500 Words 2023: read a finalist's story from the 8-11 category

<500 Words< Finalists< 8-11

This story was chosen as a top 50 finalist for 500 Words 2023.

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.

The Magical Hair Ditty by Akeeva S. B.

Pippa is a girl with GIGANTIC hair. It is SO BIG; it takes days to wash and hours to brush. Hair wash days frighten Pippa. But she loves the way the shampoo transforms into mountains of BUBBLES and crawls down her head like lava.

Pippa also enjoys the smooth condition that makes mum's fingers massage her head like nice wiggly worms. But Pippa does not like BRUSHING her hair. The PULLING and TAGGING makes her head OUCHY. However, mum's gentle blow on Pippa's head as she lifts the comb makes the OUCH better.

"UP, UP and UP you go…" Mum sings a ditty that makes Pippa forget the pain and sends her into a magical portal.

"Where am I?" Pippa wonders as she stops. She notices that the trees here are different, they have sweet treats instead of leaves. The grass too has a lot of colours, not just green. "What is this Place?"

"Well come to the world of wonders." A loud voice echoes and the entire place shakes. "Here you can eat as many sweets as you like." Pippa almost trips on a GIANT jelly baby as she looks around trying to work out where to begin. "I say you can eat as many sweets as you want but only if you have a clean and combed head; hair, I mean."

"Yes!" Pippa exclaims. "Mum has just washed my hair Squeaky clean and brushed it."

"Very, very good." Says the voice. "You can make your way to one of orchards then. Jump on." Pippa watches as an enormous ladybird with a blue bottom, pink and purple wings lifts her off the ground. "I am Princess Kalilah by the way, Duchess of Candy world. And you are?"

"I am Pippa."

"Pippa are you a princess too?"

"Yes, I am my mum's princess." Pippa says.

"Well then Mum's princess, you are in for a treat." Princess Kalilah says as they mount up high, above indigo, violet, yellow, and strawberry coloured candy floss clouds.

"This place is beautiful." Pippa gasps, her eyes blinking at rocket speed. She licks her lips at the tall trees packed with chocolate toffies and fields of giant marshmallows.

"Candy World is a land for all the brave and marvellous princess and princes who dare to believe in the magical things their hair can do." Princess Kalilah says. "like them over there." She takes a dive near a sparkling gingerbread house and Pippa sees boys and girls of every colour rocking hairstyles some so majestically braided and beaded with doves sitting inside them.

"Wow!" Pippa exclaims. "I definitely want mum to do my hair more now."

"Go inside that castle, the queen is waiting to see you." Princess Kalilah says as she sets Pippa down, near a chocolate fountain.

When Pippa walks through the door, her mum is seated on a throne of lolly pops and bubble gum wearing a donut crown with skittles.

"Welcome, Princess Pippa. I am Queen mum." They hugged.

THE END

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