WRITERS' GALLERY

The ABC Peel Kids and Teens Gallery and Showcase

Welcome to ABC Peel's exhibit of writing, artwork, projects, photographs and other works by young people associated with ABC Peel! If you are interested in having your work displayed, send it to webadmin@abcpeel.org.

THE MERMAID AND THE CLAM

Once upon a time there was a mermaid who lived on mermaid rock. Her name was Lily and she loved her home very much. One day when she was hunting for food she saw a sunken shipwreck that was haunted. She bravely went into the haunted shipwreck. Then all of a sudden there was a creak and a crack! Out of nowhere out popped a GIANT CLAM!!!! It started to roar and roar, it made a huge racket! Bang! Crash! Wallop! Lily shivered and shook and screamed and screamed but then she finally managed to calm down.

Then she gently patted the clam. It let out a little howl and she shook a little. Then very very very slowly the clam opened its mouth and inside was the whitest,purest pearl in the world. The mermaid could not take her eyes off the pearl. She was about to take the pearl when a huge sea monster blocked her way. The monster bellowed:’ WHO DARES TO TAKE THIS PEARL’? Lily bravely said: ‘I would dare to take this pearl’. Then the mermaid had an idea.’Mr.Monster, go fetch this treat I threw out for you’.

So the monster went to get the treat the mermaid had thrown out for him. When the monster was gone, Lily tied a rope she had found near the shipwreck window onto the clam’s mouth. Then she led the clam to mermaid rock before the monster could come back.

As most stories end like “they lived happily after”, this one ended like that too.

Written By: Anvita Vavilla, Grade 2, Fairview Public School

The Case of the Missing Diamond Necklace! 

A long time ago, like about 2004 there was a detective named James. They  called him Detective James. There was a mall that had a beautiful and shiny  necklace. The cost of the necklace was $100,000! Nobody had $100,000! Everyone  stared at it for one hour! One day the necklace was stolen. The police hired  Detective James. Detective James had a brother who went on vacation. He had a  son named Marty also. He took Marty with him. They went in the car, tied their  seatbelts and then turned on the car. They drove to the mall which was near  Terragar Blvd. They got out of the car and rushed to the police. The police  took them inside and they all searched for a clue. Marty found a clue near the  case where the diamond necklace was. It said clue #1: Go to Niagara Falls. He  rushed to his Dad and yelled, "Dad, Dad, Dad, I found a clue and it says  clue #1: "Go to Niagara Falls." 

They all drove to Niagara Falls. Near the waterfall Detective James found  another clue and it said clue #2: "In the water". In the water they saw a paper.  They ran down the stairs, took some life-jackets and jumped on a boat. They  picked it up and it said clue #3: Go to Taco Bell and go in the boy's  washroom. They knew it was a red herring because it was a lined paper and the other  clues weren't. They had already found clue #2 and all the other clues had  something to do with Niagara Falls and this one didn't. They put that paper in  the red herring pocket. 

They saw another clue and it said clue#4: In the cave underwater. They rowed  the boat where the clue told them to. They took off their jackets and jumped  in the water. They looked around but couldn't find the cave. Detective James  had an electronic watch that told him where to go to find the criminals.  Detective James saw his watch had a compass pointing straight ahead. 

Detective James followed the arrow until he found the cave. He went inside  and saw clue # 5: Sticking to the wall. He took it off the wall. It said clue  #6: Near the door, in the cave. He saw a door and opened it. A letter was  flying because of the wind (gas). It said clue #7: In the storage room. He saw a  door. On the door was written STORAGE ROOM. He opened the door and it made a  screechy noise screech. He found a clue on the floor. It said clue#8: Dig in  the ground. 

Detective James found a shovel next to the clue. He dug till he found the  diamond necklace. It was still shiny and beautiful. He dug a little more after  he put the diamond necklace in his pocket. He got all muddy because he was  digging. After a while he found his brother in a cave underground. He phoned the  police and told them to bring his son Marty too. They picked up his brother  Jack and they put handcuffs on Jack. He was finally happy that the criminal  was going to jail. Jack stayed in jail for a very long time. 

The End 

Written By: Kanika C, Grade 2

(Webmaster's Note: Kanika's story includes wonderful font and text size changes that make it lovely to look at as well as interesting to read.  Unfortunately, the fonts are not compatible with our web site format.  To see the story as Kanika wrote it, click here)

Rommel

Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's philosophy was "Sweat saves blood, blood saves lives, brains save both." He used this idea throughout his life to achieve victory for the German army under his command. Rommel was feared by his enemies, loved by his allies, and respected by both.

Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was born on November 15, 1891 in Heidenheim, Germany. In 1910, Rommel enlisted in the army he went to Danzig military school by WWI he was a lieutenant fighting against the Italians in many battles. He was promoted to captain and received the Iron Cross, Germany's highest honour as well Prussia's highest usually reserved for generals. He attacked numerous Italian strategic locations and won with a limited number of troops. Rommel played a key role the German victory over the Italians in WWI.

After Germany's defeat in 1918, Colonel Rommel taught in military academies and wrote two books Infantry Attacks and The Tank in Attack. Adolf Hitler read the books and appointed Rommel in command of his bodyguard. Rommel was promoted to major general on the eve of WWII.

Rommel was given command of the 7th Panzer division a tank group faster than any other tank division. Rommel was sent into France and he was the first to reach the English Channel on June 10, 1940. By June 19th, he had captured the coastal city of Cherbourg. He then raced to the Spanish border. Rommel was given command of the world famous "Afrika Korps" in 1941 where he became a legend. Rommel was named The Desert Fox because he was sneaky and conniving like a fox. Rommel helped the Italians beat the Allies back to Egypt and out of Lybia. Newly promoted Field Marshal Rommel and the British fought each other until 1942 when at El Alamein 60 miles from Alexandria a vicious battle arose and gave the British a victory over the "Afrika Korps" and Rommel. The "Afrika Korps" surrendered to the British but Rommel a month earlier had become sick and was forced to return to Germany. Rommel was assigned command of the French sea wall that defended Germany's countries from invasion by sea, which Hitler and his generals knew, was only a matter of time. Rommel knew an attack on Britain was suicide because of the Allied air superiority. Rommel constructed 15000 pillboxes, hundreds of boat traps thousands of sea mines and 4 million out of 300 million land mines. Rommel asked Hitler to put tanks on the beach Hitler wouldn't. On D-Day Hitler believed that a second invasion would come on another beach and put hundreds of tanks there but the second invasion never existed.

Rommel may have become part of a conspiracy to remove Hitler from power and end the war. While many of the other members of the conspiracy wanted to kill Hitler but Rommel thought that would make people think Hitler lost the war only because he was killed. On July 17, 1944 a Spitfire attacked Rommel's staff car Rommel was hospitalized for major injuries and remained unconscious. Three days later one of Hitler's generals planted a bomb in a suitcase and placed it in Hitler's bunker. But Hitler was not killed in the explosion. Rommel was suspected of being part of the conspiracy but the true extent of his involvement is unknown. Rommel was charged with treason and given the option of a court trial or suicide with safety for his family guaranteed. Rommel committed suicide and was given a public funeral.

And as Winston Churchill once said after hearing of Rommel's death "He also deserves our respect because although a loyal German soldier he came to hate Hitler and all his works and took part in a conspiracy to rescue Germany by displacing the maniac and tyrant. In the somber wars of modern democracy, there is little place for chivalry."

By Ian L., age 12

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School

School is a jail where every room is a cell
But, hey! It's not so bad!
Its always good to hear the end of school bell
But sometimes you wish you had never left school
You might have been doing something cool
But if you were
Don't be sad
It isn't bad
You'll always have something to do
Next time

by Julian H., (age 10)

kids love

kids love shoes
kids love attention
kids call friends
kids love moms
kids love dads
kids love a lot
thank you
you should let them

by PSC, 5 years 7 months

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Stalingrad Offensive

Note: while army people are talking, just assume it’s in their language.

Chapter 1: Stalingrad Suspense

“O.K. listen up!” announced the German Gen., who was named Omega. The troops gathered around. “Today we march on Stalingrad. We are low on gas, and must capture the fuel supply just south of the city In order to continue. Army Group A will attack from the north, while Army Group B shall hit them from the southern part. Questions?” there was a pause. “Great, move out!”

Each of the 4 generals where given a map like this one. The Army groups assembled in the masses, 1.5 Million infantry men in each, along with the 45th tank battalion in Army A and the 46th and 65th with Army B.

Meanwhile, the Russians where setting up higher caliber guns, more artillery and assigning more troops to the area. They didn’t know that the largest German assault in history was heading their way, but they where getting prepared after they defeated the last German offensive just by a thread.

The Germans where about 500 yards away from the main defense of the Soviets, then the artillery opened up onto the German units. These artillery shells where poorly aimed and had almost no effect on the German infantry, who where advancing very rapidly. When the buildings came into view, the machines guns started to fire on the infantry, but only a handful of men where lost to soviet machine gun rounds as the Germans walked behind their frontward tanks for cover.

