Jellyfish Shoes
1
Laura had some new jelly shoes.
She was really proud of them. They were pink and see-through like raspberry jelly.
She ran down to the beach in them. Wherever she walked, they left little tracks in the sand. Like this:
'Look, Scott,’ Laura called to her brother. 'My new jelly shoes are leaving stars in the sand.' Squidge. Laura trod in something slippery. She lifted up her shoe. 'Ughhh!' she said. 'What's that mess?'
'It's only a jellyfish,’ said Scott. 'The sea washes them up on the beach.' 'Well, I don't like it,’ said Laura. 'It looks like a jelly cow-pat.'
Slosh. The sea washed up some more jellyfish. Pink ones this time. They spread out in pink puddles on the sand.
'Watch out,’ said Scott. 'Jellyfish can give you a nasty sting.' 'Yuk!' cried Laura. 'There are loads of them! And, phew, what a pong! I hate them. They'll spoil my new jelly shoes!'
Scott looked at the jellyfish on the sand. He looked at Laura's new shoes. An idea popped into his head.
'I don't know why you hate jellyfish,' said Scott. 'What do you think your new shoes are made of?'
Laura looked down at her shoes. They were see-through and pink. The jellyfish on the beach were see-through and pink too.
'Don't be silly,' she told Scott. But her voice was shaky.
2
'I thought you knew,’ said Scott. 'Don't you know what happens to all these washed-up jellyfish?' Laura shook her head.
'I'll tell you what happens,’ said Scott, who was good at stories. 'The jelly workers come round. They come round at night with bin bags. And they shovel all the jellyfish into the bags. And they take them away to the Jelly Shoe Factory.'
He went on, 'And they make them into shoes. Just like the ones you've got on. I thought everyone knew that!'
Laura looked down at her new shoes.
'I don't think I like my new shoes any more,' she said. Then she tore them off.
'Yuk!' she said. 'I don't want pongy jellyfish shoes that sting mel' She threw them into the sea. They didn't sink. Jellyfish shoes don't sink. They just bobbed about on the waves. And washed further and further away from the shore.
'Good riddance!' shouted Laura, waving them goodbye. Then she tiptoed back to the house in her bare feet.
3
That night Laura dreamed about the jellyfish workers. She dreamed they crept along the beach with bin bags in their hands. They bent down and shovelled up jellyfish. Soon they had whole shiver
ing sackfuls of them. Flies were buzzing all around them.
'Oh no!' cried Laura, waking up. 'The jelly workers are coming! ' But it was all right. She was safe in her own bed. 'It was just a bad dream,' she told herself.
Yet down on the dark beach, something was moving. Something was bobbing about on the waves.
It was Laura's jellyfish shoes. They were coming back home. Gently, they washed in on the wave tops until at last a big wave washed them up on the sand. Neatly side by side.
'What a bit of good luck!' said Mum the next morning. ‘Guess what I just found on the beach?’ 'Don't know,' said Laura.
Mum held up the jellyfish shoes. 'These! I bet you didn't even know you'd lost them.' Mum tipped up one of the shoes. A winkle fell out of the toe.
'Here you are,' she said, handing the shoes to Laura. 'You can put them back on now.'
Laura pushed the shoes away: 'I won't put them back on!' she shouted. You can't make me!' Mum stared at her. 'What on earth is the matter? I thought you'd be pleased to get them back.' 'I don't want them. I don't want smelly shoes that make flies buzz all around me! Why did you do it, Mum? Why did you buy me shoes made of Jellyfish?'
And Laura rushed out of the door. Mum shook her head, puzzled. 'Shoes made of jellyfish?' she said. 'What's she talking about? Do you know, Scott?' 'Don't ask me,' said Scott. But he looked a bit guilty.
4
Laura rushed down to the beach without her jellyfish shoes. Scott came running after her. He had the shoes in his hand.
'Mum says you've got to put them on.'
'No! I'm never wearing those horrible shoes again! Not ever!'
'Look,' began Scott. 'There's something I've got to tell you. What I said yesterday, about the Jelly Shoe Factory-'
But he didn't get time to finish.
