New Year’s Eve

It is the New Year’s Eve, a dark December evening. James Ball and Rosie arrive at a party in Gruntland. Arnold – doctor and his wife Nelly are throwing the party. Arnika – the teacher  and Arnold’s sister with her husband Baggy are invited to this party too.


The children from Gruntland and Snoutland, who are teenagers now, are having fun together at their own party in the village common-room.  Rosie and James’s children are with them.
Arnold and Nelly welcome the guests. Their house is nicely iluminated. Everything is ready for the party. Arnika and Baggy aren’t there yet.

Where are they? says Nelly.
Suddenly the phone rings. It is Baggy.
– I’m very sorry, we can’t come to the party, he says. Arnika is very ill.
– Does she need my help? asks Arnold.
I think so, answers Baggy. Can you come here please?
Of course I can. I have to, I am a doctor, says Arnold. And she is my sister!
Arnold goes to Arnika and Baggy’s house.

Arnika is lying in bed. She has a fever. Baggy is giving her some tea. He is very worried.

Arnold checks Arnika’s temperature. It is very high – 39,1 degrees Celsius.
– I think she has got the flu, says Arnold. It isn’t very dangerous but she must stay in bed for a week.
Arnold gives Arnika some medicines.

That is all I can do, he says.
– Thank you good friend, says Baggy.
Arnold wishes them a Happy New Year and goes home.
It is a shame that they can’t come to our party, he thinks. 
Arnold comes back home.
– Arnika is very ill, he says. They can’t come to our party.
– I’m so sorry, says Rosie.
– So we have to party in four. Let’s eat this big vegetable salad, says Nelly.
The pigs are eating and drinking. They are talking about Arnika.

Rosie asks:
– Is it serious?
– No, it isn’t, its only the flu, answers Arnold.
After eating they are playing a game.They are waiting for the New Year’s concert on TV.

Suddenly the light goes off.
– Oh no, what is it? they say.
They light the candles.

– What can we do now? asks Rosie.
– We have to wait, says James.
– But the concert! cries Rosie.
Rosie is miserable and disapppointed. She doesn’t want to play the game. She wants to go home. James Ball worries about her.
What about the children? he asks.
– Let’s go to the common room to see, says Rosie.
The children are having a good time by the candle light and some lamps with the batteries. They don’t want to go home.

Rosie and James leave them and come back to Snoutland through the forest. When they are at home, the electricity is back in their village.
– We can watch the concert! shouts James Ball happily. Rosie smiles.
They are sitting on the sofa and watching the concert. They are glad. The concert is fun. Rosie is smiling all the time.

After the concert they go back to Gruntland to collect the children.
– It has been a good New Year’s Eve, says Rosie.
– What starts badly, sometimes finishes well, says James.

This story was made up by my student Patryk. Thank you Patryk for your ideas!



















Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.