Stories written as part of Unearthing Stories, Summer 2024

Roman / Grandfather Clock 

Inside the farmhouse, many of my days were the same. I saw some people come and go at the same times until the dog came in. He makes my life worse by peeing on me. He jumped on me and tried to knock me over but I’m too heavy. 

I don’t see much else because I am abandoned and put in a cupboard. No one knows I’m there other than the first owners. 

Then one day the original owners came back and set me free and I returned to the bottom of the stairs.

——————————————————————————-
Adrija / Baby Tree

My name is Blossom and I like pancakes.

For lunch I eat leaves. 

I have a human friend that comes to me every single day - I feel happy. They don’t work.

I like to eat grass for dinner, a lot!

They play in the dark and they see in the dark.

Blossom’s secret is she loves nature and her friend. It’s her secret because the friend visits her every single day. Her name is Lily. she lives on the farm. She visits with gifts on Blossom’s birthday, July 4th! She gave her a pineapple squish mallow.

One day Blossom made a new friend  - her name is Delilah. It is a dog and they are now besties.

Blossom had a mate now. Blossom said ‘Hooray’ she was so excited! Blossom she also said hooray!

—————————————————————————-

Lulu / Gorgina, Visitor to the Farm

Hi my name is Gorgina.

What are you doing today at the farm? Looking at the animals and other places in the farm

Tell me a little bit about how you got to the farm today? My dad let me borrow his horse. My dad’s helper was riding the horse and I was sitting in a little carriage on the back.

So you’ve come to the farm for the day, and what things have you done today?

Looked at the animals, looked at other places like the house bit and went in to a little cabin and saw loads of dead stuff. She wanted to stay there.

And then what happened?

Her father called her back home because her dad needed the horse.

—————————————————————————-
Matilda / Ci Ci and Mia the twin maids

Ci Ci is a maid who doesn’t like cleaning. Her twin is called Mia.  She likes cleaning but she’s very rich so she never really has to do cleaning. 

When Ci Ci is about to go to work to clean the big farm house, on the way the twins meet up and swap places!

Instead of going to work, Ci Ci lies down on her sister’s bed and just sleeps all day but she sets an alarm clock so she can swap with her sister. 

While Ci Ci is lying down, Mia is dusting cobwebs. She likes cleaning. 

They look exactly alike so no one ever suspects anything. They are used to people getting them mixed up. 

If they ever got found out they would get punished and would be made to clean up chicken poop which is the one cleaning job Mia hates. But luckily, they never get caught.

 —————————————————————————-

Brooklyn / Lily, Chicken Worker 

I am Lily, the chicken worker.

Delilah (Nellie’s character) is a  German Shepherd. Her secret is she’s friends with the chicken worker (my character). Delilah (the dog) is able to speak human. 

In her chicken worker’s bag would be water and a sandwich. They only have five minutes off so they don’t have any books in their bag. In their break they just sit.

The chicken worker lives in Grimsby and has to travel eight hours to get to the farm. When she is travelling she sees houses. 

Lily’s friend on the farm is Delilah the sheepdog. They became friends because on her break she saw the dog and they became friends. They just sit and take in the nature. 

Lily has always wanted a German Shepherd but there’s only one and that’s Delilah. 

Lily would like to live at the farm but it would cost one million pounds. She can’t afford that because she is poor. She couldn’t afford to go to school to get an education. 

Lily’s perfect lunch is salad which is grown on the farm. She sneaks in to the garden as she has a key to the gate. Lily hasn’t been caught but Lulu’s character, Gorgina, saw her stealing.

————————————————————-

Theodora /Chicken

Dear Diary

Today I’ve been working so hard to make food. I made bread, it took 2 hours. 

Then I went to bed. The next morning I woke up and somebody took my bread. It was a thief. The thief was a pig. He was hiding in a hole, then he jumped out and took the bread.

————————————————————

Lauren / Book

Dear Diary

I am a book named ‘Lily and the Farm’.  

In my life I see horses running across the field because they escaped the stables. ‘Aaaaahhh!’ Today, like two seconds ago a chicken knocked me off the shelf and ‘Ow’ i’m getting stepped on by horses! 

My life in the Victorian times  - its manic. 

I’m still here in 2024. I'm living with my owner Lauren.  She owns a chicken and….I got baked. 

Is she alive? You all said. Yes, yes this is my life and its crazy. I now have a concussion!

If you ever get a time travel machine, don’t go to the Victorian times. It's crazy and you can’t breathe because of all the pollution. And, if you’re a book do not go to some man’s house named William. My owner has glasses and a weird haircut like a mohawk, but the sides have hair and the middle doesn’t. I know, it’s really weird. It makes me want to throw up!

