The Silly Stories of Sophie Sanderson

Chapter 1

Sophie Sanderson was not a silly girl. She wasn’t a day dreamer or a flibbertigibbet nor did she have childish ideas. In fact, for the age of eight-and-three-quarters, Sophie was positively grown up. Sophie had everything she could ever want, without being a spoilt brat like Julie Jones from next door.

For Sophie’s eighth birthday, her Dad took her on a trip to London Zoo, just the two of them. Sophie had her birthday in September but because that was when school started, Dad had taken Sophie to the Zoo in August when it was sunny and hot.

 They saw every lion, tiger and bear in sight coupled with as much strawberry swirl ice cream as she could eat. At lunch time, Sophie and her Dad sat on the wall of an old wishing well where you would flip a penny in the water and make a very big wish. They ate ham sandwiches and drank lemonade in the sunshine while they studied the Zoo map together, choosing which animal to visit next.

“You can throw a penny in the well and the fairies make wishes come true. Make a wish, Sophie,” said Dad, smiling and handing her a shiny new penny.

Sophie closed her eyes tight and thought about what to wish for, the penny cold and hard in her hand. Silver shoes? Sloppy Slime from Screwy Sam’s Silly Shop? How about super strength? Sophie just couldn’t decide! She could wish for anything that she wanted in the whole world and Sophie knew this was a big decision.

“Can I wish for anything I like?” Sophie asked, staring up at Dad.

“Anything you like, sweetheart,” said Dad.

Sophie knew this was an important decision and she didn’t want to waste it. She could make a wish for anything in the whole wide world and didn’t want to get it wrong. Sophie took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut again. She had it!

I wish for all my dreams to come true.

Sophie dropped the penny into the water and she and Dad watched it swirl all the way to the bottom of the well.

“Do you really think my wish will come true, Dad?” Sophie asked, picking up her lunchbox. Dad smiled and swung his backpack on.

“Sophie, you can have anything you want in the whole world. If you really want your wish to come true, then it will come true.”

Sophie smiled, took her Dad’s hand and skipped toward the seal enclosure, thinking hard about her penny in the well.