Mr Sticky
No one knew how Mr. Sticky got in the fish tank.
"He's very small," Mum said as she peered at the tiny water snail. "Just a black dot."
"He'll grow," said Abby and pulled her pyjama bottoms up again before she got into bed. They were always falling down.
In the morning Abby jumped out of bed and switched on the light in her fish tank.
Gerry, the fat orange goldfish, was dozing inside the stone archway. Jaws was already awake, swimming along the front of the tank with his white tail floating and twitching. It took Abby a while to find Mr. Sticky because he was clinging to the glass near the bottom, right next to the gravel.
At school that day she wrote about the mysterious Mr. Sticky who was so small you could mistake him for a piece of gravel. Some of the girls in her class said he seemed an ideal pet for her and kept giggling about it.
That night Abby turned on the light to find Mr. Sticky clinging to the very tiniest, waviest tip of the pond weed. It was near the water filter so he was bobbing about in the air bubbles.
"That looks fun," Abby said. She tried to imagine what it must be like to have to hang on to things all day and decided it was probably very tiring. She fed the fish then lay on her bed and watched them chase each other round and round the archway. When they stopped Gerry began nibbling at the pond weed with his big pouty lips. He sucked Mr. Sticky into his mouth then blew him back out again in a stream of water. The snail floated down to the bottom of the tank among the coloured gravel.
"I think he's grown a bit," Abby told her Mum at breakfast the next day.
"Just as well if he's going to be gobbled up like that," her Mum said, trying to put on her coat and eat toast at the same time.
"But I don't want him to get too big or he won't be cute anymore. Small things are cute aren't they?"
"Yes they are. But big things can be cute too. Now hurry up, I'm going to miss my train."
At school that day, Abby drew an elephant. She needed two pieces of expensive paper to do both ends but the teacher didn't mind because she was pleased with the drawing and wanted it on the wall. They sellotaped them together, right across the elephant's middle. In the corner of the picture, Abby wrote her full name, Abigail, and drew tiny snails for the dots on the 'i's The teacher said that was very creative.
At the weekend they cleaned out the tank. "There's a lot of algae on the sides," Mum said. "I'm not sure Mr. Sticky's quite up to the job yet."
They scooped the fish out and put them in a bowl while they emptied some of the water. Mr. Sticky stayed out of the way, clinging to the glass while Mum used the special 'vacuum cleaner' to clean the gravel. Abby trimmed the new pieces of pond weed down to size and scrubbed the archway and the filter tube. Mum poured new water into the tank.
"Where's Mr. Sticky?" Abby asked.
"On the side," Mum said. She was busy concentrating on the water. "Don't worry I was careful."
Abby looked on all sides of the tank. There was no sign of the water snail.
"He's probably in the gravel then," her mum said. "Come on let's get this finished. I've got work to do." She plopped the fish back in the clean water where they swam round and round, looking puzzled.
That evening Abby went up to her bedroom to check the tank. The water had settled and looked lovely and clear but there was no sign of Mr. Sticky. She lay on her bed and did some exercises, stretching out her legs and feet and pointing her toes. Stretching was good for your muscles and made you look tall a model had said on the t.v. and she looked enormous. When Abby had finished, she kneeled down to have another look in the tank but there was still no sign of Mr. Sticky. She went downstairs.
Her mum was in the study surrounded by papers. She had her glasses on and her hair was all over the place where she'd been running her hands through it. She looked impatient when she saw Abby in the doorway and even more impatient when she heard the bad news.
"He'll turn up." was all she said. "Now off to bed Abby. I've got masses of work to catch up on."
Abby felt her face go hot and red. It always happened when she was angry or upset.
"You've hoovered him up haven't you," she said. You were in such a rush you hoovered him up."
"I have not. I was very careful. But he is extremely small."
"What's wrong with being small?"
"Nothing at all. But it makes things hard to find."
"Or notice," Abby said and ran from the room.
The door to the bedroom opened and Mum's face appeared around the crack. Abby tried to ignore her but it was hard when she walked over to the bed and sat next to her. She was holding her glasses in her hand. She waved them at Abby.
