School children`s story. Hollie and Figgs: The Forbidden Mountain.

I am more than proud of this project. Before I start I would like to thank the children from the schools I visited. You have all been truly amazing. I will include children's names into the post who have contributed, but if I miss anyone out my sincere apologies. I will do my best to make sure everyone is included. Also, it`s been hard to include everyone's ideas however good they are. 

When both my children were young I would often write the beginning part of a story and let them finish it. They loved it! It was always exciting and enlightening to see what they came up with.

 I decided to put this to the test on my school visits and to get 7-8-year-old school children involved in this story writing project of mine. My plan is to share the story on my website and to read it out on the Hollie and Figgs YouTube channel so that the children can see/hear their story in all its glory.

First of all, I set the scene by discussing with them our characters and reading the first story I wrote Hollie and Figgs: Magical Adventures. They loved our characters. Some chose to draw pictures relating to the book and others joined in with story writing.

Some children chose to work together on the plot and others on their own. You can't really distinguish the boy's contribution to the girls. Although there may be a draw to the monster element for the boys and the princess and the sparkly element for the girls.

I read the beginning of the story and then went to Gilmorton Primary School where they followed on from it. I have been astounded by the children's interest, creativity and imagination. I had contributions from Angie, Will, Molly, Rosa, Niamh, Erin, Isabel, and Dhanya. I went through all of their work and put together a plot. To be honest it wasn't that difficult. 

After Gilmorton`s contribution, I went to Ullesthorpe Primary School who came up with quite a lot of script for me to go through. I had contributions from Daniel, Bethany, Tina-Marie, Poppy, Agnes, Sophie, Imogen, Joseph, Holly, Felix, Allegra, Grace, Sophy A, Greta, Alicia, Olivia G, and Michael who came up with the idea of the spinning Figgs. Love it!!

As you can see there were a lot of contributions from Ullesthorpe so it was more difficult to include as much content to make the story flow. But I think I have done a good job if I say so myself :) 

After Ullesthorpe I went to Claybrooke Primary School where Harri, Leah, Grace, Jess, Amelia, Ollie, Mia, Harry, Harvey, April, Lucy, Gabriel, Keaton, Jess, Georgia, and Isla wrote some of their ideas. Grace introduced Demma the flying unicorn and Ollie said that Figgs` nose lit up the cave. What an ingenious idea!!

I then went to Dunton Basset Primary School where Max, Lilia, Mckenzy, Freya, Imogen, and Sam contributed. It was in this class that the Puzzler was imagined and Freya had Hollie drawing pictures of Figgs as they were falling down a hole.

Finally, I visited Stoke Golding Primary School who contributed the story`s finale. Ellie, Hugh, Kara, George and Holly, all contributed. Kara introduced the rope ladder and the final sentence of the story.

Well, here it is. Please read and comment below. It means a lot not just for me, but the children who have contributed and created this. They should be proud of themselves and I hope that this project helps them to feel that they can be creative and gives them the confidence to follow their dreams.

Let me know what you think of the storyline and the project. Remember this has not been professionally edited and I have tried to be as authentic with their work as possible. 

Primary school children’s story.

Hollie and Figgs: The Forbidden Mountain

Hollie has already been to Annie`s home and met Jasper her dog. He`s a scruffy terrier and very mischievous. Hollie doesn’t think about the time she felt unhappy and lonely anymore. She has her best friend Figgs and her new friend Annie.

Annie has rosy cheeks and long, ruby red, curly hair. They both love to dress up and Hollie`s mum allows them to use her makeup and some of her clothes. Figgs watches as they play and will often join in.

They pretend that they are at a royal ball and set a table with flowery cups and plates just like the ones in Hippogoblin Land. Hollie`s mum makes special cakes when Annie stays and they pretend that they are apple daisy cakes just like the ones Hollie had in the magical kingdom.

"What do you think to this?” Hollie said as she turned to Annie giggling, “I am a princess and you can be the queen. Figgs can be our butler and can serve us tea and cakes.”

Hollie dressed Figgs in a red velvet jacket. He never seems to mind being dressed up. In fact, he enjoys the fuss and joining in the fun. “Figgs you look very grand. You look more like a king than a butler.” Hollie set to work at making Figgs a golden crown fit for a king and placed it on top of his head, which made Annie chuckle.

Then, Hollie could hear her mum call out, “it`s bedtime now girls!”

Hollie removed Figgs` velvet jacket and golden crown cuddled him and popped him onto his bed. Then Annie and Hollie changed into their pyjamas. “I wish my mum would let Jasper sleep in my bedroom,” Annie said as she stroked Figgs`s soft grey coat. Then they all settled down for the night.

They chatted and giggled for what seemed like hours. “Hollie, I wish we could go on an adventure like you and Figgs did in your story.”

“I know it would be amazing Annie.”

The girls were drifting off to sleep when they heard a voice coming from the bottom of Hollie's bed.

“Come on you two, you want an adventure don’t you, so let’s go on one.” They both looked down and there was Figgs looking up at them with his sparkly green eyes, cute pink button nose, and wore the cheekiest grin.

