quite late when his mother appeared again.
‘’Come and get some dinner, you’ve been working so hard you must be hungry’.
‘I’ll just cut the leather and I’ll be right there’ said Harry just as his tummy let out a loud growl.
He cut the leather and went to have his dinner. With his tummy now full his eyes started to feel heavy and he had become very tired.
‘I’ll finish the shoes in morning’ he thought sleepily to himself.
‘Harry it’s happened again’
Harry’s eyes sprang open and he jumped out of bed at the sound of his father’s voice and raced down the stairs.
Sure enough on the table were two pairs of shoes in his exact design.
‘But how?’ Harry asked bewildered.
‘I don’t know, but let’s get to the bottom of it’ replied his father.
His mother busied herself putting the shoes in the window whilst the two of them thought about how to find out what was happening.
A few minutes later the man from the day before returned and came into the shop.
‘Those boots and shoes in the window, can I buy them please?’ he said.
‘Of course’ answered Harry.
‘Great, my friend admired my boots yesterday and would like a pair. His last pair got damaged fighting his way through thorns to deliver true loves kiss. His boots were in complete tatters afterwards!’
‘Oh my’ said Harry’s mother ‘does he need these shoes too?’ she asked as she packaged the boots and shoes up.
‘Oh no’ said the man ‘They are for me. The prince is having a ball tonight; he’s invited all the maidens in the land to see if he can find a wife. I thought the shoes would be a touch more formal than my boots’.
‘Sounds like fun’ enthused Harry.
Harry’s mother handed the man his wrapped packages and the man paid a princely sum for them both.
‘Say boy’ the man called as he neared the shop door. ‘Why don’t you come along with me to the ball?’
‘Why thank you sir’ Harry beamed ‘but I ‘m afraid I must stay here and make more shoes’.
‘Very well, good day’ and with that the man was gone.
The family chattered excitedly about the man’s offer of the ball and the great amount of money he had paid for the boots and shoes.
‘We must find out who is finishing your designs’ said Harry’s mother.
‘Quite right’ his father chimed in.
‘I have an idea’ said Harry. ‘Tonight I’ll design the shoes and cut the leather as normal but instead of leaving for bed I’ll hide behind the curtain and see what happens.
‘Great idea’ agreed his father.
‘I’ll hide with you’ said his mother.
So later that day Harry’s father left the shop and came back with enough leather this time for six pairs of shoes. He had his dinner and went to bed. Harry and his mother worked hard on the designs for the shoes and cut the leather and laid them out the table. Next instead of going to bed they both hid silently behind the dusty green curtain that separated the shop from their house.
It was very late when suddenly two tiny little elves appeared at the window. They jumped from the window and hurried across the floor to the table which they climbed up quick as a flash. Harry and his mother stared silently taking note of their tiny little clothes and tiny little shoes.
The elves looked at the designs on the table, and then in a whirlwind of activity got to work. Jumping, running, sewing and binding until in no time at all the new shoes were all made.
The two little elves jumped and hugged each other in celebration at what they had done. They gave a giggle and then poof they were gone.
Harry and his mother looked at each other with mouths agape in total wonderment of what they had just witnessed.
‘Elves!’ exclaimed Harry.
‘They’ve made all six pairs of shoes’ cried Harry’s mother picking them up in turn and inspecting them.
‘But why?’ said Harry.
They both took a moment to think but neither could come up with an answer.
‘Did you see their tiny clothes’ asked Harry’s mother. ‘The poor little things will freeze to death come winter’
‘I know’ thought Harry ‘you can make them some clothes and I’ll make them some shoes. We’ll leave them on the table tonight as a thank you to them’.
With the plan in place Harry and his mother climbed the steps to their beds for some much needed sleep.
In the morning Harry took some money and set off towards the tailor shop. He walked carefully through the town square (so as to not trip into the giant’s crater) and soon he arrived at the tailors.
When he got there he walked in and the little bell rang over the door announcing him into the shop. He looked around the shop and got a very big shock.
There in the middle of the shop was an emperor completely naked but walking around like he was in his best finery. Shocked Harry opened his mouth to speak but just as he did one of the tailors rushed over and ushered him to the side of the shop.
‘Erm….. Why is he naked?’ whispered Harry.
‘The emperor is here to get measured for his new clothes’ replied the tailor ‘now, how may I help you?’
Harry told the tailor what fabrics his mother needed, paid and quickly left the shop.
When he returned his mother got to sewing a beautiful tiny dress, trousers, shirts, coats and even knitted the tiniest scarves and mittens that he had ever seen. Harry and his father got on with making the tiny shoes and boots.
At the end of the day the family were tired but very happy with everything they had made. They laid the clothes, boots and shoes neatly on the table and they all hid behind the green curtain again and waited.
Sure enough, later that evening the elves appeared at the window again and made their way over to the table.
‘Daisy, look a new dress for you’ said the elf.
‘And new trousers and shirt for you Freddie’. Said the other elf.
Freddie and Daisy the elves tried on the clothes, boots and shoes and danced with excitement and glee.
‘These clothes are so beautiful’ gushed Daisy.
‘And warm’ added Freddie.
Freddie and Daisy gathered up all the items, gave a little giggle and then poof they were gone again.
Harry and his family emerged from their hiding place with a big smile on their faces.
After that night the elves would come and help the family every now and then and Harry and his family in return made new clothes and shoes for the elves.
Harry and his family never struggled to make money again. The elves had truly helped them by making that first pair of shoes purely out of kindness for the struggling family.
The man who bought the shoes told everyone at the ball about them and from then on the shop was always busy. Harry will forever be grateful for the kindness and help the elves showed to him and his family. The elves will also be forever thankful to the family for the beautiful clothes they gift them.
As for Harry’s village it began to prosper as people started to come from far and wide to see the giant’s head crater and climb the giant’s hill. Maybe Jack wasn’t so bad after all!
Everyone lived happily ever after.
Congratulations again Elise and Harry. Have a wonderful summer holiday’s everyone and I’ll see you in September – fingers crossed face-to-face!
Stay Safe.
settle on the word ‘terrific’ but Wilbur says he is not terrific. Charlotte then tells Wilbur ‘
Claire Kinton 