Another Unforgettable Experience   by A.

When we first moved to the house with the pond we needed to do a lot of work in the garden because the previous owners had allowed it to go to rack and ruin (get into a rundown condition). One of the jobs we had to do was to clear an area of old shrubs and trees which had become overgrown at the bottom of the garden.

We spent several days digging up self seeded bushes and saplings (young trees) which had planted themselves in all the wrong places. Then we cut back and pruned (a special way of cutting trees) everything else.

When we had finished the area looked much tidier but there was a lot of bare soil where we had uprooted the rogue plants (the ones in the wrong places). We decided that the best idea would be to put down grass seed and turn the bare soil into a new lawn.

After a few weeks the grass seed sprouted and began to grow. We watched carefully for the time when it would be long enough to cut. Eventually, the grass had thickened and grown and the moment of truth had arrived (we were ready to cut the grass). During this time the frogs had mated, the frogspawn (frog's eggs) had hatched into tadpoles and they had turned into tiny, tiny froglets. They were as small as my little finger nail.

We got the lawn mower out of the shed and started to mow the grass. Suddenly, my husband shouted "Quick Meiann, come here! " so, I ran to see what the problem was. There in the new grass were hundreds of tiny froglets (well, there looked to be hundreds!) all of them right in the path of the lawnmower blades. What were we going to do, we asked ourselves. The grass had to be cut or it would die but if we cut it, the froglets would die. We were on the horns of a dilemma (we didn't know how to decide what to do).

Finally we hit upon a plan. I would go in front of the mower and "shepherd" the froglets ahead of me like small green sheep! Then when we were sure that there were none left in that patch of grass my husband could mow the lawn behind me.

We must have made a strange sight that day, me on my hands and knees ushering the froglets along (moving them in front of me) and out of harms way, with a lawn mower following closely behind me as if I was the grass! but we didn't mind, at the end of the (very long and tiring) day, we had a newly mown lawn and all the froglets were safe.

written by A., England

A further unforgettable experience    by G.

 

When I was 18 year old I had a day off work. I was cleaning the house when I noticed the ceiling in the hall on the first floor of the house was a little dusty. I could have taken a duster, put it on the end of a broom and dusted the ceiling but no. 
In our house we had a flight of stairs, at the top of which was a corridor (hall) which had doors from it leading to the bedrooms and bathroom.
I got a ladder out so that I could reach the ceiling, but I am frightened of heights and I don't like ladders. Then I had a good idea.
I climbed onto the bannisters in the top landing (this is the name of the floor which makes up the hall and then the stairs are at the side and the drop is equivalent to two floors of the house. I was standing on the bannister trying to reach the ceiling. (The trick here is 'Don't look down!').
I cleaned the ceiling then thought.... if I lean forward I will be able to clean the opposite wall. So I leant forward. It was 4 o' clock. (16.00) My dad came home from work at 6 o'clock (18.00) and found me standing on the bannister with my hands on the opposite wall.  He came in through the front door of the house, looked up the stairs and said
'What are you doing?' I looked down and said
'I was cleaning the ceiling and now I'm stuck.' Daddy came up the stairs, looking very worried saying
'Don't move'. He very carefully came onto the hall landing and grabbed me. He said 'Don't ever do that again.' as he lowered me to the floor. 
Happy days!
written by G., England

Another unforgettable experience   by G.

 

I am a twin. Imagine that there are two of me!  My twin sister Lynne is a much more serious person than I am.

Have you read 'The Lion, The Witch and The wardrobe?' It's a great book. The story is about some children who climb into a wardrobe and then disappear into a magical kingdom, called Narnia and have adventures. It's a really good book. I have read it twice.

We were 7 years old. I had an idea. My parents had bought us a brand new, grown up wardrobe. It was really tall. It was really big. It had a door with a key. A very pretty key. I told my sister that we could get in the wardrobe and go to Narnia (The kingdom) in the book. My sister said, she was frightened, she didn't want to go.

‘I'll go' I said. So I climbed into the wardrobe but I couldn't find the magic door to Narnia.

'I know’ I said 'lock the lock and I'll have another look'. Lynne locked me in. I still couldn't find Narnia.

'I know' I said 'give me the key and I'll say a magic word ('Aslan') and then the magic door to Narnia will appear. Lynne climbed onto a chair and posted the key through an air hole in the top of the wardrobe which was really high. I picked up the key. I called out 'Aslan ' many times but I still couldn't find the magic door.

I said. 'No it's not here, this must be the wrong wardrobe'. 'Let me out'

'I can't' she said' the door is locked you'll have to give me the key. I tried to unlock the door from the inside, but it didn't work. so I said 'Open the door' but she couldn't it was locked. I tried throwing the key up in the air to see if it would fly back outside through the air hole but it didn't.

I searched for what seemed hours (about 2 minutes) and then our mother came upstairs and said

'Where's your sister this time?'

'She is in there, looking for Narnia.' answered Lynne, pointing at the wardrobe.

