My+work

My Work

SPELLING

At the moment for Literacy we are doing Apostrophes. Here is an example of the sort of Apostrophes we are doing... It was the dogs toy - Dog's The hair products belonged to MaggieBs - MaggieBs' It was the teams soccer ball - Teams' It was Vanessas fault she broke the computer - Vanessa's The rug belonged to all four of the cats - Cats' The girls were very talented - girls' The boys were toasting marshmallows - boys' Daniels cellphone was lost - Daniel's The horses were very calm and relaxed - horses'

READING

STEPHANIE BOWMAN



The Long Finned Eel

Stephanie Bowman is a passionate woman from America who has taken a great interest in the New Zealand Long Finned Eels. Just yesterday, 14th of March, she came to Greytown School and told us about the Long Finned Eels, and what danger they are in from going extinct. And even worse, they are only found in New Zealand. Stephanie is an artist, and showed us her paintings and a story with them. She had puppets, that she used for props. The story was about Velvet, and her babies, and her next baby Elvis, and it was very clever of her. She showed us how the Long Finned Eels are in great danger of coming extinct, if we are not careful.

Stephanie's art

I thought Stephanie was a very creative and passionate person, who loved the New Zealand Eels, and couldn't bear seeing them get wiped out. She felt very strongly of them, and wanted to get the word round to the NZ folk, to let them know what danger they are in, and what we can do about it. Our syndicate is creating a banner, to attach to all the other schools banners, and she plans it to go round the Bee-Hive. It sounds very fun, and I am looking forward to doing it. I think lots of others are too.

What can we do? Ask people to pass on the word to friends and family Fence off creeks so cows don’t get in and pollute the creeks. If you catch an eel and want to release keep their slime layer intact so it can breath oxygen on land. Don’t catch more eels than you need. Stop commercial fishing of eels. Don’t catch the female long finns If you have spare time volunteer to get eels from one side of a dam to another Don’t kill the young baby eels Stop Pollution Farmers need to plant trees next to creeks. Shade cuts down the pollution Don’t catch eel with milky blue eyes they are fill of eggs and heading down stream. Stop draining wet lands

Threats to the Long Finned Eel

Ways to get the Long Finned Eels noticed:

Mention the long finned eels on your blog Put the link to her website Yahoo answers Gmail Pass on information Online Club Pamphlets Photos and videos Near extinction Speeches Raise money for protection Comments for websites Fencing off lakes Be careful of what you fish Throw back eels that are a meter or more long

For more information go to: www.bowmansart.com Or go to the blog: http://savetheeels.wordpress.com/

NON FICTION COMPREHENSION

This is a reading activity that we do regularly in our reading groups. We hypothesis about a journal we haven't read yet. An example in the Beaconsfield mine story. Why do people mine? How are people rescued, trapped in mines? Every person in the group does three hypotheses for the two questions, and our teacher chooses the best question we wrote. We put all our single questions together, and answer them by reading the story. We put A, as in agreed, if we agree with the statement, D, as in disagreed, if we think the statement was not correct, or NT, as in not talked about, if we think the statement was not talked about in the story.

Here is one of our activities. The Beaconsfield mine explosion.

Theme: Why do people mine and what can be done to rescue people trapped in mines? Read the story closely to decide if the author would agree,disagree with or did not talk about our hypotheses. Back up the decisions you make with quotes  and keywords  from the story ready to discuss with your group.

Paragraph 2
 * Hypothesis || A/D/NT || Discussion points/quotes/page numbers ||
 * People mine because the stuff they mine is valuable-Caleb || NT ||  ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">People can be rescued from mines by using big machines and cranes-Bella || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 36pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> A || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Page 21

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“A lot of equipment used in the rescue was operated by remote control. The main machine used to drill the rescue tunnel was the raise bore, which had a circular revolving head grind the hard rock.” || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Paragraph 2
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The explosion-proof rescue boxes located in different parts of the mine to rescue people- Cole || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 36pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Page 14

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The mine had several safety chambers built to protect the miners.” || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Paragraph 2
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You drill a hole down the mine to send a message or food, until you can make a bigger whole to rescue them-Alice || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 36pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Page 18

