2017 Kipling Award Finalist: Hanna Risner

How the Sky Got Clouds

Once upon a time the sky had no clouds. In that time all people lived in a place called the Hardleme where most people were farmers. Some farmers grew fruit and vegetable crops but many grew cotton. The sky there was blue. Clear blue. Pure clear blue. Many people complained about the sun. Some people said ‘’The sun is so hot we could roast marshmallows under it.’’There were two big cotton farms.

One big farm was owned by farmer Lily and the other big farm one was owned by farmer Dune. Dune and Lily were the ones that gave the sun compliments but sometimes they said mean things to the sun. Dune would say to Lily ’’That grumpy sun keeps on burning my cotton until it burns!! Lily would say to Dune,’’Same with my dang cotton.

Every day the sun was scorching hot and there was nothing to block the it! No trees and no clouds. All they had were very small bushes.

The farmers had a very big problem. Every year there would be one time that out of the ground there would

come just a little water. The farmers would try to collect as much water as they could to help them through the rough summer. But alas, they ran out of water so so so very quickly.

The little village was surrounded by a wall that no one had ever crossed. The wall was what held up the sky.

In the village there was a boy and his name was Yak. He had a brother named Sak. 

Yak was very mischievous. One day he decided to see what would happen if he destroyed the stone wall that held up the sky. First, he would ask his brother if he thought it was a good idea. When he asked his brother, his brother said’’Yak, I don’t think that that would be a good idea.’’ Just after his brother had said that, Yak thought that he could do it and he wanted to do it. 

So he told that to Sak and then the two brothers got into a big fight. Sak said ‘’no you won't and Yak said yes I will,No you won’t yes I will, no you won’t yes I will, no you won’t yes I will, no you won’t yes I will, no you won’t yes I will ‘’and on and on and on. Finally Sak gave in and left the room. 

Yak took a huge drilling machine and started bit by bit to take down the wall. Day after day he worked under the blue sky. The clear blue sky. The pure clear blue sky. Finally he only had to move one more rock and the whole wall would fall down. With one small tap, the whole wall, with the blue sky, collapse...! The sky slowly came down and settled just barely brushing the ground.Everyone looked over to where the stone wall had stood.

Everything was black. When they tried to lift the sky it only moved the tiniest bit.

Now in this village(or better said, the remains of this village)there were some animals. Here are the names of some of them. The Chade, the Dart, the Reowns, the Qualyt and the Chard Eill.

Now all the animals were very scared and so they started to make a plan. One of the animals, the Chade, could speak the human language.The animals asked him if he could tell the humans of their plan to get the sky to go up again and he said yes.

The Chade came up to the people and said ‘’You have to search all over the ground for long sticks that could hold up the sky.’’ So all of the people and the animals felt around on the ground for long sicks.

As soon as all the people and animals had a long stick they picked the sky up, put the long sticks under the sky and with all their might, they slowly pushed the sky back up. But as the sky got higher in the air, it got much lighter and soon the sky got to a point that it just floated up. 

With all the pushing it had gotten it went higher into the air than ever before! All the farmers cheered! But when the sky could not go any farther up the people and the animals looked up to see all the cotton from the fields stuck in the sky.

So, even now, after all this time, you can still see all the farmers cotton up in the sky. But now they are called clouds. 

2017 Kipling Award Finalist: Jorja Smith

How the Hedgehog got its Spines

Once in a forest called Big Beluga Bongo forest, named after its huge trees, there lived a hedgehog and his name was Harper. Harper was not like any of his family and relatives, he was very curious and adventurous he loved exploring everything. He also loved asking questions, so every time an animal came over he would ask them questions.

One day after Harper got up, he asked his mom to make him his favorite breakfast, scrambled bugs.

‘’Mmmmm’’, Harper said, “ this is really good.’’

After Harper was done he went on his morning walk. When he was walking he kept bumping into trees, but he didn’t care he just kept
walking. When Harper came to the end of his walk he stopped for a minute to look at the view. That’s when he saw a creature he had never seen before, he was stunned but before he could even say anything, the creature had walked away. He slowly went back home still thinking what had happened.
When Harper had got back he told his parents but they didn’t believe him. He told his friends and they just laughed. This made Harper very angry.

