Flyer the Seagull

Written by Grazia Martienssen

Hello, I am Flyer

Flying around:
Goodday children, my name is Flyer, the talking seagull. I fly around the world bringing you stories of the fun and exciting things that children do. Sometimes I look in widows, sit in trees, or on the roofs of houses to watch them play; all this so I can tell their stories. On rare occasions, I also make special trips underwater, so I can bring you stories about mermaids and other mysterious underwater creatures.

Do you like seagulls?
Have you seen me at the beach, or fly past your house?

About us seagulls:
Let me tell you a little bit about us seagulls. We build our nests on sand dunes, sea cliffs, anywhere close to the beach really. Many people don’t know this, but we are very smart; when there is no fish to catch, I drop shellfish on rocks, so it opens and then I eat it. I also trick earthworms to come to the surface by stamping my feet which sounds like rainfall. When this doesn’t work, we make cute noises and hand movements, so you throw us bread. I was one of three chicks born on Robben Island; luckily, we all know the same tricks to get food, so we never go hungry.

Do you remember the sounds that we make to get food? Give it a go!

One day I saw some children playing on the beach having so much fun, so I followed them home and saw them sitting around a fire while their granny told them a story. They seemed to enjoy it so much that I decided to tell stories as well. Sometimes my friends tell me what they saw, so I will bring you those stories as well. I do hope you will enjoy my stories. Maybe one day I will also get to watch you play, then I will bring your stories to other children as well.

Have you ever seen one of our nests?
Can you name three things that nests can be made of?

Till next time:

Time for me to fly now so I can watch some children having fun, then I can tell you their stories again. Till next time. Goodbye.

The Magic Toolbox

Children Story Written by Grazia Martienssen

Hello children, Big Bear here, gather round as I tell you about…

Busy Elves:
One day shortly before Christmas, Santa and his elves were so busy making toys in the workshop in the North Pole, that the elves wished the toys themselves would help. As they finished making a toolbox, the box suddenly opened by itself, and all the tools jumped out and started helping.

Different Talent:
The saw started sawing, the hammer started hammering, and each tool started doing what tools are meant to do. I don’t remember how many tools there were, but they worked hard together, and each used their talent to help the elves. Santa and the elves were very pleased and were able to take a nice break thanks to the help of the tools. They made wooden toys, plastic tools, along with both wire and fluffy toys. They made all kinds of toys and games. I was one of the first toys made and I wanted to help. I asked Santa what I could do to help and he told me to arrange smaller toys on their shelf, so that’s just what I did. At the end of the day the tools went back in the tool box and I retired to my shelf.

What kind of toys do you think they made?

Would you have helped if you were there?

Have you ever seen Santa’s workshop and his elves?

After a while I heard all the tools talking to one another. Some were even bragging about what they had done. ‘I hammered everything so nicely,’ said the hammer. ‘I tightened all the screws,’ said the screwdriver. The saw sighed, ‘I wish I was as talented as you hammer, or as clever as you screwdriver.’ Some of the other tools also wished they had different talents. Finally, the toolbox itself spoke. ‘You are all a family of tools, and you all have different talents and are all equally important,’ it said. ‘If you were all hammers how would the sawing get done? Or if you were all saws, which one of you would hammer?’ the toolbox insisted. ‘Aww I understand,’ said the saw, ‘So my job is also important.’ ‘Was my job also important?’ the pliers asked. ‘Yes,’ said a very smiley toolbox. Even Big Bear did a wonderful job of arranging the smaller toys on the shelf. I felt so proud to hear that.

What are your talents?

What are you good at?

What are your friends, brothers and sisters good at doing?

Christmas Eve:
A few days later it was Christmas Eve and Santa and the elves put us all in a big sack and flew around the world with the reindeer, to deliver gifts to all the children. I fell asleep before the magic toolbox was delivered, so I don’t know who received it.

Do you know who received the magic toolbox?

Did you or one of your friends or siblings perhaps get it?