Annie looked puzzled but excited and very tired. A voice then said, “Hollie it`s June 14th Princess Lulubud`s ball. Don’t you remember? You can bring Annie along too if you want.”

Hollie looked at Annie and beamed, “Let`s go!” They both jumped out of their beds as quickly as they could and squished themselves together on the small round rainbow rug with Figgs.

Gilmorton Primary School

In a puff of smoke, they whooshed out of Hollie`s bedroom with Annie`s hair flowing in the wind. It wasn’t long before they could see Cloudland and Fairyland beneath them. Then, the rug suddenly stopped. Figgs looked very worried and said, “Oh no we may get stuck here forever!”

Annie turned to Hollie and said, “Are you thinking what I am?”

She giggled, “let`s slide down the rainbow.”

But Hippogoblin Land was too far away, at least thirty to forty strawberry candy floss clouds away. So they all hopped onto the clouds and then whooshed down the rainbow.

“How cool is this!” Annie said.

When they arrived in Hippogoblin Land the girls were already dressed for the ball in shimmery ball gowns and diamond jewelry. They were a little confused about it but knew it was magic.

They burst into the palace ballroom where they could hear lots of shouting, “The guest of honour is missing! Princess Lulubud is missing.”

 Ullesthorpe Primary School

Hollie and Annie were very worried about Princess Lulubud. Annie twisted her ruby red curls and sighed and her pink rosy red cheeks turned pale. They looked everywhere, but couldn’t find her.

The king stood up and shouted, “The ball is over start searching guards!” The guests plodded out the palace and went home.

Suddenly Hollie started to cry and salty tears ran down her soft cheeks. She remembered that Princess Lulubud has a cat called Poppy and for a moment Hollie thought that she may have taken Poppy to where she lives. 

They knew they had to do something.

The whole kingdom was worried and began to search for the princess. Figgs then said, “I never thought I would have to use this,” he tapped his golden collar and a white screen appeared out of nowhere. Figgs started talking to it and asked it where abouts the princess is. They could see a picture of the forbidden mountain on the screen.

In a flash of light the king’s faithful servant, `flying cow` appeared. He was green with blue wings, a pink tail and has ice cream blobs for his ears. Hollie, Annie, and Figgs leaped onto his back and off they went to the forbidden mountain. First, they came across Gum Land where there were strawberry, cherry, watermelon, and orange flowers. Then they spotted a sticky mess at the end of a path. They all gasped in horror.

As they approached they could see something inside trying to wriggle free, `Is that where the princess is being held? `They thought.

But it wasn’t the princess.

The path suddenly disappeared and then they came across the rainbow forest nearby a sherbert stream. Figgs suddenly started to dance and he kept dancing and dancing and at the same time chopped down all the trees until they came across a blue path leading to the Forbidden Mountain. There they saw a monster creature in a long black silk dress. Figgs spun around and around and his tail hit the creature. It suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Then, Hollie turned to say something to Annie but she wasn’t there. She had disappeared!

Claybrooke Primary School

Hollie and Figgs saw fairy dust come down from the sky and a unicorn appeared out of nowhere. They climbed onto its back and then suddenly wings appeared and it began to rise up until it was in the clouds. The unicorn told them that its name was Demma and that it isn’t safe in the Forbidden Mountain. Figgs had an idea that the princess and Annie could be held in a nearby cave. Demma flew them up to the cave and Figgs with his amazing tale broke through a rock at the entrance. As they entered Figgs lit the cave with his pink nose and then they saw a monster who said that they must solve a puzzle if they were to ever see their friends again.

Dunton Bassett Primary School

They were really scared to go inside because the monster looked vicious. But they have to save the Princess and Annie. The monster called himself the `Puzzler. ` He told them that they had to answer a question and walk on the right letters on some stepping stones across a lake inside the cave. He asked them, `what is pink, cannot fly and likes mud?` They found the question easy and made their way across the lake spelling the word P.I.G. as they walked on the stepping stones.

They heard spooky noises all around them and came across a mysterious tunnel that went on for miles. Then suddenly they fell down a trap door. Hollie drew pretty pictures of Figgs on the muddy walls as they fell deeper and deeper into the hole. Figgs landed on top of Hollie, but they didn’t hurt themselves. Then they heard footsteps getting louder and louder. As they walked closer to where the footsteps were they saw Annie and the princess.

Stoke Golding Primary School

Hollie asked, “Annie, Princess what happened?”

Princess Lulubud replied, “I don’t really know. All I can remember was the monster knocking me out cold.”

Hollie turned to Figgs, “How are we going to get out?”

Figgs twitched his small, pink, button nose and a rope ladder appeared in a puff of purply-pink smoke.

Princess Lulubud then Annie and then Hollie climbed up the ladder. Figgs was last. Up they went one by one, with Figgs checking that the girls were fine and rolling up the end of the ladder behind them. Figgs warmly whispered We`d better get going or we`ll be late for the ball!”