This story was written over 5 weeks as the final project for the first-year Creative Writing students. It’s their first attempt at writing a short story on their own, combining all the skills they’ve learned through the year.

Mary had a particular dream last night. She dreamed that she could talk to animals!

In her dream, a little bird had fallen off the tree and she had to help it. Then she dreamt that her best friend Avary and her broke up. She was so unhappy that she woke up and said, “Lucky it's only a dream.

The day at school was just the same as her dream! She rubbed her eyes with her hand, thinking that she was still in the dream. She hit herself hard in the face, it hurt. Then she knew that she was not in a dream.

She was at Sunny School, a huge school with big windows and sunlight pouring into the classrooms. She wanted to share the dream with her friend Amy that’s sitting next to her in class .

“Ribite, Ribite” Mary said, speaking in a strange language.,

“Stop pretending to be a frog!” Amy said.

When it was play time, Mary heard a tiny sound, “Chirp, chirp, help me!”

Mary jumped off the swing and ran toward the sound. She found a bright yellow baby bird under the old oak tree.

The little bird said, “Chirp, chirp, can you help me to put me back in my nest? I am a baby and I can’t fly!”

Mary held the baby bird tightly and took a deep breath. She started climbing the tree trunk that leads to the top of the tree where the nest is. The students in the playground stopped what they were doing, staring open- mouthed at her. After she put the bird safely in its nest, she carefully climbed downwards. After this experience, she knew that she could understand animal luggage and speak animal language.

When it was lunch break, her best friend Avary walked up to her and said coldly, “ I don’t want to be your friend again. You are weird.”

Mary opened her mouth to protest and explain but Avary already stomped away. Leaving Mary alone with her tears trickling down her cheek, she was heartbroken.

Finally, it is time to go home. Mary walked glumly back home kicking a tiny rock in front of her　and muttering something unintelligible under her breath.

When she arrived home, her mum walked out of the kitchen holding a tray of homemade cookies.

“Hi, honey. I made your favourite chocolate cookie. ” Mum said, "You came back at the right time to eat them hot.” Even though chocolate cookies were Mary’s favourite cookie, she couldn't eat them. Mum noticed and asked her what was wrong.

Mary said, “Nothing.” She felt her face colouring up. She raced up the stairs to her bedroom and slammed the door, tears sparkling in the sunlight that streamed through the big window in her room.

Mary laid down on her bed and fell asleep almost instantly. Then she dreamed that she could talk to humans normally again and her friend said sorry and they became friends again. She was very cheerful.

The next day at school was very different from yesterday.

First, she found out that she can talk normally to humans but she could still talk to animals! She was delighted.

After a week, her friend Avary came up to her and said warmly “I think I am wrong about you. After all, you have been really normal this week and it is really brave of you to help the little bird. Will you forgive me?”

“Of course," she said in a dazed voice. When it was time to go home, she almost jumped up from her seat because she was very excited to share her day at school with her mum.

The bell rang and she skipped out of the classroom. She skipped all the way home until she reached her doorstep by the countryside. She sped into the living room seeing her mum watching TV on the couch. She told her mum everything from the first dream to now, she told her mum about how she saved the yellow little bird and the second dream her mum was fascinated.

Now Mary has lived knowing two languages.

Talking to Animals