'What's that?' said Laura. 'What's that in the sea?'
The sea was full of tiny, frilly parachutes. They were pink and brown and purple.
'They're beautiful!' cried Laura. ’What are they?’
'They're baby jellyfish,' said Scott. 'Hundreds of them.' 'Jellyfish!' Laura jumped back.
'And if we don't save them,' said Scott, 'the sea will wash them up. They'll get splatted on the sand. They'll all die.'
'I hate jellyfish!' said Laura. 'They pong. They sting you. They get made into jellyfish shoes.' 'Well, I'm going to save them,' said Scott. And he raced back to the house.
Laura couldn't help watching the jellyfish. They sparkled like jewels. But they were getting closer and closer to the beach. Soon they would be dried-up puddles on the sand. And she couldn't help thinking, 'Poor babies.'
Just then, Scott came racing back with two buckets. And suddenly Laura changed her mind. 'I'll help you to save them,' said Laura. She grabbed a bucket. 'We'll tip them into that rock pool,’ said Scott. 'But we've got to hurry!'
'Don't touch them,' he warned. 'Even the babies sting:
They scooped up the babies in buckets. Then they ran to the rock pool and tipped them in.
'Hurry!' cried Scott. 'The sea's going out!' 5
Laura dashed to the rock pool. Slosh! The babies poured out like rainbows. She ran back again and again. Until her legs wouldn't work any more. 'I - can't - run - another – step!' she gasped, sitting down on the sand.
'It's all right,’ said Scott. 'Look! The tide's coming in!' Laura lifted her head. It was true! 'Hurray!' she yelled. 'We've saved them. We saved the jellyfish babies!'
Scott and Laura went to look in the rock pool. 'It's like jellyfish soup in there!' said Laura.
'But they're safe,' said Scott. 'And when the tide comes in, it'll take them out to the deep, deep sea - where they belong.'
'I like jellyfish now: said Laura. 'They're beautiful, aren't they? I'm really glad we saved them. And now the jelly workers won't get them. They won't be taken to the Jelly Shoe Factory and made into jellyfish shoes.'
Scott looked very guilty. 1
劳拉有一些果冻新鞋。
她真的为他们感到骄傲。他们粉红色和透明的像树莓果冻。 她跑到海滩上。她走到哪里,他们离开小跟踪在沙子里。 是这样的:
“斯科特,”劳拉她哥哥打电话。“我的果冻鞋离开新星在沙子里。
Squidge。劳拉踩在湿滑的东西。她举起她的鞋子。“Ughhh !”她说。“那是什么乱?” 斯科特说,这只是一个水母。”海洗他们在沙滩上。” “嗯,我不喜欢它,”劳拉说。“它看起来像一个果冻cow-pat。”
晃动。海水冲上一些水母。粉红色的。他们分散在粉红色的水坑在沙滩上。
“小心,”斯科特说。“水母可以给你一个令人讨厌的刺痛。”“恶心!”劳拉嚷道。“有很多他们!唷,乒乓球!我讨厌他们,他们会毁了我的新果冻鞋!”
斯科特看着水母在沙滩上。他看着劳拉的新鞋,一个想法突然出现在他的头。 '我不知道为什么你讨厌水母,”斯科特说。“你认为你的新鞋是什么做的?”
