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At the end of October on day thirty-one
A party takes place that is scary but fun
It’s All Hallow’s Eve, some say Halloween
Where children dress up, looking frightfully mean
It was one Halloween that my story takes place
I was next to the mirror and painting my face
The make-up was greenish and awfully sticky
Applying the stuff was incredibly tricky
I leant toward the mirror and peered at my eyes
It was then that I got an enormous surprise
The paint I’d been smearing was spreading itself
Till I was transformed from a girl to an elf
But not a sweet elf like the one I’d envisioned
This elf was quite wicked and I was imprisoned
Trapped in a body no longer my own
Into a nightmare I found I’d been thrown
I had no control of my arms or my legs
They scuttled me straight to the fridge for some eggs
One dozen, two dozen, three dozen, four
Four dozen eggs marching right out the door
Then up to the first house as bold as can be
That cruel, wicked elf – disguised as poor me
Knocked on the door calling out “trick or treat!”
Then flew ‘cross the road piffing eggs from the street
Dear Mrs Blossom was shaking and scared
She’d come to the door but she wasn’t prepared
to be showered with eggs
as she’d bought lots of treats
chocolates and candies and all sorts of sweets
“Meredith Jane!” she called from her porch
And she followed me right down the road with her torch
“I’d never believe it, I thought you were nice.
Next Halloween I will have to think twice!”
At a safe distance, we slowed to a trot
Then veered to the left to an old vacant lot
Over the fence we soon catapulted
And up to the back door the elf quickly bolted
“Trick or Treat! Trick or Treat!” the wicked elf curdled
Then over the back fence he instantly hurdled
And then Mr Peachtree with chocolate bars melting
Collapsed on the steps from an old fashioned pelting
“Meredith Jane!” he angrily scolded
“I’d never believe it,” he said with arms folded
“Next Halloween I’ll have to think twice.
‘Cause Meredith Jane, I thought you were nice!”
I decided right then that enough was enough
I had to be strong and had to be tough
“It’s quicker, you know, although it’s quite dark,
to follow the bike track that cuts through the park.”
And the elf in a hurry to pitch some more eggs
Took off at a gallop with both of my legs
Faster and faster we flew through the night
Checking to see the direction was right
I had to be sure not to make a mistake
Then we tripped and we stumbled straight into the lake
A funny sensation spread over my face
A slipping and sliding all over the place
A dripping and dropping and plopping of green
And that was the end of that elf’s Halloween
©Jackie Hosking 2011, photo by Tania McCartney
Bedtime Stories downloadable tales for children are an AWO initiative, run in support of the National Year of Reading 2012. We encourage you to print and read these stories with your kids, and revel in the joy a wonderful story can bring. All stories are original and have been penned by established and emerging Australian authors. Every month, we will publish four stories running to a central theme, each on a Monday morning. See here for more.
