A RIDDLE FROM THE AIR
For several thousand years at least,
you’ve cultivated me.
Because I help your flowers and fruit,
that is why, you see!
My sense of smell is very good,
my eyesight is sharp too.
This helps me find the nectar
that I need for me and you!
I have got two tummies.
The first – food passes through;
the second keeps the nectar clean,
to reach my home like new!
I can only sting you once.
I’m going to tell you why:
your body tears my stinger out,
wounded, I must die!
Our girls buzz after nectar.
When they find it, they will dance.
This helps the others find it
very quickly – not by chance!
Now that you have listened,
just tell me, what’s my name.
Read my book when it comes out
if you can’t, that’s a shame!
Charlotte Sebag-Montefiore
Here’s the audio for you, – just give it a go!
https://charlotteswonderfulstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/final-riddle-from-the-air.mp3
A DIFFERENT CINDERELLA STORY
Hello! I am going to tell you a Different Cinderella story, and both the text and audio versions are copyright to me, Charlotte Sebag-Montefiore. So here we go. Enjoy and I hope you’ll be here next month.
One evening, Cinderella was sitting in front of the fire, when everyone else had gone to bed. She was very tired. All of a sudden, there was a tinkle. It was a smiling old lady with a fine pair of wings. “Hi,” she said, “I am your fairy godmother. You’d like me to tell you a story, wouldn’t you? Hmm? Well, I am not going to, we’ll live it instead!”
“Oh,” said Cinderella, “I‘ve done enough living today. My wicked stepmother beat me. When she stopped, she said “You won’t be able to work if I beat you anymore. Pity!” Will it be alright?”
“Well,” said the fairy godmother “it will be alright, because I shall be with you all the time. Who would you like to live with?”
“I would like to live with the Sleeping Beauty,” said Cinderella. “She won’t beat me, as she will be asleep. And I would like to live with Snow White, because she had a wicked stepmother too, so she will know how I feel and we can be friends. And perhaps Beauty could visit too, though I will ask her to keep the Beast in the potting shed when he’s beastly. It is rather cramped,” she added, “so he can come and be with us when he’s not beastly.”
“What a good idea,” said the fairy godmother. “We’ll have a rule that anyone beastly has to go to the potting shed.” She clapped her hands, there was a puff of smoke, and all of a sudden Cinderella saw:
- the Sleeping Beauty asleep on the couch
- Snow White smiling and making the supper
- the Beast with a large sign on his chest saying I am not beastly
- the Beauty being sweet tempered: she asked everyone what they wanted till they were fed up with it
Apart from the Sleeping Beauty who was asleep, everyone ate Snow White’s supper with much satisfaction: there was Splendid Risotto, followed by Salad Surprise; and Toasted Cheese Whips followed by Chocolate Supreme. The Beast said he wasn’t really a beast and much preferred human food and that the chocolate supreme was out of this world….
“So are we all,” said the fairy godmother. There was a tinkle and a puff of smoke, and Cinderella rubbed her eyes. “Hm,” she said, “it’s late, and I’m tired, but I feel so much better!”
Good night!
If you want to listen to the audio version, this is the link below:
https://charlotteswonderfulstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/a-different-cinderella-story.mp3
Both the text and audio versions of A Different Cinderella Story are copyright to me. So here we go. Enjoy and I hope you’ll be here next month.
Charlotte Sebag-Montefiore
Charlotte's Wonderful Stories 