Storytelling Competition 2026 Category 1
Entrant: Rosie – age 7
Humpty’s Breakdance
Humpty Dumpty joined a stage school:
Humpty Dumpty dreamed he’d be cool.
Tried singing and acting but that was no good
But ballet and jazz and break-dance he could.
“Hey Humpty,” said friends, “you dance really well.”
“But be careful Humpty, you might crack your shell.”
“I’ve fallen off walls but I don’t give in –
There’s no way this egg will go in the bin.”
So Humpty went crazy and spun on his head.
“I’m not scared anymore – I’ll break dance instead.”
He won Britain’s Got Talent and he met the King,
Who would ever have thought of such a thing?
Entrant: Isaac – age 9
Little Bo Peep
Once upon a time there was a farmer who lost her sheep and didn’t know where to find them.
She looked everywhere but no luck, she is used to them causing mayhem.
She checked everywhere to try and find the sheep, Bo Peep looked in the barn, the fields, the house and even the farm jeep.
She looked around garden and around the pond, more upset she got, because of their strong bond.
“Wait! What’s that sound… is it a sheep my ears have found?”
“Moooo,” said Daisy the cow. “No, you are not my sheep, stop hiding behind the plough!” shouted little Bo Peep.
“Hang on! I hear something, is it my sheep hiding behind the dustbin?”
“Quack, quack,” said Mrs Duck. “No, you are not my sheep, this is just my luck!”
Little Bo Peep asked Daisy and Mrs Duck to help her find her sheep. “Come on guys I’ve checked everywhere I can think of.”
“Have you checked the pond?” asked Mrs Duck.
“Have you checked the barn, the fields and the house?” asked Daisy the cow.
The next sound they all heard gave them a shock – it was a “MEOWWW!”
Out from the bushes appeared a very mucky, very soggy little cat. “Oh look it’s Dotty!” shouted everyone.
“Oh poor dotty, your paws are all spotty!” said a shocked Bo Peep.
“Have you seen my sheep?” she said to the very soggy cat.
“Unfortunately I have not seen any sheep today. I need to go and dry off – sorry I can’t chat!”
So off they went, Little Bo Peep, Daisy the cow and Mrs Duck (the duck) to try and find the long lost sheep.
Bo Peep was getting very worried and tired. It had now been a very long day.
“Oh, I know! We haven’t looked in the pile of hay!” shouted Little Bo Peep.
Arriving at the pile of hay, they heard another sound which sounded like a “Neigh!”
“Hello Jasper, we have a problem and we need to solve it by the end of the day” said a very worried Little Bo Peep.
“Have you tried the apple tree?” asked Jasper the horse. “Let’s go look, you and me,” replied Little Bo Peep. Approaching the big apple tree, they saw something on the swing. As they got closer they heard someone to start to sing.
“Baaa, baaaaaaa, baa, baaaaaa, baaaaa!” IT WAS LITTLE BO PEEPS LOST SHEEP!
“Oh how I have missed you,” said Little Bo Peep. “Let’s get back to the house, and we can all have a long nice sleep.”
Entrant: Erin – age 9
Molly Malone
The endless, aqua ocean is hypnotizing. It flows and waves countless times a minute. What lies beneath its shadowy, frothing surface is a mystery. Sometimes, people have been known to go in… And never come out.
“Seafood! Get ya fresh seafood!”, “Fresh cockles and mussels, caught this morning!”
Dublin’s streets were alive with stalls and Molly Malone was a fishmonger’s daughter, catching the best fish and the attention of people around the market. One dull day, the sky was bruised and pigeon grey, Molly was setting the stall for her morning work, when an unfamiliar figure slowly stepped towards her. It was a woman with sun-kissed skin, the faint smell of sea-salt and deep, hazelnut eyes; the kind that leave you asking questions. She was wrapped in a hessian shawl edged in intricate patterns and shells, clattering as she walked like a whisper in the breeze.
“Molly, my dear,” she whispered, “I’ve got a bargain for you.” Her infinite eyes darted around the market place and time seemed to stand still. She opened her pocket and discretely revealed an oak, battered chest that was only the size of the palm of her hand. It was carved with puzzling symbols. While it didn’t look much, Molly’s heart told her that this was a priceless item and could be dangerous in the wrong hands. “Just one pound of cockles, my love, and this precious item will be yours.” Molly studied the box, desperate for this unknown treasure. Molly gently lifted it and was about to question her, but she’d already placed one crooked finger against Molly’s lips. “The box will open when the time is right,” she uttered softly in Molly’s ear and as she blinked curiously, the woman had disappeared.
Weeks passed and the box lay untouched on Molly’s dusty, bedside table. This particular morning, Molly woke before the golden sun had risen by birdsong; peaceful, spellbinding. She began brushing her sandy-coloured hair when a faint whisper in her heart drew her towards the trinket. She noticed the inscription HSIW1 which made no sense. She continued to rhythmically brush, like the rolling sea-shore when she glanced at it in the mirror. She realized it said 1WISH! At this, the chest creaked open to reveal an iridescent, glowing pearl that glistened in the faint beams of the early morning light.
Molly rapidly placed the pearl into her apron pocket and dashed out the door to work. She worked obsessive and distracted and the day seemed to last a lifetime. When she finally got home, the stars were shining. She cradled the pearl and made her 1WISH.
Nobody knows what happened to Molly but when her family went to her room the next morning, Molly was gone. They ran to the beach to search for her and noticed her navy cloak on the water’s edge, lapping in the waves, back and forth. Some think they saw a boat on the water that day and some say they still hear Molly’s calls; “Cockles and Mussels, Alive, Alive Oh”.