———————————————————————

Rosa / Stable Worker

I wake early. I slip out of bed and hurried out the back door. The early morning sun shone on the roof of the stables as I unlatched the door to saddle up the big beautiful chestnut stallion, who was named Joey.

From the other side the huge thoroughbred Woody whinnied across to me because he wanted to be ridden.

Our Icelandic mare gave a distressed whinny as she is close to giving birth.

Rosa / Sheepdog

I whisper through the grass, crouched down in my hunting pose. My long black and white fur flops over my eyes as I spot the stray sheep running away from the herd. I run as fast as lightning, bring the sheep back to the rest of the herd. My job is done. 

I flop down at my masters heels and a small ladybird crawls by on a long blade of grass.

I remember long, long, long ago when I was a puppy sprinting across the field without a care in the world. I jumped up and did exactly that.

My owner’s harsh voice rang out across the fields like thunder.

“lie down you scruffy old mutt!’ he screamed

All hopes of him not caring were stamped out. I skidded to a halt and laid down quick
————————————————————————-

Lily / Duck

Dear Diary, 

Today I smelled bread. It smelled like warm bread. My friend bushy bush got big and more bushy.  I like bread. I also like eating tulips. I chased my owner, I thought there was a mouse on him… it was yummy. It was bread. I like bread. Today I rolled in hay, it smelled questionable. I also quacked at the air. It made my feathers twitch. Do you want to hear a secret? I don’t like porridge. 

Your friend that likes quacking.

—————————————

Dear Diary

The fields of barley and rye towering high above Camelot saw the Lady of Shallot. The market girls running stream to stream not a scream to be heard in Camelot thought the lady of shallot. The mill sitting still by the swirling stream, the water like the feelings felt the lady of shallot. It felt like hell in her encaging mill experienced the Lady of Shallot. Never to be free but desperate to be free the last of Shallot. Will anyone come to the rescue. Unknown to many a mere myth some say the saw her wave and slave never to look from the mirror the Lady of Shallot. 

Sir Lancelot

Theodora / Chicken

Dear Diary

Today I’ve been working so hard to make food. I made bread, it took 2 hours. 

Then I went to bed. The next morning I woke up and somebody took my bread. It was a thief. The thief was a pig. He was hiding in a hole, then he jumped out and took the bread.

———————————————————————

Kali / Sheepdog

Dear Mr Jones, I was trying to help you. Wait let me start from the beginning. I was in the farm one day and I heard a sound coming from the old broken down shed. In the distance I spotted a shed that was shaking in the breeze and went towards the crooked old shed and bang it exploded. The dog backed away quickly just in time but he noticed something else in the fire -it was the farmer. The dog leaped and managed to go over the fire. Then he looked around the flaming fire he saw the farmer, leaped over to him and…. but wait what was he doing he looked like he was stuck, I went closer and ow he pushed me!
———————————————————————-

Emmie / The Tree

Dear Diary

I am a tree and I have lots of friends and they always get people saying nice things about them. But I never get people to say things about me. And I say to them I feel like I never get stuff. And all they say is ‘we can’t help it’ But it does not help that they never let me speak! It makes me feel sad cause I have so much to say. and I wonder if they will ever listen to me. They stand out and have beautiful leaves and all way round summer I have crusty leaves. And they have bright green leaves all year round. I hope to have green leaves one day. Wishing and wishing with hope. One day with green leaves. I see sheep making weird noises and cows. Seeing them be heard, wondering for freedom. Day and day, watching the days go. The people who were mean were the people who visit, they kick me and I don’t like it. They make me cry and sad. I don’t know what to do. But I stay strong. The next day I woke up and I had green leaves. With joy I went to my friends and they had brown crusty leaves. I was really happy, but I wasn’t mean. I was kind, and saw if they were ok. 

I saw another tree being planted. I got terribly excited and wanted to be friends as soon as I could. Looking around for something to give the tree. He was thinking then ‘I can just be the tree’s friend’, and I asked them they said ‘yes!’ It was the best day. I was so happy. We were best friends. 
————————————————————————

Riza / Whisker the Cat

Dear Diary

As usual I went to the farm to catch my morning meal but before I was going to get hold of a mouse (I am a wild cat that eats mice) a girl pops out and says ‘hello, you are welcome to take mice’. I caught the mouse and retreated back into the wild. I watched the girl work hard all day and realised its not as easy as it is for me to get food. They have to pick every single grain by hand from a field of thousands of crops. Also they have to look after every single animal there and there’s about more than 10 animals. But that’s all for now sooo..

