Sample Compositions

My Stay at Sentosa

During the June holidays, I stayed at Sentosa for two days. We parked our car at the World Trade Centre and took a cable car to Sentosa. Our cable car was green in colour. The ride was shaky and we saw a cruise ship with a swimming pool. We checked into the Rasa Sentosa hotel and put our things in the room. I locked my teddy bear in the safe because it was special to me. The first place we visited was the dolphin lagoon. My sister took photos of the dolphins. The dolphin show was interesting and the dolphins could jump through the hula hoops. Next, we went to Underwater World. We saw torpedo rays, sharks and electric eels. We had dinner and watched the musical fountain. The next morning, we swam in the pool. I liked the slide very much. We played with sand on the beach and walked across the bridge back to Singapore. I was very happy. I hope I can stay at Sentosa again.

A Dog At Last!

Momee! Please! I’m begging you for the one-thousand-seven-hundred-and-fiftieth time. Pleeeease let me have a dog! Please!” I asked as my mother and I walked past the pet shop. “And for the one-thousand-seven-hundred and fiftieth time, NO, no!” My mother answered back. “Alright”, I said, my face downcast.

When I reached home, I ran to my room, locked the door and flopped down on my bed. Then, I picked up my favourite toy, my toy dog, and talked to it. It was something I did whenever I was sad or angry. “Why can’t mom let me keep one; just one miserable cute dog?” I said as I recalled how my dog died four years ago. Well, although I missed it, I could not just buy another one to replace it.

“Mom! I’m going out to take a walk.” I said as I slammed the door. “Remember to take your jacket. It’s chilly outside!” Mother shouted over her shoulder. “Alright Mom! I’ve got it on!” I shouted back.

“Why can’t mom just let me keep a dog?” I mumbled softly to myself. Then all of a sudden, as if I imagined it, I heard a weak dog’s bark. I scanned the place to see if there were any dogs around. Then, I spotted a brown paper bag moving.

“Well, you can’t be too sure!” My instincts made me run to it and look inside. Guess what I saw? A sickly looking Golden Retriever pup! The paper bag was damp from the shower we had the day before.

The vet was just around the corner so I cradled it in my arms and I brought it to the vet. In the vet’s room, she checked the pup and gave it an injection. She also told me to keep it warm. Well, it’s been a year now and Sandy, the puppy I found, is running around the garden chasing butterflies. I don’t know what would have happened to her if I had not brought her to the vet that day.

An Accident

“Oh no, I’m going to be late for the wedding dinner!” Thought Judy. She was in her early twenties, of average height, had fair skin and long black hair. Judy quickly rushed out of the shower, blew her hair hastily and after changing into a long, silver sparkling evening gown and putting on a diamond studded necklace, she sped out of the house and went downstairs to wait for a taxi. Luckily, she managed to flag a taxi just a couple of minutes later and was on her way to Shangri-La hotel for her best friend Jane’s wedding dinner.

In the taxi, Judy was putting on some last minute makeup when suddenly dark clouds loomed over the skies and rain looked imminent. Then a light drizzle started and soon raindrops as big as pebbles pelted down on the windscreen and the road. An occasional flash of lightning across the sky would light the sky up like a florescent lamp lighting up a room followed by the deafening roars of thunder. The taxi driver, a dashing young man in his mid-twenties, then slowed down the taxi and turned on the headlights for safety reasons. Suddenly, there was a deafening “BOOM” and the roof of the taxi caved inwards. Thrown to the floor of the taxi by the impact, Judy suffered  some minor scratches against her elbows and knees but the taxi driver had been thrown forward causing his head to slam into the windscreen. His head was bleeding profusely and when Judy, who was afraid of blood, saw the fresh red blood, she let out a high-pitched, ear-piercing scream and then fainted.

Meanwhile, a few pedestrians who saw the tree falling on the taxi were rooted to the ground in shock.

A few minutes later, the police, firemen and paramedics arrived in police cars, fire trucks and ambulances. By that time, a crowd had gathered around the accident area and motorists who slowed down to take a look caused a traffic jam. Two of the firemen borrowed a crane from a nearby construction site to carry up the tree while another two sawed away at the roots to make the tree easier to lift.

Meanwhile, the other firemen used crowbars to pry open the taxi doors for the paramedics to carry Judy and the taxi driver out. The paramedics the carried them on a stretcher into the ambulance and rushed them to the hospital and immediately sent the taxi driver into the accident and emergency ward. At the same time, the policemen cordoned off the area and held back the curious crowd. In an hour, everything was back to normal – the traffic flowed smoothly and the crowd dispersed.

