Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 | Page 152

Ming Treasure Voyages with Peaches and snowball
Korean International School, Maryon, Giselle - 11
My name’s Peaches and I’m a guinea pig. I live in China in a guinea pig town called Bonnytown. We’re not
really Chinese guinea pigs, our ancestors were from Yorkshire. I live in a tree, in a hanging sack filled with
soft cushions and blankets. I’m going to go for a walk with my friend Snowball now. She’s a white hamster.
“Hi, Snowball!” I say. “Should we go to the forest and pick some acorns?” “Yeah!” she says. We go to the
forest. We walk in, and ten minutes later, we hear footsteps. We turn around and find a gang of Chinese
Pirates! “OH NO!” I say. The pirates say, “What are cute little animals doing out here in the forest?” The
leader of the gang is a fox wearing a piece of cloth around his head. There’s also a racoon, a grey wolf, a
water rat, and a weasel. They catch us and carry us away. A moment later we’re at Penny Beach, and we see
a big pirate ship.
The pirates carry us aboard, and we sail away… Soon the pirates take us out of the net and tell us, “Look,
we’re taking you on a treasure voyage around China and Hong Kong. You two will work perfectly to get
information out of people so we can find the treasure. Also to get money.” says the fox. “OK… But where
are we going now, when will we get home, and what are your names?” I say. “We are going to China first,
then down to Hong Kong, then well, anywhere we hear has treasure! You’ll get home as soon as we’re
finished. My name’s A.J, the racoon’s name is Beady, the wolf’s name is Luna, and she’s really nice. The
water rat’s name is Mys, and the weasel's name is Hamburgler.” “He likes hamburgers and burgling,” Luna
whispers.
So off we go on a trip around the world with pirates… “They actually seem to be really nice pirates,” I tell
Snowball, “maybe they won’t be mean to us!” “Yeah, maybe. I still can’t be excited like you. It would
really be different if we were going with family, but with pirates, it’s different. It’s scary. I can’t believe how
relaxed you are!” she tells me. “It’s going to be all right. We’re exploring the world in a pirate ship looking
for treasure!” I say.
Our first stop is Beijing. “It’s the best place to find treasure,” Beady tells us. “We’ve been here before, but it
wasn’t a success, but now that we’ve got you guys, it’ll be easier. Just walk towards people and ask them for
money. If they don’t give it to you the first time, start crying and tell them about how awful your lives are
and everyone beats you up all the time.” “But we don’t get that! Nobody beats us up!” Snowball says. “But
in the story they do…” “What sto-” Beady cuts her short. “Just GO!” “OK,” she answers. First, she walks
up to a rich-looking fat pig. “Pleeaaase can I have a yuan? I am so hungry and poor!” “Oh of course! Here,
take two!” The fat pig gives her two yuan. “Thank you!” she says, and runs off towards me and the pirates,
hiding behind a pagoda. She gives A.J the 2 yuan, and he says, “Now it’s your turn, Peaches.” So then I
walk off casually looking extremely sad and drooping, and I walk towards a nice-looking horse. “Pleeaase
can I have a yuan, I am so hungry and poor and if I don’t eat rice soon, I shall never see the sunrise nor
sunset on the ocean ever again. Oh please, Mr Horse!” “Why of course! Here, my little haystack, 5 yuan for
you! You just made my day! That is the nicest little piece of poetry I’ve ever heard!” and he trotted away. I
was very shocked, because I wasn’t saying a poem, I was asking for money! It did sound like it to me…
When I came back to the pirates and Snowball, the pirates said, “WELL DONE!! You’re so good at this,
the best we’ve ever had! We’re going to be rich !!” I have to admit I was also happy at the thought of being
rich…
Soon, when we had then 7 yuan, we headed back for the ship. “So we’re going to Hong Kong now?”
Snowball asks. “Well, yeah! It’ll be so good, too,” says Hamburgler. “I guess so.,” I say. Off we sail for a
long time, and I’m getting bored. I walk up to Luna and say, “I’m bored. Is there anything me and Snowball
can do?” “Well, you can play cards, here, go play with these.” Luna hands me a pack of playing cards.
“Thank you!” I say. Then I walk towards Snowball and say, “Here, look! Luna gave us this to do instead of
being bored!” “Now we don’t have to be bored anymore!” she exclaims. We find a place to sit and play two
rounds of ‘Go Fish’. Snowball wins both times! She’s always so good at it because her face never shows any
emotion when we play. Then A.J shouts, “There’s a storm coming, we’d better get inside. Anchor the
ship!” All the pirates get out on the deck and lower the anchor, then get inside. We’re really scared! After
all, how would you feel the first time you were kidnapped by pirates and were on their boat in a storm at
sea. Soon, the storm came! It wasn’t that bad, even though the waves were big. The waves made Snowball’s
and my tummies tickle. Soon it ended.