Monthly competition: Tree-Dwellers

In our January ‘Tree-Dwellers’ issue, we invited you to write a short story or poem. A hearty thank you to all who joined in. Your imaginative pieces were a joy to read.

Kudos to our three winners:

Annie, age 10, Malton

Orangutan

Natalia, age 10, Welford-on-Avon

The iguana and the frog 

Joshua, age 9, Bedford

Sloth

In the depths of the jungle, hangs a creature so slow –
A sloth, so lazy and content, with nowhere to go.
Its fur, a shade of brown, blending with the trees,
Easily overlooked, but oh, it's such a peaceful ease.

With every movement, it takes its time,
No need to rush, no need to climb.
It simply hangs and sways, in its own rhythm and pace,
A reminder to us all, to slow down and embrace.

Its claws are sharp, but oh-so gentle,
Never inflicting pain, never being too forceful.
It eats and sleeps, and that's all it needs,
No worries, no stress, in this life it leads.

A sloth, so simple, yet so wise
Teaching us to live, without any lies.
For in its slow demeanour, there lies a message so true,
Sometimes, it's best to just take a breath and enjoy the view.

Runners-Up

Ellie, age 6

Koala

Emilie, age 11, London

Chameleon

Rosie, age 12, Isle of Wight

Emilia, age 7, Welford-on-Avon