A couple of weeks later, Judy sent a basket of fruits and a get-well card to the taxi driver who almost recovered. They soon got to know each other better and later became good friends.

At the Cinema

Last Sunday, my family and I visited the Lido Cinema on Orchard Road. We drove there in my father’s huge pick-up truck.

I had never been to town at all before. First, he parked the pick-up at the car park. After that, we went to buy our tickets. I was very excited. It was very dark when we got inside, so an usher showed us to our seats. The show had begun and it showed a panda escaping from the fierce lion. When it came to the exciting part, I clung on to my mother.

I almost choked on my crackers when the lion pounced on the panda. Soon, the show was over. It was a little brighter then.

So, we walked out of the cinema, got into the pick-up and drove home.

The Enchanted Flowers

It was a humid Sunday afternoon. The air was still. The sun was shining brightly up in the clear blue sky. Birds were chirping melodiously in the branches outside my window. However I was feeling very gloomy and bored at home. Longing for some activities, I went to the woods nearby to pick some wild berries.

I was walking alone in the quiet woods, shuffling my feet on the dried leaves. After a while, I caught sight of some unusual but beautiful flowers. There were hundreds of them. Their petals were of rainbow colours, their stems were orange and their leaves were sparkling white. The stigmas were little heads of fairies. They fluttered their petals and flew around the flowerbed, sprinkling sweet smelling pollen grains. Some were walking about, chatting in a peculiar language that I did not understand. Others were dancing and singing merrily. I could not believe my eyes. It was indeed an amazing sight.

Suddenly, I felt a pinch on my shoulder. OUCH! A fat, juicy bee had stung me and everything vanished before my eyes.

A Kind Boy and The Bird

One Monday afternoon, George was walking home from school when he heard a faint chirping sound. He looked around but he could not see where it had come from. So, he decided to find the source of the sound. This led him to a tree. He bent down and found a small bird that was injured. He took pity on it and brought it home.

When he got home, he cleaned the wound and bandaged it up. He then put it into a birdcage, which was in the storeroom.

After some weeks of care, the bird completely recovered. George was happy to see this but he knew that birds treasure their freedom too much to enjoy being caged in. So he went up to the birdcage and opened the door. The bird hopped towards the opening, stood there for a while, then it flew away. George watched it with certain sadness but he knew that he had done a good deed. He carried on doing kind deeds to both animals and people but he never forgot the little bird.

At the Beach

I like going to the beach. I had a wonderful time last week. There were miles of golden sand. I waded in the cool water along the shore. My friend and I collected a bag of shells. Many of the shells had different shapes.

When I put a shell to my ear, I could hear the sound of the sea. The sea looked blue and cool. My friend and I built a sandcastle and decorated it with shells. I dug the sand with my spade. We saw some fishermen spreading their nets on the sand to dry. We also saw them going to the sea to catch fish.

I watched the white-topped waves rush up the beach. They left behind seaweed and more shells. The seagulls circled above in the blue sky. The coconut trees swayed in the gentle breeze. It was delightful.

As I walked, I left my footprints behind on the sand. I drank cool coconut water to quench my thirst. When it was hot, I rested under the shade of a bench umbrella. Soon it was time to go home. I made up my mind to come back another day.

A Good and Helpful Boy

Tommy and Mrs Soh lived near each other. One day, they met each other at the bus stop. They took the same bus to school. When the bus stopped at the next bus-stop, an old lady who was carrying a basket of groceries boarded the bus. When Tommy saw the old lady, he offered his seat to her while he held on to the handle bar.

After thirty minutes, the bus stopped near the old lady’s house. The old lady wanted to alight from the bus. Tommy walked over to her and helped her to carry the basket of groceries while she got down from the bus. After that, Tommy went back to his seat. Mrs Soh saw what happened and she kept quiet. She looked out of the windows and deep in her heart, she felt very proud of Tommy. When Mrs Soh arrived at the school, she told her pupils what she had witnessed on the bus. Before she could finish her sentence, Tommy’s classmates clapped loudly.

Mrs Soh asked Tommy to stand in front of the class and she gave him a present as a reward. Mrs Soh praised Tommy for his kind act and she encouraged her pupils to learn from Tommy. Tommy thanked his teacher and he felt very happy that day.

