500 Words 2024: read a finalist's story from the 5-7 category

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This story was chosen as a top 50 finalist for 500 Words 2024/25.

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.

Doug the Detective Slug by Elizabeth W. C.

A slug called Doug lived in the vegetable garden with his big slug family. Doug's family teased him because he wants to be a detective. His family say that slugs are too small and slow to be good detectives. Doug often hides under his favourite rock by the tomato bush. From here, he can see everything - the birds fighting over berries and the squirrels hiding nuts in the nearby trees. Doug often thinks of his dad who says, "don't give up, you can be what you want to be, as long as you try."

While sitting under his rock one misty morning, Doug the Slug hears Gail the Snail crying. "What's wrong Gail?", Doug asks. Gail sniffles, "someone stole my favourite acorn." "I'll help you find it!", says Doug the Slug.

Gail the Snail and Doug the Slug decide that the best place to start looking for the acorn is the last place Gail saw it, which was outside her house. They go as fast as they can… The next morning, when they finally reach Gail's house, she points her eyes at a hole and says, "that's where I left it yesterday, but when I woke up, it was gone!" Doug the Slug shimmies up to the hole to see what he can see. There are some claw marks on the edge of the hole, and when Doug peers over, he sees a trail leading out the other end. "Aha!" he shouts, "I think this trail will lead us to the acorn thief!"

Doug the Slug and Gail the Snail follow the trail… The next morning, quite exhausted from their long journey across the garden path, they reach the end of the trail that stops suddenly outside a small hole. Doug shouts into the hole: "Helloooo down there! Did you steal an acorn!?" A little twitchy hedgehog nose pokes out the hole and grumbles, "leave me alone! I'm sleeping and acorns are yucky!" Doug is confused, asking, "then why did you steal our acorn!?" Heidi the Hedgehog rolls her eyes, saying "I didn't steal it! But two days ago, I saw a fluffy tail rush past my house with an acorn in its paws. Maybe they stole it?"

Doug the Slug says "Aha! I know who took your acorn." Doug heads towards the big oak tree, where the family of squirrels live. At the tree, Doug asks the nearest squirrel, "Oi! Do you know who stole an acorn from Gail the Snail's house the other day!?" The squirrel shrugs, saying, "Not me, but let me ask the others." A few minutes later, a really big squirrel comes out, dragging a scruffy squirrel by its tail. The big squirrel tells Doug, "This is Toby. I told him not to steal acorns outside someone's house! To say sorry, he will give you each two of his acorns!" Gail the Snail is so happy to have her acorn back, singing, "Hurray for Doug the Slug! He's a great detective friend!"

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