Young Storykeeper Volume III

76 | STORYKEEPERS VOLUME III AGE NINE | 77
AGE NINE
THE LIGHTHOUSE
Once upon a time, there was a girl with dark
curly hair called Emily. One day she was
walking by the sea wearing a light blue fluffy
coat when she noticed something far away in
the distance. She ran in to ask her dad, who
was wearing his favourite dark green jumper
with a black zipper going down the middle of
it, what it was. He told her it was a lighthouse
and Emily asked what a lighthouse was but,
just before her dad could explain, Emily’s
big brother, James, came barging into the
kitchen shouting, “Where’s my phone?”
Emily tried to keep on talking to her
dad when James asked their parents to look
for his phone. When they went upstairs to
look for it, James took his phone out of his
pocket and said, “I just needed them out of
the way to play a game that they won’t let
me play.”
Emily just sighed and then she started
to scream. “Mom, James has his phone
down here!” Mom came rushing down the
stairs and took James’ phone.
Emily’s dad told her that the lighthouse
had been abandoned before she was born.
When Emily went to bed that night, she
looked out the window at the lighthouse and
noticed that it started to light! She said to
herself, “Why is it shining if it is abandoned?”
The next morning, Emily asked her dad
if they could go to the lighthouse and her dad
said yes. When they got there, they knocked
on the door and a young man stepped out
and said, “Hello, I’m Noah and I am Peter’s
grandson, the previous lighthouse keeper.
My grandad died, so I am now taking over
the lighthouse. My uncle told me to test all
the lights and see if they are working.”
Emily’s dad said, “I know how they
work, when I was younger Peter used to
bring me here all the time and we would
always go to the top like father and son.”
All of a sudden Emily screamed and
said, “You are his son, that’s why I never
met my grandad!” Her dad wrapped his
arms around Emily and they walked up the
winding staircase. He explained everything
while they were walking up. When they got
to the top, they saw a beautiful view: the
cliffs, the birds singing and the fishermen
fishing.
There was a bright blue sky and a
bright blue sea and Noah pointed at a cloud
that looked like a heart. Just then her dad
wrapped his arms around them. They sat
together for ages and then Emily thought,
My dad is like a lighthouse. He brings me to
shore when I’m lost.
Sophia Troy
Co Dublin
THE CRUNKLETON LIGHTHOUSE
Light spread across the city as the sun came
up. It was a beautiful day. A gentle breeze
floated around and Sadie sadly watched
the day begin from her bedroom window.
She lived on the top floor of one of the
many apartment blocks in Crunkleton with
her parents. Her mum had gone on a long
business trip and all the flights home were
cancelled!
Sadie hadn’t seen her mum in weeks
and missed her a lot, but watching the
sunrise made her feel a little better. She
looked at the old lighthouse on the horizon,
curious to know what was inside.
She went into the kitchen and saw her
dad eating breakfast.
“Hi Dad,” Sadie mumbled.
“Hi Sadie, you okay?” asked her dad.
“I’m fine,” she replied. Sadie sat down
and poured herself some cornflakes, still
thinking about the lighthouse. “Do you know
what the lighthouse on the edge of town is
called?” she asked her dad.
“Crunkleton Lighthouse. It’s old, but it
still works and you can go on a tour to see
inside,” replied her dad. “I’ll take you there
after breakfast if you’d like. Maybe we’ll
arrive just in time for a tour!”
“Sounds cool! Thanks Dad!” said Sadie,
giving him a big hug.
As soon as they were ready, Sadie and
her dad headed off. In twenty minutes, they
had reached the lighthouse. “Look! Look!”
cried Sadie, pointing to a tour guide and a
group of people. Sadie and her dad joined
the group.
“This is the Crunkleton Lighthouse, and
look, more people! Would you like to join the
tour?” asked the tour guide.
“Yes please!” replied Sadie.
“My name is Joanne, and I’m your tour
guide! As I was saying, this is the Crunkleton
Lighthouse, and although it’s old, it still works
perfectly. I’m going to show you inside. Are
you ready?”
“Yes, we are!” exclaimed everyone in
the crowd of people.
Joanne led the group inside the
lighthouse. “The lighthouse keeper would
live in the lighthouse, that’s why there’s a
kitchen and a bedroom.” she explained,
showing everyone an ancient kitchen and
an even older bedroom. Then, Joanne led
everybody up some sturdy stone stairs. At
the top, lay a giant lightbulb. And Joanne
showed them the big, red button that turned
it on.
Just then, a thick fog started to settle.
Sadie heard a ferry horn and rushed to press
the button to turn on the lighthouse light.
Everyone in the group saw a ferry, and the
light guided it safely into the harbour. The
ferry stopped by the dock and two people
came out to tie the boat to the mooring.
Everyone rushed out of the lighthouse to
meet the ferry, with Joanne close behind.
A crowd of people emerged from the
ferry, and at the back was Sadie’s mum!
Sadie couldn’t believe her eyes. Sadie’s
mum walked over to Sadie and her dad.
“Come on Sadie, let’s go home.” her
mum said, her eyes twinkling.
Matilda Stanley
Co Dublin
LIGHTHOUSE
Lighthouse big
Lighthouse tall
Lighthouse bright
Shining all night
Keeping ships safe from cliff and storm
Róisín Brennan
Co Kilkenny