Caught Red-Handed

John was a lazy boy. He used to hand in his work untidily and with lots of mistakes. His teacher was tired of scolding him and so were his parents. However, he did not bother about them. His parents had even caned him but still, he did not change.

The week before last was the week before the examination. John’s teacher kept on reminding him to revise through what he had done since it was an important one. John knew that he had not been studying for it, so he thought of a plan to cheat. During the following week, as the teacher handed out the examination paper to the pupils, John looked at the questions. He found himself unable to answer them. So, very slowly, John peeped at Jane’s paper intently as she was always the finest student in the class.

In a second, he saw a person walking towards him and glaring at him. The invigilator shouted his name. John had been caught cheating! The school principal caned John for what he had done. John had learned a painful lesson and he promised his parents that he would never repeat the same mistake.

My Holidays

During the school holidays, my family visited Taman Negara Endau-Rompin in Johore, Malaysia. We drove to Mersing and parked our car there. With our tour guide, we later hired a van which took us to Rompin.

Taman Negara Endau-Rompin is the second largest national park in Malaysia. We stayed in a wooden chalet surrounded by tall trees, all kinds of insects and strange noises. There were many wooden huts and farm animals nearby which belonged to the Orang Asli people. Orang Asli are the aborigines or natives of the jungle. Although they could not speak our language, they were very friendly towards us.

Very late at night, we went for a night jungle walk. It was scary because there were many unusual insects such as the goggle-eyes crawlers, some giant ants and a few fireflies.

The next morning, we spent four hours jungle-trekking to a spot called Blue Lagoon. We had to cross three fast-flowing rivers and beat the rapids by holding on to a thick and strong rope. Throughout the journey, we saw leeches everywhere and I was bitten by them. I was not frightened at all although my blood was oozing out. After a few days of exciting adventure, we left Rompin and headed towards Mersing.

We then visited Pulau Besar, a tropical island off eastern Johore, and a half hour boat ride from Mersing. It had white sandy beaches and lots of colourful fishes. My father taught me how to snorkel and canoe. We then hopped to another island called Pulau Rawa on a chartered boat. We had an enjoyable time feeding the colourful fishes and swimming in the deep blue sea. We took a speedboat back to Mersing and after having our delicious nasi lemak lunch, we drove back to Singapore.

I enjoyed my trip to Malaysia very much and had a wonderful time.

An Unforgettable Day

One fine morning, I was lying in bed, thinking that it was Sunday. Suddenly, my mother came into my bedroom and asked me why I was still in bed instead of getting ready for school. When I heard that, I realized that it was Monday not Sunday.

I jumped out of bed quickly, changed into my uniform and rushed off for school without any breakfast. By the time I reached school, it was already eight o’clock. The prefect wrote down my name for being late. I realized that I was my brother’s shoes when I bent down to tie my shoe laces. I was very embarrassed.

During the Mathematics lesson, I realized that I had forgotten to bring my workbook and I did not do my homework. My teacher punished me. During recess, I had to borrow money from my classmate to buy food because I forgot to bring my pocket money.

After school, I went straight home. To my dismay, I realized that I had forgotten to take my housekey when I had left my house in such a hurry in the morning. I had to wait for my mother to come home before I could enter my house. When I entered the kitchen, I quickly cooked a packet of instant noodles as I was very hungry. I gobbled up the noodles and dozed off in the living room. I had gastritis in the middle of the night. My father had to take me to the hospital. It was indeed a bad day for me.

Since then, I told myself never to be forgetful again.

Saved

“Sis, can we go for a swim? I am sweating to death!” My brother panted, his tongue hanging out of his mouth like a puppy. I wiped the beads of perspiration from my head that was steadily streaming down my face. I noddled in agreement and scooping up a couple of pairs of clothes and sunblock, we hit the road.

