Young Storykeeper Volume III

140 | STORYKEEPERS VOLUME III AGE TEN | 141
LIGHTHOUSE TROUBLE
THE LIGHHOUSE
Gullinmore Lighthouse had the greatest light
known to man. It would help navigate lost
ships home to land and send warning signals
if a storm was near. The lighthouse did not
automatically do this. Someone was in
charge of the controls at night. This person
had to know how lighthouses worked. They
slept during the day, to be able to work at
night.
The lighthouse keeper was an elderly
man called Kim, who had worked at
Gullinmore for over thirty-nine years.
One day, Kim was sick. So he called
his friend Mike to replace him for the night,
the first time in thirty-nine years he had ever
done this.
Mike was just as lighthouse crazy as
Kim. He was overjoyed that he would finally
be able to work in the lighthouse overnight.
“I will not let you down,” he replied excitedly.
Mike got plenty of rest for the long evening
ahead. He put on warm clothes, made a big
flask of tea and some sandwiches to keep
him going during the long, cold night. He
excitedly set off toward the lighthouse. This
would be the best day of his life!
He climbed the two hundred and three
steps to the top. This was difficult, as Mike
lived in a bungalow. He was exhausted as
he looked at the controls. But this would be
so easy.
Mike started to press some buttons.
The great light shone through the dark.
Then an alarm came on and lights flashed
on the controls. The man really did not know
what he was doing. Although Mike loved
lighthouses, he did not know how to control
one. He pressed the red switch, and the
alarms stopped. But the big light went out.
All was incredibly quiet.
Mike did not know what he had done.
He started to press more buttons, but nothing
worked. How would ships get home?
“This is all my fault!” he cried. “I must
get Kim, even if he is sick.”
Panicking, Mike ran down the stairs
quickly and rowed back to land to Kim’s
house. He banged on the door and shouted
Kim’s name.
“Kim! Kim! Quick! Wake up!”
A light went on and Kim stuck his head
out the window. Mike frantically explained
what had happened. Kim ran down the
stairs in his pyjamas. They rushed to the
lighthouse.
Both raced up the stairs, Mike could not
keep up with Kim. Kim reached the controls
and a big smile appeared on his face.
“Oh Mike, you haven’t broken it. You
just turned the light off.”
With that, he flicked a switch and, as if
by magic, the beam of light started to shine
over the dark sea. Kim started to laugh
as he realised he was still in his pyjamas.
Kim stayed all night and taught Mike all the
different controls. I probably should have
done this at the start, he thought.
Kim sometimes lets Mike help out –
now that he knows how to switch on the big
light!
Alice Kelly
Co Kildare
RUSTY THE HERO
Hello! My name is Rusty. You know, the
one that begs for your dinner, whines at the
door and stays by your side. I am Rusty, the
one that sleeps in a crate, trots down the
road and joins you in the boat every day. I
am Rusty, otherwise known as man’s best
friend, canine or … dog. That’s right, a dog.
I live on the island of Bedhead just off
the cost of Ireland. I accompany Richard
down to the dock close by his heels every
day. In the morning my master and I go
fishing and we come home in the evening
with a supply of cod and trout. But the tale I
am about to tell you is nothing like that.
It was a cold, wet winter morning and the
sea was as wild as a mustang, with waves
the size of houses that could easily sweep a
boat out of its depths.
Richard had to go out in the boat, to
fish, as he had to purchase a new stove.
Richard got the boat ready. I hopped
in, and we were off out to sea. A long way
out to the sea, where Richard cast his line,
I noticed a storm conjuring up in the sky.
Richard didn’t notice as he kept on looking
for fish. Then a wave from the sea came
crashing over the boat, causing it to sink.
It was all a blur until I woke up and
found myself floating on a piece of wood
from our boat.
Richard was hanging on to a piece of
wood from the boat. I grabbed Richard by
his brown coat and started swimming.
Let me tell you, I am only a little scruffy
terrier with three legs, so it was very difficult
for me.
I did not know where I was going until I
saw a light in the distance.
The lighthouse! I swam faster. There was
nobody at the lighthouse, but it saved me
and Richard because I could see the island
in the distance.
A kind person found me and Richard
and cared for us until we recovered from our
ordeal.
And me, well I got a juicy chicken leg
for dinner!
Chloe Clarke
Co Mayo
Lighting up the sky
In the depth of the night,
Gliding you
Home and back,
Through the darkness and fog,
Helping ships
One their way past buoys,
Under the sea, fish
Swim here and there and
Everywhere.
Peter McHugh
Co Dublin