Here's our online journal of what our storytellers have been up to! Click here for the contents, or visit our news headlines.
The Witch's Horse
Fantasy, Witch and Unicorn... Those were the three words collected by Kevin Fernihough during his radio show on BBC Radio Cumbria earlier this afternoon and given to Chip shortly before the 4 o'clock news. Chip then had the duration of Katie Melua's "Secret Symphony" to turn them into a brand new fairy tale...
And if that wasn't pressure enough, Chip was told he'd have to make it shorter than 3 minutes, so it would end in time for the news headlines!
Chip's appearance on the programme was all part of our "Crazy Bird Tour", which begins in Cumbria at the Great Asby Village Hall next Tuesday, 24th July, at 2pm. And to celebrate, we've decided to give away up to four free seats in a special competition!
Just take a look at the story created by Chip live on air, which we've written out below — and draw us an illustration! Send your picture as an email attachment to competition@snailtales.org before 5pm on Sunday 22nd July — and, if we think your picture is the best, we'll use it on our website and give you a free group ticket to the "Crazy Bird" venue of your choice!
The Witch's Horse
Katy the Witch had a horse who loved reading, especially fantasy books. The horse really wanted to be a unicorn, because unicorns were magic... unicorns could fly... unicorns could do amazing things! The horse believed she would be far more use to Katy if she was a unicorn...
So, one day, while Katy was out, the horse crept into her house and found her magic wand. The horse didn't know how to use the wand, but picked it up anyway... threw it into the air... and swallowed it!
Suddenly, the horse found herself transforming into other creatures... but she couldn't control it! Just as she turned into a minotaur — a beast with a man's body and the head of a bull — in came Katy.
"Goodness!" exclaimed Katy.
The horse-come-minotaur suddenly turned into an ogre. "Please help me!" it cried.
"To do that I'll need my magic wand!" said Katy, as she began hunting. "But where is it?"
"Oo, I can tell you that," said the horse-come-minotaur-come-ogre. "It's—"
But, before the horse-come-minotaur-come-ogre could finish, she had turned into a fire-breathing mouse.
"It's inside me!" cried the horse-come-minotaur-come-ogre-come-fire-breathing-mouse.
"What?!" asked Katy. "I can't understand you!"
The mouse then turned into a huge python snake. "It'ssss insssside me!"
With but a moment's thought, Katy commanded the horse-come-minotaur-come-ogre-come-fire-breathing-mouse-come-python to eat her. Knowing how long it took pythons to digest their food, Katy was sure she'd have enough time to find and retrieve her wand... And she did! Snatching it out, she cast her spell on the python and turned it back into her horse.
"Whatever did you do that for?" enquired Katy.
The horse hung her head guiltily. "I wanted to be better for you," she said sadly.
Katy stepped forward an gave her horse a huge hug. "You're good for me just the way you are," she said.
The End
Click here to listen to Chip on Kevin Fernihough's show! (Link valid until 25th July.) You'll find Chip's guest spot about 1 hour and 42 minutes in...
Want to enter the competition but already bought your tickets? Don't worry — send us your picture anyway, and if your illustration is chosen then we'll refund you the cost of up to four of your seats!
For more information about our "Crazy Bird Tour", click here — or to find a venue and book some tickets, check out where we're visiting from the list below...
Cumbria — Tuesday 24th July
2pm at Great Asby Village Hall, CA16 6EX — BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE!
Cheshire — Wendesday 25th July
2pm at Queen's Park High School, CH4 7AE — BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE!
West Midlands — Friday 27th July
2pm at The Crossing at St Paul's, WS1 1DA — BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE!
Hampshire — Sunday 29th July
2pm at The Winchester Discovery Centre, SO23 8RX — To book call 01962 873603
Oxfordshire — Monday 30th July
2pm at The Old Fire Station, OX1 2AQ — BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE!
Kent — Tuesday 31st July
2pm at Kings Hill Community Centre, ME19 4LG — To book call 01732 220919
Dorset — Thursday 2nd August
10:30am at St Andrew's Village Hall, Milbourne, DT11 0JX — To book call 01258 837371
Dorset — Thursday 2nd August
3pm at Broadmayne Village Hall, DT2 8EW — To book call 01305 854205
Somerset — Friday 3rd August
2pm at Norton Sub Hamdon Village Hall, TA14 6SF — BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE!
See you there!
18th July 2012