GILES PALEY-PHILLIPS
Giles is a writer of children's picture books.
Wendell The Amazing Singing Sheep
Wendell is not like other sheep
He doesn't baa, he doesn't bleat.
What he loves to do is sing
It really is his favourite thing.
But sadly for the other sheep,
His singing sounds more like a shriek.
Whenever he starts up a tune
The other sheep would stomp and fume.
The oldest sheep, whose name was Dan,
Hatched a very cunning plan
to give the sheep a welcome a break
and soothe their ears and heads that ache
He said to Wendell, "what a thrill
To sing up high upon that hill,
For everyone around to hear,
Your lovely singing loud and clear".
Wendell didn't think he should
He'd have to go through Bluebell wood
Where lives, they say, a hungry troll
who'd surely try to eat him whole!
"Now don't you worry," old Dan said,
"If you pass by his woodland bed,
Just sing to him your favourite song,
And he will let you pass along".
"Ok" said Wendell, "I shall go,
And when you hear my song you'll know,
That I have passed that hungry troll
And I have reached my final goal."
As Wendell disappeared from sight
The others cheered with all their might,
"Wendell will be eaten whole,
When he sings to that troll.
At last our ears will have a break,
and our heads no longer ache."
Moving as swiftly as he could,
Wendell entered Bluebell wood.
But soon he noticed through the trees
A bed made out of sticks and leaves,
And sleeping on a horse hair rug,
Covered with a sheepskin shrug.....
An ugly troll with rotten teeth,
and drooling bottom lip beneath.
Wendell tried to quietly creep
So not to wake him from his sleep
But that was when a stick went snap!
Waking the troll up from his nap.
The troll jumped out of his bed
gave a mighty yawn and said
"Whoever dares to awaken me
will be eaten from my tea."
As Wendell's knees began to knock
he wished to be home with his flock
then all of a sudden the strangest thing
Occurred when Wendell started to sing
A smile spread on the face of the troll
Wendell's song had warmed his soul
the troll spoke in a gentle voice,
"dear sheep you've given me no choice
But to let you go on your way,
To sing upon the hill today".
Just as the flock lay down to sleep
They heard a sound to make them weep
"curses!" the sheep all cried
"That singing sheep is still alive."
And to this day you will hear him sing,
Which troll considers a wondrous thing,
but for mean old sheap that want him dead,
it's a permanent ache in the ear and head.
Illustration by Lisa Fox