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“On 1 May, the rescuers were able to drill the narrow tunnel...” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“Over the next day, the rescue tunnel 1 m wide and about 16 meters long. First, they drilled a narrow tunnel that would guide the raise bore. Then, they attached a cutting head of 1 m in diameter to the bore and began to tunnel through the rock. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Paragraph 3
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">People mine because they can earn a lot of money mining-Giorgia || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 24pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">NT ||  ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Miners wear protective clothing to help prevent getting hurt in mines-Nick || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 24pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">NT ||  ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">People mine because they love it- Olivia || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 24pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">NT ||  ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Mine accidents are natural and non-natural disasters-MB || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 36pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Page 14

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“On April 25, 2006, there was a small earthquake in the area.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“The falling rocks and boulders blocked off large parts of the mine.” ||

Venn Diagram

<span style="color: #00ff18; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">MATHS

Basic Facts result:

What is it? Every Monday we do a basic facts test against the other class. We have times tables, division, plus, and minus. It is very pleasurable.

Day one - 96/100 Day two - 99/100 Day three - absent Day four - 100/100

Basic Facts results:

Day 1: 99/100 Day 2: 99/100 Day 3: 98/100 Day 4: 100/100

Day 1: 99/100 Day 2: 99/100 Day 3: on holiday Day 4: 100/100

Day 1: 100

What is it? For the people who got a result of 100 for the other basic facts test, you do this test, and it is harder.

Harder Basic facts results:

Day 1: 12/50 Lots of days later - 16/50 Day 3: 20/50 Statistics:

For the moment for Maths we are doing Statistics. Which is the mode, median, range, mean. Mode - the most common number Median - the middle number Range - the //top// number, take away the //low// number Mean - Count up all the numbers, divide by how many numbers there are

Place Value - what I learnt:

Rounding and compensating Equal Additions Doubling and halfing Plus and Subtract

<span style="color: #00ff18; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">OTHER/WEIRD



<span style="color: #00ff18; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">WRITING

Speech

WHAT IS INBREEDING? Inbreeding is the mating together of closely related animals, such as mother/son father/daughter sibling/sibling. This is widely practiced in pedigree dog breeding in an attempt to keep the breeds ‘pure.’ Breeding from such a limited gene pool however, causes genetic health problems, which is the reason it is illegal in humans. It is a known fact that pedigree animals spend a lot more time at the Vet than mutts or moggys. People say, ‘oh yes, Labradors get arthritis, Sausage dogs get back problems, Pugs have trouble breathing.’ But it is not generally known why; that it is in fact //inbreeding// that has caused the animal’s predisposition to genetic health problems. Let’s take a look at how controlled breeding of animals, dogs for example, started. Hundreds of years ago humans realized they could accentuate a desirable trait in a dog - such as the ability to be a good hunter, a good farm dog or guard dog. This dog was then bred with other dogs also having this trait, which emphasized it even more. Eventually this made ‘useful’ breeds of dogs. Many years later however, when humans became obsessed with fashion and beauty, dogs were bred simply because of how they looked, or because of an interesting feature they had. An example is the Rhodesian Ridge Back. The ‘ridge’ on these dogs serves no purpose, and was originally a deformity related to spina bifida.

The UK especially, have a huge population of pedigree dogs, seventy five percent of their dogs are pure bred. The cost? Ten million pounds per week on Vet bills – King Charles Spaniels are suffering from a condition where their skull is too small for their brain. Boxer dogs are suffering from epilepsy. Bulldogs are unable to give birth unassisted. And it is not only the dogs – there is a breed of geese so large that they cannot sit on their own eggs without breaking them. In the UK, Pug dogs are so inbreed, that although there are ten thousand of them, there are in fact only fifty distinct individuals. Animals sometimes inbreed naturally in the wild - wolves for example, if the wolf pack become too isolated. If this happens for enough generations, the pack eventually dies out due to poor resistance to disease and perpetuated health problems. This also happens frequently in feral cats. Due to the neutering of so many domestic cats, the pool of ‘mating’ cats is very low. Nature has shown us that the ultimate result of inbreeding is terminal lack of vigor and probable extinction. As the gene pool contracts, fertility decreases, abnormalities arise and mortality rates rise. The dogs we are breeding today could not survive a day in the wild. These animal’s ‘interesting’ features serve no purpose other than to entertain humans. We would not do this to ourselves – Royalty tried inbreeding long ago to keep their lineage pure, and they went mad, so why do we do it to our pets? Exciting Recount

Here is my exciting recount. We had to choose an exciting time of our lives, and write about it as a recount.

What a good recount has?