'Open the door ' our mother said. 'I can't.' replied Lynne.

'Glynis, Open the door. '

'I can't' I said.

Then it all went wrong. Someone had to call the police. The police came but they couldn't get the door open. The fire brigade came and eventually they managed to get the door open. They had to unscrew the door hinges on the outside of the wardrobe. I don't know why our mother hit us or why we were not allowed to have the key again.
                                     ..............................................

When I was 17 years old, I decided to clean behind my Dad's really big, heavy, oak wardrobe. I pulled the wardrobe out and remembered the incident from many years previously. I looked inside the wardrobe and laughed. Then I pushed and pulled until I moved the wardrobe away from the wall. I climbed behind it and tried to dust then I decided to come out but I couldn't. I was stuck. I spent 2 hours behind the wardrobe laughing and calling out

'Hello. Is there anybody?' One of my neighbours came home from work and he could hear me calling and laughing. Eventually he came into the house and called out,

'Glynis, where are you?' I shouted back. I'm behind the wardrobe in my Dad's room, looking for Narnia.'

He said ‘What?’

I replied 'I'm stuck behind the wardrobe'. He came upstairs and moved the wardrobe so that I could escape. He didn't think it was funny.

When my dad came home I told him and he didn't laugh either.

I have tears running down my face. I am laughing so much. I can't see.

written by G., England

Ein anderes unvergessenes Erlebnis   by G.

 

Ich bin ein Zwilling, stellt euch vor, dass es zwei von mir gibt. Meine Zwillingsschwester Lynne ist eine viel ernstere Person als ich.

Habt ihr das Buch „Der Löwe, die Hexe und der Kleiderschrank“ gelesen? Das ist ein großartiges Buch. Die Geschichte handelt über ein paar Kinder welche in einen Kleiderschrank klettern und in einem magischen Königreich, namens Narnia, in dem sie Abenteuer erleben verschwinden. Es ist ein wirklich gutes Buch, ich habe es zweimal gelesen.

Als wir 7 Jahre alt waren hatte ich eine Idee. Meine Eltern hatten uns einen brandneuen Kleiderschrank, schon für Erwachsene, gekauft. Er war richtig groß und hatte eine versperrbare Tür mit einem Schlüssel, einem sehr hübschen Schlüssel. Ich sagte zu meiner Schwester, dass wir in den Kleiderschrank steigen können und zu Narnia (dem Königreich) in dem Buch gehen können.

Meine Schwester war erschrocken, sie wollte nicht in den Schrank gehen.

„Ich will gehen“, sagte ich. Ich kletterte in den Kleiderschrank aber ich konnte das magische Tor nach Narnia nicht finden.

„Ich weiß“, sagte ich „verriegle das Schloss und ich werde es sehen“. Lynne sperrte mich ein, ich konnte Narnia noch immer nicht finden.

„Ich weiß“ sagte ich „gib mir den Schlüssel, ich werde das magische Wort „Aslan“ sagen und dann wird das magische Tor zu Narnia erscheinen. Lynne kletterte auf einen Sessel und zielte den Schlüssel durch ein Luftloch oben auf dem Kleiderschrank, der wirklich hoch war. Ich nahm den Schlüssel, ich rief mehrere Male „Aslan“ aber ich konnte das magische Tor noch immer nicht finden.

Ich sagte“ Nein, es ist nicht hier, das muss der falsche Schrank sein. Lass mich raus.“

„Ich kann nicht“ sagte Lynne „die Tür ist verriegelt wie du es haben wolltest, gib mit den Schlüssel.“

Ich versuchte die Tür von innen zu entriegeln, aber es hat nicht funktioniert. So sagte ich: „Öffne die Tür“, aber sie konnte nicht , die Tür war verschlossen. Ich habe versucht den Schlüssel in die Luft zu werfen , um zu sehen wie er durch das Loch nach draußen fliegt, aber es ging nicht.

Ich versuchte es , mir schien es Stunden, zirka 2 Minuten, dann kam unsere Mutter nach oben und sagte: „Wo ist Deine Schwester jetzt?“ „Sie ist darin auf der Suche nach Narnia“ antwortet Lynne und zeigte auf den Schrank.

„Öffne die Tür“ sagte unsere Mutter „ich kann nicht“ antwortete Lynne. „Glynis, öffne die Tür“ „ich kann nicht“ sagte ich.

Dann ist alles schief gelaufen, jemand hat die Polizei angerufen. Die Polizei kam aber sie konnten

die Tür nicht öffnen. Die Feuerwehr kam und schließlich haben sie es geschafft , sie haben die Scharniere auf der Außenseite des Kleiderschankes abgeschraubt.

Ich weiß nicht warum unsere Mutter uns einen Schlag versetzt hat und warum sie nicht erlaubte, dass wir wieder einen Schlüssel haben durften!