"These are my new pair," she said. "Extra powerful, for snail hunting." She smiled at Abby. Abby tried not to smile back.
"And I've got a magnifying glass," Abby suddenly remembered and rushed off to find it.
They sat beside each other on the floor. On their knees they shuffled around the tank, peering into the corners among the big pebbles, at the gravel and the pondweed.
"Ah ha!" Mum suddenly cried.
"What?" Abby moved her magnifying glass to where her mum was pointing.
There, tucked in the curve of the archway, perfectly hidden against the dark stone, sat Mr. Sticky. And right next to him was another water snail, even smaller than him.
"Mrs Sticky!" Abby breathed. "But where did she come from?"
"I'm beginning to suspect the pond weed don't you think?"
They both laughed and climbed into Abby's bed together, cuddling down under the duvet. It was cozy but a bit of a squeeze.
"Budge up," Mum said, giving Abby a push with her bottom.
"I can't, I'm already on the edge."
"My goodness you've grown then. When did that happen? You could have put an elephant in here last time we did this."
Abby put her head on her mum's chest and smiled.
Comments
For a short storie it is long but it was a good storie.
For a short storie it is long but it was a good storie.
I liked the story alot it was a bit long for a short story..
I liked the story alot it was a bit long for a short story but it was good.
its a very good story and my 5 year old cousin loved it!..
its a very good story and my 5 year old cousin loved it! she even likes it more than her all time favourite- wash your hands! 10 out of 10! :)
Yes, a little long for a short story. But very lovely. Good..
Yes, a little long for a short story. But very lovely. Good for teaching inferance skills.
The story idea was very entertaining! I did, however, find..
The story idea was very entertaining! I did, however, find myself a little confused in the beginning and had to reread to find out what the author was trying to say.
I love it - warm, tight, succinct and very "feel good".
I love it - warm, tight, succinct and very "feel good".
well i hate it it was horible
well i hate it it was horible
i did not understand it i guess i will read it again
i did not understand it i guess i will read it again
well written but could do better. since it is a childrens..
well written but could do better. since it is a childrens story, we could do away with the length of the story. it is a bit too long. and water snails arent a good subject for a children story.
it was good but the beginning was kind of slow. i liked it.
it was good but the beginning was kind of slow. i liked it.
it was a good story but this is a childrens story so the..
it was a good story but this is a childrens story so the length and word choice is what you need to worry about
Did not grab me in the slightest
Did not grab me in the slightest
I think this story was really good, a little hard to put..
I think this story was really good, a little hard to put together for a child, but it was good. The beginning should be changed to help understand what the overall idea is. It needs something to help the children who read without the assistance of their parents. Maybe making it a little less complex.
I love the story my 8 year old said. I love it too. It is a..
I love the story my 8 year old said. I love it too. It is a great story and it is very appropriate for youg children. Mr. Sticky is a loving and caring story. It is great.
thirteen years old can read this book?
thirteen years old can read this book?
For the person who wrote they hated it, first of all, learn..
For the person who wrote they hated it, first of all, learn to write. Second of all, if you cant say something nice, keep it to yourself. I thought it was a cute story.
I thought it was a charming story. To the person who said,..
I thought it was a charming story. To the person who said, If you have nothing nice to say, dont say anything at all... how does that help the writer? Negative feedback is essential, but it must be constructive. I hate it is not constructive. Work on it for next time (c:
I had to find a short story to read for a class and I love..
I had to find a short story to read for a class and I love childrens stories because they are fun to read. My seventeen year old friend sitting next to me got the biggest kick out of it- congratulations, youve hit the teenage audience!!
this story was bit longe but it was nice story
this story was bit longe but it was nice story
I twas a good story. I think if you dont read carefully you..
I twas a good story. I think if you dont read carefully you will not understand it but i did.
I thought it was a very clever short story, and it has..
I thought it was a very clever short story, and it has inspired me to write abou a small fish in my cshool Childs Story week project. Thanks!!!! =@) Beckyxxx
Great story! I agree with Abby, small thing are cute!!! Go..