Personal voice A grabbing introduction Good punctuation

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00ff00; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- when I did a Kids Of The Wairapapa Modeling shoot as Aundry Hepburn

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Well yes - wouldn’t you feel like you wanted to retch after an hour at the hairdressers? Hairspray being sprayed onto your face like huge car exhaust fumes. I did. Or perhaps it’s just me prone to feeling sick around chemicals. I really did not want to throw up in Jo’s nice clean toilet, thank god I didn’t! A few gulps of fresh water and a walk around did the trick. The beauty place was really nice. It had soft music playing, crystals placed on coffee tables, a nice wafting scent, totally gorgeous. Back in my chair, feeling better, we started to talk about the movie ‘Black Swan’ and how Jo had seen it and Nina didn’t actually murder the other Ballerina, and how it was a real twist at the end. Every time I felt a bit queasy, I’d just swallow and start talking again. Talking always helps, I think.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jo led me and my Mum to the lounge room. She fished around in her makeup bag impressively. The hair had taken yonks, so I was really restless. Then I noticed Tina, Rhian’s Mum on the wall. Well - Mum did, I just said oh yeah - which I’m not sure means I noticed, but anyway. Then I saw Susan, the Pollyanna lady. There was other glamorous ladies to look at, but I was asked impatiently to shut my eyes so Jo could apply eyeliner. Not the usual easy-to-put-on eyeliner. But the wet eyeliner. Which trust me - is not easy to take off when it’s smudged. I know this from dance pantomimes. Jo took AGES putting on makeup. The foundation, the liner, the blush, the mascara, the lip liner, the lip gloss.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “Oh hello Bella! You look amazing!”

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Oh haha.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Yes, I never know how to act when people say I look amazing. I mean, what can you say? Oh thanks, I know I look totally gorgeous right? Or, yeah I look better than you. I’m not into the whole up myself thing, I’m kind of on the modest side, so I just smiled and tried to make myself look like I wasn’t trying to look like anything.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ester, the photographer, was very friendly and had a goofy smile. I awkwardly clip clopped into the Martinborough movie theatre where we’d be shooting my Audry Hepburn look. Ester had a companion, I didn’t know her name, but she held up the big silver light reflector thing, and I felt kind of professional. Ester asked for me to sit on a stool, with my clip cloppy heels hitting the bar. Ester was spying in her camera, squinting determinedly. Silver reflector holder lady was ready, reflecting the light. My Mum was staring at me, I wasn’t sure what she was thinking. My heart pounded.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">8/4/11

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I posed and smiled, smiled and posed, smiled some more and posed some more.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The photo-shoot took absolutely AGES! Luckily for me, I’m quite good in front of the camera, even though I was TOTALLY NERVOUS ON THE INSIDE, I projected a confident face. Ester thanked me, and me and Mum walked to the car, and I felt so happy. We both agreed it was a good experience for me. I had drama that afternoon, and I was considering not going because I had such a big day. Though I really wanted to do drama because it’s so much fun, so I did go, and luckily too because we were given lines to learn to perform at the audition, so I might not have been given the part of Capulet. (For dumb bunnies that’s Juliet’s dad.) (For real dumb bunnies I’m talking Romeo and Juliet here.)

Expositions

At the moment for writing we are doing expositions. Our first exposition to write was about: if school should finish at 4.pm? I was //for// the idea. Soon we will be choosing our own topic, I am going to do 'the overbreeding of pets,' and against it. My Mum suggested the idea, and I thought it was really good. So here is 'should school finish at 4.pm' disagreeing side.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ffff00; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">18/5/11 WALT: To know how to plan an exposition.

Exposition: Greytown school should finish at 4.00pm.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00ffff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- easier for parents to get home in time for their children. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00ffff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- gives stay at home parents more time to get things done. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00ffff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- working parents don’t always have time to help with homework, so this could be done at school. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00ffff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- children can handle more education because they have evolved. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00ffff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- there are too many after school distractions such as computer games and play-stations. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00ffff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- there can more topics covered. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00ffff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- the arts can be covered more fully. ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Agree position ||  ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Easier on parents || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00ffff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- less time at after school care.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Extending education || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00ffff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- children need more education than they used to because they need more qualifications than they used to.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #9900ff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Can fit more of variety of topics into the day. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00ffff; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">- teachers can go deeper into each subject.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Exposition:

