Author: Rose Liu

By Rose

First things first, Sandstorm thought, I need to know more about cabins and people-talk. “I will learn People-talk!” Sandstorm declared to nobody in particular, so he set off to learn more about people-talk. He walked, “if I got to now the cabin better, maybe it would help,” He said. So, he found the fireplace, and the table, and the bathroom and the pantry and then, the bedroom and the study room! In there, he found some very curious things indeed, books! Although he did not know that, when he opened one, there was people talk written all over it, and he decided to try puzzle it out, so he started where it was only too logical to start, at the beginning.

He closed the book the front said “Great Expectations” he read very slowly, “Gee-arr-eeh, no Gee-arr-aay, no, it’s the eeh and the aay, Gee-arr-eeh-aay? No, that doesn’t sound right either what about Grr-ehay no, no, Grr-ehh-ahh, no, I’ll try the last letter then, Grr-ehh-ahh-tee, or Grr-eeh-aay-tuh, I remember when it wasn’t winter vacation, the cheetah school teacher said that in some words I have to say the last vowel sound, Grr-aay-tuh? Grraaytuh, Great! I did it! The first one is great! Let’s try the next one, bring it on! Eeh-eks-pea-eeh-cee-tee-aay-tee-aii-ouu-enn-sss, this one is long, eeh-kcs-puh-eeh-cuh-tuh-aay-tuh-eee-uun-nuh-sss? The tuh-eee-uun-nuh part sounds weird. Oh! I overheard my teacher say to another cub in a different class that when you have tuh-eee-uun-nuh and sss-eee-uun-nuh, you make the shun sound! So, it is eeh-kcs-puh-eeh-cuh-tuh-aay-shun-sss! Eehkcspuheehcuhtuhaayshunsss, Expectations! That means the front says Great Expectations! What does that mean? My teacher said if you don’t know you have to look it up in a dictionary! Let’s see where the dictionary is. Oh, I found it! G-r-e-a-t,”

1, an amount more than normal

2, of ability much more than normal

3, showing something is the most important

4, very good

e-x-p-e-c-t-a-t-i-o-n

1, believing very strongly that something will happen in the future

He closed the dictionary with a thud and said “Great Expectations” slowly and clearly, then looked on the cover again, and read “bi chh-arr-ell-sss dih-kuh-enn-sss. Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens!” then he remembered a different teacher telling older cubs to keep a reading log, so he looked around and found a pen and notebook and decided to use it. He gripped it in his mouth and moved his head trying his best to imitate writing January 16, only, it did not make marks, so he said,

“Maybe it’s broken,” and tossed it to the floor, looking for another one. All he found was the packet of pens because the photographer’s family had sent a whole packet of them. On the back it showed a picture of how to use the pen.

                “Hmmm,” Sandstorm said, “maybe this.” He picked up the pen and patted it and patted it, then batted it and batted it. Finally, he tossed it to the ground in defeat. Just then, with a click, the pen revealed its secret. Now he picked it up once more and wrote:

                December, 16

Today I red a book called Great Expectations. It is ritten by Charles Dickens. Who is he? I will reed de first chapter. I want to now watt it is about. I hop it is about cheetahs. I wonder watt de cheetah is called. -Sandstorm 9 o clok in de morning. Der is a snostorm outside and I cant get out of de cabin.

From: Jackson

To: Colligator

RE: Santa

Place Written: my backyard

Time: 3:45 PM

Date: December 13, 2020

Day: Sunday

Mood: Happy-Excited

Dear Colligator:

How are you doing? I am doing good, did you know it is almost Christmas? What do you want? Here is my wish list:

1 peanut butter

2 Kong

3 a bone

4 a ball

5 a pool to play in

6 a gigamantic typewriter

7 play with you

Do you like the list, I hope Santa won’t have to work overtime to arrange it all. I will make extra snacks for Santa so that he will be able to deliver the presents to everyone. He will get,

1 milk bone

2 a plate of dog treats

3 a big Kong full of peanut butter and squeeze cheese and cottage cheese all mixed together

4 a jar of dog food

5 a dead rat from outside(if I can catch one)

6 worms(if I can catch one)

Do you like my list of food? Do you think Santa will like it? I hope he will.

-Jackson

By Rose Liu

In Rogge Cloof nature reserve, there was a snowstorm taking place. A cheetah named Sandstorm was cold. He wanted a cabin!! He decided to hunt one down, not knowing that you don’t hunt cabins down. He prowled up and down and all around until he found a sign that said, “This way to Bullseye Cabin,” and one end of the sign was pointy. The point was pointing towards a cluster of trees. Sandstorm didn’t understand the sign. All he knew was it had cabin written on part of it, and it was pointing somewhere. “I wish I learned more of people-talk; I can’t understand!” He put his paws on his head and tugged at his ears a little. Finally, he declared, “I can’t understand, but I have an idea. I will follow the pointy sign!” He picked up his paws and tramped and tramped, till he got to a clearing and there, standing tall, with a sign beside it, his cabin!

The photographer opened the door. The weather report had said there was going to be a blizzard soon. He needed more firewood. “Good grief, this is Africa! Not the north pole. And there’s already a snowstorm! Good grief!” he thought. Then he went back inside, climbed up the ladder to his room and walked to his wardrobe. Fortunately, he remembered The Great Snowstorm of 1989 and had some snow gear hidden away in a chest in the back of his closet. He dusted off the chest and tugged out all his bulky gear. He put on his snow pants, under jacket, extra socks, parka, snow boots, snowshoes, gloves, hat, and scarf. He shuffled to he ladder and grabbed on, but it was too slippery, and his mitten was sliding off, so he waved his arms and legs around and around to try and stay on but then, his mitten slipped down and he came falling down. He landed with a thump and picked himself up and dusted himself off. “I really should install some stairs,” he grumbled. Then he grabbed his phone and camera and one extra mitten and one extra scarf for the phone and the camera to keep warm. Then he shuffled outside, because when you’re that bundled-up and must hold a bundled-up camera and a bundled-up phone in your bundled-up hands, it is impossible not to slowly shuffle.

That was when he saw the cheetah, slowly stalking. He quickly snapped a picture, just as the cheetah disappeared into the snow. He went to the shed and grabbed his big bobsled. Then he held on to the string and tugged it out of the shed. He had forgotten to lock the cabin door.           

As soon as the photographer was out of sight, Sandstorm dashed over and tugged the door open and dashed in and slammed the door on the cold, cold, snow.