‘’ Fine, then I will go and find out what that creature is and i'll show you’’, Harper said.

The next morning Harper packed food and supplies for his travel and then was on his way. While he was walking through the woods he was eating blueberries and bugs.
‘’ I will show them, i'm going to find out what that, thing is and show them’’, Harper mumbled.

Slowly Harper approached the place where he last saw the
creature. At first it wasn’t there, so he walked around a little. Finally he saw the creature.

He said, ‘’ Hey... Hey Mr, excuse me but can i ask you a question?”
The creature turned its head slowly.
‘’ Sounds like, you just did’’, said the creature.
‘’Haaa, that’s funny but i have another question, what are you Harper said.’’
‘’ What i am, well i am a porcupine’’, said the creature, want to see what I can do?’’
‘’Sure this is a big honor,’’ Harper said excitedly
‘’Ok ready, one, two, three.’’
With a big big scream coming from Harper the porcupine shot out its quills into Harpers back.

‘’ Ohhhh that hurt,’’ Harper said running to the stream while the porcupine walked away laughing.

Harper was in so much pain he did the backstroke in the river for two days. When two days had passed Harper packed his things and slowly walked home. He wanted to feel his spines because he had never had these things on his back. So he turned around and felt them, they were smooth only a little pointy. He liked them a found they were very useful. He could pick berries and pick them off and eat them.

When he got home all his friends and family were jealous and wanted to know what happened

All Harper said was, ‘’Look who is asking questions now.’’ And from now on Hedgehogs have spines. 

2017 Kipling Award Finalist: Jayden Holden

2017 Kipling Award Finalist: Keley Reckell

2017 Kipling Award Finalist: Alexis Short

2017 Kipling Award Finalist; Coleson Burroughs

How The Turtle Got His Shell

Once upon a time there was a turtle named Turtle and he lived in the Snooglish Boolglish river.The turtle was small and had no shell.He was always banging into rocks because the water was as going as fast as an eagle can fly.So the turtle was getting bandages on his back because of the rocks.

He needed to find a shell,but where would he find one?So he went to shore and saw a bird and he asked “do you know where a shell is”?The bird said yes but it is a hermit crab shell not a turtle shell.The turtle said ok thank you anyways and walked away.Soon enough he came to a BIG turtle and “asked do you have a shell for me?”the big turtle said no the only shell I have is my shell.

So Turtle said ok thank you anyway and walked away.Not that long of a time later Turtle came to a monkey and asked “do you have a shell for me?”The monkey said ooh ooh ah ah no but I do know a gorilla that has everything in the whole world.Turtle said ok thank you

soooooo much but where is the gorilla.I cant tell you ooh ooh ah ah.Turtle said ok well bye now.ooh ooh ah ah bye.After days and days of slowly walking Turtle finally found the gorilla .Turtle asked “do you YAWN have a YAWN turtle shell for me YAWN?”Of course I do,I have every thing in the world and by the time gorilla was done talking Turtle fell asleep.after a few hours Turtle woke up and had a lot of energy and asked “do you have a shell for me?”And gorilla said yes but you must do something for me.what is it said turtle?The gorilla said you must go get me a candy bar.But I don’t have any money and you have everything in the world.Yes yes I know but I cant find it because of how small it is said gorilla.Can I at least have some money said Turtle?Sure here is $5.

Ok I will be back soon said Turtle.So 1 hour later the turtle came to a store.He was to short to open the door.So he had to wait for a human to come.After another hour someone finally came.So the turtle went in and got a candy bar.Turtle went to the checkout desk and put 5$ on it. When he finally got back to the gorilla.The gorilla said here is one.Turtle said it's too
big.

Ok here is another one .Turtle said it’s too small.Ok here is another one.Turtle put it on and it was perfect!So after the long and dreadful walk home he finally got to the Snooglish Booglish river he lives in he never had to have another bandage ever again!