Stories written by children studying Writing Tales Level One

PorkChop the Mouse was running up and down on the Lion. The Lion woke and put his paws on the mouse.
“Please do not eat me! I beg you!” said PorkChop. So the Lion let him go. So PorkChop went free.
Then the Lion got trapped in a net and so the Lion was trapped. Then people found him and then they were going to find a wagon to put the Lion in.
The Lion was tied to a tree and PorkChop saw the Lion. Then PorkChop set him free and then they became best pals.

Once a slave named Androcles escaped from his master and fled to the grasslands of Africa. Soon he came to a lion yelping and growling in pain. First it scared the wits out of him and he turned and ran. But finding the lion did not turn and run after him, he turned around and went back to the lion and found a hunter had shot a bullet in the lion’s paw. So Androcles took the bullet out of the lion’s paw. The grateful lion took Androcles to his den and fed him meat. Soon the lion and Androcles were captured. After the lion had been without food for two days Androcles was led to the center of the arena. The lion was freed from his cage. He came running at his prey. But seeing his friend Androcles was the prey he stopped and ran forward licking his friend’s hands. When the emperor heard Androcles’ story, he let him go free, and returned the Lion to the grasslands of Africa

King Alfred was in a battle against the Danes. The English army got scattered everywhere. The king ran away into the woods and came upon the wood cutter’s hut. He went inside and asked the woodcutter’s wife for food.She said, “Yes, but you will have to watch the cakes in the oven.”He didn’t watch them carefully because he was busy thinking of how to beat the Danes. The woman came back and saw that the cakes were burning. She hit Alfred with a stick and sent him home hungry.King Alfred got his army back together and beat the Danes.

There once lived a mouse namedReepicheep.He lived on a farm in Hawley, PA. He had a cousin named Chester who lived in New York City. Reepicheep was a hard-working farmer, but he loved his city cousin. One day Reepicheep was working in his field when he saw Chester coming towards him. He said, “Come inside with me and I will give you some refreshment after your journey.” Apples and chestnuts, carrots and berries were all he had to offer, but he offered them freely.

Chester said, “I don’t like that kind of stuff. Come with me and I will show you how to live.”

Then they set off for the city. They arrived at the city mouse’s house at 11:00 p.m. Chester said, “Would you like some refreshments after our long journey?” He led his cousin to the dining room and there they found the remains of a feast. They started eating jellies and cakes.

All of a sudden they heard some loud barking and growling. Reepicheep said, “What is that?”

Reepicheep said, “Only?!” At that moment the door flew open and two huge mastiffs ran in. The two mice had to run down the table and scamper off. Then Reepicheep said, “Good-bye!” And Chester said, “What, going so soon?”

Reepicheep said, “Better apples and chestnuts in peace than cake and ale in fear.”

Once upon a time there was a princess and she was very good at bowling. The king ordered if there was any man who could beat her at this game he could have her immediately at his wife. If not, he would lose his legs.

A lot of legs were cut off. But there was in the country a man named George. He knew if he could beat her in a bowling match he and his family would become noble. George got a special gift for the princess and began his journey to the palace. When he arrived he said to the guard, “I have come to challenge the princess in a bowling match.”

So the guard let him in to the royal courtyard. With his ball in hand and an anxious heart he rushed to meet the princess. After kindly greeting the princess he gave her his gift, her favorite sticky taffy saltwater candy. Then he insisted she begin the game after all, she is the one and only princess and must go first.

The princess loved the candy and couldn’t wait to try one piece. Then she threw her first ball. The ball got stuck to her fingers. She threw it as hard as she could. It flew from her hands and went directly to the gutter. George took his turn and rolled his ball carefully towards the center pin. Smash! Crash! The pins all fell down.

The princess continued to eat her favorite taffy between each turn of the game. She just loved the candy so much. She continued to throw gutter balls and leave pins standing on every turn. George got all strikes and won the game no questions asked.

When the ten innings were complete the princess was so impressed by his remarkable abilities to bowl and no doubt believed he would make a fine prince. The princess felt so ill from eating all the candy that George picked her up and carried her back to her palace. She gave him her sticky ball as a good will promise that he and his family would become royalty.

In a vine-covered summer house out in the garden two boys were standing. They were watching their mother and her friend.

“She is,” said the older boy, “but her face is not noble and kind; our mother should be the queen."

Then their mother came over to them and said she had something to tell them. Roman boys were taught to bow, so they did. They said, “What is it, mother?”

