tell me about it

Excerpts from my Sec One express babies. I have a terribly soft spot for them because they really have been turned over to me these past weeks and I’m going to be so sad leaving them. It’s heartwarming to hear them moan and groan when they heard this was my last week in school too :/ Sob. I’ll miss all of you kids. Be good.

Anyway, I gave them a composition to write, entitled “How The Merlion Got Its Fish-Tail”. I got back several completely adorable stories, some rather puzzling and some gut-wrenchingly funny.

Here they are, reproduced verbatim without my amused comments and corrections.

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“Once upon a time there was a small sardine who live in the sea. It was bullied by the other fish all the time. It tried going to his mother but she would only come back late at night.

One time, the other fishes gave him a wedgie. The sardine tried to tell the teacher bout the bullying but the teacher told him to stop lying. The fish felt very sad and that no one would believe him.”

—

“He finally caught his first fish after 4 hours of hard work.

He ate the fish and felt awkward immediately after. Although this was happening, he had no choice but hunt for more fish.

A day passed, the lion felt cold, weak and hungry. When he tried to trot, he fell on one leg. when he looked at his left hind leg, it was not a leg, but a flipper! Soon his right hind leg morphed into a flipper. His whole leg morphed into a fish’s tail. That was how the Merlion got its fish-tail.”

—

“Once upon a time, in a island far far away call Temasek, there was a brave and courage lion call Singa. He was the King of the forests. All the animals in the forests respect him and treat him like a father. Singa doesn’t scared anything but he has one worry. He have not find his true love. He always wanted a wife so that they can keep the next generation alive. Everytime when the matchmaker which is the monkey call cupid will give Singa all the female animals in the forest but none of them was what Singa like.”

—

“But one day, while Idrius was cutting down a tree, he heard a soft cry for help. There, he placed his rusty axe on the ground and listened.

“Don’t hurt me, please don’t cut me!” said the soft voice.

“Is this a prank? I’m obviously cutting down a non-talking tree!” yelled the old man.”

—

(The mermaid’s husband, the lion, has been eaten by a beast; so the mermaid has returned to the underwater palace to be reunited with her family.)

“During the reunion, the mermaid started puking and she craves for sour plums. so, her mother brought her to meet the family doctor. The family doctor told them that the mermaid was pregnant. Everyone was delighted. When she gave birth, the baby wasn’t a mermaid nor a lion. It was a combination of both. And, the royal nanny shouted, “Maybe we could name it Merlion!”

And, that’s how Merlion got its name.”

—

“(The lion) emerged from behind the bushes. “Hello everyone! Can I join?” he asked everyone. The other animals didn’t know what he was saying, it all sounded like growling to them. They ran as fast as lightning. Tears trickled down his hairy cheeks.

“Why doesn’t anyone like me? I don’t eat meat. I’m a vegetarian,” he said in between great sobs. He went to the nearest rock and sat on it, wondering why he’s born a lion.”

—

“The mermaid follow the witch instruction and came upon the kingdom of the lion she stealth into the chamber where the king of lion sleep. “oh he look so handsome!” said the mermaid “But I have to cut his heart out.” Just then a angel appear on her left shoulder and a devil appear on the right. “Don’t do it little mermaid!” said the angel “Do it!” said the Devil, “what the hell am I in heck?” “Look little mermaid he is so innocent you don’t want to kill him don’t you?” said the angel “Do it you will become beautiful!!” said the devil. the mermaid thougt about it for a moment and said “I guess I will….follow what the angel said…” “What?! you are hopeless!” said the devil and poof the angel and devil are gone. “OK…looks like I will just go back and report to the witch.”

“What?! you failed to get his heart?!” said the big bad stupid idiotic silly looking witch “very well then I will turn you into a half lion.” said the witch “No!! Noooo!” and poof her upper body become a lion and said “No! No! I would rather die then being so ugly!” said the mermaid “Very well then I will help you with that!” she point her wand and chanted something and poof the mermaid become a statue and now today we call it a merlion.”