The Kindness Book

1

The Kindness Book
A collection of short stories
for children on the topic of
kindness.
Kindness (noun)
The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.
2

Acknowledgements
This book is the result of the generosity of all the lovely
people who willingly contributed their time and talent to craft
these little gems on the topic of kindness.
A million thanks.
Extra special thanks go to Kaisa Koponen for the unbelievably
gorgeous cover illustration.
Kaisa Koponen is a self-taught illustrator from Finland. She
works mostly with watercolour and ink. Her style is loose and
colourful and she is inspired by nature and all things cosy and
colourful. Her wish is to “spread joy and comfort with her
illustrations”.
If you want to see more of Kaisa’s fabulous illustrations follow
her on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/illustrationkaisakoponen
ISBN Number: 978-0-620-80037-2
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Contents
Virginia the Fly ~ Andrea Slater 6
Jack and the Forgetful Unicorn ~ Ginny Stone 10
How the Fairy Helped the Spider ~ Laura Faye Curtis 14
To be a Star ~ Louise Kruger 18
The Greatest Gift ~ Lee-Ann Lamb 20
Babybuglet Learns a Lesson ~ Ginny Stone 24
A Spring Search – Kat Micari 28
Ruby the Great Dane ~ Wietske Lentink 32
The Clouds Say to the Wind ~ Louise Kruger 36
The Kind Sister ~ Susan Joubert 38
Bush Babies: Rob’s Missing Horn – Vanessa Smeets 42
Little Boy Timothy ~ Adri Bronkhorst 48
Daya the Kind Fairy ~ Adri Bronkhorst 52
The Pretty Pink Bag ~ Trisha Pillay 56
Mermaid Olivia ~ Danielle Albasini 60
Scary George ~ Ian Parsisson 64
The Friendship Tree ~ Judy MacGregor 68
The Baby Bird ~ Toni Henning 72
When a Human Statue Breaks the Rules ~ Engela Duvenage 76
Wally the Whale ~ Lauren Green 80
Kindness is… ~ Jason Anthony 84
More about the authors 88
4

“
“A warm smile is the universal
language of kindness.”
– William Arthur Ward
5

Virginia
the
Fly
By
Andrea Slater
6

V
irginia the fly has lost her buzz. She was flying slowly
around a light bulb – there was no zip, no zap, no zibble
in her wings and no wiggle in her bottom.
Roger the ant came bouncing by… “What’s… the… buzz….
Virginia?”
He asked one word at a time and very loudly because Roger is
teeny and people can’t hear him – even when he shouts his
loudest!
Virginia sighed. “Roger… dude… I just don’t know. Nobody
likes me very much and that feels crummy.”
“What… are… you… talking… about?” shouted Roger. “I…
likeyouverymuch… don’t… you… know?”
“I know, Roger, I like you too. But what am I here to do? I
know I have a job, I just don’t know what it is! I feel like I
arrived one day and have spent my whole life flying from one
arm to another arm or from one foot to another foot and
everybody hates me! People are always trying to swat me out
of the house, animals try and kick me or swat me with their
tails, and all I want is a bit of food.”
Roger was getting really tired of shouting.
“Hey… could… you… flyabitlower, please?”
Virginia buzzed slowly to the floor and sat down next to
Roger, who was taking a few deep breaths and mopping his
forehead with his sleeve. She rubbed her hands together
looking worried.
“Phew… It sure is hard to shout all the time.”
“Bet you wish you could fly sometimes,” said Virginia kindly.
“Oh boy, I sure do but then I’d be a fly and I like being an
ant,” said Roger with a smile. “But back to your question.
“I know what my job is. I am a cleaner and a finder!” Roger
said this proudly with his thumb on his chest and a big smile
7

on his face. “I clean up the world’s mess by finding food and
taking things like leaves and fruits that have fallen onto the
ground into my nest for my family to eat.”
“That sounds useful, Roger. But do you know what I am
supposed to be doing?”
Of course Roger did, because ants are very smart and their
brains are super big even though their bodies are teeny tiny!
“Your job, Virginia, is the same as mine only a little bit
different!”
Virginia buzzed excitedly.
“Your job is to clean up rubbish!”
“Rubbish? You mean I’m a garbage girl?” she asked, looking
even sadder than before.
“Yes, but your job is more important now because you clean
up after humans and animals, too! You see, everything that
goes onto the ground needs to be digested in order for it to
go into the soil. Then, when that soil’s is full of all of that
goodness, it makes more trees and plants and fruits for
humans and animals and ants and flies to eat!”
“So, my job is not just to fly around that light bulb? You and I
actually help the whole world all the time?”
“That’s right,” said Roger. “Isn’t that great and important?”
“Wow, yes, it is!” Virginia said.
“Sure is,” said Roger. “But I’ve got to go back to work now. I
heard my thirty-fifth cousin yelling that an avocado fell off the
tree in the back yard and it isn’t going to clean up after itself!”
“Hey, I can help!” said Virginia. “Hop on, let’s go!”
Roger jumped quickly onto her back and off they flew – and
Virginia had a new zip in her zag and a big wiggle in her
bottom.
8

“Be kind whenever possible.
It is always possible.”
– The Dalai Lama
9

Jack
and the
Forgetful
Unicorn
by
Ginny Stone
10

J
ack was snoozing peacefully under the pecan nut tree
when an almighty whooshing noise rudely awoke him.
Something a tad bigger than a nut had landed.
Blearily he opened one eye, and then leapt up yowling
“Mighty Mouse!”
“Don’t be ridiculous! I’m not a freaking mouse!” snorted a
multi-coloured voice.
He yowled. “Well Duh! I can see that. You’re a unicorn –
aren’t you?”
The multi-coloured
voice stamped a
hoof impatiently.
“How would you
know that? Anyway
– how can you see
me? I’m invisible.”
“A small person
came to visit and
had a stuffed one.”
Said Jack. Plus, I’ve
seen them on
Facebook.” Jack
sniffed, “And you
are not invisible – I
can see every bit of you.”
The unicorn shuddered at the thought of being stuffed.
“Impressive knowledge for a mere feline,” he said. “Although
I think you’re boasting. What could a cat know about
Facebook?”
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Jack’s whiskers bristled. How rude. He flicked his tail
impatiently from side to side. “The mouse is my friend,” he
hissed. “And what are you doing in my back garden?”
The unicorn rolled his eyes, like he was deciding whether or
not to confide in a mere feline.
“My memory is faulty. I keep forgetting where I’m going and
the second I do that – I plummet down to earth.” He looked
around. “I’ve landed in some pretty dodgy places. It’s not too
shabby here.”
Jack nearly smirked at the thought of this snooty creature
having a single flaw, but then thought that might be rude.
“Why don’t you magic your memory better then?” he said.
The unicorn coughed awkwardly. “Um… I’ve forgotten that
too.”
Jack thought for a bit… “Why don’t we Google a cure for your
memory?”
The unicorn stared goggle-eyed. “Google? On the internet?
I’m not sure I believe your nonsense about Facebook and the
mouse, but I’m desperate so I’ll try anything.”
“You’d better stay here,” Jack
told him. “In case you’re not
invisible.”
Jack’s human was out so it was
pretty easy. He jumped up onto
her desk and nudged his friend
the mouse. Her laptop screen
sprang to life. He danced
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around on the keyboard a bit. Up came some information. He
scanned it quickly.
Easy as pie! Well… not pie, rosemary in fact.
It said right there that sniffing rosemary could increase your
memory by 75%. Fancy that.
Jack gnawed off a fat sprig of rosemary from the herb pot,
then padded down to the bottom of the garden.
But the unicorn was gone.
“Pssstttt,” he hissed. “Where are you?”
“Here!” whispered a multi-coloured voice in Jack’s ear –
nearly scaring the furry knickers off him. The unicorn had
become invisible.
Jack waved the sprig of rosemary around and told him to sniff
it.
The unicorn took a great whiff, waited a while and grinned
hugely.
“Now I remember… I have a gig in Fairyland. Better get going.
I’m probably late. Thanks kind cat.”
And poof! He disappeared. A rainbow-coloured leaf fluttered
down from the pecan nut tree.
Jack yawned and went back to sleep.
13

