"Orange As Could Be" by Jade M, Age 10, Class 3

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Orange As Could Be

Jess walked over to the fireplace and looked at the photo, with a young man and a bright orange carrot in, which was proudly placed on top of the fireplace.
“Who’s that?” she asked,
“Me again love!” her Grandfather shouted. Jess' Grandfather specialised in growing prize vegetables. He was Scottish and use to live in Scotland. Jess got teased at school because of what her Grandfather done. It wasn’t till her Grandfather moved to England… that she appreciated, that what he'd done… made him happy! She looked at the photo carefully, the carrot, was wearing a red rosette!
“Grandfather… why is that carrot, wearing a rosette. And you aren’t?” she asked,
Her Grandfather chuckled and then blurted out, “Because dreary… that carrot, that carrot there, won the most orange and organic carrot of the year, show!” Jess looked at him if to say he was crazy!
“You make it sound all posh and nice.” She huffed, he looked at her as if to say, “What?”
“I wasn’t going to say a word!” she shouted, rolling her eyes. Jess walked out of the room and took her coat from the banister.
“Bye Grandfather… I’ll see you tomorrow!” she shouted,
“Ok Jess, but before you go… can yeah nip in the green house and water my carrots?” he asked crossing his fingers, “It’s just, I’ve got a bad back.”
“Ok Grandfather.” She groaned. Jess had gone in her Grandfather's green house before… but she’d never done, anything in it. As she walked in, the first thing’s she saw was the carrots.
“Well, that was easy!” she shouted, surprisingly. Under a desk by the carrots, there was a watering can. She took it out and went to the back of the green house, where she found the tap. She filled the water can up to the top.
“This is heavy!” she shouted, and then poured, all the water over the carrots. The next day when she went to see her Grandfather, she was asked again to water the carrots. So she did exactly the same as last time, only this time the carrots seemed less orange and a bit shrivelled up… so she gave them a little bit more water! The next day when her and her Grandfather went to the green house,
“The carrots!” he shouted, “What’s happened to my carrots?” he looked at Jess, Jess looked back at him, “Jessie, how much water did you give my carrots?”
“Well… on the first day, I gave them a can full and on the second day I gave them a can full and a bit!”
“Jess!” her Grandfather screamed, “You’ve killed them!” Jess looked at the carrots. Actually they did look a bit, well, unloved!
“I’m sorry Grandfather! I didn’t mean to!” she shouted, her Grandfather turned around,
“Don’t worry Jess… its not your thought! I should of told you how much water to give them.” He said smiling, “I just suppose I want to enter this years most orange and organic carrot of the year show.” He mumbled to himself. Jess felt guilty, as she looked at her Grandfather walking sadly to the house.
“Don’t worry Grandfather… I’ll grow some prize winning carrots!” she thought to her self.

The next day Jess got up really early so that she could get to the green house. She walked down the road and to her Grandfather's house, she quietly opened the green house door, slipped in and slowly closed it behind her. She looked around… she looked in the draws of the desk and took out some carrot seeds. She got some soil and a big pot and filled the pot half way with soil, put the seeds in and covered them over with soil. She got some water and only gave them a little bit. She put them at the back of the greenhouse and hid them behind the tomatoes. She looked in the house, but she could not bare to face him, after what she had done. After school she went back to the greenhouse, to check that her Grandfather had not found the carrots. They were exactly where they were before. After that, she did the same for a whole month… the carrots were lovely and orange… but she didn’t know what organic meant! That day she slowly closed the green house door, but her Grandfather caught her.
“And why are you out here so early in the morning?” he asked unlocking the door. Jess and her Grandfather walked inside, Jess told him all what she had been doing.
“Oh Jess!” her Grandfather chuckled, “You didn’t have to do that!”
“But I wanted to! And I want you to enter this years competition! Please?”
He thought and then said, “Ok then… and I’m sure that your carrots, will win a red rosette!”

By Jade M
Age 10
Class 3
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