Thank you to everyone that entered our fabulous Winnie-the-Pooh 90th Anniversary Competition! We had lots of wonderful entries and choosing the winners and runners up was a real challenge. Well done to everyone and congratulations to all the winners and runners up whose superb short stories are below for everyone to see and celebrate.
SURPRISE – a short story competition for 4-7 year olds
One morning Winnie-the-Pooh looked out of his window and saw something that took him by surprise. ‘This is very Strange and Unusual,’ said Pooh, ‘but, unless I’m mistaken, somebody has taken the Forest away and…’
WINNER: Evie – age 6
Dropmore Infant School
… left white stuff.” He went outside it was freezing! Pooh went back inside and ate some honey. Then he remembered it was snow. He put his scarf and hat on and went to Kanga and Roo. Suddenly he saw a very strange creature, it was white and fluffy. Pooh thought “I need to follow that animal and take it to Kanga and ask what it is”. Kanga said, “It is a polar bear.” Pooh made a house with his friends for polar bear. A week later when the snow had gone, Pooh went to see polar bear. He found a note. I’ll come back next winter.
RUNNER UP: Grace – age 6
St Marys C of E Academy
… my pot of honey away and the room away. In fact taken everything away! I can’t see anything.” There was a knock on the door and Pooh’s friend Piglet came in “Is that you Piglet?” “Yes” replied Piglet. “I can’t see anything, can you help me?” asked Pooh. “Oh Pooh, you banana, you still have your eye mask on from bedtime.” The End.
FRIENDSHIP – a short story competition for 7-11 year olds
Christopher Robin thought and, after a long time, said: ‘Well, I like new friends because you never quite know what they’ll do next. But I like old friends, too, because, however long you’ve known them, you are always discovering things that you didn’t know before.’
WINNER: Dmitri – age 10
St Marys C of E Academy Walkley
It was a bleak winter’s day in the Hundred Acre Wood and the snow lay thick on the ground. Pooh wandered along, shivering with excitement as snowflakes whirled round his head. He arrived in the middle of the forest where the paths met and stared at the footprints in the snow. The smallest were Piglet’s. The heavy footprints were Eeyore’s. Tigger had left crater-like prints as he bounced through the woods causing destruction. “But whose footprints were these?” Pooh wondered. He followed the print, full of curiosity. They go to the pond where a small duck stood sadly looking at the frozen surface. “Can I help you?” Pooh cheerfully enquired. “I can’t get across the pond but it is so slippery that I can’t walk over the ice…” Pooh pondered over this problem. “Who should he call for help?” Christopher Robin would surely be the most reliable person. Before Pooh could think of a solution, Tigger bounded along and knocked Pooh into the snow. Pooh was about to complain as Tigger continued straight across the pond, breaking the ice. The duck quacked happily and jumped into the icy water. Pooh chuckled, thinking the most unlikely of his friends had been able to help. The End.
RUNNER UP: Yasmin – age 7
Alderman Cogan CE Primary School
One bright sunny day Christopher Robin was playing with a new friend called Joe in the Hundred Acre Wood. Christopher was telling Joe about his other friends in the wood. Joe said “Can we play one more game before we go and see them?” “Okay” agreed Christopher. While they were playing, they didn’t notice the animals watching them. Piglet said “I think we’ve done something wrong. Christopher doesn’t want to play with us anymore!” Rabbit suggested they go and see Owl. When they got there Owl said, “He will still be your friend, he is just playing with another boy.” While Owl was speaking Pooh ran away so he didn’t hear the rest of Owl’s talk. The animals searched behind the trees but he was nowhere to be seen. The friends decided to ask Christopher Robin and Joe to help find Pooh. They walked through the woods and were caught in the middle of a ferocious thunderstorm. Everything seemed very scary all of a sudden. The trees looked terrifying with their branches looking like frightening faces. Piglet was holding onto Tigger but Tigger was just as scared. “We have to keep going … we have to find Pooh.” Said Christopher Robin bravely. Finally they saw Pooh hiding behind a bush trembling. Christopher Robin asked him why he had run away and Pooh said “I ran away because I thought you only liked your new friend now.” Christopher hugged him and said, “I’ll always be your friend, you silly old bear!”