How
the
Fairy Helped
the
Spider to
Make his Web
by
Laura Faye Curtis
14

O
ne day, Fairy found Sid the Spider looking rather sad.
“Whatever is the matter?” she asked him.
“Oh Fairy, I cannot find anywhere to build my web.
Would you be able to help me?”
“Ok then,” said Fairy, “let’s go look!”
Off they went to the toadstool to ask Lucy the Ladybird if Sid
could build his web there.
“Oh dear no,” said Lucy, “there’s just not enough room under
my toadstool for the both of us.”
“Try asking Greg Grasshopper.” Lucy advised.
So off went Fairy and Sid the Spider to visit Greg the
Grasshopper.
“Hello Greg Grasshopper!” said both Fairy and Sid at the same
time.
“Do you have any space in the grass for me to build my web?”
asked Sid the Spider.
“Oh dear no,” replied Greg Grasshopper. “For, as you can see,
the grass is just not long enough to hold a web.”
“Then we’ll go to visit the Ants and ask them,” said Fairy,
“thank you Greg Grasshopper.” And off the two went.
“Say there Antony Ant, do you have a place in your home for
me to build my web?” asked Sid.
“I wish we could help you,” answered Antony Ant, “but, as
you can see;,I live with my very big family underground. It’s
just not the right place for a spider’s web.”
Fairy had a think, then said to Sid, “I know! Let’s go see Betty
the Bumble Bee!”
“Well hello there Sid Spider & Fairy! What are you two doing
here among the flowers?” asked Betty Bumble Bee.
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“Oh dear Betty, I do hope that you will be able to help me,”
replied Sid Spider. “Will I be able to build my web here with
you in the flower bed?”
“Oh goodness me, no!” answered Betty Bumble Bee. “You
see, we use all the flowers to collect pollen to take back to
our hives to make our yummy honey.”
Poor Sid Spider, where oh where was he going to build his
web? He became very sad.
Then Fairy shouted out, “Wait! I think I know the best place
for you to build your home! Look up there…”
Illustration by Laura Curtis
And so off they went to a little tree at the top of a little hill.
16

“This will be perfect for your web, Sid. It’s high up with lots of
branches that you can build your web between. You can make
it as big as you like.”
And so there, in the forest, Fairy helped Sid find the perfect
spot in the tree to build his web.
“Oh thank you Fairy, now I have a happy home of my very
own!” and Sid Spider gave Fairy an eight-legged hug!
17

To
be a
Star
by
Louise Kruger
18

To be a Star, you must be,
a heavenly body, just like me.
If you see me in the night,
I am that twinkling pinprick of light.
If you get close, I'm not that small,
I am filled with gas in the shape of a ball.
I have many colours and this is true,
that if I'm hot my colour is blue.
My friend the Sun, is also a Star,
The Earth spins around him from very far.
So to be a Star just like me,
You must shine bright for all to see.
19

The
Greatest
Gift
by
Lee-Ann Lamb
20

I
thought that I had it all; I owned all the treasure deep
down in the ocean. Being an octopus and having eight legs
meant that I could wear as much jewellery as I wanted, so I
was always covered in jewels that sparkled wherever I went.
Yes, it was heavy and weighed me down, but I didn’t mind,
being that rich and popular was worth it!
Creatures from all over the sea would travel from far to
admire me. Some would even bring me gifts just so they
could talk to me. I was so used to hearing my name being
called that I didn’t pay attention to anyone anymore. I had
everything anyway.
Life was just perfect until one day …
It was a normal day, the ocean was calm and warm and fish of
every colour were surrounding and admiring me. And then,
without warning, everything changed.
Even before I realised what was happening, all the fish had
already swum away. I tried to swim away, too but my jewels
were so heavy I couldn’t move.
As quickly as I could, I took off all my jewellery, but once it
was all off and I could move, I realised that there was
nowhere for me to hide and the shark was getting closer.
Suddenly, everything went dark and I heard a small voice
telling me to keep quiet. I waited for what felt like forever.
When it was all over and I could finally see again, I was staring
into the face of the ugliest oyster I had ever seen.
“Why would you help me, Oyster?” I asked. “Why didn’t you
swim away or hide like everyone else?”
I felt so guilty because I knew that normally I would just
ignore a sea creature this ugly.
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“You needed help!” replied the oyster. “I couldn’t just leave
you to get eaten. I might not have much to give, but the one
thing I can give you is my kindness.”
“Your kindness is the greatest gift I have ever received. Even
though I didn’t deserve it, you still helped me and I will always
be grateful,” I replied. I didn’t know how to thank this
creature for saving my life.
When I swam back to where I had left my jewellery it was all
gone. The only thing left was a tiny white pearl that was half
hidden under the sand.
“I know this isn’t much,” I said, “but it is all I have left now
and I want you to have it.”
“Oh no!” replied the oyster. “I didn’t help you so that you
would reward me; I helped you out of the kindness of my
heart.”
“If you won’t take this as a gift, then take it and look after it
for me. There is no one I trust more to look after my last
piece of treasure than someone with a kind heart like yours.”
To this day the oyster still guards the pearl for the octopus,
and the octopus lives a quiet, normal life trying to show
kindness wherever it goes.
22

“You can be kind or
you can be right.
When you choose to be kind
you are right every time.”
~ Don’t sweat the small stuff
23

