Final NWW Children's Competition Winners 2018 (Primary)

NORTH WEST WORDS
PRIMARY FICTION
So she wished for snow. She supposed it wouldn’t happen as it never did when she wished for
snow, so it didn’t. But what Octavia did not know is if she believed in the magic, her wish really
would come true.
Later on that day, after all her friends had gone home, Octavia was out in the garden,
thinking. Snow. Snow was stupid. How could it cover the ground in a blanket, when it was
apparently like powder? What if you got trapped underneath this blanket, and how on earth would
you build a snowman or have a snowball fight? Would you have to tear this blanket Mother Nature
so kindly gave to us?
All of these thoughts whizzed wildly around her head, as something that was simply amazing,
but she was unaware of, happened.
Because she had pondered the subject of blankets for so long, obscure thoughts raced into
her mind, like how on earth would you wrap a pig in a blanket, and then eat it (who would even
want to do that?)? Or who invented blankets?
Suddenly, the heavens opened and two birds flew out. They seemed to be fighting. Despite
their arguing, the pair flew directly towards Octavia. She immediately recognised them from her
nature studies. They were blue tits. Speedily, the slightly bigger one told the opposite bird to be
quiet. Both of them landed softly on a branch near the little girl.
“You tell her.” “No I did it last time, remember?” Octavia seemed astonished about how these
birds could talk. She’d known them to sing and many birds had become her friends over the years
but had never spoken to her. They seemed to have reached an agreement and one of them turned
to face her. The other whistled in the direction of the forest and out came three squirrels.
“Don’t tell me the ducks are late again.”
“Afraid so, madam.”
“Right, just to get this over and done with,” started the smaller bird, taking out a long scroll in
a bored fashion. “You are Octavia Evergreen and you have either applied at our website
(www.weatherchanger.com) or wished for snow, correct?”
“Correct,” she replied, startled.
“I, Noah McAntface, don’t laugh at the name; hereby grant your wish, as the association of
the weather birds feels you deserve this, especially on your birthday. You may have suffered to get
this far but you have succeeded. Congratulations, and remember, believe in the magic.”
With that, the birds flew away and it began to snow. Real snow. It snowed for days on end, on
Octavia’s small house, with her small family, on a small street, quite near to a small town.
Several days later, the snow began to melt quickly. Octavia peered out her bedroom window
and ran outside, although she was still in her knickers and vest she ran outside. Her snowman
(Fergal) called out her name.
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