Chapter 2: Fuel Fusion

After two hours of fierce fighting, the Germans had finally captured a few houses in the south-western part of the city, and where pushing downward to the key target of the fuel depot. The fuel was in 20-gallon petrol-drums stacked 5 drums high. The depot took up 500 acres of land, and was packed to the brim with the special fuel, used only for tanks. When Gen. Omega arrived there, he was very confused as to why the soviets had left it unprotected.

Then, all of a sudden, some of his men heard soviet sniper rounds hitting the tank, then Gen. Omega himself was hit in his left arm. He crawled to behind his own tank, where medics treated him. One of the German snipers spotted two men a roof; they appeared to be setting up something rather large, he thought it was a mortar or a belt-fed machine gun. He then hit one of them, and the other Russian hit him; he was down for the count. The tank nearest to him then hit the roof with the sniper and the roof... well... didn’t exist anymore in that area.

With no more threats, the tank core refueled and loaded 100,000 pounds of soviet fuel onto their flatbeds, only a fraction of the fuel total at the depot. Tuson, the back-up General, decided to leave behind some of the troops. He left 200 snipers, 25 tanks, 65,000 infantry men and enough supplies to last until the next supply convoy comes in from Eastern Germany.

“Onward men!” said Gen. Tuson. “We must backtrack toward the southern part of the city and re-enforce Army A, they could really use the extra man power.”

“You heard the man!” ordered Sgt. Stewart, the third in command of group B. “Saddle up and get it done!”

The men where marching toward the city, still having 1.4 million troops or so left. Germany had only lost about 10,000 men in the first run at it, the others where guarding various places or in the campaign army.

Once they reached the city, they saw a field hospital set up in one of the buildings, where Gen. Omega was walking around, safe and sound.

Chapter 3: Ambitious Assault

“So, how’d it go?” inquired Gen. Omega.

“We captured 5000 of petrol sir,” answered Sgt. Stewart.

“Great work! Any loses Sgt.?”

“1 dead, 6 wounded sir. Other than that, we are in good shape. We have 120,000 pounds left on our flatbeds; do your tanks need any sir?”

“Well we are running–”

“General!!!” interrupted Pte. Short. “Soviets are raining down shells on our troop’s sir!! We need reinforcement!”

“Stewart! Get your men ready, we need all the help we can get. And you Short, get that petrol to my tanks,”

“Yes sir! Right away Sir!” replied both men.

Meanwhile, out on the battlefront there where many bodies lying in the streets, still in their green-coloured uniforms, with weapon in hand. Just thousands of men littering the streets, and the fight still goes on. The Soviets have most of the city under control, but the Germans are advancing quickly and not taking any prisoners. But for every yard moved forward, the Germans lose 15 men. On the other hand the soviets are just retreating and have no chance to beat Hitler’s armies.

Meanwhile, on the soviet side, “We’re being cut down, we can’t survive much longer, we must fall back!” yelped a Soviet troop.

“Everyone,” Ordered the Commissar, “Fall back to the church, leave the heavy guns where they lie! Take weapons and ammo for only your personal weapon! Go, go, go!!!” The Germans where now raining fire down onto the Soviet troops, as they were running down the street without any protection. Sitting duck for the German machine gunners.

“Now! Charge forward!” cried Gen. Tuson, “move those two machines over to those piles of rubble 100 yards that way.” Now the soviets where pinned inside the church. “We got them stuck inside that building. Fire as many rounds as you can find at it on my command. FIRE AT WILL!” a barrage of rockets and bullets hit the building. It collapsed, crushing to death the soviets inside. Rubble was littered everywhere, rocks big and small, round or even square-like.

The building was crushed to dust, and no one could see anything due to the blinding smoke & ash heading toward them. Everyone ducked for cover. As soon as the smoke dissipated, the men where rising up from the rubble, with many cuts, broken arms and other injuries. These men had somehow survived the collapse.

Chapter4: Phase 2 of the Stalingrad offensive

“How many men do you see Sgt??” Questioned Pte. Short.

“I count... uh... 12... 15... 19... I think maybe two dozen,” replied Sgt. Stewart.

The men where removed from the rubble and placed in a detention center back near the German base, where they were questioned. After several questions, each of them were locked up on charges of treason.

On the battle front, the Germans now held the south and the west of Stalingrad, while the Soviets hold to the north and east of the town. The fighting was extremely costly to both sides, thousand of casualties every hour, tanks being destroyed... No man had mercy, or he was shot. Prisoners were not taken. Citizen’s dead where not even being counted any longer.