Babybuglet
Learns a
Lesson
by
Ginny Stone
24

O
ne fine sunny day Babybuglet was frolicking on the
lawn. She was playing hoppity skippity jump over the
blades of grass.
“Don’t do that,” said Mombug. “If you lose your balance and
tip over onto your back I won’t be able to help you.”
Babybuglet wiggled her wings at her mom and tossed her
feelers.
“Ag Mombug, I know what I am doing,” she said.
Mombug shook her head and continued devouring the aphids
on the rose in the garden bed.
“Wheeeee…. Look at me!” sang Babybuglet in a high piping
voice, as she leapt over the hose pipe.
“Wheee… wheeee…. Wheeeeeeeeeeeee…… Aaaargh Mombug – help
quick.” Came a muffled voice.
Mombug flew to her side and checked out the situation.
There was nothing she could do to help Babybuglet.
Babybuglet’s legs got weaker and weaker as she thrashed and
wiggled, trying to turn herself over.
Mombug wanted to say “I told you so!” but she was too
upset. Babybuglet would die if she did not turn over soon. She
decided to fly off and see if she could find some help.
The day was hot and the sun was beating down fiercely on
Babybuglet. She was so sorry she had not listened to
Mombug. She promised herself that, if she got out of this
sticky situation, she would never not listen to Mombug again.
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A kindly old Oak tree looked down from above. He’d heard
the whole conversation and seen everything that happened.
He decided to take pity on Babybuglet.
“Here,” he swished softly, and sent a leaf floating gently
down to earth. It whooshed this way and that way in the wind
and ended up gently covering Babybuglet, shielding her from
the harsh sunlight.
Babybuglet got a big fright. Daylight had suddenly turned to
night.
It was so dark she could hardly see.
She panicked and waved her little legs wildly around in the
air.
“Help! Help!” she whimpered. But slowly she realised her legs
were actually touching something.
Cautiously she latched on and found she could move again.
But it was so dark that she did not know which way she was
walking.
Meanwhile, Mombug had arrived back at the scene only to
find Babybuglet was missing.
“Oh no!” She wailed. “My baby has been bugnapped! I should
never have left her all by herself.”
Babybuglet heard her mom weeping and wailing.
“Psst…. Mombug…” whispered Babybuglet, “I’m here.”
Mombug heard a noise… and listened… was it the wind?
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In the mean time, Babybuglet had crawled off the leaf, onto
the grass and was making her way out of the dark into the
sunshine again.
She spied Mombug sitting, wringing her feelers, just a few
blades of grass away and crawled over.
Mombug was overjoyed to see Babybuglet. They both started
babbling at once.
“I promise I will listen to you in future,” cried Babybuglet.
“Ooooh I got such a fright - I’ll never leave you alone again,”
wept Mombug.
The kind old Oak tree rustled his branches above and smiled.
Lessons had been learned.
27

A Spring
Search
by
Kat Micari
28

T
he last bits of snow had finally melted away, and Arianna
flitted about looking for the first spring blossom, enjoying
the warm sunshine. It had been a long, harsh winter, and the
young fairy was so glad to see green again that she flew a few
loop de loops and lazy spirals just for fun. Suddenly, she
smacked into Mr. Robin mid-air, and both nearly fell to the
ground but managed to make a rough landing.
“Happy spring, Mr. Robin!” Arianna rubbed her head. “Hope
you aren’t hurt!”
“Not at all, Arianna, not at all. I’m sorry I bumped into you,”
Mr. Robin replied.
“Oh no, I think I bumped into you! I guess neither of us was
paying attention.”
The robin gave a musical titter. “What are you doing out
today then?”
“I’m searching for the first flower of the season and soaking
up the sun,” she laughed too. “What are you doing?”
“I’m working really hard to find a place to build my nest, and
I just can’t find the right spot. It’s making me very worried.
Mrs. Robin will be laying her eggs soon, and I need to be
ready.” He hopped from side to side. “Nice flying into you!”
Mr. Robin tittered again and flew off.
Arianna sat in the grass a few moments, thinking. She really
wanted to be off enjoying herself again, but she felt bad for
the Robins and knew she could be helpful. Suddenly, she
jumped into the air and took off after Mr. Robin. She found
him near the stream checking out trees, but it seemed as
29

though almost all of them were already occupied by other
birds or squirrels. He seemed to be getting tired.
“Yoo hoo, Mr. Robin! I think I know the perfect spot for you!
Do you want to come with me? It’s not far!”
The robin chirped in agreement and off they flew. Arianna led
the way to a small farm. In the field where the sheep were
grazing, there were a handful of trees. The same stream from
the forest flowed nearby. The sheep milled about, eating the
grass and gambolling in the sun, while an old sheepdog
dozed.
Arianna took Mr. Robin to the tree she thought was the most
suitable. No other creatures were living in it, and the
branches were well spaced for nest building.
“I think this is perfect!” Mr. Robin was ecstatic. “Thank you so
much!”
“Of course! Now let me help you build your nest so we can
surprise Mrs. Robin.” Together they gathered grass and twigs
and soft tufts of sheeps’ wool and soon had the nest laid out.
“Again, thank you so much Arianna. This would have taken
me several days to make on my own. I can’t wait to bring Mrs.
Robin here.”
Arianna smiled, but felt a little sad too. The sun had started to
set, and she never did get to find her flower. “I’m so glad I
could help you.” She said.
Mr. Robin fluttered to the ground and came back to the nest.
In his beak, he held a perfect snowdrop blossom. “I found
this, and I want to give it to you in thanks.”
30

Arianna beamed brightly, hugged the robin, and flew to the
tallest tree she could find. Sitting on a branch, catching the
last rays of sunshine, she held her blossom and thought about
how beautiful the world was.
31

Ruby
the
Great Dane
by
Wietske Lentink
32

F
or those of you who don’t know, Great Danes are called
the “giants” of the dog world. Naturally that means I have
my own couch to sleep on and I just love being a “couch
hogger”.
So, my morning routine usually consists of me waking up and
stretching on my couch. While I am stretching I might let
loose a fart… or two. This is then followed by my most
graceful jump ever.
I like to call it my #awakening.
I imagine myself looking like a ballerina dancing through the
air. It’s just because I am so excited to wake my Mom aka My
Ginger as I like to call her. I call her that because she has red
hair.
On this specific morning something felt very weird. My head
felt like it was spinning and my legs just did not want to do
my ballerina jump.
Oh my goodness! How on earth will I be able to call my
Ginger?
I tried again… and I suddenly felt my whole body starting to
twitch whilst I fell over.
Moments after when I woke up there was this lady trying to
help me, but I got such a fright and did what most dogs would
do when scared - I tried to bite her.
Somehow with some swift Ginger Ninja moves she managed
to dodge my bites and helped me outside.
I breathed in some fresh air and tried to gather my thoughts.
Whilst sniffing the air I recognized that smell.
It was her.
There she was, my Ginger, and I had just tried to bite her.
33

I think she knew something was wrong with me because she
just wanted to love me and said we needed to go to my
Doctor as soon as possible.
I still did not understand what just happened. And can I tell
you a secret… I could not remember a single thing!
OH GOLLY! How is that even possible? Like a moment in time
was lost from my life?
Where did it go?
I don’t really like going to the Doctor. They always poke me
everywhere and put a big round metal thing on my chest to
listen to my body sounds. Very odd indeed.
My Ginger says it’s because they want to listen to my heart.
Anyhowl… I have noticed that when I act scared my Ginger
brings me loads of treats. So just act scared… wink wink!
After lots of poking and taking some of my blood… eeeeuw,
the doctors told My Ginger that I have Idiopathic Epilepsy.
They don’t know why I get sick and it will probably never go
away. I also need to drink lots of tablets because I am so big.
It’s ok because I know it will help me so I just eat them with
my yummy food. Mostly I don’t taste a thing.
My Ginger is ever so kind.
Even though I fall over a lot now she still loves me and she
actually calls me her hero.
How awesome is that?
34

“Do your little bit of good
where you are;
it’s those little bits of good
put together
that overwhelm the world.”
– Desmond Tutu
35

The
Clouds
Say to the
Wind
by
Louise Kruger
36

The Clouds say to the Wind,
"Please blow us over there."
The Wind says to the Clouds,
"But I can blow you anywhere."
The Clouds reply with a sigh,
"We need to drop some rain.
So can you push us through the sky
so we can wet the grain?"
The Wind responds with a gush of air,
and the Clouds go rolling fast.
Now there's water everywhere,
and the grain is wet at last.
37

