Read the winning story, Santa's Grotto, by Niamh Jones (11) of Rose Green, here and in the Chichester Observer today, and the runner-up tales, Paws 4 Thought by Katie Louise Sampling, and Sally and Ben's Christmas Story by Monica Hetherington. Happy Christmas!

Santa's Grotto

"By" commanded Farmer Chris to his faithful collie, Dug as they rounded up the sheep for the winter. It was a warm end to a hard day of work and the sky was streaked with gold.

His wife Joanna wad busy roasting the chiken for the Sunday dinner while the children, Jessica, Lily and Michael ran about decorating the Christmas tree in colourful lights, jingling baubles and sparkly tinsel.

The children had been promised a visit to Santa's Grotto tomorrow and were very excited.

The children were up bright and early the next morning and yawned uncontrollably.

Joanna helped them into their Christmas costumes then bustled them downstairs for breakfast.

Farmer Chris was poaching eggs in the kitchen, when the children burst in.

After they had eaten their eggs Farmer Chris and Joanna helped them zip up their coats and rushed them out of the door.

They wanted to get to Santa's Grotto before opening time so the queue was not too long.

The children and Joanna ran to the truck and thrust open the doors. Farmer Chris locked the front door and bolted to the truck himself. It was a wet, windy day.

When they arrived at Santa's Grotto there was no sign of a queue, a elf outside the grotto invited them in.

A fat jolly man dressed in red greeted them. "Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas," laughed Santa as he handed the children presents.

He looked at Farmer Chris then spoke: "This is for you" and he handed Farmer Chris a reindeer shoe.

"Store good luck in here, for something bad will happen before something wonderful does." he said.

They thanked Santa for the gifts then pulled back the curtain and walked to the truck.

When they arrived home Joanna cooked them all a farmhouse brunch of bacon, eggs, sausages, tomatoes and a warm glass of milk.

They ate in silence wondering what Santa had meant.

At midday Farmer Chris took a trip to the brewery to see if his barley had been made into ale.

Lily wanted to come with him so Joanna wrapped her in layers of winter woollies and sent her to the truck.

When they arrived at the brewery they got guided to the malting room and passed through it to the feed room and stood there in confusion.

Jim who makes the barley into ale explained that Farmer Chris's barley was too wet to be laid in the malting room so was going to have to be sold as animal feed.

This was a bad news as animal feed sells for a lower rate.

On the way home Farmer Chris was puzzled why his barley had been so wet as when he dropped it off it was as dry as a bone. Then something struck him.

Maybe. Just maybe this was the something bad Santa had warned him about. When they reached home Lily waddled to the door resembling a penguin.

Farmer Chris placed the reindeer hoof on the window ledge to catch good luck and slumped down on the sofa.

The following day Farmer Chris could see silver sparks flying out of the reindeer shoe he thought this was good luck.

A while later the telephone rang, it was the milkman.

He informed Farmer Chris that he wanted 12 pints of his milk per week for any cost. Farmer Chris was delighted.

He thought to himself this must be the something wonderful. He took the stairs two at a time to find his reindeer on hoof on the floor, no luck in sight.

He stood it back up to catch even more good luck.

Niamh Jones

Paws 4 Thought

Hi! I'm Katie. First I think I'll tell you a bit about myself:

Name: Katie Louise Simpling

Age: 10

Address: 5 Downing Street

Birthday: 14th January

Now you know a few things about me, here's what my life is really like:

"Katie. Katie!", shouted mum.

"Huh? What?"

"Get up or you'll be late for school!"

"Ooooooh."

"Don't worry it's your last day", she reassured me. I said goodbye to her at the silver gates and walked to my classroom.

I couldn't believe it would be Christmas on Monday, just three days away!

All my cousins had finished a week ago but my school is different, they don't believe in inset days and only let us off if it's a holiday like Christmas or Easter half term.

It's sooooooo unfair. I bet you can't guess why I hate school so much though.

Later that day...

..."So class" said Miss English enthusiastically, "I want you to write out your Christmas lists".

"But Miss", Amber the bully shouted out.

"I've already done one at home!"

"Well then, you can do another one, can't you Amber?" said Miss English.

The class giggled and Amber had an evil look on her horrible face that said "you're not getting any presents from me!"

I got out my favourite pen with shiny gold ink and wrote: Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is a friend. No expensive presents like mp3 players or new computers. Just one true friend. Love. Katie Sampling.

Amber jotted down everything she wanted as quick as lightening!



A new phone

IPod Touch

CD player

Pink TV

Dvds

Make up



Then she walked up to Miss English's wooden desk and showed it to her. On the way to her own desk at the back of the room, she snatched my list.

The whole class laughed as she crumpled it up, smudging my lovely gold ink, and threw it at my head.

I read the writing on the back: Y wud any1 wanna B ur friend? Ur a teacher pet an evry1 h8's u!!!!

I shrivelled up inside and sank into my unconfortable chair. Then finally the bell went and I charged out of school and met my mum at the gates.

Another day passed and it was Sunday: Christmas Eve!!! I was soooo excited and I couldn't wait to see my new friend.

I put a mug of yummy hot chocolate with squishy marshmallows on the mantel with chocolate cookies and mince pies.

I put my list with it (not the one I'd written at school) and hope I'd get my friend.

"Come on now Kate, time for bed", whispered mum as I was drifting off in the big, red armchair. I sleepily trudged up stairs and soon fell asleep.

The next morning I awoke to the sound of barking! I said "some lucky kid has a new puppy". I thought for a moment.

"No it can't be in here!". I ran down the twining stair case and nearly fell. I froze when I got to the bottom but then realised what was happening. My new best friend was a puppy!!!!

"I love her!". I shouted to my parents who were standing close by smiling.

"Thank you, thank you! I'm going to call her holly as its Christmas!"

The next week, me and mum walked her when I went back to school. Now every one wants to be my friend!

Holly really has changed my life.

Love from Katie Louise Sampling

PS: even Amber came over and gave holly a stroke! Everyone needs a friend!


Katie Louise Sampling


Sally and Ben's Christmas Story

It was a freezing cold night and the stars were shining brightly on the snowy grass.

The wind was gentle as it rustled the leaves on the tall dark trees. The egg-shaped cloud in the starry sky glided slowly right revealing the glistening moon that hung behind.

The small brick house was covered in pure white snow and only the clear glass windows were able to be seen.

Inside, the house was warm and snug.

The fire was glowing and slightly singeing the green felt stockings that hung from the marble mantelpiece.

Upstairs, in the first of the bedrooms there lay two small children, Ben and Sally, who lay sound asleep.

In the second, Rachel, their mother.

The night passed quickly and quietly and now the early morning sun beat down on the quiet street, though not quiet for long.

Next door's cockerel sang at the top of its lungs waking Sally up with a start. She blinked, and a thought passed through her mind.

"It's Christmas," she yelled, waking poor Ben up. He yawned and stretched taking in all the shouts of joy.

A dazzling smile grew on his face from ear to ear and a sparkle appeared in eyes.

He drew his legs out from under the duvet and onto the cold wooden floorboards. As he plodded over to his slippers, Sally jumped out of bed. Shuffling along, the pair raced down the stairs to the Christmas tree.

The sight that awaited them was wonderful. To their excitement the floor was covered in presents and the stockings, bulging.

Their Christmas was complete. All but one part. Together, hand in hand, they knelt down by the fire and they prayed. They thanked God for saving his only son to save us.

They thanked him for a chance of life and how lucky they were with all their presents, clothes, food and water.

Christmas is not all about presents.

It's about love.

Monica Hetherington


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