The Great City by the River by Peter from Thomas Hardy

 

The people of the Great City by the River were worried.  The water was all draining away and the river bed was very nearly dry.

 

They thought of building a great dam further up the river to hold the water back but they were not very good at building and holes quickly appeared in the dam.

 

There was a poor, lonely boy who spent his time fishing in the few remaining puddles.  To amuse himself he started singing to the river!

Suddenly a great fish appeared in the sky over the city and the people didn't know whether to be afraid or happy.

Lo and behold, the river started filling with water again, music could be heard in the air and the surrounding trees, life soon became better and better and the people became richer and richer.

More and more people came to live in the Great City by the River and soon it was overcrowded.......but, before the people could become too worried, as if by magic (what am I saying? It WAS magic) a brand new city appeared on stilts in the middle of the river, a city which shone with happiness and joy.

Home Storytelling Education Fun