The
Kind
Sister
by
Susan Joubert
38

M
tiny!
y name is Grumpy. My mommy says that I grunted in
my sleep when I was tiny... what nonsense, I was never
Now my sister, Sheena, is lucky because she is named after
the famous Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.
I also suspect that my mommy was short on ideas and was
working down the list of the names of the seven dwarfs.
I love my sister Sheena and I try to help her when I can. She
likes to be outside of our yard but we are supposed to stay
inside.
Mommy takes us for walkies and to play on the beach. That
keeps me happy but Sheena needs to explore on her own... it
could have something to do with her name.
Being Queen of the Jungle is not easy if you do not have a
jungle!
At least my name is easy... I just roll over and snore and my
job is done!
I like digging and I am very good at it. My paws are huge and
strong. Mommy does not mind if I dig a big hole in the garden
to lie in.
She just says “Shame are you hot puppy?”
What is a puppy? I am a Basset and Sheena is a terrific mix.
We are both doggies; just different!
So when I see my sister has that desperate look, I help her to
get out. Much better than when she tries to escape all by
herself.
She even learnt to climb the tree and then jump over the
fence. The problem is how to get back inside... there is no
tree on the outside.
When I help, I do a good job.
I dig a nice Grumpy size tunnel under the fence for my sister...
she can walk through like the queen that she is.
39

No crawling or squeezing for my sister!
Illustration by Anton Muller.
40

“The simple act of caring
is heroic.”
– Edward Albert
41

Bush babies:
Rob’s Missing
Horn
By
Vanessa Smeets
42

Rob the rhino was the cutest rhino in the whole herd. He had
big blue eyes and a tiny puffed up tail, but one thing was
missing… his horn!
“Mom, when will my horn start to grow?”
“Don’t worry, Rob… Everything in due time.” Mommy rhino
said, softly patting him with her tail.
Due time…. What did that mean? Rob didn’t know what those
words meant together and was too embarrassed to ask his
mom to explain.
“Rob, where is your horn?” laughed Rick, the biggest baby
rhino, as he chomped on some grass nearby.
“I don’t know, Rick, probably where your manners are…
hiding somewhere!”
“You know you can’t be a rhino if you don’t have your horn.”
“Why?”
“You may turn into a hippo!”
“A hippo?” said Rob, very hurt. “Well, maybe you should tell
that to my mom. I dare you!”
“Oh, poor baby Rob still needs his mommy to protect him…
Maybe we can be friends when you can look after yourself -
when your horn appears.” Rick walked away with his tail
standing up.
“Why can’t we be friends now?” asked Rob, with a halfbroken
smile.
“Because, I can’t be friends with a hippo. See you later,
Robopotamus.”
“My full name is Rob Ceros! Like rhinoceros! One day
you will remember me!” Rob said, smiling.
In a way, it was fun to fight with Rick. Rob knew Rick was
just mean because he was bigger than the other rhinos
43

and that made him feel very different. Just like Rob was
different with no horn, Rick was different through his big
size.
Rob carried on walking till sunset, looking for a place to
drink. He finally found a small puddle near the fence,
where a tap had been left open. It was the dry season
and the lake close to the herd had completely dried up.
But there, in a small puddle of water, Rob saw another
baby rhino staring back at him. Rob had no idea it was
his reflection, he was still too small to understand.
“Hey, lil guy… What’s your name?”
Rob saw the lil guy’s mouth move, but could not hear
him.
“I can’t hear you… Are you stuck on the other side? Hey,
wait a minute…”
Rob noticed something fascinating. The little guy had a
completely smooth snout, no horn either. Rob felt at
ease. He finally found someone just like him!
“I have to tell Mommy!” he shouted! “She will see I’m
not the only one in the whole herd without a horn. Even
if this baby rhino has no voice.”
“Mommy! Mommy! I found someone just like me!”
“That’s wonderful, Rob. Where?”
“Near the fence. His snout was smooth like mine. But he
can’t talk! He has no voice!”
“Shame, poor thing! Did he lose it?”
“I don’t know, but he talks when I talk. I can’t hear him.”
“Is he in the water?”
“Yes, Mommy! How did you know?”
44

“Rob, my sweetheart… That is your reflection!”
“Reflection?”
“Yes, it’s you. In the water, we can see ourselves. But we
can’t talk back.”
“I thought I had a new friend!” Rob said. He started to
sob.
“Don’t cry, my darling. Daddy’s horn took a long time to
grow also! Everything will happen in due time!”
“I still don’t know what those words mean.”
“Well, look at the seasons. After winter, there are no
leaves and no rain. When spring comes, the leaves and
flowers start to appear. When summer comes, the rain
hits the savannah and the trees get bigger with more
leaves. This is called due time.”
“Wow, Mom! So, right now, I am like winter with no
leaves, but one day my summer will come and I will be
big and strong like Rick with a huge horn?”
“Exactly!”
“That is so exciting! I can’t wait!”
“But, you must wait. Such beautiful things take time.”
“Due time.”
“Yes, my precious. You understand everything.”
Later that day, Rob went back to his reflection.
“I wish you could talk to me. I have no friends. They
laugh at me because I have no horn, just like you! I don’t
want to be a hippo!” Rob started to cry. His tears hit the
puddle very quickly, like rain.
45

“If only it was my rainy season now… I want to have a
horn, I want many friends.”
“Why are you crying?” said a voice behind him. It was
Rachel, Rick’s sister.
“Please don’t tell your brother I was crying. He will make
fun of me.”
“It’s okay. We all need to cry now and then. Why are you
so sad?”
“Can’t you see why?” Rob said, his eyes burning from
the tears. Rachel looked at Rob but couldn’t see
anything wrong with him.
“All I see are tears in those big, blue eyes.”
“No, that’s not it…”
“Okay, all I see are four legs struggling to walk away
from sadness.”
“Try again…”
46

“All right, all I see is a tail small and withering from
sitting in the dirt too long.”
“That’s still not it.”
“I don’t know what else. All I see is someone so cute, yet so
lonely that he is talking to his own reflection.”
“That’s true, someone with no purpose - someone with no
horn.”
“No horn? That’s why I can see your eyes so well… Wow! Your
eyes are really big...and beautiful.”
“Thank you, I think. But I have no friends. Nobody in this herd
wants to be friends with a hippo.”
“I’ll be your friend!” said Rachel, giggling. “I like hippos!”
Rob laughed. Suddenly, there was lightning in the sky and
Rob’s snout hurt very much.
“The rainy season has come! Finally!” Rachel said, laughing.
“Why do you still look so sad?”
“Ouch! My snout is hurting. What’s happening to me?”
“Oh my, that’s normal! Your horn is growing. It will hurt like
this for months, until the rainy season stops.”
“I guess all in due time.”
“Exactly, due time. Also known as the best time of our lives.”
Rob was soon accepted by Rick and the rest of the baby
rhinos and had the biggest, sharpest horn of the entire
herd. His winter was finally over. Rachel’s kindness had
helped Rob to realize his true potential. She was a friend
with perfect timing… due time.
47