Write soon

Whiskers

——————————

Jasper / Diary of a Victorian Ant

I woke up from my ant-sized bed and walked up the ant-sized stairs to see my parents. If you couldn’t guess, I’m an ant. My parents chatted over breakfast over politics blahy mc blah blah and blah. After breakfast I walked up another set of stairs to a fork in the tree. It was open outside my colony’s home. Years ago, my colony, our ancestor-ants had found this tree and allowed out thousands of rooms inside of it. Enough rooms for every ant. Mum had always forbidden being up here but I secretly love staring out at the farm. 

Then I heard my mum call ‘ANT 610,567,295,324 can you visit the Wise Rat for me? I’ve called the sheepdog. He’ll take you’ 

I was unbelievably excited as this was my first trip out of the tree. 

Just then, I heard the sheepdog bounding towards me. I hopped on his back and he ran through the fields towards the Wise Rat’s house. There was a note on the door. Dear ANT 610, 567, 295, 324, I am at the farm you always adored. I’d thought you’d want to come, signed, Wise Rat. 

‘Right sheepdog, take me to Saddlescombe Farm!’

The dog immediately responded  - sprinting towards the farmhouse at full speed. I could see workers in the fields, tired and a tall man watching them intently. Then I saw the farmer leaning over, running his hands through animals fur. Then I realised, it was Flea Day. Once a week the farmer would check for fleas on animals. If he found me, I would be DEAD! Quickly, I shouted for pineapple the horse, Sheepdog the sheepdog still bounding towards the farmer. 

Just in front of the farmer I swiftly jumped onto Pineapple the horse. The horses don’t get flea checked. Whilst on Pineapple’s back, out the corner of my eye I saw the Wise Rat’s hole. I jumped off Pineapple and walked into the hole. In the hole the Wise Rat said ‘Hello. Congratulations on completing your mission. Here is an apple. I’m sure that’s what the ants at home would have wanted. 

I went home and all the ants were explosively pleased.

————————————————-

Zofia / Sheepdog

Dear Diary

I am a sheep dog my name is Max. I am a boy dog . I like in the Victorian Farm. I am in charge of the sheep. I keep them in place in the farm. My owner is the farmer, his name is John. You probably think that I am in the past and you are correct. I am in the past and you are in the older days.

Normally I see sheep. lambs and cows and horses and donkeys. But my worst enemy is Mini kitty that is a weird name right? She is a cat and a meany she has two other meany’s Buzzy the Bee and Laura the Cow. So basically one day we had a big old fight because we were saying who is the better pet of John the farmer, and since then, she didn’t want to be friends with me. 

The next day when I woke up I smelled bacon and sausages. Basically, I smelled them so nicely that when my owner went, I grabbed all of them and the thing is, I didn’t know that the owner cooked two bacons and two sausages, one for me and one for him. 

————————————————————

Ralph / The Donkey

Dear Reader

I am the best donkey on earth in fact I don’t know how you’ve never heard of me, my name is Jeffery Bob face - no only joking- I’m Dave. The long name I just got that from the other donkey - that’s his name but I call him bob. The farmer’s youngest son Robert (he’s 2) has been taking door opening lessons with Dave. Forgot who Dave is? That’s m. You can’t have forgot I will go mad  -  I’m DAVE! 

Yesterday I tried cotton candy flavour grapes. The first one tasted like it was meant to. The second one tasted normal, you hear that! NORMAL! I asked Dug the  donkey next to me, he agreed. 

BG the way I’m 206. I’m not, you’re so gullible.

Some annoying chicken came and said ‘help  -- the sheep is giving birth’ 

‘So?’ I said ‘doesn’t affect me’  

Later that day a tiny lamb came in and made the most annoying sound in Brighton. It sounded like this ‘BAAAAAAAAAAA!’ and ‘raaaah’ so I kicked it back to the sheep room. 

UNEARTHING STORIES

Explore diary entries, stories and interviews written by the children of Little Green Pig’s Brighton and Hove clubs. Over six weeks of workshops and farm visits, 21 children explored what life was like on Saddlescombe Farm in the Victorian times. Researching and imagining what life would have been like for farm workers, maids, animals and trees. Enjoy reading these unique perspectives that help give voice to those lesser told in history.

Mohamed / Rockie the musician

Rocker was a solo artist and he was amazing.

Everyone loved him doing his rock music. Everyone was like ‘Yeah! You Can do this’.

He came from a quiet background but he found out he was very talented. Rockie walked on stage and saw 8500 people in the audience! They were all looking at him but he did not feel scared…

The lights were so bright and colourful!