By the time we got to the beach, the scorching sun was directly over our heads, baking the ground with its rays. My brother and I quickly slipped into our swimming costumes, smeared ourselves with sunblock and plunged into the sparkling water. I felt instant pleasure and delight as the cool water soaked into my skin. I hovered on the surface of the water staring up at the blazing blu sky pouring down torrents of light. I was overwhelmed with joy. How beautiful the sky looked! Decorated with fluffy clouds in front of a blue backdrop. Slowly, I was lulled to sleep by the soft waves bobbing and washing against my face. Even the splashes and squeals of the kids playing seemed like music to my ears. I was in absolute heaven……

My peaceful sleep was shattered by a piercing scream. I jolted to my feet and squinted in the direction the sound was coming from. I saw a bony hand sticking out of the water, clawing thin air near where the “float” markings were. My brother’s bony hand! Now I was wide awake. “Help! Help! It is my brother out near the “float” markings, and he is going to drown!” I shrieked hysterically. I started running towards the water, blood pounding in my ears. I saw a lifeguard swim rapidly and swiftly towards my brother. Suddenly, a huge wave rolled towards my brother and swept him underwater. I toppled down on the beach and clutched my mouth, screaming. I watched the lifeguard struggled against the waves and dive into the water. He emerged with my brother hoisted in his arms.

Sprawled on the brown sand was my brother, motionless. Fresh feelings of panic swept over me and my legs felt like jelly. Keep calm! I cautioned myself.

I squeezed my hands together while the lifeguard attempted resuscitation on my brother. They frantically pumped his chest and puffed into his mouth. Tears clouded my eyes and I hugged my knees. Suddenly, I noticed a slight movement of my brother’s arm. He opened his eyes and vomited out water. I collapsed to the ground in relief.

Childhood Memories

I can still remember very clearly some of my most precious childhood memories from the age of three. Childhood is precious as it is fun, exciting but sometimes painful. Let me tell you some memories about my childhood days.

At the age of three, while my family and I were having a party, I fell as I was running on the wet floor. I knocked my head hard on the concrete floor and my head hurt terribly. My parents rushed me to the Singapore General Hospital. The doctor X-rayed me and found no fractures but he told my father to observe me for a day. The next day, I returned to my normal self. I was fortunate that I did not have a fractured skull.

The next memory is, when I was four. My father took me down to the void deck to learn how to cycle daily. I learned quickly as my father was a good teacher. He often told me to look ahead when I was cycling. At first, I learned on a four-wheel bicycle. In about a month, my father removed a wheel. Two months later, I knew how to cycle a two-wheel bicycle. I was very happy.

This third memory was a very exciting memory for me. My father was going to work as a pilot and brought my family and me along with him. I was five years old then. It was the first time I travelled on an aeroplane and visited the cockpit, there were many switches. There were some overhead too. There was also a double-decker bed beside the cockpit. My father said that when they had to go for long distances, they had to bring four pilots. Two would sleep, two would work first. They took turns. The cockpit was really very interesting. To my disappointment and dismay, I had to get back to my seat as lunch was being served so I left the cockpit.

Childhood days are for learning and I think they are the most important part of my life.

A Burglar

One hot sunny afternoon, James and David went to the park to cycle. While cycling they saw a man dressed in black clothes holding a sack over his shoulder. The man looked around suspiciously. Mr Lim and his family were away for a vacation in the United Kingdom.

The burglar climbed up the ladder into Mr Lim’s mansion. James and David were suspicious so they hid behind some bushes. They were shocked to find that there were actually two thieves. So they quietly sneaked out of the mansion’s gate, ran to the nearest telephone booth and dialed 999. They told the police what they had seen and gave them the address and a brief description of the man. The police urged them to quietly observe what was going on inside the house while they send the patrol car to the scene of the burglary.

James and David hid behind the bushes of Mr Lim’s garden and maintained the surveillance of the house. For a while, they did not hear any sound. They thought the thieves had escaped from the back door.

Soon though, the patrol car came; Four policemen came out of the patrol car. One of them guarded the back door, two of them stood at the gate while one went into the house. The thieves heard footsteps so they dashed out of the house through the main door. The policeman in the house caught hold of one thief and pinned him down on the ground. The other thief ran towards the main gate. A policeman grabbed him but he slipped out from his hand. Another policeman grabbed him hard and pinned him down onto the ground.

When Mr Lim returned home he learnt about the incident from the newspaper. He invited James and David to his mansion and gave them a reward each.

A Narrow Escape

 The sun was shining brilliantly. Beads of perspiration trickled down my face. Frustrated. I swept my hands across my forehead. A look of anguish was on everyone’s face… even the teachers’.

“Ring…” The bell rang. Thankful to be out of the class, all of us scurried like little ants into the canteen. Gratefully, my friend Joel and I took long sips of water from the water cooler. I leaned against the dark, grey walls. They felt damp and cooling. I closed my eyes as I slowly recovered from the immense heat… I had fallen asleep. “Daniel… help… help…” a small voice was heard as it woke me up from a troubled sleep. A small sweaty hand tugged at my shirt. I was getting fainter.