Little Boy
Timothy
by
Adri Bronkhorst
48

O
nce upon a time within a small village lived a small boy.
He was orphaned and poor and he had no friends. He
could not read or write, for he had no money.
He lived from the fruits of the forest and that was also his
special place.
Within the forest, he had friends. All the animals came to him,
for his heart was kind. He also had a special gift - one that no
one knew about.
You see, when this boy was still a baby, an enchantress had
put a spell on him.
He could understand what everyone was thinking, how they
were feeling and also what they thought about him.
This broke this little boy’s heart, because he saw a different
side to what it meant to be human. He could understand
animals too. They were kind to him and their thoughts were
pure, they were his true friends.
One day, the word spread that the Royal Family was coming
to the village. The Royal Family would pass through the
village and might need a place to stay as their journey was
very long.
Everyone in the village did their best – for they wanted the
Royal Family to stay with them. They cleaned the windows,
scrubbed the floors and watered the gardens.
The little boy, whose tiny house was in a mess, couldn’t be
bothered with the news. It’s not as if they would pick his
house anyway when there were so many beautiful homes to
choose from.
Besides, they would probably stay with the minister. The
thought of the visit didn’t even cross his mind twice and off to
the forest he went.
When he came back, he saw a huge commotion. As he got
closer, he saw the Royal Family’s horses were in front of his
house.
49

He didn’t think too much about it though.
But as he got closer, he saw his door was open. He went
inside and there stood the most beautiful princess.
Timothy was speechless.
The Royal family was in his house. He could not believe his
eyes, nor could he understand what they were doing there.
The King reached out and shook his hand. He said in a firm,
deep voice, “What is your name, boy?”
The boy gasped for air and said in a shaky voice, “My n-a-m-e
is Timothy, your Royal Highness.”
The King looked at this small, helpless boy who could barely
communicate and his heart was heavy and sad.
He announced to the village that they would stay the night in
this boy’s house.
The boy was overjoyed, he could see the King was kind and
his heart was pure. And, for the first time, he believed in
humanity again.
The Royal Family went off to the market and the boy quickly
asked his animal friends to help him clean the house and get
it ready for the Royal family. In no time the entire house was
squeaky clean.
When the Royal Family returned from the market, they found
the place spotless. They all sat down and the King and Queen
filled the little boy’s table with lots of food. The King
explained to Timothy that he was actually part of the Royal
Family - from an ancient bloodline. They were only passing
through the village - just to find him.
The next day, the King told all of the villagers the amazing
news.
Timothy travelled back with them to their kingdom where he
would rule one day.
50

“If you want to lift yourself up,
lift someone else up.”
– Booker T. Washington
51

Daya
the
Kind Fairy
by
Adri Bronkhorst
52

O
nce upon a time, deep within an enchanted forest was a
small little house. It was the most beautiful little house
in the whole forest. There were other small little houses
around it, but this one was special.
You see, within this special little house, lived the most
beautiful fairy. Her name was Daya, which meant “kindness”
in their special language. She had the prettiest wings, her
eyes sparkled and she was always kind.
But also deep within that forest, was one of the ugliest
houses ever. It belonged to the most feared fairy in all the
land and her name was Ruma.
Ruma was the ugliest fairy, and rumour was that she never
left the house because of her dark heart. She had no love or
kindness within her, and that made her ugly on the outside
too.
The other fairies in the village stayed far away from her
because they were afraid.
The legend was that if Ruma touched you, her dark heart
would change you and rob you of all beauty and kindness.
For exactly that reason, she had no friends.
The fairies in the village were too afraid to make friends with
Ruma because they were worried that she might poison their
hearts and then they would also be as ugly as her, forever.
Whilst fairies continued happily with their days, Ruma
devised a sneaky and nasty plan to trap Daya, all because she
was jealous of her kind heart and beauty.
One day, Daya was on her way to visit her best friend when
she heard a cry. She went a little closer to see where the cry
had come from when suddenly she was attacked by Ruma.
Daya was struck by Ruma like lightning and immediately the
change began. The legend was true! Daya became weaker
and weaker until she fell into a deep sleep on the side of the
pathway.
53

When Byda, the leader of the village, found her she was ice
cold and all alone. He knew immediately what had happened
and took her to safety.
The other fairies in the village stayed with Daya. They kept
saying how brave she was, all the kind things she did and how
she had always helped the other fairies in the village.
Ruma came to the village, but no one knew who she was. She
had been changed into the most beautiful fairy. Her heart had
been transformed and therefore her outward appearance as
well.
They built a very beautiful house for her, and she lived
amongst them, knowing what she had done to Daya but it
was her secret to keep.
Illustration by Jaco Swanepoel
One morning Daya finally woke up.
She still had her beautiful heart, in spite of what Ruma had
done to her and because she was kind enough to forgive
Ruma, her beauty returned.
Once again Daya was the most beautiful fairy and the fairies
in the village all lived happily ever after.
54

“I’ve learned that people will
forget what you said,
people will forget
what you did,
but people will never forget
how you made them feel.”
– Maya Angelou
55

The
Pretty
Pink Bag
By
Trisha Pillay
56

It was a bright and sunny day with birds chirping and a
summer breeze in the air. For Gia it was a day that she had
been waiting for. You see it was her birthday and she could
not wait to see if she got the gift that she had been looking
forward to getting. It was a bright pink backpack that she
wanted.
"Happy Birthday my darling." said Gia's mother as she opened
the door to wake her up.
"Thank you mummy!"
"You’d better get up, there is a surprise waiting for you
downstairs."
Greatly excited she jumped out of bed to brush her teeth and
shower so she would be ready for school. As soon as she was
done, she rushed to see what the fuss was all about.
When she went into the kitchen her dad, mum and brother
were waiting to sing to her and have a piece of cake before
their day started. Anxious, she could not wait to see what
they had bought her.
"Mum can I see now?" asked Gia.
"This is from all of us, we hope you love it!"
As she opened the wrapping her brown eyes widened. With a
big bright smile she realized that she had received the bag
that she so badly wanted.
"Thank you mum and dad!" she exclaimed.
With no time to spare she grabbed her school bag and
decided to take her present to school as well, to show her
friends.
As she entered the school gate she saw her friend Nomsa in
tears. She ran towards her to see what the matter was.
"Nomsa are you alright, what happened?" asked Gia.
57

"I was running from a bully and my bag broke and all my
books fell out. I don't know what to do," sobbed Nomsa.
"Don't cry it will be alright." Said Gia.
Gia didn't know what to do either. She had just got her new
bag, and it was something that she’d always wanted, but she
knew that her friend needed it more than she did.
"Here use this," said Gia as she handed her birthday gift to
her friend.
"Oh Gia you are my hero! I promise to give it back tomorrow.
Oh… and Happy Birthday. Here's a cupcake for you."
"It’s okay, what are friends for?" said Gia.
Together they picked the books up from the floor and put
them in the pretty pink bag.
Gia felt good to be able to help her friend at a time when she
needed her the most.
58

“How wonderful it is that nobody
need wait a single moment before
starting to improve the world.”
– Anne Frank
59