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Should school stay open till four o’clock? I think it should. To cope in the world today kids need more education. Their minds need extending. And what about the Arts. When is there ever enough time at school for the Arts? More time at school could also eliminate pesky homework. It is a fact that homework causes tension in the home. Imagine, no more battles between kids and their tired frustrated parents - have you done your homework? Go to your room and do your homework, get off that GameBoy and get on with your homework. Ugghh.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Education is vital. Jobs these days need more qualifications than they used to, and extended education is great way to deal with this. Humans have evolved, kids can handle more ‘brain’ work than they could years ago when the school hours were put in place. Also, they don’t generally have to go home from school and get straight into working on the farm, like they did fifty years ago. Humans have become more specialized in their work, they don’t necessarily need to know how to sew, make preserves, milk the cow. What they DO need is more specialized skills. For the kids at school who try really hard, they could get more challenging work to do in that extra hour.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> A better education means better qualifications and a more prosperous and comfortable life. But this isn’t just a case of wanting more. It’s harder to get good enough qualifications these days, and to get the jobs these kids want, they <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">__need__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> more education. As for the kids who don’t strive to learn, an extra hour at school each day would mean an hour less on game-boys, play-stations and X-boxes. I am sure most parents would love this.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> If Teachers had an extra hour to teach, they could delve further into each subject. They could expand what they were teaching, go into it more fully - make it exciting. Grades would go up, Teachers would be happy, and parents would feel satisfied that their children were getting a good education. It is no accident that Asian children generally get the best qualifications and therefore have the best careers. Their parents GIVE them the extra school work to do each night, because they KNOW they aren’t getting enough out of the school system. This could change. It could be this way for ALL children.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Having a wider variety of topics each day, could also mean a child finds his or her passion in life. How much drama does primary school teach at the moment? How much gardening? Doesn’t every child want to find their creative outlet, have a career doing what they love not simply what they fall into. An extra hour at school could help with this by providing more options.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> So that is why I think school should finish at four o’clock. We need to move with the times, reach for more, become what we know in our hearts we can become. And we need the best education we can get to do this. Things have changed. In most families both parents now have to work, they both pay tax and their tax pays for schools. So instead of it falling on parents to complete their children’s lacking education, the schooling system should step up and help. Extending school to four o’clock would not solve every problem, but it would help.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> By Bella

This is my four picture story. Everybody in our class had to write a creative story about four pictures we were given. Here are the pictures and the story.



A little bit of freedom

“Bird, what an earth are you doing with that spoon!?” Bird cocked his head, satisfied with Cat’s reaction. The animals, Turtle and Cat, were lounging on the warm earth, soaking up as much heat as possible. “I’m Eating you for lunch, that’s what!” Bird replied. Cat rolled his eyes and stretched, he knew now it was only one of Bird’s loony attempts. “My dear, Bird, you couldn’t fit me in your stomach.” Bird scowled. Why was Cat always such a know-it-all? He could at least pretend to join in with his game. “Fine.” Snapped Bird. “In that case I shall eat Turtle.” Turtle looked up from his snooze, as usual not quite awake. “Whooo...?” “Bird.” Cat said. “I do not think you should eat Turtle.” He pawed Turtle closer into a bear hug. “Turtle is spiritual. You’ll go to hell if you eat him.” “That’s not true,” huffed Bird. “Whooo?” Turtle said again, yawning. “Oh but it is true!” Cat chortled, “remember the consequences rule - remember what happened when you ate slug! You hadn’t known he was a Buddha, had you?” “Shut up.” Said Bird. “If I can’t eat either of you...” Bird dropped the spoon with a clatter, “I will eat those mushrooms. YUM!” Cat’s eyes darted to the clump of mushrooms growing out from the side of the only tree in their garden. His face became pale. “BIRD NO! They’re poisonous! You know they are.” “I know no such thing,” said Bird flitting down to the mushrooms, still moist and drippy from the early morning dew. “Bird, this is not funny!” began Cat, “you can not...” “I can and I will,” Bird trilled, “I’m hungary.” Before Cat’s horrified eyes, Bird swooped in and took a peck at the mushrooms. He looked at Cat and swallowed defiantly. Bird was just about to go in for another peck, when his beak suddenly opened wide and a strangled croak escaped his tiny throat. His wings drooped and his body flipped belly up, before tumbling earthward in an elegant helicopter-like twirl. His eyes pinged open as he touched the ground. “Remember me dear friends,” he gurgled. His eyes then rolled back in his head before finally closing. A pretty green and yellow feather floated down, landing next to him as he lay, legs skyward, toes curled. “TURTLE! DO SOMETHING!” Cat screeched in horror. Turtle sighed and twitched in his sleep.

