WRiting Contest #4 - Rhetoric
Junior Category Winning SUbmissions
The Claustrophobic Aramdillo
By Oliver Yang
First Place, Junior Category
Once there was a claustrophobic armadillo named August that couldn’t stand being trapped inside of his own armour, and wanted to rip his shell off. August decided to go for a walk to get help from other animals in the forest.
August walked and walked, until he found Sam the snake. “Hello” August the armadillo said, “Can you do me a favor?”
Sam asked, “Sure, what do you need?”
August replied, “Can you help me rip my shell off?”
Sam was confused. “Why can’t you just shed it off?”
“I don’t shed.”
“Sorry. I can’t help you.”
So, August walked and walked until he found Herman the hermit crab! “Hello” August said, “Can you do me a favor?”
Herman asked, “Sure, what do you need?”
August replied, “Can you help me rip my shell off?”
Herman was confused. “Why can’t you just walk out of it?”
“I can’t do that.”
“Sorry. I can’t help you.”
So August walked and walked until he found Peter the Porcupine! “Hello!” August said, “can you do me a favor?”
Peter asked, “Sure, what do you need?”
August replied, “Can you help me rip my shell off?”
Peter was confused. “Hey buddy, you think you have a problem? Look at me! Does it look like I’m having fun? That was a rhetorical question. Don’t answer.”
“But I am claustrophobic!”
Peter didn’t care. “Would you rather be free of your shell but in constant danger, or would you keep your shell and your discomfort, and stay protected?”
August replied sadly, “Stay protected.”
“Good,” Peter replied.
And the claustrophobic armadillo walked away safely and sadly.
LA FIN
Bread is Better than Gold
By Jason Wang
Second Place, Junior Category
Sometimes, people get foolish, just walking down the street and thinking how rich they are. Just like King Midas. “You know, I am a king, but I never think I am rich enough,” he told a bank manager, down the street.
Just back home, his men told Midas that there was a new person in the kingdom that they had never seen before. King Midas told them to take good care of that person and treat him gently.
“Five more breads, Midas!” Drake yelled. “Alright,” Midas quickly responded.
Just like this, Drake and Midas made a deal for ten days. He can get as many things as he wants. After ten days, Midas took Drake to the police station to check his family history. On the way, Midas heard something.
“Midas, Midas, I know you are taking good care of my son, Drake. It is time to let Drake go with me.” Midas immediately recognized that voice. Only one person in this world could have that sound: the lightning god, Zeus. Zeus later came down and picked Drake up. “Midas, I will let you make any wish that you want, and it will come true.”
“I want everything I touch to turn into gold,” Midas said, without even thinking. Midas went back home and touched a lot of things, plus he asked his men to make dinner. He took a bite and when the food touched his lips, it turned into solid gold.
Midas helplessly asked Zeus, “Take your give back.”
“I cannot take my gift back; however, you can go to the world's oldest river to wash my gift away.”
Midas did what he was told and his gift got washed away. Now, he could eat food normally.
Grape Questions
By Andrew Zhang
Third Place, Junior Category
On some street of Los Angeles, in a corner nobody ever looks at, a man made a lemonade stand. He made the freshest drink and it tasted so good that people from all over the USA came to have a try. His stand was small, crappy, about to fall apart, but even so, everyone loved his lemonade. Just on work days alone, lines made up of hundreds of people could be found in the alleyway. Even on Christmas Eve, lines still would be crowded because his lemonade was just so good. For a week, the man had noticed a duck from the corner of his eye. The duck looked to be spying on him, moving from place to place every few minutes.
On a hot Monday in June, that duck came up and asked a really controversial question: “Got any grapes?”
The man replied, “No” of course politely but little did he know that his nightmare was coming true.
The Duck gave the man a glare like he was coming tomorrow, then Duck just waddled away on to the streets disappearing into the crowd. That duck would wait in line for hours just to ask for grapes, the man thought to himself, what a moron. The next day the duck came again, he used that pitiful face and asked again, “You got any more grapes?”
The man replied, “No, duck, go away you know I’m allergic to grapes” hearing that question for the second time almost made the man go crazy.
For weeks that man would listen to that question about grapes. He almost got mental health issues. Another week after that, the duck came back. “Go away duck,” the man growled right away, but the duck asked the tormenting question: “Got any grapes” [slow motion]. The man felt his heart beating faster and faster bm-bm-bm. The man wanted to kill the duck right there. He’d rather eat the duck right now than hear that question. He almost threw a rock at the duck since he was getting emotionally damaged. After a week or so, the duck came up for what seemed like the question. The man right away said, “Go away-y-y duck I’ll give you money for grapes” [shivers], just don’t ask the question.”
“I won’t,” said the duck, “BUT [says with excitement dramatically] you want any lemonade?”
Video Games
By Roris Wang
Honourable Mention, Junior Category
Kids only get a limited amount of screen time every day - maybe 20- 30 minutes and it can be difficult to know what games to pick in that limited time. With only 20-30 minutes to play, you need a video game that doesn't take too much time to set up, is not very time consuming to complete a level, and is still entertaining. That’s why Super Mario is the best game for your 20-30 minute window.
Super Mario takes less than one minute to set up. That means 29 minutes of screen time. That is a good set up time to play time ratio. All you need is a console, video game controller, and a unique chip. You turn on the power, slide in the game chip and select your profile. It’s just that easy, it’s just that fast.
Not only is it fast to set up, each level of Super Mario takes less than half an hour to finish! If you have precision, accuracy, and technique you could finish a level in less than half an hour and if you are really good - a five star player - you might even be able to finish 2 levels in one day, within 30 minutes! That is rewarding!
Lastly, Super Mario is a great game. You can play for 30 minutes, or all day (if you have pro-d day) or even for a solid week (if you are on holidays) and still not get bored. No flip flopping like a fish that just came out of the water - oh no - you stay locked in to this amazing video game.
To conclude, Super Mario is the best. If you only have 20-30 minutes to play, Super Mario doesn't take too much time to set up, is not very time consuming to complete a level, and is still entertaining. You should go and buy one right now at Best Buy or your local video game store.