The Lost Mine Of Bacon

• Michael Dockmagian, Grade 3, Our Lady of Mt Carmel Primary School
• Short Story
• 2017

Excellence Award in the 'Spread The Word 2017' competition

It was a sunny spring morning, as Michael the Butcher worked in his shop. As he was wrapping up some meat for a customer, something suddenly tapped him softly on the leg. He turned around and saw a piece of bacon on the floor. He quickly picked it up, put it in the bin and wondered how it had got there. He continued his day in his busy butcher shop, making sure that nothing else fell on the ground.
The next morning Michael saw that all the meat in the freezer had vanished! He rang his friend, Jerome who was a farmer. Jerome answered and said, “Michael, all the vegetables on my farm are gone!” Michael told him that all his meat had disappeared too! How strange… Why would this happen? They agreed to meet at Cookie Train Station to talk more.
Michael found his friend at the station. “What’s going on Jerome? Where could all the meat and vegetables be?” Jerome looked at him and said quietly, “Have you ever heard of the Lost Mine of Bacon?” “Yes.” Said Michael, “But it’s not true, is it?” He asked.
As Jerome was about to answer, Michael noticed a trail of bacon on the ground, leading to the steps of the ‘Cookie Train Express’. “All aboard!” Jonathan the train driver screamed. “Last stop the Lost Mine of Bacon.” The boys jumped onto the train.
When the train reached its last stop, they saw a huge dark mine. “That must be it,” Michael said. They went inside and heard mysterious voices whispering, “All hail King Bacon!” to a slice of bacon, wearing a crown sitting in a golden frypan. “Destroy them all!” Shouted the nasty King, pointing to a bunch of vegetables in front of him.
Broccoli, zucchini, carrots and peas started to shake as a gigantic robot fly swatter came out of the ceiling chasing them. Bacon soldiers saw Michael and Jerome and shouted, “Stop them!” “I know what to do,” said Michael. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a roll of butcher’s paper. He threw it into the air and it covered the Bacon King and his soldiers, so they didn’t know which way to go. Quickly Michael and Jerome grabbed the vegetables and jumped on the Cookie Train Express. “Take us home Jonathan!” Yelled Jerome.
As the train pulled into the station, the vegetables thanked the boys for saving them. “Now we can go back to our farms and grow again,” said the broccoli. “And bacon won’t be disappearing anymore, now that King Bacon has been defeated and can’t order them to be soldiers,” said Michael.
The next morning Michael was in his butchery, putting pieces of bacon on a tray. He was sure he put down nine pieces but he could only count eight. Then he remembered he left one piece in the fridge. “You’re not running away this time,” he said. Never forget the last piece of bacon.