劳拉低头看着她的鞋子。他们是透明的和粉色。水母是透明的和粉红色的沙滩上。 “别傻了,”她告诉斯科特。但她的声音是不稳定的。2
“我以为你知道,”斯科特说。“你不知道这些水母不行了怎么办?” 劳拉摇了摇头。
“我会告诉你发生了什么,”斯科特说,他是擅长故事。果冻工人过来。他们用垃圾袋晚上到来。他们铲水母入袋。他们把他们带走果冻鞋厂。
他接着说,“他们把它们制成鞋。就像你得到的。我想每个人都知道!” 劳拉低头看着她的新鞋子。
“我不认为我喜欢我的新鞋,”她说。然后她撕掉。
“恶心!”她说。“我不想让pongy水母鞋刺梅尔的她扔进大海。他们没有下沉。水母鞋不下沉。他们只是剪短了海浪。并从岸边洗越来越远。
“谢天谢地!”喊着劳拉,向他们挥手告别,然后她在她裸露的feet.3蹑手蹑脚地回到房子 那天晚上,劳拉梦见水母工人。她梦想他们沿着海滩爬垃圾袋在他们的手中。他们弯下腰,铲起水母。很快他们整个颤抖满满的。苍蝇嗡嗡声。
“哦,不!”哭了劳拉,醒来。“果冻工人来了!”但这是好的,她在自己的床上是安全的。“这只是一个恶梦,”她对自己说。
然而在黑暗的海滩上,移动的东西。在海浪来回摆动。
这是劳拉的水母鞋。他们回家。轻轻地,他们洗的顶部,直到最后一个大浪冲他们挥手在沙滩上。整齐并排。
说什么一点好运!妈妈第二天早上。“猜猜我在海滩上发现什么?” “不知道,”劳拉说。
妈妈举起水母鞋。“这些!我敢打赌,你甚至不知道你失去了他们。” 妈妈把鞋子之一。一个闪耀的脚趾。
“给你,”她说,递给劳拉的鞋子。“现在你可以把它们回到了。” 劳拉把鞋子推开:“我不会把它们回到!”她喊道,你不能强迫我!” 妈妈盯着她,“到底是什么事?我以为你会高兴让他们回来。”
”我不想让他们。我不希望臭鞋让身边的苍蝇嗡嗡声!你为什么要这样做,妈妈?你为什么给我买鞋水母做的吗?”
和劳拉冲出了门。妈妈摇了摇头,困惑。“鞋水母做的吗?”她说。“她在说什么吗?你知道,斯科特?”
“别问我,”斯科特说。但他看起来有一点内疚。4
劳拉冲到海滩上没有她的水母鞋。斯科特跑后。他手里拿着鞋子。 妈妈说你必须穿上。”
“不!我不会再穿那些可怕的鞋!不!”
“看,”斯科特。“有些事我必须告诉你。我昨天说的,关于果冻鞋厂- ' 但他没有时间完成。
“那是什么?”劳拉说。“那是什么在海里?”
大海充满了小泡泡降落伞。他们是粉红色和棕色和紫色。 “真漂亮!”劳拉嚷道。“他们是干什么的?”
“他们小水母,”斯科特说。“数以百计的。”“水母!”劳拉跳回来。
“如果我们不救他们,”斯科特说,“海洗他们。他们会将长条木板在沙滩上,他们都会死。” “我讨厌水母!”劳拉说。“他们发出难闻的气味,刺痛你。他们变成水母鞋。” “好吧,我要拯救他们,”斯科特说。他跑回了自己的房子。
劳拉忍不住看水母。他们像宝石一样闪闪发亮,但他们越来越接近海滩。很快他们就会干涸的水坑在沙滩上。
她忍不住想,“可怜的孩子。”
就在这时,斯科特赛车回来了两个水桶,劳拉突然改变了主意。
“我会帮助你拯救他们,”劳拉说。她抓起一桶。“我们将它们陷入了那块岩石池,”斯科特说。“但是我们必须快点!”
“别碰它们,”他警告说。“即使是婴儿刺痛:
他们在桶舀起婴儿。然后他们跑到岩石池和他们。 “快点!”斯科特喊道。“海的出去!”5 劳拉冲到岩石池。泼!婴儿倒像彩虹一样。 她一遍又一遍,直到她的腿跑回去不会工作。
“我——不——运行——另一个步骤!”她喘着气,坐着在沙滩上。 “没关系,”斯科特说。“看!涨潮了!”劳拉抬起头,这是真的! “加油!”她喊道。“我们拯救他们。我们拯救了水母宝宝!” 斯科特和劳拉去看岩石池中。“就像水母汤在那里!”劳拉说。
但他们是安全的,”斯科特说。“和潮汐到来时,它会把它们扔到深,深海——他们属于的地方。” “我喜欢水母:劳拉说。“他们是美丽的,不是吗?我很高兴我们救了他们。现在,果冻工人不会让他们。他们不会果冻鞋厂,制成水母鞋。” 斯科特很内疚。
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