                                                ------------------------------------

Als ich 17 Jahre alt war entschied ich mich den wirklich großen, schweren Eichenschrank meines Vaters bis ins letzte Eck zu reinigen. Ich machte den Schrank auf und erinnerte mich an den Vorfall von damals. Ich blickte in den Schrank und lachte. Dann schob und zog ich bis der Schrank sich von der Wand weg bewegte. Ich kletterte dahinter und habe abgestaubt, dann entschied ich mich wieder hervorzukommen, aber ich konnte nicht. Ich war steckengeblieben. Ich verbrachte 2 Stunden hinter dem Schrank, lachend und rufend.

„Hallo, ist da jemand?“ Einer meiner Nachbarn kam von der Arbeit nach Hause und er konnte mich lachen und rufen hören. Schließlich kam er in das Haus und rief: „Glynis, wo bist du?“ Ich rief zurück: „Ich bin hinter dem Schrank in dem Zimmer meines Vaters, ich suche nach Narnia.“

Er sagte: „Was?“ Ich antwortete: „Ich stecke fest hinter dem Schrank.“

Er kam nach oben und bewegte den Schrank so dass ich freikommen konnte. Er dachte nicht dass es lustig war.

Als mein ‚Vater nach Hause kam erzählte ich ihm was war und er konnte auch nicht lachen.

Tränen rannen über mein Gesicht, ich lachte so viel, ich konnte gar nichts mehr sehen.

written by G., England / translated by C., Austria

It teaches me be tougher     by Ca.

 

I'm back here sooner than I expected, because something happened to me yesterday and I couldn't stop thinking about how much it looked like the kind of story we tell people. It's really short, but still an unusual episode that I would like to share with you. :)

My father raises chickens, so our backyard is full of them. As the little chickens start becoming roosters and "getting interested" in the hens, it all becomes a mess: they start stalking them making the others desperate. Yesterday, it was happening. When I heard the noise of a fight, I went there to check on them, and I tried to separate the chicken from the young rooster, but it hid away, so I went back inside.

Some time later, the noise started again, but I thought it was the same thing happening and I believed the chicken would be able to escape by herself, so I took a little longer to go and check. When I got there, the chicken was tangled in the fence and her neck all squashy and fallen. So I thought; "Oh no, God, I got here too late! She’s dead!"

I started crying. I cried, and cried and cried so much that the neighbours must surely have heard me and I was so shocked that I couldn't loosen her body. So I yelled for my mother, still crying, asking her to help me because I couldn’t touch the hen, it was too dramatic for me, I felt sad, guilty and weak.

When Mom finally got there and started untying the chicken, it started moving.

I guess needless to say the chicken wasn't dead after all. However, if it was, I'm sure it came back to life just to teach me be tougher! 

written by Ca., Brazil  / corrected by A., England

An unforgettable few days.    by G.

Tuesday the 5^th of June was just the beginning.

I ordered a new bed, because it was really cheap.

I ordered it on the Internet. The form I had to complete online, said 

'5 day delivery. Tick the box for delivery.'

I ticked  the 16th of June.

I was so proud of myself. I have never ordered something online like that before. I have ordered ebooks for my kindle which are delivered, via whispernet, (No, I don't understand that either!) as if by magic which just appear on my kindle.

Early Saturday the 9th of June. I took the old bed to the dump (recycling centre) having cut myself quite badly when I took it apart.  I came home and waited for my new bed to arrive. I cleaned the room in preparation for my brand new bedstead, (a bed frame on which you put your own mattress).

On Saturday 9th June the bed did not arrive.

On Sunday the 10th of June, I phoned to complain and as I complained bitterly about the shoddy service I had received from the company, the girl on the phone said.   

'It was the 9th of June yesterday. The 16th of June is next week.'' (she said it TWICE!!)

''I know'', I said.'' Can I come and live with you?'

I felt so stupid.

I had no bed! One of my dogs loved it. He had a great big dog basket in the bedroom for days. Another of my dogs was not amused. He thought someone has stolen the bed. I had to sleep on the mattress on the floor .It was like being a student again. Except, when I was a student, I had a bed. I never had to sleep on the floor.

On the 14th of June, the online shop phoned. They said that there was a problem with the delivery and they wouldn't be able deliver until the 21st June.

And NO, I couldn't go and live with them.

On the 15th of June I went into the bathroom and the floor was floating! There had been a water leak under the floor.

I phoned a plumber. He said he would come in the early morning of the 16th June. At 10pm (22.00) that night he phoned to say he couldn't come as his Central Heating boiler had exploded.

I had no bed, a flooded bathroom, water still leaking from the main water supply and no one who could fix anything.

On the 16th of June a friend came and repaired the leak for me.

On the 21st of June my new bed arrived.

On the 30th of June I had a gas leak. I had to wait for an emergency official from the gas supplier to come and fit a new gas meter, and then he said my gas cooker (hob) is dangerous.

I am never going to order anything on the Internet again. That action has caused me a lot of problems and great expense!

written by G., England