In our spring writing competition, we asked you to write a story with the title ‘The Three Little ____’ (characters of your choice). Here is the winner in the final category—Under 12s.

A reminder: always check the rules of the competition. If you don’t stick to the rules, we have to disqualify your entry and that makes us sad!

Under 12s winner: B Kempson (WA)

THE THREE LITTLE JELLYBEANS

Once upon a time, there were three jellybeans. Their names were Orange, Red and Green, although their colours were different. Orange was red, Red was green and Green was orange! Red was curious, which usually landed him in trouble, Orange was smart, always solving equations, and Green was brave. They were orphans, who lived in a packet in a cupboard with other jellybeans. One day, they were quietly playing with other jellybeans, when Red said something that shocked them all.

‘I wonder what it’s like outside this packet?’ All the other jellybeans gasped.

‘What, in the HUMAN world?’ said Green. The other jellybeans gasped again, as if Green had said a swear word.

‘To my calculations, surviving the outer world is one in one million of a chance,’ said Orange. ‘Still, it’s possible … ‘ Orange trailed off when he saw the look in Red’s eye.

‘Oh no you don’t, ‘ said Green, who had realised the look as well. ‘If i have to save you once more, I’ll have to get a personal doctor. Look what happened the last time you did something crazy!’ Green lifted his arm to show a nasty scar.

Even so, the next day, Red cut a hole in the packet, small enough for one jellybean to slip through, and leaped out onto the floor. He grinned to himself muttering, ‘Who’s a clever jellybean? Me!’ Suddenly, he felt a giant glob of slobber, as big as one dozen jellybeans, fell on his head.

He looked up to see where it came from, and saw an ugly brown and white beast with yellow teeth, beady eyes and a small black snout. He had heard legends of a creature like this, but the pictures he had pictured in his mind were nowhere near as terrifying as this.

It was a dog.

You could hear Red’s scream from miles away. Luckily, Green and Orange were lying in the sun near the place that Red escaped. Green’s head jerked up from its position, wondering what Red had done now. He looked around for Red, but stopped when he saw the hole in the packet.

‘Oh no,’ he said, running to the hole. Thinking of Red, he leapt throught he hole and onto the floor. He looked around, and saw Red and the dog. The dog had cornered Red by a table, and was about to eat him, when Green dived through the hole. Red sat down, dazed.

‘You know what? I’m never going to do anything dangerous again,’ he said.

‘Good,’ said Green and Orange.

‘Now let’s go cliff diving!’ said Red, walking off with his friends.