Tangled Yarns: Hidden Talents

Can you keep a secret? I can. I know lots of them. But today I've decided to pass one on. It's about me, and I'm telling you because quite a few people already know it. I just wanted to be the first to tell you.

The secret is, I'm giving up being a burglar. There. I've said it.

Its really stupid, saying this now, because you probably didn't even know I was one in the first place? You didn't? See. I was right. Well I've been a burglar for some time now, but the thing about being one is you do all your work when no-one's watching, so its quite easy to not be noticed.

It all started a few hours ago, last night actually, when I was feeling a bit low. The kids in my class had spent the day giving me a rough time, as usual. They always did. They called me "slow" and "'clumsy", and a few other names I don't like thinking about. They were right of course. I was slow, and clumsy. Still am. I can't help it. It's just the way I'm made, but try telling that to my so-called friends!

Anyway, I was lying in bed dreaming about what it would be like to be so rich I could have anything I wanted for breakfast as long is it wasn't Mum's home-made muesli, when there was this big, bright flash. I thought maybe the bulb had popped, but then I knew it couldn't be that because the bulb was off, and they didn't do that sort of thing anyway, specially when they were off, and then mis strange pixie-fairy-goblin-thing started flying round and round the room looking for something.

"Sorry to disturb you," he said, "I've lost my crowbar. I left it somewhere round here. I think I did, anyway ... you just go back to sleep. I'll be very quiet."

The pixie-fairy-goblin-thing hovered round my room for a while, while I wondered what to do. I didn't feel like going to sleep, not with mis peculiar thing going on, but I didn't know what to say. In the end, the strange creature started a conversation.

"I s'pose I'd better introduce myself?" he said, "I'm the Burglar Fairy. You probably guessed that, because I'm wearing these boots, and carrying a bag. I've also got a scarf round my neck, which I can pull over most of my face. See?" He pulled the scarf up over his eyes from around his chin and flew straight into the wall. "Ouch!" he said, "I did it again!"

It was really nice to see him rubbing his nose. Not that I enjoy it when I see pain. It was just that this Fairy was actually clumsy too, just like me! I decided there and then that we should be buddies.