Shiver me Timbers!

“It will throw us overboard!” bellowed Captain Hali as he maneuvered the Eclipse through the rough waters.
“Take a different tack!” yelled First Mate, Theodore.
The ship shook violently. A long-haired girl… with a fish tail, emerged from the water.
“She is causing this!” yelled the Captain.
“Shiver me timbers! Thessalonike is real?”
“Aye! She’s obsessed with her brother, Alexander the Great’s fortune!”
“Tell me,” she asked. “Is King Alexander alive?”
“Aye! He lives and reigns and conquers the world!” lied the captain.
“Has the Captain lost his mind?” wondered Theodore.
“Farewell, men!” Thessalonike disappeared soundlessly, leaving calm waters behind.

*Have you ever heard of the legend of Thessalonike? She is believed to be the sister of King Alexander. According to the legend, she never died, but turned into a mermaid instead. If she appears and asks the crew "Is King Alexander alive?" she expects the answer "He lives and reigns and conquers the world!" If the crew answers differently, she will drown them all. If they answer correctly, she let them go, bidding them farewell and calms the water.*

© Marianna Pieterse

http://www.pixabay.com (edited)
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The Return of Sir Adgar

His owner went over the rainbow bridge. Being immortal, he knew the drill.

“Stay out of sight. Walk in as a stray when the new family arrives. No-one can resist a purring cat, then BAM! Sir Adgar is back!” the Maine Coon smirked, flicking his bushy tail at the thought.

The roar of an engine pulled him back to reality. A champagne Merc parked outside. “Classy. Lets meet Mom,” he thought as the family disembarked. He perfected his mesmerising purr. Gently he nudged Mom's leg with his face.

“Honey, look! Can we keep him?” she asked, stroking his soft fur.

*Where did Sir Adgar come from? Will the new family take him in?*

© Marianna Pieterse

http://www.pixabay.com
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Slik goes underground

Slik, was dressed like one of the local kids with headphones. He edged closer to the two men in black. Not too close to arouse suspicion. Just close enough for his headphones to pick up on the conversation and translate it into his native language, Mgenian.
“The UFO was sighted over there.” whispered the first agent, pointing west.
“We have the area surrounded.” answered the second agent.
Slik quickly made his way back to the forest, transforming back into his alien form.
“Sir, they’re onto us,” he reported.
“We will have to go underground,” sighed the commander.


*Would you like to know what happened next with Earth's alien visitors?*

© Marianna Pieterse

http://www.freeimages.co.uk
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The Hatching of the Eggs Festival

King Felix frantically paced up and down. General Marcellus sent word that the egg of the mighty Maxynian dragon was still missing - the highlight of the Hatching of the Eggs Festival.

In a cave not far from there princess Leah nervously lifted the smooth, silvery object from her backpack. She knew what happened to the dragons after the festival.
"Father, dragons will soon die out if we continue!" she said.
"Don't be naive. Stop over-reacting!" he reprimanded.
General Marcellus was distracted. She took her chance.

She heard a soft crack. Mesmerised she watched as the egg began to hatch.

*Would you like to know what happened next?*

© Marianna Pieterse

http://www.freeimages.co.uk
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Bob's Marvelous Dream

Bob rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Sun rays streamed in through the bedroom windows.
“What are you smiling about?” asked his younger brother Jock, still blinking the sleep away.
“I’ve just had the best dream ever!” answered Bob excitedly. “I dreamed that I went for a swim. I’ve noticed something shining underneath the edge of the paving and jumped out of the pool to investigate. Guess what it was? Gold coins! Hidden right there, underneath the cement slab!”
“Where are you going now?” asked Jock.
Bob winked at his brother. “For a swim!” he laughed.

*What do you think happened next?*

© Marianna Pieterse

http://www.freeimages.co.uk
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The Fake Resolution

I have a little problem,  I need a solution.
Sally came to visit, and I made up a resolution.
I know I should have kept quiet,
But as usual my ego ran riot.
I wanted to put her in her place.
For always bragging to my face.
I said I wanted to build my own plane,
With which I will fly from here to Spain.
She spread the news wide and far,
Before I knew it I featured in The City Star.
Now there is a crew following me around,
Little do they know I will stay on the ground.

