Long, long ago, in a jungle in Nagaland, lived a lazy, vain, mean, king peacock. The peacock ordered everybody around, but never did anything himself. He told all of the animals to bathe him, to give him fine food, and to wait on him like servants. Thus began the dynasty of the blue-eyed feathers.
In the jungle, as a subject to the subject, lived the monkey. He was humble and kind. He always helped animals in need, such as old tigers and abandoned baby snakes. As a subject to the king, the monkey had to work very hard. However, he always gave more work and time to the animals that needed help. When the monkey was little, he adored the peacock that strutted around all the time. But when he saw the pain his king was giving to the other animals, he devised a plan to overthrow the king. However, he knew the horrible peacock was clever and conniving. Even so, he was determined to help the other animals and so formulated a plan.
The peacock always made the other animals bathe in the cold stream. In the stream, he could have the choicest weeds, and the juiciest fish. He also said that the stream was his, and so no other animal could be in it for more than three seconds. One day in the summer, it was very, very, hot. All the animals were very thirsty and hungry. They longed to dip their feet in the river, just for a few minutes, but the peacock was adamant in his cruel way. And, when he made them bathe him, he told them if they stepped into the stream they would be banished. The monkey saw this, and was heartbroken for he longed to help the other animals. Even so, he knew that if his plan worked, they would never have to worry again.
He went up to the peacock in the river and said, "Peacock, your feathers are so beautiful and your is so shiny and strong." The peacock puffed himself up and said, "That's right monkey, I am the most beautiful creature every."
"Oh yes, and your voice is so enchanting," Monkey silkily said. "Yes," the king vainly said, "I am the best speaker in India."
The monkey then excitedly put his plan into action by saying "I have an idea, Peacock! I'll write you a speech, so all the animals can see your greatness!" The peacock readily agreed. The monkey was going to write a speech, but a speech that would make the entire animals group together and banish the Peacock. And since the Peacock was so used to other people doing things for him, he would read it by habit!
On the day of the speech, hundreds of animals were gathered to watch the big occasion. Some were hungry and tired, some were thirsty and hot. However the peacock was stuffed with expensive food and had servants fanning him with ferns. Monkey ran up to him holding the speech. "Remember, Peacock, read loud and clear in your beautiful voice." The peacock nodded. He went over to the pedestal where he was to give the speech and started reading....
The speech was full of all the horrible things he did, and said that because he had done so many horrible things, the rest of the animals could banish him from the kingdom! But, out of habit, the Peacock kept on reading in his "fabulous voice." Immediately after the speech, all the animals grabbed the Peacock and threw him out of Nagaland, never to return. All the animals crowned the monkey king, and they all lived happily ever after.
The moral of the story is if you work hard and take care of yourself and others, you will go far in life. If not, watch your step!
First place: "Dynasty of the Blue-Eyed Feathers" - Jeremy Ornstein
"Black Willow"
Once upon a time a man lived in the Amazon rain forest. His job was to chop the trees there. One rainy day he spotted a beautiful Black Willow tree, and he thought he could make a lot of money out of this beautiful rare Black Willow tree. So he decided to chop it. But suddenly a Indian came and said, "If you chop this tree you will die!!!"
Of course the man didn't listen to this stranger.
So later that night he grabbed his ax and threw it at the tree. And then what he saw no person should ever see. MAGGOTS. Millions of Black Maggots!!!
Thirteen weeks later he found himself at the hospital with his wife at his side. She was saying "You're alive! You're alive! I never thought I'd ever see you again!"
After a couple hours, he felt good enough to walk the mile home with his wife. So he did.
Later that evening he talked to his wife about what happened to him.
At every word she would yell "How horrid!!!"
Later he started to brush his teeth, and then he noticed that his skin was unusually dark he thought it was a trick of the light, so he went to bed.
The same thing happened for a couple of weeks, and each night his skin got darker and darker.
And one night his skin was pitch black. He wasn't looking where his hand was, and he cut his hand and millions of black maggots started pouring out from the cut!!! Then he knew the Indian was right. He was going to die!
7 years later
Jonathon was hiking in the area. And he saw an Indian with a skeleton filled with black maggots next to him. What a coincidence, my father died that way so the boy said "My father died that way," as he pointed to the skeleton.
The Indian looked up at him and stared hard then he said, "Hmmmm, yes I once met a man who looked like you. Actually you look almost identical."
"Dad!?"
econd place: "Black Willow" - Emmett Lewis-Hoeber
Third place: "I Have 9 Lives" - Robert Shapiro
"(I'm) A Work in Progress"
Dear readers if you are reading this you must know that if your name is Dad, Mom, Sister, or Brother, you are not, I repeat not, allowed to read this book, for this is my diary.
September 7 - Today was the first day of school. I get the feeling no one is going to like me as a friend. The teacher never called on me, and when we picked sticks for playing tag, I got the shortest.
September 9 - Today the teacher called on me at least five times! I found two best friends. I answered the question of 60 divided by 50, which is One Point Two. Third grade is awesome.
September 12 - Today for lunch we had pizza, my absolute favorite lunch. I found out that every Wednesday they have pizza for lunch. We also started having homework. This is the day that I dreaded would come.
