Short Story: The Magic Button
By Emil Nyambe
Once upon a time, there lived a boy called Dan. He lived with his mum and dad. Dan’s mother worked as a tailor and his dad was a steel worker. Dan’s mum always used to bring buttons for Dan to play with. Once, when Dan’s mum brought home a button, the button didn’t just sit there like an ordinary button would, this button jiggled and wiggled furiously as if it wanted to play a game. So Dan picked it up and tried to play tag with it. To Dan’s amazement, the button actually joined in. It then started to talk, which was kind of unusual for a button. Dan couldn’t just leave it alone.
Constantly, Dan’s mum would yell “come down stairs, supper is ready.” Dan would ignore her and continue to play with his button. It was extraordinary. His mum had no idea what was he was doing up there, and she couldn’t be bothered to go up stairs and check on him because she was too busy cooking, working, or talking to people on the phone “yap, yap, yap.”The only time Dan would go downstairs was when he was hungry or needed the toilet. But as soon as he was done, he would zoom back up stairs faster than Usain Bolt.
Dan and the button liked playing ‘tag’ and other games together, but the button could do so much more… suddenly, the button flew up and twirled round and round until it made an extraordinary looking portal. The button whispered, “Follow me.” Son Dan did.
As Dan entered the portal, he saw a world of imagination. He was astonished when he saw the lollipop flowers and strawberry butterflies swooping sweetly in a candy floss sky. They hovered through coca-cola fountains into trees of one million pound notes, and through marshmallow houses. As Dan went on, he saw a chocolate fudge skate park with Banana skate boards and chocolate finger scooters doing flicks, tricks and riding round the park. Dan whispered to himself, “I wish I had a chocolate finger scooter like the other guys.” As if the button had heard him, there was a bang and a flash in the corner of his eye. Dan turned to find a chocolate finger scooter with white chocolate pattern swirled on the deck. The button said, “Use this one.” Dan was so happy and said a massive ‘thank you’ to the button. Together, they rode around the park for hours and then went on a picnic to the coca cola fountains, next to all the beautiful multi-coloured lollipop flowers.
After the picnic, they had to find the portal before day turned into night. When they returned from their adventure, Dan’s bed was there in his room waiting for Dan to go to sleep.
The next morning, Dan woke up next to a chocolate finger….. Dan thought to himself, “was that a dream?”
About the Author:
Emil Nyambe is 9 years old, Grade 4 pupil at Elton Primary School