WELLINGTON COUNTY – The County of Wellington Library has announced the winners of the sixth annual Olive and Fred Robins Junior Short Story Contest.
It is open to Wellington County students attending Grades 4 to 6, who are invited to submit original short stories between 500 and 750 words.
Grade 5 student Hannah Creamer of Drayton and Grade 5 student Annie Trott of Ariss are the two 2023 top prize winners.
Creamer’s story follows.
Bloom, The Tiny Mushroom
By Hannah Creamer
In Shroomtown everyone is exactly alike. All similar in colour and size. Bloom was not like the others because she was the tiniest mushroom in all of Shroomtown.
Nobody wanted to be Bloom’s friend because they thought she was way too short. Nobody wanted to sit beside her in class, nobody wanted to play with her at recess, nobody bothered to learn her name, and nobody would notice her because she was so tiny! One day, Bloom decided to go on a mission to make herself taller.
First, she travelled to Rodentland where the residents were all rodents. When Bloom got there, a race was starting! Bloom saw that there were eight mice at the starting line that were all in little toy cars with little remote controls. But the thing that stood out the most was the little white mouse standing next to a little blue toy airplane on the sidelines. He looked sad, so Bloom walked up to him and said,
“Hi, I’m Bloom. What’s your name? And why do you look sad?”
The little mouse replied crying, “I’m Airrow and I’m sad because they won’t let me enter the race in my airplane.”
“Come with me” said Bloom. “We can have a race when I find a way to get taller. I love to run, but my legs are too short.”
“Okay” said Airrow, wiping away the tears.
Next, they took Airrow’s airplane and flew up to a town called Nightsky where the owls live. In Nightsky, all the owls were a single colour from the rainbow and everything floats in the sky!
Bloom and Airrow flew around Nightsky in Airrow’s plane, until they saw something very strange, even more strange than things floating in midair! There was an owl sitting on one of the floating benches, but this owl was not like the other owls. This owl was pink, blue and purple. Bloom took a closer look and saw that the owl was crying. Bloom and Airrow went up to the owl, and Bloom said, “Hi, I’m Bloom. What’s your name? And why do you look sad?”
The owl replied, “I’m Gem and I’m sad because the other owls make fun of me because I’m three colours, not one like everyone else.”
Gem began to sulk on the bench again, when Bloom said, “I like your colours, they remind me of the night sky.”
Then Airrow said, “I like the way your feathers shimmer in the light.”
“Thanks,” said Gem.
Then Bloom asked, “Do you want to come with us on a mission to make me taller?” “I’d love to!” exclaimed Gem. So they set off again to help Bloom get taller.
After, Bloom wanted to go to the Land of the Sly, where very mysterious and sly creatures lived. They all hopped in Airrow’s airplane and flew down to the Land of the Sly, but when they got there, the gates were locked! Airrow pointed out that there was a sign that read in big bold let- ters: “TO PASS, YOU MUST OFFER A SHINY PRESENT,” Airrow read out loud.
Then Gem shouted, “I have an idea! I can give one of my feathers!” She plucked off her shiniest feather and offered it to the sign. Suddenly, the sign disappeared and the gates opened up to reveal the Land of the Sly. Bloom, Airrow and Gem gasped in awe as the most colours any of them had ever seen in their lives lay before them. They saw a little town that was surrounded by a beautiful rainbow forest. They started exploring the town and the rainbow forest, until they came across a little orange fox in a cute lavender wheelchair who looked really sad. Bloom walked up to the fox and said again, “Hi, I’m Bloom. What’s your name? And why do you look sad?”
The fox cried, “My name is Lila and I’m upset because I’m feeling left out from all the games the other foxes play.”
Airrow asked, “Why would they leave you out?”
“I’m different from everyone else.” Lila said sadly.
Bloom thought about the adventures she had with all of them and realized that she didn’t want to be taller in the first place, all she wanted was friends.
Bloom realized that everyone struggles and she doesn’t need to be taller to fit in, she just needed to be herself.
Bloom turned to Airrow, Gem and Lila and asked “Do you want to be friends?”