Cat, still fluffed with shock, sat down beside Bird. He put his ear to Bird’s downy chest, listening with hope for a heart beat. “Oh bird, why? why?” He whimpered. “Coz I fooled ya! That’s why - FOOL! Cat leapt backwards as Bird jumped up and squawked in his ear. “OH! OH YOU CROOK! YOU HORRID CREATURE!” Cat screamed, his fur standing straight out as though he’d had an electric shock. Bird cackled and hopped from one foot to the other, his face scrunched in a tight ball “AHAHA!” He cried, “AHAHA!” You should’ve seen yourself Cat...that, that was the funniest thing ever!” Cat muttered to himself before slinking off to his quiet corner. He regretted ever befriending that scrawny, selfish, disloyal Bird.

Cat woke the next morning to see their Human Sharon, filling his food bowl with Pedigree Lite Bites and topping his water bowl with filtered water. “Morning Henry,” she smiled, bending down to give Cat a loving scratch between his ears and a kiss on his nose. “Jeepers, Cat.” Bird said, already awake and preening himself, “I can’t believe you let her fuss over you like that. Have you no dignity? And what’s with that cat food anyway? You’re not pedigree.” Cat stretched, and gave the ground a paw. “I can’t help being her favourite.” “Yeah, yeah,” Said Bird, “so you say.” He looked suddenly thoughtful. “I hate this place, you know that?” His beady eyes swept around the garden in disgust. “Neatly trimmed hedges, which I obviously cannot perch upon, that one pathetic tree, if you can even call it a tree. Clouds that never bother to shift! And you two boring, pampered creatures for company. I’d rather live anywhere than here!” Cat’s eyes flashed with anger. “You take that back,” he demanded. “You...you ungrateful Bird. You know the consequences rule. You take that back at once!” “I won’t because it’s true,” Bird spluttered, “and poohy to your consequences rule. It’s like being in prison here. It’s alright for you and Turtle, you have no ambition. But me, I want to see the world, I want to live beyond this square garden, somewhere over those hills, far far away.” Cat’s eyes flitted to the hills they could see way in the distance. They looked hazy and blue. There was no way you could see what was beyond them. He gave Bird a good hard glare before turning and nibbling the edges of his food. He knew he shouldn’t let Bird get to him, he knew it was best to ignore him, but there WAS a consequences rule, it had been proven many times to be true. Bird knew it too, he was just plain stupid taking risks by talking like that. There was another part of Cat however, a small niggling part, that knew Bird was right. He was too pampered, and they never went anywhere or did anything. They couldn’t even pop through the hedges for a change of scenery, there were big wide roads on all four sides - cars and trucks speeding along, leaving horrible exhaust fumes behind them. Sometimes Cat dreamed he was a Panther, like he’d seen on Sharon’s television, sleek, black and fast, sprinting over those distant hills. Other times he was a Lion, king of the jungle, or a Tiger, the most fearsome of all creatures. But he knew it was just silly dreaming, he wasn’t sleek and fast, and he certainly wasn’t King-like or fearsome. He’d never killed a meal in his life. He needed a Human. He needed Sharon.

Later that day, when Bird was having a nap, Cat talked to Turtle about their lives in the garden. “We’re lucky, that’s what we are,” he said. “Sharon loves us and cares for us - though goodness knows how she can love Bird. But she does, and she supplies all our needs, right Turtle? Bird shouldn’t talk like that, he doesn’t know how lucky he is, right Turtle?” Cat didn’t really expect a reply from his friend, Turtle never managed more than a word before dozing back off to sleep, but that day Turtle’s eyes opened wide. They weren’t sleepy or un focused, instead they were like deep dark pools. “The ocean,” he said, “the never ending ocean.” He then shook his head, seeming surprised at hearing his own voice, before snuggling down deeper into Cat’s grey fur.

The days continued, one after the other. Bird was still annoying, Turtle was still dozy, but Cat had changed. Bird’s words had stirred him up. He now dreamed continuously of a different life from the one he had. He tried not to, he knew there had to be consequences to that kind of thinking, but he just couldn’t help it. He imagined himself as a wild animal, roaming free, not restricted by hedges or roads. But who was he kidding? He could never be wild. He didn’t have it in him to kill for food, or even fend for himself. He got cold if a window was left open at night, and hair balls if he didn’t have his fish oil capsules. He was a domestic cat, a pampered domestic cat and now Bird had ruined everything. Something bad was sure to happen. Consequences always happened.

