We love Andy Griffiths!

Our class are big fans of the Australian children's author Andy Griffiths. 

So far we have read 'Just Crazy', 'Just Stupid' and now we are reading 'Just Tricking'. 

As a motivator for our Narrative writing we used the end of the chapter called 'Cockroach' in 'Just Tricking' as the idea for the beginning of our own stories. 

In this chapter Andy is having dinner with his parents at his dad's bosses house 'the Bainbridges'. He notices a cockroach in the salad during the dinner prayer and plans to get rid of it before his parents think that he has put it there, as some kind of prank. He ends up scooping the cockroach on to his plate without anyone noticing then excusing himself to go to the bathroom. He knows if he squishes the cockroach it will leave a mess so instead he tries to get rid of the cockroach (which is now on his pants) by shaking his pants with the cockroach on it, outside the bathroom window. To make a long story short, Andy gets stuck naked in the bathroom window after accidentally dropping his pants. 

This was the sentence we all used to start our stories. 

"This night had taken a sudden turn for the worse. I was now firmly stuck in the bathroom window"

Below is Manu's version and Lorisha's of what happened next: 

 The Worse Day of My Life 

This night had taken a sudden turn for the worse. I was firmly stuck in the bathroom window. I’m stuck in Mr and Mrs Bainbridge’s bathroom window, I can’t believe this! I am totally naked so I know mum and dad are going to come in any minute. My head is getting cold like snow waiting. I think I see my pants on the yellow peach tree. They are stuck on the branches. Maybe if I try to wiggle out, ouch! My bum hurts. I need to come down! 

Wait mum’s coming. “Andy are you going to come out you have been in there too long, “mum said. “Yes mum I need to finish on the toilet” I said. Someone is kicking the door open, oh no! My bum is showing. My dad broke open the door and with a gasp asked “Andy what’s happening? 

“Get me out of here” I said. I can see Mr Bainbridge holding my jeans outside. He is coming inside. ”Andy, Andy what were you thinking of” mum says?" “Mum I will tell you after I’m out of here”. Mum goes downstairs to the kitchen. “I am as cold as snow” I say. Dad says, “mum is here she’s got oil in her hand”. 

Mum puts some oil around my stomach, now she is telling me to wiggle out. I am nearly out, yes I am out! Mr Bainbridge has my pants. He gives them to my mum and she gives them to me. I told them what had happened but they didn’t believe me. So this was a very, very terrible day and now I am kind of hungry! 

By Manu

My Awful Day

This night had taken a sudden turn for the worse. I was now firmly stuck in the bathroom window. I had gone to the upstairs smelly bathroom to get the brown cockroach off my head, I had quickly looked behind me and saw the clean bathroom window. I had a plan to get my pants so I wouldn’t be naked anymore. I had climbed up the bathroom window but oh no, I was now really stuck. I can’t get out and my pants are stuck on the orange tree outside the house. I just need to move 1 more metre to get my pants but I’m too stuck in this stupid, little window.

Uh oh! Mum just opened the door, my bum is showing! Everybody’s staring at my white bum – Mr Bainbridge, Mrs Bainbridge, mum and dad are here too.

“What’s going on here Andy”? says mum. I say “I will tell you when you get me out of here” “okay, okay” says mum. Mum runs to the kitchen downstairs and dad goes outside to get my pants. Dad hands my pants to mum while she puts soap and water around my white, stomach. Now I’m almost out. I’m out! Mum hands my pants to me. Now I’m not naked! I have my pants on and I whisper in mum’s ear, “Mum can we have dinner now?” Mum says “because you have caused all this trouble you will not have dinner and only if your behaviour is good tomorrow you can have food, got it!” and then I say “okay, okay mum”. Dad said sorry to the Bainbridge’s and we went home. On the way home I was as sad as if my puppy had died and I got in big trouble. I felt very, very awful.

By Lorisha