Magic Want

• Lucy Vari, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2009

A girl called Lilly was sitting at her desk trying to finish her homework. But Lilly had no idea what the answers were. She read the problem again and again but couldn’t figure it. Lilly was so frustrated; she decided to take a break. Lilly wandered out into the magnificent garden. Lilly sat under a tree and watched a bird dig for a worm.
Suddenly, Lilly heard a twinkling sound, then a small thud. Lilly followed the strange sounds until she came to a bush. Lying next to the bush was a brown, knobbly stick. Little sparkles were on it. Lilly reached out and grasped it. What was this strange thing? Lilly shook it and a big, pink, sparkly thing shot out of the end of it. It hit a nearby dead flower. Suddenly, the flower became alive again! Then Lilly realised what this thing was. It was a magic wand.
It was Tuesday, and Lilly was sitting at her desk doing boring work. Lilly felt thirsty, so she left the room to get a drink. Lilly reached into her bag for her bottle, and then accidentally took out something else. It was the wand! Lilly smuggled it into the classroom. Lilly waved the wand over her page, and the answers appeared.
Lilly was delighted that she had something to help her with her schoolwork. “I wonder if it could help me win basketball?” Lilly wondered aloud. “Get ready for training!” Lilly’s mother called. “Time to test!” Lilly exclaimed happily.
Later on at training, Lilly dribbled the ball toward the goal. Lilly slipped her hand into her pocket and jiggled the wand. Lilly threw the ball to the side of the ring (so it would miss) deliberately. But the ball independently swerved into the ring. Lilly’s team cheered hard and Lilly grinned.
It was the day of the Grand Finals and Lilly packed the wand into her bag. Lilly arrived and the team huddled. When they had finished, the team positioned themselves on the court. Suddenly, Lilly realised that she had forgotten the wand. “Wait!” Lilly shrieked. Lilly searched her bag rapidly for the wand. But she couldn’t find it! Time was running out. The game would start soon. Finally, Lilly just had to face the game without the wand.
They lost the game that day, but Lilly learned her lesson, and learned that cheating is never the answer. And the wand was never seen again.