500 Words 2025/26: read a finalist's story from the 5-7 category

Remember, spelling, punctuation and grammar are not taken into account for a 500 Words story, therefore all the top 50 stories have been published how they were submitted.

Ralph's Big Racing Dream by Peyton K.

Ralf was a zebra but all he wanted to be was a racehorse. With Christmas around the corner, the only thing Ralf wanted to do was to race, and race fast of course.

But he couldn't do that as a zebra, and without a racing jacket. At the zoo Ralf heard people talking about racehorses all the time. He saw them in the papers the zookeepers read. Sometimes he heard racing on the radio. He wanted more than walking around the enclosure with the gazelles and giraffes. He was born to be a racing horse not a zebra.

Ralf closed his eyes and imagined himself galloping and charging without a care in the world. Ralf felt at home. Wouldn't it be nice he thought, to run as fast and as free as a horse.

'No chance of that,' said Gerry Giraffe when Ralf told him his plan again. 'Why not?' Said Ralf.

'They'll think you're the finishing flag,' said Gerry. 'Zebras can't be racehorses'.

Ralf waited for Christmas morning and sure enough a new coat was in his stocking - and it was a racing coat!! He was ready, prepared and set about his galloping.

He ran and ran all day around the zoo until his legs gave way. The racecourse so close, he dreamed about it. The track, the crowds and the cheers.

But how would he do it? How could he disappear without a trace? Between breakfast and dinner the keepers would be busy with the lions. It would be tricky to get past the polar bears and hyenas, the noisy bunch. And he knew the lemurs and monkeys would snitch.

He needed a disguise, but what? He thought long and hard. Not looking where he was going, Ralf tripped and fell in some mud. He was filthy, covered in thick brown mud. Not a stripe in sight. It was perfect.

Race day arrived, his disguise was set, and he made his escape.

Before he knew it there he was on the start line. Racing Ralf set off, he took the lead, gasping for air, he looked back at the second place. Pooffff, at that, Ralf found another gear and crossed the line in style.

He did it, he won it, you won't see anything like that in a while. As he was given flowers, the rain began to pour. The mud slid off. He was not a racehorse anymore.

The claps turned to silence. You could hear a pin drop.

'A zebra???' shrieked shocked voices in the crowd.

"Anyone should be able to take part and it starts at the top," said Ralf trying not to cry. Then the crowd went wild. The other animals could hear it back at the zoo where they all cheered for Ralf.

Not everything in life is black and white. Ralf was a zebra but proved you can be anything you dream of if you try with all your might.

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