Mermaid
Olivia
by
Danielle Albasini
60

S
plashing in the bath, splashing in the dam or even in the
pool. Water is where Olivia loved to be. Her smile brought
joy to her teachers and swimming friends.
One day, Olivia went to swimming and noticed that her
friends were all sad. Everyone sat around the pool waiting for
their coach.
“What’s the matter everyone?” Olivia asked.
Gabrielle lifted her head and sighed, “All the toys are gone!”
Joe ran up to Olivia, “Coach is heartbroken because all our
favourite toys are gone. Now swimming won’t be fun
anymore.” Joe said sadly.
Olivia looked behind her friends and saw her swimming coach
all sad.
Olivia stood and thought for a moment, “I have an idea!” she
said, calling everyone together in a huddle.
“That is certainly a great idea!” Gabrielle exclaimed, clapping
her hands.
Coach lifted her head and decided that they should start their
swimming lesson. She made everyone swim twenty laps of
JUST kicking, No games, no fun… just kicking.
Coach was really upset about the missing toys, “Sorry my little
guppies - seems like I don’t know how to have fun anymore,”
she said.
The next week Coach wanted to cancel swimming lessons but
Olivia’s mom had called her and asked her not to.
“There’s a surprise waiting for you.” Olivia’s mom told Coach
over the phone.
Once again, Coach walked all over looking for her missing
toys.
“What are my little guppies going to do if I don’t have any
toys?” Coach said aloud to herself thinking about all the sad
faces she would have to face that week.
61

The door to the pool area opened and in walked Olivia,
Gabrielle and Joe. All three had something behind their backs,
“What are you doing here my little guppies? It’s way too early
for your lesson?” Coach asked very surprised.
Gabrielle stepped forward, “Olivia had a great idea for a fun
game at swimming!”
Joe nodded in agreement, “We wanted to show you!”
Coach nodded and opened the pool for the three. Olivia told
her Coach to close her eyes and sit on the chair.
“No peeking!” The children called.
When coach opened her eyes she noticed that the pool was
full of toys and that the children had their swimming fins on,
“Where did all these come from?” Coach asked surprised.
“We brought toys from home that we don’t play with
anymore.” Joe said swimming around.
“It was all Olivia’s idea.” Gabrielle said splashing at Joe.
62

Olivia smiled, “I thought that since my toys made me happy,
they’d make other children at swimming happy too. We all
did it together.”
Coach had a very happy smile on her face, “Thank you so
much my little guppies!”
Olivia suddenly flipped over the water with her legs together,
“Come play Mermaid chase with us!” Olivia called to her
coach before swimming away.
Coach smiled at Olivia, “My little mermaid Olivia, always
making smiles with every ripple of water.”
63

Scary
George
by
Ian Parsisson
64

E
sme was visiting her Nanna and Grandpa at the house at
the bottom of the wooded hill. She could hear her cousin
Finlay kicking his football around in the grassy walled garden.
“Ooh, time for an adventure” thought Esme and ran outside
to see if Finlay would come with her.
“Err, go on then” said Finlay. “Let’s go up the ‘wooded hill’
and see what we can find?”
Esme did a little jig of delight and skipped off down the
cobbled path with Finlay following close behind.
When they got to the bottom of the wooded hill they could
hear the wind rustling in the leaves and the wise old Owl
hooting a welcome from the top of the large oak tree.
They had only been walking for a few minutes when they
heard a cry and a groan up ahead in the thicker undergrowth.
The wise owl hooted a
warning. Esme knew that a
troll by the name of Scary
George wandered the
wooded hill looking for
mischief.
Scary George spent a lot of
time in the forest. He looked
scary but in fact he was more
scared of the shadows than
the shadows were scared of
him. He was in deep trouble.
He’d slipped on a mosscovered
rock and become
entangled in the prickly branches of a bush. He’d also hurt his
chubby, bruised ankle which was quite discoloured. He
couldn’t even stand, let alone walk home. But he needed to
get out of the thorny bush first - he was totally trapped by all
the prickles sticking into him.
65

As Esme and Finlay got nearer they could see that it was Scary
George making the kerfuffle. Their first instinct was to turn
and run back the way they had come, but they soon realised
something was wrong. They tiptoed closer and saw that poor
Scary George was caught by the prickly bush.
Esme sent Finlay to borrow Grandpa’s pruning shears to cut
away the thorny branches. Finlay returned in a jiffy and he
started to cut away at the bush until Scary George was free.
Finlay remembered that he had spotted an old door lying
further down the hill and suggested that they use it to get
Scary George back to his home.
Scary George wasn’t used to people being kind to him and
grunted in confusion. He even tried to smile which was
strange for him because he’d never smiled before. It hurt his
face!
Helped with directions from the wise owl, the two
adventurers lugged Scary George on the old door to a small
cave at the top of the wooded hill. The entrance was covered
by some planks of wood that looked surprisingly similar to the
ones that went missing from Nanna and Grandpa’s decking
area. Scary George produced a rusty old bunch of keys from
his coat pocket and pointed to the lock. Esme unlocked the
makeshift door and they dragged the hurt troll inside.
There was a horrible smell of rotting vegetation inside the
cave and no sign of any place where Scary George could
recover.
Then Esme remembered that her kindly Nanna always had a
bag full of old cushions in the garage that she would give to
charity. She figured that Scary George could use a bit of
comfort so went off to fetch them.
Scary George was really grateful for his comfortable new door
bed. He smiled again as he waved goodbye to his two young
rescuers. He realised that he was no longer Scary George to
Esme and Finlay.
66

Now he was just George!
“Never believe that
a few caring people
can’t change
the world.
For, indeed, that’s
all who ever have.”
– Margaret Mead
67

The
Friendship
Tree
by
Judy MacGregor
68

R
uby sat all alone under the large willow tree. She loved
its droopy green leaves that fell like a curtain in front of
her. She spent every playtime sitting under the willow tree.
As soon as the bell rang, she would rush to grab her pink
lunch box and scurry off to hide. She would sit down,
breathing hard after running so fast, hoping none of the other
children had followed her.
Ruby wasn't selfish, and she would have loved to have friends
play with her, but she was born with a big red birth mark on
her face and the other children were often very mean.
Teasing her about her face. Calling her red face and
strawberry head.
Often they were so mean that Ruby would cry.
She hated it when they did that. So she would hide away so
no one could tease her. The children never teased her in the
classroom. They were too scared Miss Brambles would punish
them, like she did the one day when Billy pulled her hair.
Today was no different to the other days as Ruby rushed to
her hide away tree. Slowly she unpacked her lunch, getting
ready to eat the cheese and ham crackers she knew her mom
had packed in.
A sudden swish of willow leaves made her look up. Standing
in front of her was a boy about her age, 7 years old, holding
an orange lunch box and a big book.
"Why you hiding here?" he asked.
"Go away. I don't want to be teased today!" answered Ruby
as huge tears started to form in her blue eyes.
What horrible things was this boy going to say? Maybe he
would also steal her lunch box and run off with it like Billy did,
making her chase him while laughing loudly at her or pull her
hair. Maybe he wanted to poke her like the other kids did.
69

"I'm Tim. I'm new. I started school today. I thought this was a
nice place to sit and read my book far away from everyone
because the kids tease me." Tim told Ruby.
Ruby looked up and wondered why they teased the boy. He
looked normal. He didn't have red hair or glasses. He didn't
have buck teeth or big ears. He had nothing to be teased
about. He was normal.
"Why do they tease you?" She asked.
Tim sat down under the leaves, hiding himself and Ruby from
the school yard and started to explain.
"I have something called Aspergers. It's a condition where I
don't always understand how people feel or what they do, so
I don't always understand that they are teasing me. I can get
really mad and start fighting with everyone.
I also do things to calm me down, like spin around or chew on
my jacket, and other people find that funny. Sometimes I say
the wrong things or act the wrong way but I don't know it is
wrong. It's just the way my brain works.
Like one time when my brother got hurt and I laughed and
got into trouble. My mom said I must be kind. I wasn’t being
ugly, I just thought it was funny and so I laughed." Tim
explained.
"So kids don't want to be my friend because they think I'm
odd. Then they tease me for having no friends." Tom sighed
as he got up to go.
"They tease me about my face. They call me yucky names,"
said Ruby. "But my mom says I'm unique and special just the
way I am and people tease me because they don't understand
how it hurts to be teased or why I have the mark."
"Maybe we can be friends? I won't tease you, I promise." Tim
smiled. "Maybe we can start a group for all the kids like us
who feel odd or who are teased?"
70

