As part of the upcoming
Bath Festival of Children's Literature (which we're appearing at on
Sunday 2nd October with
Baggage!) we were asked to write a chapter for a remarkable children's story that is being created live, day-to-day, by 20 fantastic authors. Each chapter will appear on a different blog, so you have to follow the links to read the entire magical story.
CLICK HERE to read Chapter ONE ... then read on for our installment!
The boy on the hillside was called Scribble. This may sound like a peculiar name but then Scribble
was a bit peculiar, and he wore his name proudly like a shiny gold medal.
When he was born, the doctors discovered that (a) he was covered in blue fur, and (b) he was unable to make a single sound - from his lips came not a scream, nor a squeak. But the blue furry boy was simply bursting with wonder at the world he saw around him, and so one day (when he was only six months old!) he picked up a pencil and started to write.
He wrote all day by the light of sun, and he wrote all night by the light of the moon and before too long everyone (including his parents) had begun to call him Scribble. His real name was quickly forgotten … just like the poor moon. But Scribble had watched her tumble into the ocean and he knew this was a VERY BAD THING.
He ran down the hillside and skidded onto the small wooden jetty that belonged to old Mr Catch, the legendary fisherman, who was busy writing his catch of the day on a large chalkboard.
...croaked Mr Catch, with a voice as crusty as stale bread, “is something the matter?”
Scribble grabbed the chalk from his hand, wrote HELP! in giant letters on the board, and pointed out towards the sea. Mr Catch followed his finger and stared across the waves that he had known and sailed upon his whole life … waves that were now glowing, like a torch held up beneath a sheet.
“Well, well. There’s something you don’t see every day,” said Mr Catch. This was not the reaction Scribble was expecting but Mr Catch was rather old and had probably seen a lot of odd things in his time.
...said Mr Catch, “so let’s see who we can find!”
And with that, the pair set off for town in search of a moon-saving crew.
CLICK HERE, to read Chapter THREE of the story, which will appear on Annabel Pitcher's on the
12th September!
