...because the simplest of words become stories for a lifetime...
100 children stories in 100 words or less
Fairy Queen
1
During the day play in the field,
Be kind to nature and day-dream,
Running, jumping, having the fun,
What a joy to play in the sun.
Suddenly you might be surprised
By fairy queens’ visit highly prized
you might be lucky this September
so have a wonderful day to remember
And then dusk calls: ‘time for bed!
Stop your play, have some rest instead,'
Fairy empress, might visit you too,
But beware of this interview!'
Say good night, and not a beep,
for she watches, how you sleep.
nightmares she gifts to those
who refuse to calmly doze.
Secret treehouse
2
At the far end of the garden, just a little hop over the fence.
Arms up, one leg, two legs dangling in suspense.
Count to three and let go, landing in this autumn’s leaves,
Obstacle course continues, crawl through bushes and trees.
A leap over a creek, a little dash as the fairy tree awaits,
Thump-thump, thump heart pounding at the adventure’s gates.
Deep breath in, quick look up, soft touch of the coarse ladder,
Right leg, left leg, up we go, lead me higher and higher.
Oh, what fun I have here, in this fortress in the tree!
Secret garden
3
Grandpa Charles as funny as he is,
I have to say about a bad habit of his,
He plays with toys and kicks the ball,
But never takes care of the garden at all,
I wish he cut down bushes and the grass,
But I struggle with how this message would pass,
Just before my eyes spreads the view,
Of a wonderful secret garden for us two,
It would have a swing, a pirates’ ship, blimey!
A treasure chest full of candy, hidden slyly.
On the fridge I left a painted blueprint
Come on grandpa Charlie, just get the hint!
Hatching a dragon egg
4
Linda was looking at the cold stone in her hand. It was radiating heat from within and yet the cold surface was chilling, like a winter breeze. She was waiting for it to show movement, for a crack to emerge, for chips to slowly reveal the future that was waiting for her. Everyone was given an egg and the hatchling would define your entire future. Would it be an easy ride on the back of a powerful dragon, or a strenuous one on the back of its weaker cousin? Linda was lost in thought when suddenly there was the district yet humble sound; crack,crack, crackety-crack. The egg was finally hatching.
Grandma's house
5
Kyle never liked grandma’s house. It smelt musty, the backdoor opened a jungle full of bugs, he was not allowed to watch TV. She forced him to eat vegetables, Kyle hated carrots the most.
‘Have some cake, sweetie!’ called grandma with a freshly baked cake with berries picked from the garden that morning.
Kyle looked up from one of his dad’s old books.
Grandma smiled her uneven smile and Kyle smiled back for the first time. It was not that bad at grandma’s, he thought, I just wish mum and dad had spent as much time with me.
A Mad Scientist's Laboratory
6
Spiders hanging, specimens in jars,
Yellow pickled eggs of dinosaurs,
Strange leaves and mandrake roots,
Snails, warms and moulding fruits,
Wires, lightnings, colourful threads,
Orange bear, legs and dog heads.
Scribbles, symbols, plans and maps,
Sudden shuffle, a movement perhaps.
A person in a white coat appears,
Holding two orange glowing spheres.
‘Welcome, stranger, to my secret lair!
Muhaha mad laugh carries in the air.
A hand creeps closer, a quick touch,
‘Come on Johnny, time for lunch!’
Happy Halloween
7
....Maeagan was walking down the hill but no matter how long she walked she was not getting any closer to the end of the forest. The sun was setting over the horizon stretching her shadow longer and longer until it was taller than her. The leaves rustled with her every step, but the sound was getting lower and lower and slowly dying out. Meagan started to feel a chill as if someone was breathing on her neck, she turned around and ....
‘Kids, time to switch the torch off and time for bed!’
‘Ok, mum…’
‘Happy Halloween, I love you!’
The sea
8
Look up, look down.
Don’t think of the dark depths below.
Stretch up, stretch down.
Let the music of waves slowly grow.
Breathe in, breathe out.
The waves crashing against the rocks and bodies.
Step in, step out.
The sandcastles filled with laughter and follies.
Splash here, splash there.
The sea sparkles under the bright sky.
Step here, step there.
It looks blue and endless, oh my.
One step, two steps.
Full of wonder, it is my friend.
Small steps, big steps.
The sea is not scary in the end.
Mirror
9
My mum has always told me
That broken mirrors are bad luck
I decided to instead trust me
And ignore such silly shmuck.
It happened one autumn day
As I happened to slightly sway
I hit a mirror on our wall
And heard an echo of a smashing fall.