It stopped. I opened my eyes and gave a cry of horror. Joel… he… I knew what was happening. It had happened before. In the nick of time, I rushed to the teachers’ staff room. I searched and searched… My teacher was not there. I spotted the principal.

“My friend… help!” I practically pulled her to Joel. “Oh my goodness!” She exclaimed. She told me to look after Joel while she called an ambulance.

“Do you have an inhaler?” I asked.

“Never… bring,” Joel answered, his voice softer with every breath he took. Five minutes passed. Ten… fifteen.

The wailing of sirens was heard in the distance. Very soon. Joel was sent to hospital. I was despondent the whole day. Horrible thoughts flickered through my mind. What had happened to him?

The next day, I called Joel’s mother. She said that Joel was still feeling weak. Two days passed…

After two days, my teacher and I went to visit Joel. He was, though pale in the face, radiant looking. Just then, the doctor arrived. He said that Joel was to be discharged in a few days. Three days passed… Joel was home! I felt elated to have my best friend back. It was a very narrow and close escape for Joel. Nevertheless, I was glad to have my best friend back…

Bees!!!

“I’m bored!” Sara said with a sigh, “It’s a Saturday morning and there’s nothing to do!” “Hey I’ve got an idea!” Exclaimed Natalie,” Let’s go to the East Coast Beach!”

“Great idea Natalie! I’ll go ask mum!” said Timmy.

After a few minutes, Timmy came back with a big happy smile on his face. Even though he did not say a thing, we knew the answer.

An hour later, we took a bus together with our mother to the East Coast Beach. When we reached the place, we looked around for a shady tree to sit under. When we had found it, we unpacked our things and ate the sandwiches that our mother had packed. They were delicious. After some time we decided to take a walk along the beach. Our mother agreed, but told us to go without her because she would prefer to sit under the tree and complete her book. We waved good-bye to our mother and went off.

Fifteen minutes later, we spotted a beehive. Timmy, being such a busy body, took a stick from the ground, and disturbed the bees. Suddenly, about a “millin” bees came out from the hive and charged at us. Immediately I shouted, “Down everybody – just lie flat and cover your face with your hands!” For once everyone obeyed without protest. After lying down what seemed like hours, we were relived to find all the bees flying back to their hives.

When we saw out mother, she was still engrossed with her reading. When she heard our voices, she looked up and for a while looked rather surprised to see out distraught faces. We told her what happened. She was glad that we were not hurt.

It was getting dark and we decided to head for home. What a close encounter!

On Losing a Friend

On remembering how my best friend, Elizabeth, died to save my life, tear rolled uncontrollably down my face. I remembered vividly the incident that happened less than a week ago…

It was a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon. I was feeling bored at home so I called Elizabeth. She was also feeling bored! After discussing for a few minutes, we decided to go far out into the sea to scuba-dive.

After putting on our gear, we left for the middle of the sea. Elizabeth and I jumped from the boat into the water. The water was very clear so we could see all the colourful fishes and corals. We were swimming peacefully when Elizabeth patted me on my back and pointed to a dark but moving “object”. As the object got closer to us, we had a shock. It was a shard!

We paddled as fast as we could. Unfortunately, the shark followed close behind us. It bit one of my flippers! Seeing that, Elizabeth turned and swam forward to protect me. The shark bit her in her chest and head. Elizabeth’s head bled profusely while her chest sustained minor injuries. I immediately got hold of Elizabeth and swam away but Elizabeth left a trail of blood for the shark. Holding Elizabeth tightly, I changed my direction, faced the shark and kicked right into its face. The shark immediately turned and swam off.

Grabbing hold of this golden opportunity, I swam as fast as lightning, pulling Elizabeth along. When we reached the water surface, I waved my hands up in the air. A kind fisherman and his son saw me and rowed their boat over. They lifted Elizabeth, followed by me. The fisherman headed as fast as he could for the shore.

When we reached the shore, I left Elizabeth on the sand while I called for an ambulance. In less than five minutes, the ambulance came and brought Elizabeth to the nearest hospital. Unfortunately, Elizabeth was pronounced dead on arrival.

Be Punctual For School!

