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Story Telling Competition: The Adventures of Cat Liath

 

 

Earlier this year, Auchindrain invited primary schools in Argyl to join a story writing contest, creating a tale around our resident cat, Cat Liath.  Six schools entered the competition with a total of 76 stories.  Each staff member of the museum read the entries and gave them a mark from 1 to 10.  Two winners and two runner ups were named in two categories: P1-3 and P4-7.  

 

The winners have been notified but, unfortunately, we were unable to have an award ceremony before we went into lockdown. The award cremony will take place as soon as it is safe to do so.

 

Meanwhile, we will be publising one story every week in this section.  We hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

 

Note: The stories are a faithful transcription of the original entry.

 


Primary 4-7 Winner – Finn, Lochgilphead Primary School, P4

 

 

The Beginning

 

One day Laith was enjoying hunting for mice. He went up and down chaceing a mouse. He almost caught it but Laith fell into a hole. He landed with a bump on the floor. That is when he realised it was a tunal. Laith bravly went along it…

 

To his suprise it led in to a city of pineapples. Laith went to explor a Gold mansion, but he got arested by the pineapple cops. He had to think to get out of jail…

 

Laith was put in a cell with another cat called Dave. He was a big black cat with green eyes and a ushy tail.

 

He was planing an escape. Laith knew he needed help so he went up to Dave and asked how he could help. Dave explained what he wanted him to do. “Got it” replied Laith. The only way in and out was the iron door and a small window but the window was allways locked but Dave had found a secret air vent big enough to fit a small cat but would Laith fit…

 

Quietly Laith went in followed by Dave but suddenly thay herd an enormas kaboom! “What was that”? asked Laith. “Not a clue” said Dave. So the two friends went on going until the path was blocked by an enormous stone. In fact it was not a stone it was a dead end. But suddenly in a flash the wall exploded. Laith and Dave slowly crept through the hole…

 

The hole led into a mine of moles diging for diamonds. Quickly a gard mole spotted them. Dave hid but Laith was to slow. The gards went to get swords and went to attack but when the two were escaping the pineapple gard was checking the bad guys. When he got to Dave and Laiths cell he spotted Daves tail so he called more cops to help. So a whole lot more cops came armed with exploding water melons. Quickly Laith and Dave ran into a hole that led back to Auchendrain.

 

 

Original submission by Finn from Lochgilphead Primary School

 

 


 

Primary 4-7, Runner Up – Anna, Dalmally Primary School

 

 

The Secret of the Tunnel

 

I know a great secret. I want to share it with you.  Promise not to tell anyone? Good, then I’ll get started.

 

My name is Hannah and I work in Auchindrain museum, Inverary. I have a special friend here. You might find it strange that I’m best friends with Liath, but that’s the way it is. Liath is the king of Auchindrain – but here’s the catch. Liath is a cat. We had a special adventure together, and it’s time you knew. I had noticed that Liath had been disappearing a lot in the evenings, and I decided to follow him one evening after I had checked the cows. I quickly fed the calf and followed Liath as he disappeared around the corner of the new house. I ran after him, across the farmland until, suddenly he disappeared. I walked around cautiously, calling him, when I felt the ground give way beneath me. I landed with a loud thump and I felt the pain shoot up my ankle. I looked up. I had fallen quite some height. There was no way I could get back up without help. Luckily I had told Rachel - the new trainee – that I was going. If I didn’t return after a while she’d come looking for me. I stood up and gazed around me. I seemed to be in some sort of tunnel, I could see it stretching off into the distance and then splitting into two.

 

May as well look around while I’m here I thought to myself. Slowly, I limped forward. Somehow it was light and I could see but I couldn’t imagine how. Eventually  the tunnel widened out and became a cavernous room. I heard a cat purring. So this was where Liath disappeared to! I found him behind what seemed to be two large pillars. He was lying on some sort of strange rock, looking even more king-like than ever. The rock he was lying on had some words carved into it. I  recognised the language; it was Gaelic. I knew a wee bit of Gaelic so I tried to translate it. Stone, stone something. I looked harder. Stone of… stone of destiny? The name rang a bell. Liath looked very comfortable on his perch, but came down and purred at my feet. I thought it then and I still think it now, that there is something very majestic about Liath. He has a certain air about him that kind of states his importance. I decided to ignore that air and scooped him up in my arms. He protested weakly, I reckon he likes it when I do that, though he wont’ show it. As I marched out of the room with him in my arms I noticed intricate patterns carved on the rock. Weird, I thought to myself.

 

Roughly a week later I passed a group chatting about something. I didn’t take any notice until one of them mentioned the stone of destiny. That got my attention! I sidled closer, pretending to cut the dead heads off of the flowers.

 

“It’s said that it wasn’t really taken down to England” one of them was saying.

“Some monks hid it in this area, that’s what I heard.” I listened harder.

“Apparently it has amazing patterns carved into it. And it’s hidden underground. I quite fancy finding the real thing, don’t you?” His friends laughed as they walked away. He laughed to and joked with them round the corner of Macintyre’s house. I remembered it then. The stone of destiny. A stone all the kings of Scotland had been crowned on. I read about it in school. I went to find Liath, after all, he needed to know this important news, didn’t he? He was lying in the sun, preening himself.

“You know Liath” I said stroking him fondly. “You’re special, you know that?” I laughed “you gotta be the first cat king!” I laughed again and stood up. I had to take a group in five minutes. “See you about then”

 

So  now you know my secret. Don’t tell anyone! Please? I think Liath knows he’s special, that he’s a king. He’s not just the king of Auchindrain you know. He’s the king of Scotland too.

 

And he is just great.


 

Primary 1-3, Winner – Ayla, Port Ellen Primary School

 

Cat Liath dreamed of being a superhero. One Monday he was lying in the garden and a fairy came with a beautiful crystal. He turned into a superhero!! He flew through the sky and he shot lasers out of his hands and he rescued a big tiger from a huge swamp monster. The tiger was safe!

 

 

Congratulations to Ayla, winner of the Primary 1-3 story telling competition.

 


Primary 1-3 Runner Up – Stuart, Rhunahaorine Primary School

 

 

The King of Auchindrain

 

One Sunday morning Liath was outside catching mice untile he had an idea. Liath is a black (cat) whith yellow eye’s and he’s big. His idea was to go on an adventure so he ran to Eddie’s hous. He whasent there. Eddie’s alwas home. Liath was confused. He whent to all the hous. No one was ther. It was just him. He searched evrywear and they wear not ther. Liath thought they couldn’t of disappeared.

 

A coupel of hours later Liath was cathing mice and then he rememberd everyone was gone. He whent to Inveraray and they weren’t ther so he whent back. They wher gone for a day.

 

The next day they wher still gone. Liath was geting woried. Liath sprinted outside to cath mice and then he so three cars. Evryone was back. They wher on holiday. Liath was so happy. Liath never new they wher on holiday and he was glad they wher back.

 

 

 

Original story submitted by Stuart from Rhunahaorine Primary School

 

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