I saw my face in those shards,
And heard my mother’s warning call
‘Remember, not one step forwards,
Three steps back and sweep it all,
Keep just a single shard behind.’
But, of course, I had my mind
And now I have to bear the curse
Of doing everything in reverse.
A sprout town
10
Mary, happy birthday to you my lovely girl,
I have a special gift, this blue blue pearl,
Hold it tight think of yum food and drift to sleep,
A wonderful world will appear just for you to keep.
And so, Mary did as she was told, thought of cherries,
Not those dreadful greens, but yes sugar fairies.
A magical world she could taste rose in front of her eyes,
It looked lovely, a massive munch... oh no but I hate sprouts!
New classmate, new friend
11
First day at school, all of us are new. We fidget, shyly shuffle from foot to foot. Encouraged by mum and dad we stutter our first ‘hello’ and ‘how do you do’ and quickly shift our gaze to the specks of mud on our shoes.
Suddenly the latest classmate enters the room, he beams a big smile and loudly says; ‘How are you! My name is David and I want to be friends with all of you!’
The specks on my shoes suddenly lose their charm. ‘Hello David, My name is Ann.’
Seeing a ghost
12
My grandma always tells me that midnight is a witching hour,
That little kids should go to sleep and not tempt their evil power,
A little kid? Me? I’m 8! Who is afraid of witches, ghost and such tales?
I’m not afraid! Grandma just shrugs and doesn’t give any more details
True to my word I stay awake, yawning, rubbing eyes but stubborn
At midnight the ancient clock strikes and I notice eyes glowing auburn
Floating, white and eerily silent it comes, ’I am sleeping, Mr Ghost!’ I shout out!
A fireworks display
13
Boom boom boom boom
A shooting stars flies up in to the dark
For a second it disappears and then explodes across the sky
A meadow of flowers lights the midnight
And up shoots another falling star
Do I see a bunny and a windmill up there in the meadows?
I strain my neck, but the stars couldn’t be farther
Holding my mum’s hand tight on this sulphur filled night,
The firework is beautiful and yet scary and loud,
Another comet shoots high up to the heavens
Boom boom boom boom and boooom.
A sceptre
14
Once there was a kingdom with a magic sceptre of jade
For an old king a decision of a successor had to be made
The king had three children, loved them all the same,
Though he knew that only one could the sceptre claim.
He called them over, to break a twig was their task,
Each snapped it in two, immediately as they were asked,
Then he gave them three twigs each, they huffed and puffed
But couldn’t break the bunch no matter how they tried.
The king then said: don’t argue when I’m gone, together you are strong!
15
An autumnal walk
Every day after school I fetch Sam and we head to the forest. Together we run, jump into the puddles, throw ball and have so many adventures.
These days, however, something has changed. The leaves are turning red, brown and yellow and they fall on the ground with the wind. Sam has changed too. He leaps less and rests more. My mum says he is in the autumn of his life, but his fur is black as usual! My mum is strange, and I don’t understand. For now, I’ll just enjoy our autumnal walks together and understand it later.
A kidnapped teddy bear
16
I love my teddy bear
She is brown and fuzzy, I named her little Suzie.
She has a funny right ear, and I put her right here.
Then came a little baby, he was a friend maybe?
I soon realised my mistake, for little Suzie he did take.
I was scolded for saying no, and my teddy bear was gone.
I followed them to witness torture, pulling, drooling, oh, the horror!
I paid my ransom with a biscuit, I don’t like this baby bandit.
I love my teddy bear.
A paintbrush that can make paintings come true
17
Come children, shhh, let me tell you a secret… of a paintbrush like no other. It looks ordinary with a smooth handle and soft bristles. It smells ordinary and I assure you if you licked it, it would even taste ordinary.
However, it is special. It makes anything and everything you paint with it come true! Think of all the unicorns, princess, mermaids, dragons and knights, all jumping forth! Oh, the adventures to look forward to!
So, children, if you come across this paintbrush, for it might be anywhere, treasure it! Because your only limit is your own imagination.
A train station
19
The traffic light flashed warning red, then changed to orange and finally to green.
‘We are here’ announced my mum with a sad smile and I couldn’t be less keen.
People rushed around as an old building came to view, its pillars tall and grand.
‘I love you so much, you know’ she planted a kiss on my cheek, but I only frowned.
I remember the times when mum, dad and I travelled together and had so much fun.
Now the train station means I go back to dad’s new home and mum’s turn is done.
Doctor's waiting room
18
Achooo here, achoo there,
Sitting in a cold waiting room for what seems to be ages,
Sniffle here, sniffle there.
Browsing boring magazines, of which I’m just turning pages.