© Marianna Pieterse

http://www.freeimages.co.uk
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Boredom and Bewilderment

“Cat! Cat! Where are you?  They’re leaving… Cat!  They’re gone.  Cat!”
“What is it you dumb canine?  Let me sleep for five minutes.”
“They’ve left!”
“And…?”
“What if they don’t come back?  They’ve been gone like, forever!”
“They’ve left three minutes ago.”
“This is serious, what if they find a house with huskies or a golden retriever and don’t come back?”
“Oh boy… I’m sure I’ve heard Mom say she left turkey in the fridge for you.”
“Be right back!”
“That ought to keep him busy while I catch a few winks.  Good luck explaining yourself to Mom silly dog…”

© Marianna Pieterse

*Let me know if you would like to read more!*
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Lizzie's Holiday

Lizzie the Loerie and her green-feathered family were packing their bags for their annual holiday in Knysna.  Excitement filled the air as they prepared to leave their home on the East Coast to visit their cousins in the beautiful Southern Cape. 
Lizzie couldn’t wait to see her cousin Sandy again.  Oh the things they would get up to.  Picking berries and then dropping them on unexpected beach-goers was always a highlight.  “Mom always reprimands us, but seeing the people’s expressions is priceless.” she thought with a giggle.
Sandy always has marvelous adventures planned for them.  This year Lizzie had a few suggestions of her own.  Aunt Sally said it is whale season and she would like to meet a hunchback whale.   “It will be best not to let Mom know as she would worry too much.” she thought.  She would like to fly to the wildlife resort and meet the elephants.   “Yes, Sandy would have to agree.” thought Lizzie, thrilled by the prospect of calling the shots this holiday.  She liked Sandy, but now that she’s older, it is high time that they listen to her.  Mom, Dad, Bessie and Dinnie were running around getting the luggage ready.  Time dragged by.  “Come on guys!  Let’s go!  We could have been halfway there already!”  She said.
Their backpacks with snacks for the road they were ready.  They headed South-West.  It was a long flight.  Lizzie was dreaming of the green hills and big houses she would soon see.  There was always plenty of food around too.  “Watch out!” said Mom as she narrowly missed a high black branch.  “What kind of a tree was that?”, asked Lizzy.  “A black one!” Bessie sneered.  “Whatever!” said Lizzy, annoyed with her older sibling’s silly joke.  “Bessie please don’t set her off on a tantrum again!” said Dinnie.  Bessie wisely obliged.  The last thing she wanted was for her sister to spoil their holiday. 
“Bessie thinks she is so funny.  She is not going to ruin my holiday.” thought Lizzie crossly, nearly flying into another branch. “Lizzie!” yelled Mom in fright. Lizzie looked over her shoulder.  Then it dawned on her.  That branch was black too and so is almost every tree as far as she could see!  Looking at Mom she knew that she saw it too!  “It must have been an astronomical fire…” said Dad with shock in his voice.  The green hills from before were only black patches.  Houses with root-smeared walls were missing roofs and windows.   “Look!” Dad continued.  “That car is completely burnt out”. 
Sadness and fear threatened to overwhelm Lizzie.   “How could this happen?” she asked as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks, thinking she had never seen such devastation before.   “Where are aunt Sally and the others?” she asked with a quivering voice. 
They heard Sandy in a mall voice behind them.  “Aunt Jenny, you came!  We thought you might have heard of the great fire and decide to not visit.” she said.  “Come, I will take you to Mom and the others.”
Soon the families were reunited.  Lizzie had no desire to have part in the conversation.   They had to do something to help the beautiful town recover.  But what could they do?  They were so small.  She was not about to give up.  She thought harder than ever before.   “I’ve got it!” she yelled, making everyone jump.   Dad looked at her curiously.  “What’s the matter?” he asked. 
“I know how we can help!” she exclaimed. 
For the next 10 minutes she explained her plan to them.  “That is rather brilliant!” said Bessie. Lizzie beamed over the unexpected compliment. 
In a flutter of feathers they rushed out to spread the word.  Before long animals from all over were doing their bit to help.  Birds were flying back and forth dropping seeds from flowers and plants from the neighbouring towns.  Lizzie met elephants from the resort after all.  They were watering the seeds with their giant trunks.   Hunchback whales helped directing birds and animals alike.   There was a buzz in the air.  People came out to see what the commotion was about.  Soon they helped clearing debris and digging trenches for the seeds to be planted.   
That night Lizzie went back to her nest with calmness in her heart.  Soon the beautiful Knysna she knew and loved will be back in all it’s splendour. 
“This was a holiday to remember.” she thought.

© Marianna Pieterse

http://www.freeimages.co.uk
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