By Vikki and Jessica
Year 4 pupils at Hartford Junior School (9 years old)

Note: The following story was written on an Acorn Pocketbook II computer (the Acorn version of the Psion Series 3a). Like all the children, these two girls loved its portability and were particularly fascinated by the recording facility. They recorded the sound of builders working on the new entrance to their school and the resulting sound of an electric drill and hammering inspired them to write the story. Later, they read it aloud, complete with sound effect, as part of a presentation to a group of multinational educationalists who were in Cambridgeshire on a study visit.

I had a awful day at school today. I was teased by my friends, I was told off five times by the head teacher, and twice by my own teacher, Mrs Price. By the time I got home I was shattered, but I had a even bigger problem to face. I stepped through the gates and stopped. To my amazement, right in front of my eyes were builders, drilling and hammering. It sounded AWFUL!
OH NO! there it goes again (sound effect - 90 kb WAV file) Can't you hear it? Ohh, I bet you caaan (sound effect between caaan) IT IS HORRIBLE AND III HATE IT.
I thought about the trouble I would have sleeping in the night. So I decided to go round my friend Kiki's house for the night as mum's not home yet. So I went there, I didn't think about mum but she knew where to find me. She let me stay there until the drilling had gone (which was quite a long time) because she understood.
When I got home I couldn't believe my eyes. At the front of my house was a lovely extension. A lovely blue coloured extension. It was amazing. It was then I knew why the builders were there.I was very pleased. And we lived happily in our house with a lovely extension.

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