Cough here, cough there,
I really want to go home, but have to wait our turn,
Moan here, moan there,
I can’t look up at mum’s face showing so much concern.
Grunt here, grunt there.
Please mum, I am trying to be brave so please stop pitying me,
Groan here, groan there.
Otherwise I’ll break down in tears, the leg is killing me.
The island far away
20
There is a pirate ship with a mast high up in the sky,
the massive wood body,
fluttering snow white sails,
a black flag of skull with crossed bones floating up high.
Look, a sailor swinging, ‘ahoy matey’ he loudly shouts,
a pirate hat on,
a shiny sword in hand,
I’m amazed as he jumps right down and like a cat he lands.
Do you want to join Black Beard or walk the plank, little man, ei?
with eyes beaming,
my heart racing,
I’m so glad we came to this Treasure island far far away.
21
The mystical tree
My family has a secret tradition. Every midsummer day we go for a hike to the same forest. We walk for a whole day and camp for the night. It is always the same place.
For in the centre of the forest, at midsummer night the tree becomes magical. The branches tremble with all the untold stories of centuries past, the leaves flutter in the whispers of the night, fireflies twinkle against the darkness. Animals gather to rest their head at the tree’s trunk, there you see a rabbit resting on fox’s lap. And at dawn, the magic is broken.
My secret power
22
Have I told you about my secret power? It is really amazing. When my little brother cries, I can make him laugh again. When my mum is upset, I can make her happy again. When dad is too busy, I can make him join us in play. When my friend’s knee is hurt, I can make the pain go away. It even works on our puppy. When he is sad because he misses his mommy sometimes, I can make his tail wag again.
My secret power is called a kind smile. I bet you can have it too…
23
Kevin, the friendly crocodile
Kevin is a friendly sort of fellow,
He laughs loudly at all jokes
ha hi ha ha ha ha
Rolling in the pond laughing
Splash splash splash
Enormous teeth in his mouth
Snap snap snap
Great fun! Tapping your back
Slap slap slap
Clapping his hands in thanks
Clap clap clap
Tears of joy down his cheeks
Drip drip drip
A sound escapes his nose
Snort snort snort
A bubble might escape his nostril
Pop pop pop
He might even forget to breathe
Gasp gasp gasp
He is simply a fun-loving crocodile.
24
An invitation to wonderland
Christina’s head was spinning. Has she just been invited to the birthday party of the most gorgeous boy in the whole school? He walked towards her, smiled gently and handed her the invitation with the words ‘I am looking forward to having you there!’.
She pinched herself. It was not a dream. She nodded without saying a word and he ran off to his archery practice.
Grasping the invitation tightly, she couldn’t believe it. They hadn’t talked since childhood. What should I get him, what should I wear? Well, to start with I’ll open my mouth next time.
25
The secret life of dinner lady at school
‘I dare you to follow her home’ whispered Jack in Ann’s ear over their lunch of mashed potatoes, stewed cabbage and bangers. ‘I bet she gets lost children or sewer rats in these sausages.’
The school bell rang that day and Jack with Ann ran after dinner lady Jane in what they fancied to be a secret spy mode. She didn’t go far, but it was deep in the woods where the gate bore sign ‘Sunshine farm’. Jane was there, gardening and toiling, picking tomatoes.
‘ I hope children will like you tomorrow,’ she whispered.
Magic mirror
26
In a castle not far away, a beautiful garden stands in full bloom
but what you want to see is a unique exhibit in a special room,
There is a mirror high on the wall, dressed in sparkling gold,
Come on, step closer, gaze in the looking glass and behold
A reflection of your inner soul, your true face looks back at you,
Is it a face of beauty or a beast? Do you dare to get a good view?
A reindeer who lost her antlers
27
Rebecca didn’t like to clean; everybody knew she was a bit of a tardy reindeer.
And so, it was no surprise that while at night other reindeers put their antlers by their bedside,
she just played and had fun, fell asleep and her antlers were gone, oh dear.
In the morning they went for a ride with giggles as Rebecca came bare headed outside.
She begged Santa to stay at home, he gently patted her head, but his message was clear.
And truly from that day she was the first to clean, well done, Rebecca the tidy reindeer.
Christmas Eve
28
My parents tell me that our Christmas Eve is special,
We eat nothing the whole day till sun sets down,
A carp sits on our table instead of a roast turkey,
We have poppy seed cake not a Christmas pudding.
The sound of a bell marks the end of our meal,
And there is no father Christmas or red stockings.
Once I asked my father if he could tell me why
‘It is because our Christmas Eve’ he said sadly
‘is from a country that doesn’t exist anymore’.
I think for a while. ‘Aha! It must be from a fairyland!’