The sun rose and sunlight shone onto my face. I slowly opened my eyes and blinked. I sat up and looked out of the window. I saw cars zooming here and there. I looked at my alarm clock and it was eight in the morning so I sat on my bed motionless. I was shocked. I had to reach school at seven fifteen and it was eight. Furthermore, I lived in Paya Lebar, a thirty minute drive if my father drove me to school but my parents were already at work. I jumped out of my bed, rushed to the toilet and brushed my teeth. As I was turning back, I stepped on the soap and slipped on the floor. A bruise was growing on my head! I got up and ran back to my room. I changed into my uniform and grabbed a bag and rushed out of the house and slammed the door behind me.

I ran to Paya Lebar MRT station and took a train toward the eastern side of Singapore. There was no place for me to sit so I stood and kept looking at my watch for it was nine. Suddenly, the train screeched to a stop and the driver announced that there was a power failure. It was hot and stuffy while waiting for the train to move again. The train jerked suddenly and I fell on my bottom. The train started to move again and when I reached Tampines, it was nine thirty. I took a bus to my school and a prefect took my name down and warned me not to be late again.

I agreed and ran to my classroom and it was ten o’clock. As I opened the door of my classroom, everyone was staring at me and when I looked up, my teacher was staring at me with folded arms. I was worried and scared. The teacher scolded me and shouted at me to get back to my place. The teacher asked us to take out our English Textbook, Six A and I took out One A! I realized that I had taken my little sister’s bag! My face turned white as the teacher was walking towards me. I stood up and confessed that I had taken my sister’s bag and everyone laughed at me. The teacher asked me to get out of the classroom and wait for the Principal to come and cane me. The Principal did not come and my teacher forgot about ne the whole morning until the school was dismissed. I was really kind of embarrassed and reminded myself to always label my bag and switch on the volume of my alarm clock louder. I was very miserable.

The Punishment

One fine Saturday morning, I was walking to school. As usual, I heard the chirping of birds, the roar of the engines as the cars passed by and the rustling of leaves. I also whistled a tune as I was walking. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew a piece of paper in my hand away. I immediately gave chase and the paper led me to a rubber band. Just then, the skinny, small-sized and freckled faced Marco walked past me. An evil thought raced through my mind.

I immediately picked up the rubber band, aimed at Marco’s left leg and shot Marco with the rubber band. Marco yelped. He turned back, facing me and stared at me with big squid-like eyes which began to fill with tears. By then, the guilt in me rose. The timid boy kept quiet and I was afraid that I would be punished by the teacher. I regretted what I had done. Then, Georgina, the head prefect questioned me. I stood rooted to the spot. She asked in a suspicious voice, “What did you do again?” I was dumbfounded.

“He shot me with a rubber band!” Marco complained in a squeaky voice. “Then you shall be punished by Mrs Lenard!”, Georgina said. Georgina’s voice grew louder and louder each time she spoke. I had to follow Georgina to Mrs Lenard, the Discipline Master’s office or else she would announce my name to the whole school and that would be even more embarrassing. While I was walking, many thoughts raced through my mind. What if I was punished? What if everyone teased me?

In Mrs Lenard’s office, she questioned me. My mind was blank. I suddenly came to my sense and admitted that I had shot Marco on his left leg. She praised me for admitting my wrong deed. She gave me a chance and promised not to tell anyone about my wrong doing. I breathed a sign of relief. I thanked her and went off. I continued whistling to my class. I had two reasons to be happy. Firstly, for admitting that I had done something wrong and secondly, Mrs Lenard had let me off. I was in high spirits that day.

A Brush with Death

It was a sunny afternoon. Mr Lin and his friends decided to go scuba-diving. They went out in their speedboat, put on their diving gear, and dived into the water.

They started exploring the coral reefs. A shoal of fish swam past Mr Lin. He was distracted and swam away from his friends to get a closer look at the fish. The fish noticed him and darted away. Disappointed, Mr Lin turned around and started to head in the direction where he thought his friends were. He realised that he was lost after some time.

He swam about in desperation to find his friends, when suddenly, he found himself face to face with a great white shark! He froze in terror. The great white shark stared unblinkingly into his eyes. Mr Lin tried to scream but no sound came from his mouth. The shark swam forward, its mouth wide open, revealing rows of sharp teeth. It lunged forward and seized his leg. Mr Lin was too frightened to think straight and grabbed whatever was near him to hit the shark. Unfortunately, he grabbed the shark’s tail, which provoked the shark further.