She said, “Boys, you are to eat with us today, and then we will see my friend’s beautiful jewelry box with her jewels inside.”

The boys looked at their mother’s friend nervously. Was it true that she had other rings besides the ones on her hands and more necklaces than she was wearing?

After they ate one of Cornelia’s servants came out with the jewelry box and their mother’s friend opened the box. The boys looked at the jewels. There were rubies, emeralds, diamonds and pearls. They were glittering beautifully and their mother’s friend asked, “is it really true that you have no jewelry and that you are poor?

Cornelia said, “I do have jewels,” and she pulled her boys next to her. “These are my jewels; they are worth more than all of yours put together.”

The boys felt happy and proud because their mother loved and cared for them and they were their mother’s jewels.

One hundred years after King Alfred, lived a King of the Danes named King Canute. The Danes were not so fierce after the battle of Alfred.

There were officers that were always praising Canute. The bushy-browed officer would say, “Nothing would dare disobey you.” The fuzzy-faced officer would say, “Oh King there is nothing as mighty as you.” The third, which looked very much like a do-do brain, would say, “Everything would do your bidding.”

King Canute was very disappointed with the officers. He bade his officers to take him to the seashore. They praised their three speeches once again. King Canute thought, “I should teach them a lesson.” The King said, “Am I the greatest man in the world?”

“Oh, King, there is nothing as mighty as you,” said the bushy-browed officer.

“Do all things obey me?” said King Canute to his officers. Then the first said his speech again. “Nothing would dare disobey you.”

“Am I the greatest man in the world?” The second would say, “Oh, King, there is nothing as mighty as you.”

"Will the sea obey me?” asked King Canute. The officers were confused. They didn’t want to say, “Oh no.”

“Command it and it will obey you,” said the third officer. The three officers were relieved with that answer.

So the King commanded the sea, “Sea, I command you to come no farther.” But, the tide just kept coming in. It rose higher and higher and wet the King’s robe. The officers nobly, but shamefully, were puzzled wondering if King Canute was mad. The King started looking at them for a few seconds and threw his crown right at their feet. “I shall never wear this crown again! For there is only one God you should serve, and He is the one who controls the sea.”

Alexander and Bucephalus ~ by Rebecca, age 8

One day King Philip decided to buy a fine horse named Bucephalus. He was a very expensive horse and only a king could afford him. Bucephalus was wild and fierce and no one could ride him or get near him. They tried to beat him but all that it did was make him worse. Finally, King Philip told the servants to get rid of this despicable horse. “Father, it is a shame to treat such a fine horse like this,” said Alexander.

“Perhaps you can do better than that,” said his father meanly.

“I know, I know. Give me time,” said Alexander.

“What happens if you fail?” asked King Philip.

“If I fail, I will pay you the price of the horse,” said Alexander.

When everyone was laughing, Alexander walked up to Bucephalus and he was kind and gentle to him. When the horse calmed down Alexander leaped on him. Everyone thought the boy would be killed. He let Bucephalus run as fast as he could. Very soon Bucephalus was exhausted. He rode him back to where his father was. Everyone shouted and cheered for Alexander. When he jumped off the horse his father ran and hugged him.

“This Kingdom is too small for you. We must find a bigger Kingdom that is worthy of you immediately,” said his father.

After that Alexander and Bucephalus were best buddies. It was said that they were always together. Alexander was the most famous king and warrior that was ever known. He was called Alexander the Great. Bucephalus carried him through many countries and deadly battles. More than once he saved his master’s life.

The Horse & The Bowl
a re-telling of the fable, "The Crow and the Pitcher" ~ by Brooks, age 8

Once there was a horse names Harry. Harry was very, very thirsty. Then he came upon a bowl of Gatorade. Harry got excited. He love Gatorade! But then, the bowl was very narrow and he couldn't stick his tounge in. He tried and he tried but he couldn't get it out. Then he had an idea. He stuck lots of gum balls in the bowl and was able to get the Gatorade.

One day a Cat and a Dog were sitting on the hearth watching their master’s walnuts roast. The Dog, who was very tricky, said that the Cat’s paws were just right for getting walnuts out of the fireplace. The Cat was flattered by this speech and she grabbed the hot walnuts. Each time she touched the walnuts she burned her paw. When the Cat turned around she saw the Dog had taken this time to eat the walnuts that the cat had pulled from the fire.