Decorating a Christmas tree
29
Red bauble, blue bauble, gold bauble, crystal bauble,
Put them up one by one and try not to squabble
Mint candy cane, red candy cane, milk candy cane,
Hook them on low and eat them until none remain
Dingly lingy ding dong bell, a jingling jingle bell
I placed it so high on the top, I think I did pretty well
Itchy scratchy soft tinsel, shimmering, sparkly and long,
Twist it around the tree and sing a happy Christmas song.
Sparkly lights, flashing lights, flickering light,
The Christmas tree is ready have a wonderful Christmas night!
Discovering that your alarm clock controls time
30
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock time is moving forward by the second,
How much longer can I stayed tucked in do you reckon?
I have to get up, eyes glued together, walking zombie-like,
My mum saying; You should have gone to bed on time! Sounds so lifelike,
The alarm clock’s silent whisper; time for school, get up! Rise and shine!
Toys and games are so much fun, I just wish I knew when to draw the line,
Then slowly I remember, the button where the clock monkey’s tail curled,
Tock-tick, tock-tick, tock-tick, the best snooze button in the world!
An animal that comes back from extinction
31
Show and tell, show and tell, look here, look here everyone!
There’s a little brown reptile in my hand, isn’t it fun?
It has two strong legs, the other two very short, grand total of four.
Wait a second, be still for a bit and you might hear it roar!
My grandpa was an explorer, you see. He travelled far and wide,
From Amazon forests, he returned with a suitcase with three stones inside.
Many years have passed, until once day suddenly he heard a cracking sound.
Out of the stone came a dinosaur and here he is fully grown.
Inheriting a sweet shop
32
With a slight push of a key the door opened,
Not a soul inside, yet the silence is broken,
With a switch a sugar crystal chandelier
Breaks the darkness of a moment earlier,
Revealing brown and white chocolate river
What a delicious view, it could not be clearer
Marzipan fruits of all colours growing on a tall tree,
Cotton candy floating in the sky as far as one can see,
Jack’s magic jellybeans, sugar drops, gummy bears to hug.
a gingerbread house covered by sugar snow- that’s my dream tonight.
Son of Hercules
33
Shuo Wang was walking home dreading every step as he was nearer to the apartment where his mother was waiting for him. He had to explain that he didn’t fight at school, he barely touched Lixiong. ‘It isn’t my fault that he is so weak!’
Lightning split the sky and in front of Shuo stood a strange-looking old man with a white beard, wrapped in a white curtain.
‘Strange foreigners’ thought Shuo for a second, but his fate loomed over him and he walked on when a thunderous voice spoke to him; ’Grandson, we need to talk.’
Trespassing
34
Right there by my sis’ door
Right there on her pink floor
Right there next to a big ball
Right there is lying a small doll.
My sis is not playing with it
My sis doesn’t really want it
My sis left her there all alone
My dolly will be called My Joan.
We will play dress-ups
We will drink from teacups
We will sleep snuggled together.
We will play in rainy weather.
I just take a small step in
I just stretch and take her in
I just cross this bedroom line
I just hold it and it’s mine.
Cats and dogs
35
‘I loved that peaceful time when I got stroked and got all the attention when I wanted it’
‘….But it wasn’t so much fun!’
‘those peaceful days I could just lie on a sofa in the sun’
‘….but now you can nap together, it is so comfortable’
‘when I got special snacks and could chase the red light’
‘ ….but now you can run and chase and play with baby humans’
‘and my tail and ears didn’t get pulled…’
The orange cat licked her paw slowly, while the beige dog returned to chewing his toy.
‘Let’s agree to disagree.’
Monster under my bed
36
‘Clean your room! You don’t even know what’s in there!’
Always do this, do that. I’d rather play.
I pick up a few t-shirts, throw them on a pile, then I slowly drift to my game again.
‘Here’s a vacuum cleaner’ I hear a reminder.
The vacuum whizzes on, but wait a second. It’s stuck on something under the bed. On my belly, hand outstretched. What is that?
A dust monster trembling in fear. It is so cute, such a fuzzball. I pick it up and throw it out of the window, you see you’ll be happier out there.
Holiday on Mars
37
‘Wow, we heard you went to Mars this summer holidays!’ resounds in the school.
How can I tell them that my Dad missed my championship game, so I asked him to take us to Mars because I was angry with him? It was childish, but he took us anyways. It was so boring, all just red sand everywhere. I’d rather we went to any beach or camping holidays instead. The cute green Martian petting zoo was the only thing that was fun.
I smile instead and say; ‘It was great, do you want to see pictures of Martians?’
Next one coming soon
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