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Legs, the Centipede

Centipedes have a hundred legs. Or so it seems when you see one walking down the bathtub. Imagine having to buy shoes and socks for all that lot! And think of the time it would take to put them all on in the morning!

Centipedes are all wriggly and moving. Nobody knows why they have so many legs. I just hope they don’t get rheumatism, that’s all.

Legs was a great one for walking. He thought it was definitely the thing to do. Walk, walk, walk, all day long. Sometimes, of an evening when he was tired, he would have loved to sit down and put his feet up. But this, he realised, was not possible: there just weren’t enough tables and stools in the house.

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Posted in Childrens stories | 3 Comments »

Muscles the Octopus

Octopuses, or octopi as the man who writes the dictionary calls them, have lots of arms. Eight, in fact. The big ones live in the Pacific Ocean because it’s warm there and sunny, and so they don’t have to buy gloves, which would be expensive for so many arms.

Muscles was a cheerful octopus who loved shaking hands. Right from when he was little and his uncle had said, “My! You’re quite a little man now,” and bent down and shook hands with him.

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Putting away the summer

Dismantle the swing seat
Away with the toys
Roll up the hosepipe
The shrieks and the noise

Box up the bouncer
The ticktock, the drum
Maracas and banjo
And cuddles with Mum

Put back the high chair
The shade for the sun
Grand children are home bound
Plotting chaos to come.

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Dawn in a Swedish village

He was dying. He was in pain, too.

The old man knew he was dying, but he stood there in his blue dressing gown, welcoming them. He embraced them with one hand, the other he kept deep in the pocket of his robe to hold up his stomach.

It was Christmas Eve and the wind brought snow swirling through the front door. There were ten children, five boys, five girls, all grown up. To the girls he said, “Welcome home, my darling. What a treat to have you here!”
To the boys, “Ah, my boy, Wonderful, Wonderful!” together with a bone cracking handshake.

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Yes Mum

Yes..yes, but I am eating properly, Mum.
I do wash between my toes.
I am wearing my vest.
I only ever wear dry things.
I swear I brush my teeth, day and night.
I do shampoo my hair, twice a week.
I change my pants, and socks, daily.
I do have access to a washing machine
It’s in the room next to mine. I use it, truly.

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