Meanwhile, his friends, who were searching for him, realised that there was a commotion behind him. They spun around and saw their friend struggling with the shark. They swam quickly to their friend’s rescue. One of them thrust a spear into the side of the shark. It let go of Mr Lin and struggled before swimming away. His friend quickly brought him to the surface.

Mr Lin fortunately had only suffered three or four deep gashes on his leg. It was one encounter he would never forget.

A Visit to the Dentist

As Jay stepped into the clinic, his heart was beating faster and faster. He went to the smiling receptionist and told her his name. He sat down on a chair and waited anxiously for his turn. The receptionist called his name and she brought him into a room. Beside the dentist wearing a spotless white coat was a big comfortable chair. “Ouch! Oh no my tooth is hurting…” Joy uttered.

“Jay… come on… Sit down” the dentist said. He sat down quietly and told the dentist that he had a toothache. The dentist inspected Jay’s mouth and prodded him. He told Jay that it was a decayed tooth that caused him a toothache. Jay just nodded his head. The dentist pulled out a bottle of liquid and pierced the needle into Jay’s gums. Suddenly, Jay’s gums became as cold as ice and numb. The dentist took out a pair of forceps and extracted his tooth. When it was out, the dentist showed him the ugly and decayed tooth. He had a shock when he saw that and he could not believe that his own tooth was so ugly. He saw a trickle of blood flowing from his decayed tooth.

Jay gave a sigh of relief when it was over, as he need not get so worried about going to the dentist again. He told many people about his experience so that they would not be worried and scared about going to the dentist.

An Unforgettable Day

It was late in the evening. I was all alone studying for my Mid-Year Examination when the lusty crowing of my neighbor’s rooster, which was kept in his backyard, distracted me. Out of curiosity, I stood on my newly bought swivel chair to get a good view of the proud bird. Before I realized it, the chair immediately swung in a clockwise direction, causing me to lose my balance. In split seconds, I landed on the parquet floor with my face upwards staring at the ceiling and both my arms at my sides. “I’ve broken my arm, I’ve broken my arm!” I screamed to alarm my mother who was watching television.

In an instant, she rushed into the room to see what had happened. I was lying on the floor writhing in great pain as I had broken my right arm. My parents immediately rushed me to the nearest hospital – Changi Hospital. Fortunately it took about five minutes to reach the hospital by car.

At the hospital I was given priority to see a doctor, as mine was an emergency case. Within minutes my name was called and a doctor examined me. I was referred to the X-Ray department to have my right arm x-rayed. When the doctor saw the X-ray films, he confirmed that my right hand had been broken and hence I needed to stay in the hospital for a few days to mend the broken bones. According to the nurse who was attending me, I was the first child-patient to be admitted in that hospital since it opened not long ago.

The next day, I was wheeled to the Operating Theatre for an operation. It was freezing cold. As I was very frightened, I prayed with all my heart that the operation would be a success. All around me were nurses and surgeons in “strange” attire as if they were from another planet. At first I could hear them talking but later I went blank.

I woke up to find myself crying. It was a horrible experience. My parents told me that the surgeon had inserted a metal piece into my arm and I would have to undergo another operation to take it out. The thought of going through another operation immediately sent shivers down my spine.

The second operation was not as bad as the first one. I had to wait in the cold theatre for the surgeon to come. I was put to sleep before the metal piece was taken out.

The following day, I was discharged from the hospital. Exhilaration bubbled inside me like soda water. I learnt a valuable lesson from that experience. Although my right hand has healed, the scar remained. It was indeed my most unforgettable experience.

A Disappointing Event

“Go, Kian, go!” The spectators chanted fervently.

Beads of hot perspiration trickled down my aching forehead. I was about to compete against other competitors in the long-distance running event. I was feeling very nervous and waved shakily at my classmates who were supporting me.

“Bang!” The starter gun went off, along with the screams of the crowd.

I jogged at my own normal speed, saving my energy for the last few laps. A few runners ran ahead of me, but I stayed at my speed. For the last few laps, I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. The blinding rays of the sun shone mercilessly on my back, causing me to perspire even more. Squinting, I could make out the figures of the two runners up front.

Summoning all the strength I had left, I sprinted towards the finishing line, at last overtaking my two tough competitors.

Suddenly, an acute pain shot through my ankle. Ignoring it, I continued my run towards my goal. But the pain got worse and finally it was almost unbearable. I stumbled and my knees buckled under me, and I slumped onto the rough track, grazing my knee a little.

