I wrote this short story when I was in third grade on April 24, 1999. I still remember vividly how I shared it with the class, but it was so long that when it came time for recess, I had to stop reading and continue it after we all came back! It’s been years since I’ve read it, and I’m happy to share it with you. I hope you like it!
Medival Dreams (a story similar to Alice in Wonderland)
It all began in 1946. In the state of Tennessee. My pa and I live in a farmhouse on a farm. My ma does not live with us because she died several years ago. She died of a disease that I know nothing of. The last time I saw her she was lying in bed with her eyes closed. Pa did not let me get too close to her. Now pa does not want to let me out of his sight. He says he does not want me to die like ma and if I did he would be lonely. Once after school in the one room schoolhouse I went to my best friend’s house without telling pa. When I got home there were police cars in the dirt driveway. When I went in, my dad rushed to me and said, “Katie, you scared the daylights out of me! Where have you been?”
“Pa, I was at my friend’s house. I’m sorry for not telling you first,” I exclaimed.
“Well sorry is not going to work this time. From now on you are not staying out of my sight I will call school and say that you will be staying home with me and help take care of the farm!” Pa yelled.
That was the first time I heard pa yell. So I stayed home taking care of the animals and gathering the crops. One day I saw a machine throwing seeds all around. They did this for a week. After a month or two I saw some sprouts. There was about 50 million of them. One day the people who controlled the machine came and looked at the sprouts. Pa and I went out to meet them.
“Hello there, my name is Bill, and this is my daughter Katie,” said Pa.
“My name is Bob and this is Paul,” said one man.
“Can you keep a secret, Bill?” asked Paul.
“Sure I can,” said Pa.
“Okay here is the secret. The forest is going to be magical in six more years,” said Bob.
“I will be fourteen,” I said.
“Are you sure you’re not fibbing to us? Because if you are fibbing, then I’ll make sure the police will get you,” exclaimed Pa.
“I also know that it takes people back in time to the place that you wish to go to,” said Bob.
~*~
Now I am fourteen years old. The forest is as full grown as it could be. I thought they were taller than the tallest building in America.
Finally pa has loosened up on me a little and lets me go places alone without asking. One day I went near the fores, I saw something that I could not describe. I thought I saw the Queen’s dog running away. So I rushed home and went inside.
“Pa, pa, are you home?” I yelled.
“Yes I am Katie. Is there anything you need?”
“I was wondering if I could go in the woods for the afternoon,” I asked.
“Sure you can, just be careful.” he called.
“I’ll be careful. You can count on me,” I called back.
So I went out the door to the woods. When I went in I gasped. It was the most beautiful place that had ever seen. The leaves felt like silk. When I was in the forest I noticed that the trees looked as if they touched the sky. There was a clearing so I went in. The tops of the branches were in a dome shape. As I watched the branches sway I thought about England. Then I started getting sleepy. After a while I fell asleep. When I woke up I decided to go home. So I got up and went out of the clearing. When I got to the opening of the trees that I went into, I gasped. I was not in Tennessee. I had to so I went out of the forest. I saw a woman so I went up to her.
“Um, excuse me but I was wondering if you could tell me what the place and year is?” I asked.
“I guess I can if you can tell me what your name is first,” said the woman.
“Okay, my name is Katie,” I said.
“You can call me Martha and you are in England in 1603. Oh my! Look at your clothes. Why don’t I give you some clothes to put on to fit in,” said Martha.
“That will be fine with me, as long as I fit in,” I said.
So I went with Martha to her house. She lived in a mansion that seemed to touch the sky.
“I love your mansion, Martha,” I exclaimed.
“I love it too. The Queen of England herself gave it to me,” said Martha.
“Why did she?” I asked.
“She and I were best friends in the one room schoolhouse,” said Martha. “Why don’t you stay at my house.”
“Sure, I will,” I said. I was so excited. When I went inside I found out that the inside was more beautiful than the outside. There were sparkling glass chandeliers that sparkled like diamonds. Then she showed me to my room and it was the most beautiful bedroom I had ever seen.
“Thank you so very much for the bedroom and letting me stay here!” I exclaimed.
“You are very welcome Katie, you also get a maid named Marie and I better get you dressed in proper clothes,” said Martha and she rushed off to get me some English clothes. When I looked in my room I saw a woman working in my room.
“You must be Maria,” I said.
“Right you are miss. I will be your maid and you can just ring a bell and I’ll come,” said Maria. “Is it all right if I call you miss?” she asked.
“You can call me miss and I will try not to work you so hard,” I said.
Then Martha rushed in with a blue dress that shimmered like the sea.
“Try it on Katie,” said Martha.
So I tried it on. It fit me perfectly.
“Now people will know who you are staying with,” exclaimed Martha.
“Why will they know who I am staying with?” I asked.
“Because I am the second richest in the country of England,” said Martha. “By the way, we will be seeing the Queen tomorrow afternoon,” she said.
“Are we really going to see her?” I asked.
“Yes, and I am going to introduce you to her,” Martha said.
“Well now we better get to sleep now. Look in the wardrobe and you will find a nightgown.”
So I went and found a nightgown as green as ivy. And I put it on and went to sleep.
The next day I put on my finest clothes and got ready for the carrige to arrive. When our carrige arrived I was nervous. I kept on asking if my hair looked good and other things. Martha kept saying yes. When we got there I finally calmed down. I could not believe I was going to meet the Queen herself. Everything was going to get boring when Martha motioned me up.
“We are going to meet the Queen now,” said Martha.
So when we got to the Queen I gasped. She was only sixteen! We met the Queen and we talked and talked some more. Then she looked at me and took off a ruby ring surrounded with diamonds that looked like the sun rising.
“I hope you will treasure this forever,” said the Queen.
“I extremely will,” I said speechless.
The next thing I knew we were home. Then I was so tired I fell asleep instantly. The next day I suddenly remembered home and pa. So I went to the woods. I went to the clearing. But I did not fall asleep so I went back. The next day I tried again. It did not work.
“Oh man…” I said.
“…Where has she gone off to?” Pa yelled.
“Here I am!” I yelled.
“Katie where are you, you were gone all afternoon,” he said. “It is time for dinner.”
I looked at my finger and saw the ring.
“Okay dad. I’m coming,” I said smiling.
❤ Me
And that’s when all the other kids got mad at you for setting the bar so high! Very involved piece for third grade!
Thank you! Yes, I was definitely an overachiever in school. I still am, in some ways!