John Smith's

By John Smith

There was once a boy who passed away at a very young age.
Arriving at the ‘Great Beyond’ he was met by a fairy.
“Welcome” said the fairy.
“Hello” replied the boy.
“I have been sent to meet you,” continued the fairy, “as I am permitted to grant you a wish.”
“I would like to go home please,” replied the young boy without any hesitation, “my mother will be missing me.”
“I will grant you your wish but first you must return as an animal. Which animal would you like to be?”
“I would like to be a nice fluffy pet rabbit for a small boy. Then, when the weather is cold, I would snuggle up with him to keep him warm.”
Whoosh! In an instance the boy became a fluffy rabbit.
He had lots of fun and when the small boy became cold, he kept him nice and warm. One day, a fox jumped into the garden and caught hold of the rabbit, then took him home and ate him for his dinner.

Once again, the boy arrived at the ‘Great Beyond’.
“Welcome” said the fairy, “How was your time as a fluffy rabbit?”
“I had lots of fun but then a nasty fox came along and took me home for his dinner.”
“Oh dear!” replied the fairy, “Never mind. Which animal would you like to become next?”
“I would like to become a songthrush. I would perch in a tree and sing to the children whilst they played in the park. If a nasty fox came along, I would fly away so the fox couldn’t eat me for his dinner.”
Whoosh! The boy became a songthrush.
He sang beautiful songs and even though the children who were happily playing in the park didn’t realise it, his songs made them even happier. One day, an eagle flew overhead and spotted the little songthrush. He swooped down, grabbed the songthrush in his sharp claws, then flew back to his nest and ate him for his dinner.

Yet again the boy arrived back at the ‘Great Beyond’.
“Welcome” said the fairy, “did you enjoy singing to the children in the park?”
“Yes” replied the boy,” my songs made the children happy. Then a nasty, horrible, eagle swooped down and carried me back to his nest for his dinner.”
“Oh dear” said the fairy again, “lets try again. Which animal would you like to become this time?”
“I should very much like to become a beautiful colourful fish amongst many others. When children visit the seaside, we would swim around them and tickle their feet. It would be so much fun and if either a fox or an eagle came by, I would be safe in the sea.”
Whoosh! The boy became a beautiful golden coloured fish swimming with a shoal of others.
Whenever children wandered into the sea, the fish swam around tickling their feet. The children laughed and laughed. They had so much fun as did the fish too. One day the fish ventured further out into the ocean than was safe to so. Suddenly, a shark came along, opened his big mouth as wide as he could and swallowed all the colourful fishes for his dinner.

Once again, the boy found himself standing before the fairy in the ‘Great beyond’.
“How was your time swimming in the sea and tickling the toes of the children?”
“We had a great time until this nasty, horrible, vicious shark came along, opened his big mouth, then swallowed us all for his dinner.”
“Oh dear not again. One last time you have to become an animal before I can grant you your wish to return home. Which animal would you like to become this time?”
“I want to be a fox, or an eagle, or a big shark” replied the boy in an angry voice.
The fairy looked very sad, “that doesn’t sound very nice. If you become a fox, you would eat all the fluffy rabbits then who would there be to keep children warm when it is cold? Who would sing to the children if you became an eagle and ate the songthrushes? And if you became a shark and ate all the colourful fishes, the children at the seaside wouldn’t have half as much fun!”
“Well, they ate me!” replied the boy.
The fairy looked at the boy’s angry face, “Just because someone bigger than you hurts you, doesn’t mean you should then hurt those who are smaller than you.”
The boy realised what he had become and began to cry. “I’m sorry” he said.
The fairy reached out, putting an arm around the young boy to comfort him. “You have learnt a valuable lesson. Now you are ready to go back home.”
Whoosh! The boy woke up!
When his mother came into his room with a slice of toast and marmalade, along with a glass of milk for his breakfast, he was so glad to see her, he gave her a really big hug.