If Cat hadn’t been so distracted, he might have noticed the little things that began happening in the garden. Things that Bird, always so noisy and busy pulling pranks, also didn’t notice, but Turtle, quiet, peaceful Turtle did notice. People, strangers, appeared, coming and going, talking with Sharon. Boxes arrived that Sharon filled, a truck arrived and left a huge bucket outside the gate that Sharon threw rubbish in. Then one day something happened that even Cat and Bird couldn’t help but notice. Sharon come to them in the garden carrying the cages they used for going to the vet. But none of them was sick. “Er, Cat.” Said Bird. “Where are we going?” “I told you!” Said Cat, feeling a panic attack coming on. “I told you something bad would happen. Sharon’s probably setting us free, She probably heard your mean complaining.” “Good,” said Bird, putting his beak in the air, “about time.” But Cat heard the shake in Bird’s voice. He wasn’t as brave as he made out to be. Cat remembered a visitor cat they’d once had called Ronald. Sharon had looked after Ronald for an Aunt. Ronald had talked of a city where cats roamed free. They ate from garbage cans and killed mice to survive. They slunk around the streets sleeping in whatever corner they could find. The thought made Cat’s blood run prickly in his veins. I can’t do it! I won’t last a week! I’ll die a horrible, miserable death. And then there was Turtle, who would look out for little Turtle on the city streets? It was all too horrible, and it was that blasted Bird’s fault. He wished now that Bird really had eaten those poisonous mushrooms. While Cat was busy fretting, Turtle calmly watched Sharon from the holes in his box. He watched her lock the door, he saw that she had taken away all the garden ornaments, loaded her pot plants in the boot, the door mat, the washing basket, their bowls. Turtle smiled. They drove and drove, for what seemed to Cat like forever. Buildings flashed past the car windows, buildings which eventually turned to trees, then hills, green hills dotted with white bundles. And they still drove. He couldn’t eat the snacks Sharon tried to tempt him with, he felt sick with worry. Finally, after day had turned to night and night back to day, the car stopped and Sharon let them out of their cages. They saw the were parked in front of a pretty stone house with vines growing all around it. Vines bursting with frothy pinks and snowy whites. Sharon looked at the house and clapped her hands together. “Do you like our new home?” she asked them. Then smiling widely she picked Turtle up and beckoned Bird to perch on her shoulder. “Come on Henry,” she called to Cat, before turning and walking down a winding path, “I’ve got something to show you.” The path led them through a forest of trees, trees so high and thick that they blocked the light. Cat shivered, staying right on Sharon’s heels. He’d liked the look of that house, that house had looked fantastic. Sharon had said it was their new home? Why then couldn’t they just settle in? Why this mysterious walk through a damp, dark forest? What was she going to do with them? Consequences, thought Cat, there are always consequences. After a while the ground beneath Cat’s paws became strangely soft, and a gentle breeze with new and interesting scents met his nose. Then as the trees thinned, and the sky opened up again, the ground became warm...toasty warm and...golden. “Sand,” gasped Turtle. “What is this place?” Bird whispered. But even if Cat knew, he couldn’t have answered, he was too busy taking in the endless ground, ground that went on for mile upon glorious mile. Ground to run across - to be a Panther, a Lion, a Tiger. They continued walking until they came to a huge tree. Larger than any tree Bird had ever seen. And there were more. Proper trees, their branches spreading and reaching, alive with colour and sound...bird sound. Then there was the water, more water than Turtle had ever seen. Turtle gazed out to the wonderful blue expanse. “I call this The Oasis,” Sharon said, throwing her head back and her arms out wide. “We can come down here and play whenever we want. Do you like it?” Cat certainly did like it. He liked the sound of that ‘we’ too. He felt a bit foolish. Sharon was never going to leave them. Instead she’d found them a better home - a much, much better home. Consequences, he realized, could be good too. As they stood there sniffing the air, Sharon’s bare feet burrowing into the soft, amber sand. Cat felt a happiness that he’d never felt before. “A little bit of freedom,” said Turtle. “Just the right amount.” “You’re right,” said Cat, purring loudly - a little bit of freedom. The perfect amount for us.”

The end

By Bella Goode Rm 13