Charles the Talented Chicken

by Charlotte Hessey

Once upon a time there was a girl called Amy. She had a pet chicken called Charles, but Charles was no ordinary chicken.

One night, while Amy was sleeping peacefully, she heard a strange noise. She thought it was coming from the chicken pen but it was not the sound of a chicken. She went out into the garden to investigate. When she reached the chicken pen, she slowly, ever so carefully opened the door, and there she saw Charles with a typewriter, striking each key with his claws. Suddenly Charles turned his head as fast as lightening and let out an ear-piercing shriek, "Sqwaaaark!"

"Aaaarrrgghhhh!" Amy sqealed as they both made each other jump out of their skins, or feathers in Charles case.

"You scared me," said Charles. "I wasn't expecting visitors at this time of night."

"You scared me too Charles!" said Amy, picking herself up of the floor. I wasn't expecting to see a chicken at a typewriter and certainly not one who can talk! What are you doing?"

"Writing stories" said Charles. "It's my hobby. Please don't tell anybody, I'd like to keep it a secret"

Amy agreed but only if she could read one of his stories at bedtime.

The story was amazing. She couldn't wait to get to school to tell her best friend Percy her exciting news about her unique pet. At break time Amy told Percy about Charles.

"Percy you'll never believe what happened last night. I discovered my pet chicken can write stories!"

"I don't believe you" said Percy

"Come round to my house after school, "said Amy 'and I'll prove it to you'.

Percy followed Amy home from school and together they crept up to the chicken pen. They could hear the tap, tap, tap of the keys. They peeped inside and saw Charles at his type writer. Charles looked up.

"Hello Amy" he said, but then he spotted Percy. "I asked you to keep this a secret!" squawked Charles looking upset.

"Don't worry Charles," said Amy. "Percy is a good friend. He won't tell anybody".

Amy and Percy read through some more of Charles's stories. They convinced Charles to publish them.

At first the publishers sent them away not believing their story. Amy had the idea of Charles changing his name as no one would believe a chicken could write stories.

"But I like the name Charles" said the chicken

"You can keep Charles," said Amy, "but why don't you use my surname as a disguise'"

It was a success and Charles's stories became famous all over the world. He had to make a few changes to some of his story titles. 'Beak House' became 'Bleak House', 'A tale of two Chickies' became a 'Tale of two Cities' and 'Great Egg-spectations' became 'Great Expectations'.

To this day people still don't know that the famous author Charles Dickens was actually a chicken. Charles Chicken.