September 18 - Today we got a class pet, a new hamster. We named her. . . ah, well, we did not name her yet. Also today at lunch, Ellen Robbin's mashed potatoes flow off her fork and landed on my face! Andy Fischer started yelling "Food Fight", so I threw my mashed potatoes in Ellen's face. Mrs. Windsor slipped on the mashed potatoes and with a big thud landed on the ground. She sent me, JUST ME, to the principal's office. I said that Ellen threw food too, but Mrs. Windsor didn't listen.
September 20 - Today at lunch Andy Fischer once again yelled "Food Fight" at me and Ellen. Ellen said "Knock it off mister." And I said nothing. I was too afraid I would get sent to principal Shortscrabl's office. Then the school bully came right up to me. His name is Eric Tuff. I must say, his name matches his personality...
September 23 - Eric came up to me again today. He said to me "what is ninety plus forty?" I said "easy-peezy-lemon-squeezy". He said, "what is it?" And I said "one thirty". Turns out he is in kindergarten. Must have had a growth spurt or something...
September 26 - I found out that it's easy to stand up against Eric. His older brother is the school bully. His name is Randy Tuff. His last name only PARTLY matches his personality. He is really soft on someone of the girls (mostly Agatha and Lucy).
September 28 - I got suspended from school. And get this, I didn't do anything! I was just selling cupcakes and Randy stole one! Then Mrs. Windsor happened to walk by and Randy threw the cupcake and it landed on her backside. She seemed really mad and embarrassed at the same time. She yelled "Who did this!!" Then Randy said that I did and that's how I got suspended.
September 30 - I'm still suspended from school. I tried to explain to my mom it was Randy and not me. And I can't even play video games at my own house! But luckily my mom was on a conference call most of the time so I got to sneak a few computer games. That is the good part of being suspended the bad part is not being able to play your favorite video games like Little Big Planet or Super Mario Brothers.
October 1 - I am still suspended from school and still complaining to mom, "I didn't throw a cupcake". Why would I do such a thing? I knew I would go to the principle's office. And here I am suspended in my own house. They wouldn't even let me go to school to go to my own sister's birthday party. "Don't you think they should let a sister unite with her older sister?"
October 4 - I am only partly suspended. I go to school; I get all my assignments and homework but I stay in the principal's office to do my work. The principal usually asks do I want a little snack? If I say "Yes," which I usually. He says, "two milk shakes and one hamburger, which means two juices and a sandwich. Usually we split the sandwich.
October 5 - Yeah! I am fully off suspension and goodness knows its Mrs. Windor's birthday. No wonder she let me come to school. She said it wouldn't be a party without each and every one of us. I don't think she's right; she suspended me for nothing. I wrote in my math book on page 54, Unit 5, in very small handwriting, "Mrs Windsor has trotters." I hope she doesn't see that when she checks my math because it's a very rude thing to say to your teacher especially one as mean as Mrs. Windsor.
October 7 - I came up with a few nicknames for Mrs. Windsor. On Tuesday one of them is "Bloody Mary" which is about someone who likes to make wars between children. Mostly children of the Martinez School and teachers of the Martinez School mostly herself. I think she baths in dirty water and doesn't wash her hair. I also think it attracts flies.
October 10 - Today it was Lucy's birthday. She brought cupcakes, each of us got one. They were really, really tasty. Andy Fisher who liked the two words "Food Fight" licked the frosting off his cupcake and threw it at Andy Carter. Andy Carter ate the cake off his cupcake and threw the frosting in Any Fisher's face. And I think this is the worst part, I was right in the middle of the two I had cupcake on one side of my head and frosting on the other.
October 12 - Today is my birthday!!! My mom insisted that I must go to school on my birthday maybe there will be something special. I don't believe there will be something special but I just go to school anyway. I bring in 25 cupcakes, one for Mrs. Windsor and one for everyone else in my class.
October 14 - Today was a regular old school day. Actually not so regular. Randy came up to me and said give me that basketball. And I said "What basketball?" I didn't even have gym today. And then he said, "The basketball you were holding earlier." And I said, "I wasn't holding any basketball, maybe it was Lacy she looks a lot like me." So he went to Lacy and said, "Give me that basketball!" Then Lacy asked "My pretty pink basketball that I was playing with?" And he said, "Yes, give it to me." So Lacy gave it to him and he gave it to Agatha.
October 16 - Lacy found out that Randy gave it to Agatha. Lacy told Agatha it was hers and Agatha gave it back to Lacy. Lacy was really happy and she spent all afternoon playing with it.
October 18 - Mrs. Windsor said to me that she would be babysitting me while my parents go out of town. I couldn't believe that my parents would do this to me. Didn't they know?
October 22 - It wasn't that bad, she let me stay up super late and she let me have dessert. In fact it was really, really fun. And before I went to bed at night I told her the real story of the "Food Fight." And she said she was sorry. And I felt bad that I wrote that in my math book...I erased it.
October 24 - Guess what Mrs. Windsor is babysitting again. This is the happiest day of my life. She lets me stay up late and have dessert and we have lots of fun, She said Halloween was just around the corner and we made signs and put them in my front yard. We bought itsy bitsy spider webs and put them on trees so trick treaters would get them in their hair. After that we made some signs that said Happy Halloween Love, the Goblins of Martinez School. We put it next to a flashlight and put the flashlight in the front yard so it would be projected on the side of the house.
October 27 - Today I realized if I just tell someone the truth; everything will be all right. I also learned that school is the best place to be!!!
TO BE CONTINUED..... . .
Honorable Mention: "(I'm) a Work in Progress" - Grace Valaskovic
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