Book Around the Corner

My son (almost 11) is currently on a Writing Challenge at school. The teacher gives the children the starting point of a story and they have to write a story consistent with it and as fast as they can. They have to write ten pieces. I knew about Reading Challenges (The pupils have to read books and answer questions about the story) but not about Writing Challenges to develop writing skills. I tell you this, literature classes weren’t that funny when I was in primary school. It sure beats the usual Please tell what you did during the holidays. He’s been so proud of his ten stories that I decided to give him a little of internet fame by publishing his favourite one on Book Around The Corner.

The idea was Pierre wonders if he’s not crazy. He just put his apple down for a moment to redo his shoe lace and when he’s finished, he only has an apple core. What happened?

Here’s my son’s follow up:

La journée est ensoleillée. J’en profite pour faire un tour au parc. Je me prévois, après avoir demandé à ma maman si je pouvais y aller, une pomme, au cas où j’ai faim. Je mets mes chaussures et j’y vais. En avant le plaisir ! Ah, enfin le voilà ! Le parc ! Je cours vers lui. Que j’aime cette sensation d’air frais. Ou plutôt chaud, c’est l’été tout de même ! J’entre enfin dans cet espace vert. Je fais un tour puis je m’assois sur un banc. Je sors mon fruit de mon sac, le prends et croque dedans plusieurs fois plus je finis par continuer mon tour en mangeant mon goûter. Soudain je m’arrête, mon lacet est défait ; Je pose mon sac par terre, puis ma pomme (sur mon sac, un peu de propreté, quand même) et je fais mon lacet. Mais au moment de me relever, je vois qu’elle n’est plus là, enfin, pour ce qu’il en reste, pour moi, elle n’est plus là. Je regarde autour de moi pour trouver qui aurait pu commettre un délit de la sorte ! A part deux enfants de cinq ans surveillés par leur mère, personne. Bizarre, mon champ de vision est vide. Je cherche des indices, des traces du voleur mais en vain. Je n’ai plus de pomme et rien à faire. Je rentre chez moi. Mais en arrivant, je découvre le coupable. Oooh, il m’a suivi ! Pris en filature ! Je n’en reviens pas quand je vois mon chien avec des morceaux de pomme entre les dents.

 Now the English translation.

It is a sunny day. I want to go to the park. After asking my mom if I could go, I take an apple with me in case I get hungry. I put on my shoes and here I go. To pleasure! Ah, here’s it is! The park! I run towards. How I love this feeling of fresh air! Or hot air, it’s summer, after all. I eventually enter this green space. I walk around and sit on a bench. I pull my fruit out of my bag and bite into it several times and I start walking again while eating my snack. I stop suddenly, my shoe lace is undone. I put my bag on the floor and then my apple (on my bag, a bit of hygiene, after all) et I redo my shoe lace. When I stand up, I see that my apple is missing or for what is left of it, it’s as if it were missing. I look around to find out who could have committed such a felony! Apart from two five-year olds watched by their mother, nobody. Strange, my field of vision is empty. I look for clues, traces of the thief but to no avail. I have no apple and nothing to do. I go home. But when I get there, I discover the culprit. Ooh, he followed me! Tailed me! I can’t believe it when I see my dog with apple bits between his teeth.

‘That’s all, folks!’ , says the proud mother.

Please note that he managed to put in a sentence so French I can’t translate it well into English: “En avant le plaisir!”

PS: the picture is the cover of his literary notebook.