The class of eight-year-olds bent over their exercise books for the day's composition on "My Pet." The teacher moved between the table, inspecting.

One girl straightened. "I've done, Miss."

My Gerbil

One day my uncle came to visit us. It was a surprise. We weren't expecting him. When we were all sitting down, my uncle said he had a surprise for me. I was very excited.

He got out a cardboard box from his briefcase. It made scuttling noises inside. My heart beat very fast as I opened the lid. It was a gerbil!

Mummy and Uncle and I then went to the pet shop to get my gerbil a house. We got a big cage with ramps and ladders and a wheel. Uncle got a little padlock too, in case he should escape. He said That should keep you out of Mischief. I think he meant the gerbil, not me, but Mummy and Daddy laughed.

I fed my gerbil every day and changed his water. He was fun to play with. He used to come out when I called his name and eat a slice of apple or carrot. I loved him.

When he was two years old, he began to seem a bit slow. Sometimes he didn't come when I called. Mummy said he was just getting old. Then one day he vanished! The padlock was still on, but he was gone. Strangely, there was a desk mat in the cage. We had never had a mat like that. Daddy said he must have been stolen. He called the police but we never found my gerbil. I have a new hamster now, but I still miss my gerbil.

The teacher peered over the little girl's shoulder. "That's very sad, Emily, but a lovely story. And all correctly spelled, too." She leaned forwards, and stuck a gold star on the top of the page. "You haven't said what you named him."

Emily smiled. "Uncle named him, not me. He was a very pretty brown colour – Uncle called him: 'Fudge.'"

A/N: Okay, okay, so it's very silly! But I couldn't resist it!

If you want serious, go and read 'Pawns' … !