Naiya Remnant - Aged 11 - Runner-Up!

The Girl and the Swallow

​

On a farm near a wood stood a little bungalow called Hewish Farm. It was a nice little farm with chickens, chicks, guinea pigs, fish and rabbits. There stood a huge barn next door to this farm, a barn that I loved. A nice snuggly barn full of straw and sometimes cows. My name is Founder and I am a swallow. I was born here in this very snuggly barn full of straw and cows. Just a tiny chick I was, just opening my eyes.

 

Now the first few weeks of my life were nice and peaceful and my mum would feed me, so I didn’t have to get out of the nest.

 

But one day my mum went to get breakfast and I was waiting patiently, but she didn’t come back. I waited and waited but she still didn’t come. I stayed hungry, starving by this point. It was now nearly dinner and I could wait no more. I was more than starving now. I had almost lost hope and then I heard voices. Human voices. At first I ignored them but then I thought maybe they could feed me. So I shouted at the top of my voice and they heard! Human voices came closer and before I knew it they were staring right at me.

​

So I shouted again and the man said, “Where is that swallow’s mum?” “

 

“I don’t know,” said the little girl to the man. “Maybe she got lost or eaten!” “Well,” said the man, “It will die without its mum.”

 

There was silence.

 

Until the little girl said, “Maybe we could help him?” I shouted again.

 

“Well,” said the man, “First let’s wait and see if its mum comes.”

 

So they waited. Then after a while the little girl said,”She’s not coming Dad.” “I know,” said the man. “We will give it one more minute.”

 

A minute passed. “Alright,” said the man, “It’s nearly eight o’clock and this swallows’ mother still hasn’t come back.”

 

“What shall we do?” Said the little girl.

 

“First things first,” said the man. “We need to feed it.” “Got it.” said the girl. “I will go and dig up some worms.”

 

A while later the little girl came back with some worms. I ate them hungrily.

 

Then the man got a ladder and carefully took me out of the nest and wrapped me up in a blanket. They took me in their house and fed me some more worms. Then I fell asleep for the night and awoke wondering what was happening. Until I heard the little girls’ voice. “Good morning,” she said. “I’ve caught you some flies,” she said. “I found them in the garden, especially for you.”

​

I ate them happily. Then she asked me, “What is your name?” I blinked, I didn’t have a name then. “I think I’ll name you Founder, if you like the name,” she said. I nodded. “Great,” said the little girl. “Founder it is.”

 

As the days passed I grew into a much bigger friendly swallow. I lived in the garden now but always visited the little girl. Whenever I heard her voice it gave me joy and I would swoop over her.

 

It was getting colder and colder each day. Now the wind picked up and the light fluffy clouds started to grey. The sun started to hide and then the rain came. First it drizzled, then it spat, then light showers came and then it chucked it down.

 

One less grey morning a flock of swallows were all gathering on a wire in the little girl's garden. They were all chattering so I came to greet them. “The weather is getting cold,” said one. “Yes,” said another. “It’s almost time to migrate.”

 

Migrate, I thought? “What does migrate mean?” I asked.

 

The other swallows stared at me in surprise. “You don’t know what migration is?” said one.

 

“No,” I replied.

​

“Oh,” he said. “Well when it gets cold, we go to a lovely warm place called Africa.” “Sounds good,” I said “How far is it there?”

 

“Oh” said one “About 6000 miles.”

 

“What,” I said, “I have a lovely life here with my lovely girl.” “Oh , well” they said “Haven’t you noticed it’s getting colder “ “Yes” I said “I guess it is getting quite cold”

 

“Yep,” they said.

 

That cold night I couldn't stop thinking about going to Africa. I thought to myself, I want to go for it is getting cold but also didn't want to go because I loved my life here. Finally I had made my decision I was going 600, or was it 6000 miles to Africa. So one less wet morning I went up to the little girl, she and her Dad. Sadly I said goodbye,I flapped my wings and she seemed to understand and she said tearfully, “Goodbye Founder.” Her Dad nodded, and off I went. I felt like I was going to burst as I flew away into the horizon.

 

The first few days were fine, tiring but smooth. Me and all the other swallows ate flies as we flew. It was still raining, in fact pouring, as we struggled flying against the rain. Now we were reaching France, a strange country full of cheese, whatever that is. It was warmer in France,

still not that warm, but warmer. I was missing the little girl, in fact so much so I thought maybe I could go back to England even though it was freezing there.

 

We stopped for the night in France on a big shady oak tree. Then early in the morning we were off again. My wings were getting tired, aching, as all us swallows pushed to Spain our next stop. Spain was stranger still for almost every bird spoke a different confusing language.

I had been away from the little girl for what felt like a year, I missed everything about England, the friendly robins, the chattering chaffinches, even the soft cool breeze. Up here it was still, too still, not even a cool breeze. It was also dry in Spain, there were still lots of plants but the ground was hard and rocky. Me and all the other swallows stopped in a shed, a gardening shed. It still wasn't as cozy as my lovely barn at Hewish farm but good enough for a good night's sleep. It was very tiring flying across Spain, it felt like it went on forever. In my mind I pictured the little girl, her arms stretched wide gazing up at me. I felt so sad I had to stop for a moment, though I couldn't stop for long, us swallows had to keep moving. We stayed in lots of different barns, sheds and trees. There was a new place every day. Until finally we made it to Africa.

 

Africa was really warm and really big, I didn’t know what to make of it. This was my new home.

​

The first few nights were restless, I kept dreaming about the little girl and my cosy life with her. But that life was over. Now I was here.

 

One sunny morning when I was catching my breakfast I saw a little boy all alone. He looked sad, I knew how he felt, so I came up to talk to him. “Hello,” I chirped. He turned to look at me. “A swallow,” he said, “Hello there.” I came closer and the little boy held out his hand and stroked my back.

 

From then on the little boy and I saw each other every day. I helped him and he helped me.

He gave me a home in his shed. I still missed the little girl very much but the life I was having now was just as lovely. Soon enough it started to get colder. I thought not this again, what was I going to do now. Start yet another life somewhere else. Until I heard it, “ It’s almost time to go back,” said a swallow. “Go Back!” I said. “Yes we don’t stay here forever, we go back again.” “Does that mean I can go back to my little girl?”

 

“Yes, didn’t you know?”

 

I was so happy! I could go back to my warm snuggly barn, to the friendly robins and back to my little girl! But what about my little boy and the warm shed and my life here.

 

“Well you see,” said the swallows, “ We don’t stay in one place forever, we switch between the two, the life here and the life there.” I swooped with joy.

 

Now I travel between my two lovely lives. One with my little girl and one with my little boy.