Mary Hutchison
I have lived all my life in Stevenston and have witnessed many changes over the years - not always good ones. I worked for 38 years as a teacher at Hayocks Primary School where I enjoyed encouraging pupils to write creatively. I love traveling - especially to Japan, which I have visited several times. The juxtaposition of ancient/modern there fascinates me. I have always loved reading and writing poetry. |
Boo’s First Sleepover
There was going to be a sleepover at the local library, but Boo wasn’t sure he wanted to be a part of it.
“I won’t have my comfy bed to sleep in,” he whined to his mum.
“You will have a super-duper sleeping bag. It will be just as comfy,” his mum replied.
“That’s all very well, but the floor will be hard and the library will be scary in the dark,” Boo persisted.
His mother, quietly shaking her head and having been through this argument several times with him, looked him in the eye.
“It will be good for you to play with other bears. You’ll enjoy it. You are going and that’s an end to it, so go and pack your things,” she firmly told him.
Boo, knowing that adults always have the last word in everything, grudgingly trudged off to his room to pack and to sulk.
“Won’t enjoy it!” he muttered to himself whilst packing his overnight bag with his PJs, toothbrush and clean clothes for the next day.
On arrival at the library, Boo could hear young voices laughing and talking but couldn’t work out where the noise was coming from. They were welcomed by the head librarian who noticed that the little bear looked less than happy to be there. She smiled down at him.
“Is there a problem Boo? You don’t look very happy,” she queried.
Boo stared at his feet, his mum, the head librarian and his feet again.
“He likes his comfort,” his mum explained. “Doesn’t think a sleeping bag and a hard floor will be much fun.”
“Oh, but Boo, wait until you see our campsite. It’s just over there, behind those big bookshelves where all the noise is coming from. Go and take a peek,” the head librarian cajoled.
Boo, his curiosity getting the better of his huff, let go of his mum’s hand and followed the noises. Behind the bookcases seven sleeping bags had been arranged around a pretend campfire which had red, orange and yellow tissue paper flames in it. Overhead was a cut-out moon that would glow in the dark and fairy lights that would shine like stars when the lights were turned off and it was dark. The sound of jungle animals and birds was playing from a computer somewhere.
Seven little bears were sitting around the campfire pretending to roast marshmallows, laughing and joking at the silliness of it all.
“Hi Boo,” they chorused. “Come and join us. We’re on a safari to deepest, darkest Africa.”
Boo had to admit that it did look like it was going to be fun.
“Perhaps it won’t be so bad after all to spend the night here,” he thought.
When all the mums had gone, the little bears and the head librarian sat around the campfire and sang some songs and played some games that they all knew. The head librarian told them some stories about jungle animals like elephants, hippos, monkeys and lions. Then they had some hot milk and buttered toast before the head librarian told them it was time for bed.
Once they were all tucked up, each as snug as a bug in a rug in their sleeping bags, the head librarian turned off the lights. The room was dark except for the luminous moon and the fairy light stars. Boo felt his eyelids begin to feel heavy and his eyes started to close.
“Night, night, sleep tight and let’s hope the lions don’t bite,” said the head librarian.
Boo was suddenly wide awake.
She was kidding…….wasn’t she?
There was going to be a sleepover at the local library, but Boo wasn’t sure he wanted to be a part of it.
“I won’t have my comfy bed to sleep in,” he whined to his mum.
“You will have a super-duper sleeping bag. It will be just as comfy,” his mum replied.
“That’s all very well, but the floor will be hard and the library will be scary in the dark,” Boo persisted.
His mother, quietly shaking her head and having been through this argument several times with him, looked him in the eye.
“It will be good for you to play with other bears. You’ll enjoy it. You are going and that’s an end to it, so go and pack your things,” she firmly told him.
Boo, knowing that adults always have the last word in everything, grudgingly trudged off to his room to pack and to sulk.
“Won’t enjoy it!” he muttered to himself whilst packing his overnight bag with his PJs, toothbrush and clean clothes for the next day.
On arrival at the library, Boo could hear young voices laughing and talking but couldn’t work out where the noise was coming from. They were welcomed by the head librarian who noticed that the little bear looked less than happy to be there. She smiled down at him.
“Is there a problem Boo? You don’t look very happy,” she queried.
Boo stared at his feet, his mum, the head librarian and his feet again.
“He likes his comfort,” his mum explained. “Doesn’t think a sleeping bag and a hard floor will be much fun.”
“Oh, but Boo, wait until you see our campsite. It’s just over there, behind those big bookshelves where all the noise is coming from. Go and take a peek,” the head librarian cajoled.
Boo, his curiosity getting the better of his huff, let go of his mum’s hand and followed the noises. Behind the bookcases seven sleeping bags had been arranged around a pretend campfire which had red, orange and yellow tissue paper flames in it. Overhead was a cut-out moon that would glow in the dark and fairy lights that would shine like stars when the lights were turned off and it was dark. The sound of jungle animals and birds was playing from a computer somewhere.
Seven little bears were sitting around the campfire pretending to roast marshmallows, laughing and joking at the silliness of it all.
“Hi Boo,” they chorused. “Come and join us. We’re on a safari to deepest, darkest Africa.”
Boo had to admit that it did look like it was going to be fun.
“Perhaps it won’t be so bad after all to spend the night here,” he thought.
When all the mums had gone, the little bears and the head librarian sat around the campfire and sang some songs and played some games that they all knew. The head librarian told them some stories about jungle animals like elephants, hippos, monkeys and lions. Then they had some hot milk and buttered toast before the head librarian told them it was time for bed.
Once they were all tucked up, each as snug as a bug in a rug in their sleeping bags, the head librarian turned off the lights. The room was dark except for the luminous moon and the fairy light stars. Boo felt his eyelids begin to feel heavy and his eyes started to close.
“Night, night, sleep tight and let’s hope the lions don’t bite,” said the head librarian.
Boo was suddenly wide awake.
She was kidding…….wasn’t she?
Counting out new rhymes
- is for mobile phone always clutched in hand
- is for Emojis, a language I don't understand
- is for the selfie that gets the pout right
- is for a Smart TV that broadcasts through the night
- is for designer clothes so clearly overpriced
- is for Frappe … i.e. coffee that's been iced
- is for the Internet so easy to explore
- is for interactive games so addictive you seek more
- is for Messenger, Facebook and not forgetting Twitter
- is for Pilates in an effort to get fitter
Copyright © 2019 M Hutchison - All rights reserved