“Sarge! We need you at the front lines right away sir!” Called out Cpl. Hernandez “Come quickly, this way sir!” Sgt. Stewart ran to the front lines, and sat down with the squad, talking and ducking.

“What’s the problem?” he replied.

“We don’t know what we should do,” said Hernandez, ducking from machine gun fire “we have most of the town under control, but the soviets keep on pushing in more troops, tanks and executing more artillery strikes.”

“Well, from my experience with the soviets is that if you throw enough troops at ‘em, they begin to retreat. How many men do we have in reserve and how long you think you can hold the soviets from advancing on our troops?”

“One and a half mil’ sir, maybe more. With the troops we have now... I don’t think we can hold back the soviets, sir. We need more troops in here by the end of this day, or we’ll have no choice but to retreat back into the fatherland or surrender.”

“I’ll go back and tell the general so he can order the troops.” Sgt. Stewart dashed off back to the HQ.

As the Sgt. Stewart near the head quarters, there was a large bang noise, a sniper round. He dropped to the ground. He was close enough to the HQ for someone to see him, and a medic ran over. “Why are you here Sarge?”

“To inform– uh––the general, we need more– forces at,” some blood came though his mouth. “The front line, if we– want to hold it,” he stopped breathing.

The medic called out back to the HQ that they needed more troops at the front lines, but then he was also hit.

“Corporal!” ordered the general, “Take out that building, use that mortar. There are more mortar shells in that green box over there.”

“Yes sir!” replied Cpl. Short, setting up the mortar. “Hey, you! Give me a hand with this thing near this window,” A solider came running up to the window. “We need to hit that building, General thinks it a sniper pocket. Ok, range 75 yards, angle: 48º. Fire in the hole!” with a soft ‘poof’ sound, the mortar was launched, and the building was crumbling.

“Hit it again!” cried the General. A second mortar was loaded and fired, this time the building had completely collapsed, and no more shot were bring fired out of it. “Great job Cpl. those snipers are goners.”

Chapter 5: End Phase of the Stalingrad Offensive

The Sgt. had fallen in battle, his body taken back to Germany for proper burial. Only corporals and higher got burials, all other fatalities were just mass-buried.

Meanwhile at the battle front, Hitler order the reserve to be called in, with an additional 500 tanks sent from Germany, bringing the total German tanks in Russia to 4,000. They had ETA (estimated time of arrival) of 2 days, witch Gen. Tuson told Hitler, when they talked on the phone, that it would be to late. They where.

The battle was still very dramatic, and more men were ding everyday. It started to get so hectic that the Germans had the 3rd and 4th flours of a building, and the Russians had the ground and 2nd flours! And they didn’t even notice! During the battle, you wouldn’t take a step without looking for traps.

“Now! Take that factory! The soviets are out-numbered 4 to 1!” Ordered Gen. Tuson. “Go, go, go!” the Germans stormed the place, first shooting out the doors with their panzersherck (an anti-armour) rockets. They then stormed the place with their guns and shot every soviet inside, about 75 of them, taking no-one prisoner. They only lost about 20 men during the attack.

The next offensive was launched at the refinery just down the rubble-filled road. The Germans sent 4 Panzer IVs to the front to unload on the front on the 2 story building with the machine guns mounted on their tanks. Then the army did as before, storming the place. After this, the soviets retreated behind the town to the foothills in the north.

“We did it!” cried out Cpl. Short “the Russians are retreating! Whooooo-ho!”

And they did.

THE END!

By J.W, Grade 7

Historical information:

Germany attacked the Soviet Union in August 1942, breaking their peace treaty they had made when Germany invaded Poland (September 1st, 1939). This was the most deadly battle ever, not just in world war 2. Millions of soldiers were killed, 10’s of millions of civilians killed or hurt. Germany sent about 2 million troops in to start, but they sent in more after most of them where killed. Near the end of the battle (Jan. 31st, 1943), there were about 1000-2000 troops left that fought until their supplies ran out, then they where forced to surrender, against Hitler's orders made the past month not to.

Terms

Army rank short forms, in this story, from highest to lowest:
Gen. = General, Sgt. = Sergeant, Cpl. = Corporal, Pte. = Private

Belt-fed: A Team-operated machine gun that uses belt ammo
Panzer: German for tank, name for German tanks in WWII (Panzer II, III, IV, V, VI)
Panzersherck: German for “tank terror” an anti-amour that could pierce 200mm of amour

By J.W, Grade 7

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