Great story! I agree with Abby, small thing are cute!!! Go Mo! -Andy
its good and all but it 2 long .
its good and all but it 2 long .
Very good I ma thirteen and i relly enjoyed thank you!!
Very good I ma thirteen and i relly enjoyed thank you!!
The story didnt really grab me the way some of the others..
The story didnt really grab me the way some of the others have. Maybe the length is a bit long for the "story" itself.
It was average, in my oppinion. Thats all I can say.
It was average, in my oppinion. Thats all I can say.
I did not like the story too much. There was no point to..
I did not like the story too much. There was no point to the story... no moral nothing. I thought at 1st the end would have something to do with not seeing small things like the mother ignoring little Abby... but nothin like that. TAgain there was no point. Could have been better. chae
Nice little story. =) I sent it to my five-year-old niece,..
Nice little story. =) I sent it to my five-year-old niece, and she loved it.
this story reminds me of the water snails i used to find in..
this story reminds me of the water snails i used to find in my fish tank. :) they grew really big but the tank was still really dirty. :P Very pleasing story. wordy though
My goodness! The other people here are hard to please! I..
My goodness! The other people here are hard to please! I thought it was a touching story. I must admit, after just reading The Tidy drawer, this is not as good but they both seem lovely snippets of parental life which is nice but I fear non parents will be confused which is evident through the majority of comments. People are obsessed with morals and favour them over moments. If others want a moral for this one it is - "If you cant find the snail....ask your mum"! Well done again. Ben
I thought this story is a touching story , and you should..
I thought this story is a touching story , and you should believe your morther.
i really liked this story although i do agree that it is..
i really liked this story although i do agree that it is kind of long
simply charming!
simply charming!
i thought that it was a cute story
i thought that it was a cute story
I thought it was pretty real. Obviously, the author did do..
I thought it was pretty real. Obviously, the author did do with a tank of his/her own. However, you could not find the point of the story, in all of the story. At the end, it says that being small is okay, but what about the beggining? Anyways, a 2.5 out of ten, good-job, though. -Iz
i like it
i like it
this story is rubbish it is not at all interesting :-( i..
this story is rubbish it is not at all interesting :-( i got so bord even before i read it when i read on i thought it might get more interesting but it didnt :-(
Great story. I have a 6 year old girl that I can relate to..
Great story. I have a 6 year old girl that I can relate to the elephant drawing at school. She obsesses over little things and is intensely engaged in her own concerns at times just like Abby! My daughter is currently obsessed with writing books! Shes written and physically made (pictures, sentences and staples for binding) over 10 now!
MR. STICKEY IS A GREAT STORY FOR A SNAIL STORY.
MR. STICKEY IS A GREAT STORY FOR A SNAIL STORY.
get some new fitting trousers then...
get some new fitting trousers then...
I dont like it is is too too too long and the start is slow..
I dont like it is is too too too long and the start is slow
I dont like snails
I dont like snails
mr.sticky was ok. it was cute and creative but had no..
mr.sticky was ok. it was cute and creative but had no moral. kinda draged on i say-sunshine
I think that this story is very real, which is why i like..
I think that this story is very real, which is why i like it soo much, this story made me laugh the first ever time i read it.
This story was very good and funny.
This story was very good and funny.
I loved this story - its funny and poignant and very well..
I loved this story - its funny and poignant and very well written. Thank you.
You hated it?!?!?!? How asked you anyway. Next time if you..
You hated it?!?!?!? How asked you anyway. Next time if you have to englighten us tell us why you hated it! Great Story!!
This story was really boring and my child also hated it i..
This story was really boring and my child also hated it i cant beleive it was this horrendious
This story absoultly changed my life im 38 years old and i..
This story absoultly changed my life im 38 years old and i fianally know the meaning of my life... im goin to be a door to door gold fish salesmen!!! YAY THANK U MR STICKY!!!
Hey its great. I am see how a kid would be awake to the..
Hey its great. I am see how a kid would be awake to the plot and the twists here. Will try it onmy 9 year old sometime. Thanks for the inspiration.
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