"Yes!" shouted Ruby. "Then everyone will have friends and no
one will bully us."
And from that day Ruby and Tim were best of friends. Each
day they would look out for other kids who were being
bullied, who were different or who had no friends. Together
they would invite the children to join them under the
friendship tree.
Very soon the friendship tree was full of special friends who
all helped each other.
71

The
Baby Bird
by
Toni Henning
72

O
ne day, when I was playing in the park, I found a baby
bird. I scooped him up gently in my hands and carried
him to my mommy.
“Where did you find him, Layla?”
“Under that tree.” But when I turned around to point at the
tree, I saw there were more trees in the park than coloured
pencils in my pencil case.
“I’m sorry, Mommy. I can’t remember which tree.”
“That’s alright Layli-lops. His mommy won’t take him back.
You’re going to have to care for him.”
“Me?” I asked. I could feel my eyes open wide.
“Do you think you can? You are only a little girl. Do you want
that responsibility?”
“Well,” I said softly, “Kim has a budgie that she is ‘sponsible
for. So I can be ‘sponsible for this birdie.”
I carried the bird home and held him on my lap while mommy
got things ready; a bird cage, an old towel, newspaper, water,
Pronutro and matches. I watched as my mommy folded the
newspaper into the cage and laid the towel on top of it.
“Alright, you can put him on the towel.”
Once my little hands were out of the cage we got a good look
at the birdie for the first time.
“Oh, he’s a bulbul.” Mommy said. “Look at the yellow
feathers under his tail. And see how the feathers on his head
stand up when he’s startled?”
I giggled. He looked so cute with the uppy feathers on his
head and his yellow bum-fluff.
Mommy taught me how to make watery Pronutro and I
watched as she fed him little scoops of it at the end of a
matchstick. He made it easy because he opened his mouth
wide. He squawked between mouthfuls. His whole body
shivered in happiness. I have never seen anyone enjoy
73

Pronutro that much. After he had eaten, I covered him with a
corner of the towel.
As Birdie grew we fed him some weird stuff. Mommy read
about it on her phone.
He ate banana, pawpaw, brown rice, raw mince, and worms. I
was so brave.
Mommy asked, “How can a little girl like you stand to touch
worms?”
“When I pick up the worms I’m not just a little girl,” I said,
“I’m my Birdie’s Mommy.”
Every day I took Birdie out of his cage and let him fly in my
room so he could practise. He learned to land carefully and
not crash into things. We cared for him for three weeks; then
mommy and I decided he was ready to be free.
I carried him back to the park in the cage. Once we were
between the trees I opened the door.
He hopped out and, quick as a wink, flew into the nearest
tree. He looked down at me with his shiny little eyes and
then he fluffed his feathers, stretched his wings and flew
away.
Mommy kissed my head and said, “You did a great job Layla.”
74

It’s cool to be kind!
75

When a
Human Statue
Breaks the
Rules
by
Engela Duvenage
76

D
elia worked as a human statue.
On sunny days she dressed in a lacy bridal gown and
put on comfortable white shoes. She painted her face,
neck and hands white. She tucked a plastic rose behind her
ear. It was white too, of course.
Then she’d go to the busiest part of town. She’d place out a
small white box with a white velvet lining at her feet, and
climb on top of a white crate.
There she stood.
All dressed in white.
Completely.
Still.
For hours.
Sometimes for ages.
Without blinking. Without sneezing. Without yawning once.
Without hurting a fly.
And waited.
Delia could stand still for hours. She was a performance artist
of the motionless kind.
She’d only move when someone placed money in the little
white box. It set her body in motion for a few seconds.
Sometimes she’d do a little dance, and sometimes she
jumped for joy. Often, she blew a dramatic kiss.
“Hoorah, and thank you,” she’d mouth without a sound.
Seconds later, she’d freeze again.
And wait, until someone else dropped a coin in her box.
Being a human statue was Delia’s job. That is how she made
money.
77

Delia stood frozen for the better part of the day on her perch
but was quite aware of what went on around her. She’d
notice everything, without ever moving her eyes around too
fast.
She watched as people walked past on the pavement without
looking anyone else in the eye. She saw how impatient some
people were when they found themselves behind an older
person who struggled walking quickly. She noticed how rude
others were who frequented the outdoor restaurants.
“How dare you bring me cold coffee!” a man with a belly the
size of a watermelon once swore at a waiter, before throwing
the brown liquid at him.
“It’s just coffee. It’s not poison,” Delia thought disapprovingly.
She also saw a woman in a dark business suit loose her cool
because she had to wait for her food. “Do you know who I
am? I am super important and am on television!” she fumed
before rushing off without paying.
“The cheek!” Delia nearly said out loud.
One overcast day a grey-headed man with a faded green
jacket approached her. He often passed her on his way to the
shops. He always returned carrying one shopping bag. He
always walked alone.
With a twinkle in her eye she’d always greet him with a slight
nod.
“I know it’s against the rules as a human statue to move
without someone giving you a coin, but I cannot help it,” she
told herself.
On this particular day the elderly gentleman deliberately
walked up to her.
“Odd,” Delia thought.
The man stopped, gave a formal bow and dropped a white
envelope into her box.
78

Then he looked her straight in the eye and said: “I salute
you.”
With that, he marched down the street.
“What was that all about?” Delia wondered while eyeing the
envelope. Like a magnet it drew her attention.
“I’m giving up!” she said after a while. Very unlike a human
statue she jumped off the crate to grab the envelope. Inside
was a letter and a R200 note.
“I am going to stay with my daughter in a faraway country,”
Delia read. “Thank you for your kindness, and for always
noticing me. It made me feel less alone in the world.”
Delia was touched. “Ah, his words mean more than all the
money in the world,” she sighed.
“He is right. There’s something about being noticed.”
(This story was inspired by the memoirs of rock star Amanda
Palmer, The Art of Asking.)
79