We would also like to congratulate the highly commended entrants for their wonderful entries.
SURPRISE – a short story competition for 4-7 year olds
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Finn – age 6
Cypress Primary
… I am confused!” Pooh Bear opened his creaky old door and peaked outside. The forest had disappeared and all he could see was bright yellow stars in the dark dark sky. Pooh Bear looked at the ground and he was shocked to see sparkling, white dust! “This looks like moon dust” he thought to himself “Why is there moon dust on my door step?” Winnie the Pooh looked up and saw craters filled with moon poppies, shiny metal spaceships and a city made out of glass. He gasped and shut the door very very quietly. He hoped it was all a dream!
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Ethan – age 5
Baildon C of E Primary School
…the road is there instead.” Cars and buses were rushing around. Winnie the Pooh went outdoors in his scarf and gloves. It was very windy. He was in the city. The witch had magicked the forest away. She was on the rooftop but then fell down and landed on the floor. It made a big crash and her wand snapped in half. This broke the spell and the witch said “Oh no!” Pooh saw the witch on the floor. She had a bruised face and suddenly the face came back. Pooh felt happy so he had some honey.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Angus – age 6
Grendon Primary
…it is very strange!” Winnie the Pooh is funny and his belly wobbles like jelly. He is friends with piglet who is always nice and helpful. The forest is snowy and the wind is blowing. He crept outside but couldn’t see where the forest had gone! Pooh suddenly tripped and it was a rope! Because he is a bear of very little brain, he picked up the rope and started to follow it. Eventually it led him to the forest and all his friends were there. “Oh bother,” said Pooh “I must have lost my way!” Silly old bear.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Nathaniel – age 6
St Andrew’s School
…“my Honey!” He looked around no trees, no grass, just a smoky mist “What’s happened?” Eeyore appeared “What’s going on?” “Let’s go to Christopher Robin, he’ll know what to do.” said Pooh. At Christopher Robin’s house they found a dragon crying. “He has a cold causing him to sneeze fire and burn the forest. He was sorry and didn’t mean to cause trouble.” Christopher said. He had some medicine that would make the dragon better. The medicine was taken, a spell was cast, and the forest was better again! Right in front of Pooh was a pot of honey!
FRIENDSHIP – a short story competition for 7-11 year olds
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Phoebe – age 9
Wonersh and Shamley Green Primary School
One warm, sunny day, Winnie the Pooh was playing hide and seek with his great friends, Tigger and Piglet. Pooh was hiding behind a tall oak tree, when a blue, spotty egg dropped into his hands ‘Plop!’ “Where are you?” cried Piglet. “Found you!” Pooh was caught. Piglet’s small, pink face looked down at the spotty egg. “It dropped down from the sky into my hands!” exclaimed Pooh. “Do you think we should find Tigger and show him our egg?” asked Pooh. “Yes, let’s.” agreed Piglet. “BOO!” Tigger appeared out of nowhere! What a shock. “Are we having egg and honey for tea, my favourite?” cried Tigger. “No, we are not Tigger, this egg dropped from the sky!” shouted Piglet angrily. The friends wandered back to Pooh’s for tea. Piglet apologised to Tigger for yelling at him. Early the next morning, the three friends took the blue spotty egg for a stroll in the woods. “That cloud looks like a penguin!” cried Tigger, they were cloud gazing. Suddenly, a beautiful bird swooped towards them, crying. “I am Mrs Spotts, and that’s my egg!” “We’re deeply sorry, we didn’t know, it dropped out of the sky!” apologised Pooh. “CRACK! CRACK!” went the egg. “Chirp!” A tiny baby bird popped out of the shell! “Oh, my little baby! Thank you for taking care of her! What can I do for you?” asked Mrs Spotts. The three old friends thought long and hard. “We just want to be friends!” laughed Winnie.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Megan – age 10
