同志社国際中学校

３年

大橋主我All of the animals at Acacia Tree Junior School had different talents and they
were singing their own praises.
“I can swallow almost anything,” bragged Abraham the Anaconda.
“If I was running with the herd, you would never spot me,” boasted Zachary
the Zebra.
“No matter what color it is, we can change to match it,” gloated theChameleon Brothers. But none of the animals thought very much of Errol theElephant.
They thought he was awkward and clumsy, and that his nose looked silly.
One day Mr. Geoffreys, the giant tortoise, made an announcement.
There was to be a talent contest to raise money for the school.
All of the animals were very excited.
All, that is, except Errol.
Everyone will just laugh at me, he thought.
By bedtime Errol was feeling very glum.
“I wish I was good at something,” he said tearfully.
“There is nothing special about me.”“Now, now,” said Errol’s dad.
“That’s not true. There is something special about everyone.”“Everyone has a talent.”
Then his dad gave him a book.
“If you read this,” he said, “you’ll soon see that there are lots of things thatare special about you.”
Errol did indeed discover many interesting facts as he settled down with thebook that evening.
It was a nose unlike any other in the animal kingdom, a very versatile nose.
A nose that could be used for reaching, and grasping and spraying, anddrinking, and flinging, and snorkeling!
That night Errol felt very different as the dark cloud that had been hanging
over him drifted away.

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中学生―Ｄ部門

Errol and His Extraordinary Nose
By David Conway and Roberta Angaramo

中学生―Ｄ部門

I have a talent, he thought, an amazing talent !
Then he fell into a wonderful, dream-filled sleep.
The day of the talent contest finally arrived and Errol was feeling a little bit
nervous.
But as he peered through a crack in the curtains he could see his dad in theaudience, and he remembered what he had told him.
First up were the Chameleon Brothers who sang a rendition of “Sing aRainbow” whilst changing into lots of different colors.
“Red and yellow and pink and green, purple and orange and blue.
We can sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow, sing a rainbow, too.”
Abraham the Anaconda ate two hundred buns . . . and everyone tried their best
to spot Zachary the Zebra.
At last it was Errol’s turn to take to the stage.
He was still very nervous, but straightaway he amazed everyone as he reachedand grasped objects just by using his nose.
And then he astounded everyone as he danced in a tank of water while using
his nose as a snorkeling device.
And then the whole audience was flabbergasted when Errol created a beautiful
water and light show while singing a song all about the rain!
When the talent show had finished everyone waited in anticipation.
Third place went to the Chameleon Brothers for their colourful rendition of
the rainbow song.
Second place went to Zachary the Zebra for being very hard to spot.
“And the winner,” announced Mr. Geoffreys, “and a well-deserved first placegoes toErrol and his Extraordinary Nose!”
The whole hall erupted as everyone cheered and clapped.
Errol’s dad was so proud of him!
From that day on, none of the other animals at the school thought little ofErrol or his nose again.
And whenever they ask him how he does the amazing things that he can withhis nose,
Errol smiles.
“There is something special about everyone,” he explains.
“Everyone has a talent!”

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