My teacher and classmate gasped and stood up almost at once. By that time, the first-aid people had come and they massaged my leg, consoling me. My eyes were blinded with water, not knowing whether it was my sad, disappointed tears or my perspiration. I fainted under the sweltering sun because of the unbearable pain.

When I woke up, I looked around, with interest in my new surroundings. Suddenly, a sharp pain ran through my left ankle. Then I remembered what had happened and realized that I was in a hospital.

Voices could be heard at the door and when it creaked open, I jerked upright. It was my teacher and classmates. They comforted me with soothing words and hugs.

“I have let you down,” I mumbled, but my teacher seemed not to hear that comment.

He encouraged me to work harder next year and win a medal for the class. I lifted my tearful face and looked around. I broke into a delighted but painful smile.

“I WILL win it, I promise” I said confidently, much to their surprise and astonishment.

I heard that a boy named Jeff, won the race and brought his class glory when he carried the Champion Trophy to his overjoyed classmates. From that painful, disappointing, unforgettable day onwards, I vowed to beat Jeff and other competitors and bring my class to glory and honour by winning a medal and the Champion Trophy to pay back my embarrassing moment.

A Scary Encounter

It was a cool afternoon. I was walking home after school. The area through which I was traveling was deserted. I felt very much alone as I trudged down the silent path.

Suddenly, I heard the rustle of leaves followed by a menacing snarl. I spun round and came face to face with a dog. The dog was huge with sharp white fangs and its eyes glinted with anger as it charged towards me. I noticed a broken metal chain around its neck and I felt myself shake with fear. Despite my fear, I turned around and continued walking, hoping it would not follow me. But it was in vain, for every time I turned around I found myself staring into its evil looking eyes. Avoiding its eyes I plucked up my courage and threw a stick at it, hoping to drive it away.

The stick hit the dog squarely on the back. The dog growled horribly and lunged towards me. I screamed and started running, with the dog in mad pursuit. But who was going to help me when no one was around to save me from this crazy creature. My bag weighed me down and soon I was exhausted. It was only my terror and fear that kept me going. Soon I reached the main road. I saw the astonished faces of the passers-by as I ran past them. “Help! Help!” I shouted to them, panting with exertion. The dog however remained oblivious to the people around it. It continued chasing me, just me, occasionally snapping at the skirt trailing behind me.

Luckily, a group of men armed with sticks heard my pleas for help and saved me by shouting and hollering at the dog while waving the sticks threateningly in the air. This was evidently too much for the wild scraggly dog and it backed a hasty retreat as it darted back down the path which it had come. I was left standing hot, tired and rather shaken. I thanked the men profusely and then started back home, the longer, yet safer way.

I never really knew why the dog had attacked me, but I suppose it was because I had trespassed on its territory. Anyway, I never dared to use that route again in fear of being attacked by the dog. It was also later that my mother told me never to run away from a dog as it would become suspicious of what you were doing. I learnt my lesson well and will be careful with dogs, particularly big ones, the next time I see them.

A Kind Deed

Mark, the security guard was on his round at the shopping center during the afternoon shift. As he rounded a corner, he spotted a group of adults huddling around a small boy. They were shooting questions at the little boy who was almost in tears.

He immediately went over and dispersed the small group of adults. By that time, tears were already rolling down on little Tommy’s cheeks. “I want my mummy,” he said softly through sobs. Mark consoled him and led him by the hand to the information counter.

As they walked through the sea of people, Mark found out the little boy’s name was Tommy Lim and he had lost his mother after wandering off while his mother had been looking at some suits. When they reached the information counter, Mark explained to the man at the counter that Tommy had lost his mother.

Subsequently, an announcement blared over the public address system. “ A little boy aged five in a blue t-shirt and black shorts has been found. Would his parents come and claim him. He is at the Level 2 Information Counter. Thank you.”

Not long later, a middle-aged woman came running to the information counter. There was a flustered look on her face and she was biting her lips nervously. As soon as Tommy spotted her, he ran happily towards her shouting, “Mummy, mummy!” in the next instant, she carried him and hugged him tightly. “Thank God, I’ve found you!” She said, her panic slowly disappearing.

It was a joy for Mark to see both mother and son reunited. He felt that it was the best thing that day. Tommy’s mother came over and thanked Mark as well as the man at the counter profusely. “You are welcome! It’s our job,” replied Mark graciously, happy to have helped Tommy find his mother.