Weston All Saints Primary
One rainy day, Pooh was feeling particularly gloomy as he was stuck indoors with nothing to do, when the door suddenly burst open and Tigger ran in. “I’ve found a real treasure map!” Tigger exclaimed excitedly. “I’ll tell Christopher Robin,” Pooh said happily. A few minutes later, Christopher burst in. “Is it true that you have found a real treasure map? If so, we’d better get going!” Moments later, Pooh, Tigger and Christopher Robin could bee seen laden down with axes and spades. Christopher Robin studied the map carefully. “According to this map, we need to go to our right!” “Okay,” replied Pooh, walking to his left. “No Pooh, that’s to the left!” Christopher Robin said wearily. “Oh, I knew that.” Pooh replied, although he didn’t. So the journey proceeded. At last Christopher Robin said, “I think we might be here!” “Well then. We’d better get digging!” Tigger replied impatiently, but suddenly disappeared! “Tigger!” pooh cried, running towards Tigger, only to see him fall into a huge pit. Suddenly, a booming voice called out, “Stay back, I’ll help Tigger!” Pooh turned around to find that a huge grey elephant was holding out his trunk to Tigger, who pulled himself out. “Thanks!” Tigger said gratefully, “Want to help hunt for treasure using this map?” “That’s the map that show where Squirrel’s nuts are, silly!” chuckled the elephant. “Oh” Christopher Robin sighed. “I think that was a waste of our time,” said Tigger once they were home. “It wasn’t” replied Christopher Robin, “We’ve made a new friend, Mr Elephant.”
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Joshua – age 8
Highbury Primary
Many years ago there was a boy called Josh, he had two best friends. One of his friends was called Aimee and the other was Luca. One wintery snowy day Josh went to the hill to play in the snow. When he reached the top of the hill he discovered Luca and Aimee were also there. Josh had taken a sledge with him. Luca and Josh got on it together and zoomed down the hill. As they were going down the hill, the boys crashed into a bush with a thud. When they got up they felt something hard in the bush… they used a stick to get the bush open and deep inside was a rusty old sledge. The boys examined it and noticed some writing ‘Ernest Hackney’. Josh was gobsmacked to realise that this was his Great Grandad’s sledge and it had been buried in the bush for 80 years! The boys ran excitedly back up to tell Aimee all about it. Josh said “What a day Luca.” The friends had an amazing snowy day.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Zahra – age 7
Norton Road Primary
One day Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, owl, Kanga, Eeyore and Roo met a new friend, Lefeon the Lion by saving him from a trap. He had a big, baggy mane but he wasn’t a kind friend because once, they all saw him discussing to himself that he would eat them all. So one day, they all gathered up at Pooh’s house and tried to suggest what to do. Pooh put his head in his paws and thought harder than ever. “Come on Pooh. Think, think, think.” Then randomly, he cried out “AHA!!!” Then he whispered to Roo who was sitting next to him “Pass this on” and told him what the plan was. When they all knew, they nodded at Pooh. Even Eeyore nodded thankfully! While they were building a trap, Pooh made a song that went like this “The wonderful trap, will just need one more scrap, to scare all the tap, out of Lefeon’s lap.” When the trap was done they all hid behind trees and waited for the approach of Lefeon. He arrived ten minutes later and then he got caught! Suddenly, he roared “WHAT WAS THAT FOR!!!” Then Pooh said shakily, “But you were going to eat us.” Then Roo also added “Well, that is not friendly.” And then Lefeon said gloomily “Nobody wants to be my friend.” Then everyone said “We’ll be your friend.” And after Lefeon ate honey.