Wally
the
Whale
by
Lauren Green
80

Before you start reading this little story and get confused, you should note
that Wally the Whale is actually Lauren’s lovely kind dad – not a real whale.
She wrote this poem as a gift for her Dad’s 70 th birthday.
Wally the Whale was rather social and never alone,
He lived amongst many others in their Bushmans’
river mouth home.
Between two slopes the river runs through,
And the water shimmers a crystal light blue.
He wakes in the morning and
enjoys bacon and egg Bushman’s bun,
As he bites, the yolk into his beard - always runs.
It was breezy day with the easterly wind blowing,
And the sand dunes were shifting and slowly growing.
Wally woke with a swim to ‘Kwai hoek’
A dip in the mermaid pool and read of his book.
He lay listening to the rustling of the avocado pear tree,
Hutchie boy over the wall he could see.
He loved his neighbour, their houses separated by
a garden hose,
And his dog, Gus, with a big button nose.
“Wally I need your help, but first a cup of tea,
The shed got broken into and they’ve stolen all
they could see!”
Hutchie boys comb over flapped in the breeze.
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“We have to go now,” insisted Wally. “No time for teas.”
They piled into the “bakkie” with Gus on the back,
To find the thieves with the goods in their packs.
Hutchie sells ice and dried meat,
And the people in the river mouth find him a real treat,
Without ice the sandbar can’t sell foam,
And well… without foam Wally just couldn’t go home.
His day just isn’t complete without his foamy cup treat.
They drove up to Mt Arrarat the river mouth peak,
And all peeled their eyes and began their seek.
Gus sniffed a trail of meat using his big button nose,
They drove to a car and found water dripping onto their toes.
They called Farnie, the policeman, and hurry he did,
The river of thieves, he wanted to rid.
He caught them with ease and into the van they went.
Goods were returned and off to prison the thieves were sent.
After a long day Wally and Hutch headed to the sandbar for
foam.
And Hutch thought how lucky he was to have Wally next to
his home.
A neighbour, a great friend and loyal as can be.
He looked at him and said, “Thank you Wally, you spent the
whole day doing things for me”.
“That’s what friends are for,” explained Wally the Whale.
They crossed the rickety path and he waved his tail.
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ONE KIND WORD
can change someone’s
entire day!
-The Golden Rule
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Kindness is…
by
Jason Anthony
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Kindness is…
The most beautiful magic in the world - how much kindness can
we put out into our thoughts and our actions.
Considering others in all that you do, being silent as a mouse as
you move around when the rest of your family is asleep or not
eating the last cookie because someone else will appreciate it
just a hint more.
Sharing a blanket and a warm cup of cocoa on a cold day with a
freezing friend, while you both find a way to be grateful for the
little things.
A gift beyond all measure that can be shared with anyone at
any time at no cost to you for its source is infinite and within
your own heart.
A strong compassionate eye that watches over every soul who
walks this Earth. She recognizes her own as she keeps them
close and guides them to each other so they are forever
protected in her warm embrace.
A kind and gentle smile to your friendly neighbour as you meet
on the path home, coming or going.
It is a stepping back and letting your friend drive, knowing it
would make him happy beyond measure.
A rose gifted to a friend who shares a love for flowers.
A kindred heart, a gentle flame that burns brightest in the
darkest of places.
It is all of this and so much more, I could talk about kindness all day
but in the end it is a mystery for you to discover.
Happy trails.
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“No act of kindness, no matter how
small, is ever wasted.”
– Aesop
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Throw kindness around like
confetti!
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A bit more about the people
who wrote these stories
Danielle Albasini is a swimming instructor. She loves children and
animals and also enjoys painting and drawing.
~~~
Jason Anthony matriculated from Abbotts College in 2012. He
discovered, after many years of consideration, that the answer to
many of life's questions is kindness and compassion.
~~~
Adri Bronkhorst is a passionate woman and aspiring writer who
believes children are the future. She believes it is of utmost
importance for children to have an active imagination and can only
hope to inspire them through her stories.
~~~
Engela Duvenage is a journalist who often writes about scientific
matters and new research findings. She is the co-founder of the
South African science news website Scibraai. She lives in Wellington
and is the mother of two daughters. www.scibraai.co.za
~~~
Laura Faye Curtis has a passion for art and making those around
her smile. Working with children through storytelling, arts ‘n crafts
and education so that they have a brighter future. She lives for
creativity in all fields.
~~~
Lauren Green is a lover of light and dark but all roads lead to
home and love but it's always in your heart if not.... you have
yourself.
~~~
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Toni Henning is loving the life her Creator has blessed her with.
She enjoys outdoor activities with her husband and her children.
She has a home full of pets and a heart full of people who are dear
to her. Toni is an enthusiastic writer with a dream… an avid blogger
with a story. "Face the sun so the darkness is always behind you."
She hopes to have a positive impact on everyone she meets.
http://toni-with-an-i.co.za
~~~
Susan Joubert is a retired art gallery owner and student. Currently
employed as granny to two little people. She has a dream of one
day writing a fun dictionary that does not gather dust, but is read
for edification and entertainment.
~~~
Louise Kruger is a 44 year old mother of 2 teenagers. Her love for
writing started when she was still a child herself, and then when she
had her own children, she loved making up stories for them. Louise
was a Grade R teacher and had such a passion for books that her
classroom as well as her own childrens' bookshelves were always
covered with books from top to bottom. She wrote a children's
book 3 years ago and the development of the story and subsequent
end result brought her such joy and satisfaction
~~~
Lee-Ann Lamb has her Honours degree in Publishing from the
University of Pretoria and currently works in the academic
publishing sector. Her passion, however, lies with children’s books
and writing for children. She has published readers for Grade 2 and
3 learners and continues to write stories in her free time.
~~~
Wietske Lentink is a natural born Ginger. She has completed both
her BA and Honors degrees in Psychology. Most of her days are
spent working from home with her special needs Great Dane, Ruby,
who suffers from Idiopathic Epilepsy (basically means the doctors
do not know why Ruby gets seizures). They will, however, never
give up and always continue to fight the Monster. Ruby is her Hero
because she always gets up no matter how many seizures she has.
She loves life and has so much love to give. We can learn so much
from animals. In her spare time she bakes the most delicious grain
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free biscuits for Ruby and has even named the biscuit range after
Ruby – Rubylicious! You can have a look at their Instagram account
or our website http://www.rubylicious.co.za
~~~
Judy MacGregor is an educator, freelance writer and mammabear
to 7 amazing bear cubs. She blogs about parenting, life and being a
mamma. Judy tries to share ideas to encourage family bonding and
keep life fun. www.funmammasa.wordpress.com
~~~
Kat Micari is an author and artist living in the northeast of the
United States with her husband and children. She enjoys reading a
clever turn of phrase, walking in nature, and dancing to the music of
the universe. Above all, she loves creating and encouraging others
to create. See more of Kat’s work - http://katmicari.wordpress.com/
~~~
Ian Parsisson is a husband, father, grandpa, son and brother. He’s
based in the United Kingdom (he really does live in the house at the
bottom of the wooded hill) and writes for fun.
~~~
Trisha Pillay is an award-winning journalist, TV producer, content
creator and editor. She has been fortunate enough to work in some
of the biggest broadcasters in the country. She's an avid reader and
a travel enthusiast who loves the simple pleasures of life.
~~~
Andrea Slater is South Africa's bestselling author of
fantasy/adventure children's books. Or, at least, she hopes to be...
one day.
~~~
Ginny Stone is a writer of books and blogs. She believes in
empowering children – one page at a time. She’s also a creative
meddler and lives in a sprawling old house in Pretoria with her
lovely husband, three 20-something year olds, her mom and some
furry babies. Jack really does exist. So does the pecan nut tree. She’s
still looking for the unicorn though! https://sibo.co.za for more
info.
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The stories in the Kindness Book were collected and compiled
by Ginny Stone.
Thanks very much to Judy Skeggs for proofreading and
fixing all the glitches.
If you would like to get in touch with any of the
above writers – feel free to contact her and she
will pass on your request squigglez@telkomsa.net.
Similarly, if you would like to contribute a story towards
the next compilation on the topic of Gratitude –
please contact Ginny on the email above.
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