Tara and her Guardian Angel

Tara and her Guardian Angel

At school Tara’s class made flags of the different countries of the world.  She made a French flag.  Mei Lan, who was Chinese, coloured the Chinese one.  Rosy chose a German one and Rocky drew the Unites States stars and stripes beautifully.

At the School Sports day two children were to carry a big banner made up of lots of flags at the head of the procession.  All the other children would walk behind them waving their small flags.

Tara really wanted to carry the banner.  Sometimes she was quite shy about coming forward but she put her hand up when Mrs. Bright, their teacher, asked who would like to carry it.  She looked round and to her disappointment saw that half the class had their hands up.  She felt dispirited for she knew she would never be chosen.

That evening she sat on her bed with Ash-ting her kitten on her knee.  ‘I really want to carry the banner at the head of the procession,’ she told him, ‘but Mrs. Bright will never choose me.  She’ll choose Emma or April or Zak.’  She felt gloomy.  Things never seemed to work out quite right for her.

Ash-ting nodded sympathetically.  He understood everything she said.  He suggested, ‘Why don’t you ask your guardian angel to help you?’

‘What do you mean?  My guardian angel wouldn’t help with something like that would he?’

‘Tara he will help you with anything but only if it is right for everyone.’

Suddenly the little girl felt excited.  ‘How do I ask?’

‘Well you can close your eyes and ask your guardian angel to whisper to Mrs. Bright that you’d like to be one of the children chosen to carry the banner – or it can be even more effective if you write a note to your guardian angel.’

By now Tara’s face was pink and her eyes shone with hope.  She jumped up and looked in her desk for a pretty piece of pink paper.

She wrote, ‘Dear Angel, I want to carry the banner please love Tara.’  Under it she drew herself carrying the big flag. All round the edge of the paper she drew flowers to make the letter special.  Then Ash-ting told her to put it under her pillow.

Ash-ting warned.  ‘Remember it may be right for someone else to carry the banner.’

Tara was very sensible.  ‘I know.  If the angels think another child needs to do it, then that’s the right thing.’

The kitten smiled.  He felt that Tara understood that when you ask for something your angel might not give it to you if someone else needs it more.

The next day at school they all finished off their flags and the big banner.  It looked splendid.  Tracy was certain she would be chosen to carry one side and Tara’s heart sank.  Tracy often got picked because she was very pretty and sensible.  She whispered, ‘Please angel.  If it’s right make Mrs. Bright choose me.’

At the end of the day Mrs Bright was going to tell them who would be picked.  All the children were quiet.  Mrs. Bright smiled.  She announced.  ‘I have decided that Tara and Rosy will carry the big banner.’

There was a gasp of surprise because Tara was not always sensible and Rosy was very quiet and shy.  But the two little girls beamed with happiness and delight.  When the bell rang they ran out together into the playground to tell their mothers.  They were thrilled too.  Then Rosy’s Mum had to dash off and Tara’s mother stopped to speak to some of her friends so she was there when Mrs. Bright came out.  Tara’s teacher said, ‘Last night I was wondering who to choose to carry the banner and suddenly Tara’s name came into my head.  I just knew she would do it really well and she’ll encourage Rosy too.’

Tara smiled.  She knew her angel had popped her name into Mrs. Bright’s head.

That evening she told Ash-ting exactly what had happened.  ‘That’s brilliant Tara.  You’ll make a lovely banner bearer.’  Tara laughed with sheer delight.

The kitten continued, ‘and have you thanked your angel?’

Her hand flew to her mouth.  ‘Oh no! I forgot,’ she replied.  She jumped up.  ‘I know what.  I’ll write a thank you note to him.’

She found some gorgeous sunshine yellow paper and drew suns, moons and stars round the edge for a border.  Then she wrote in the middle of the page, ‘Thank you Angel.  Love Tara.’

She put that under her pillow too.

A few days later Tara sat on the swing in the garden with her kitten.

‘Do you think my angel will help me pass my spelling test, Ash-ting?’

The kitten looked at her gravely.

‘He’ll help you with anything you ask for Tara but you’ve got to do your bit.’

She frowned.  ‘What do you mean?’

‘Have you learnt your words?’

‘No!’

‘Well do you think he’ll help you?’

‘He might!’ the little girl said hopefully but Ash-ting shook his head.

‘He’ll help you relax so you can think clearly,’ the kitten told her, ‘but he won’t help you pass unless you’ve learnt your words.  That wouldn’t be right.’

She nodded and jumped off the swing.  ‘Well I suppose I’d better learn them then.  I’ll do it now.’

‘Good.  Then your angel really will help you.’

As Tara ran through the house she said to her Mum, ‘I’m just going to learn my spelling.’ ‘Good girl Tara.  Isn’t one of your words this week difficulty?’

‘Yes,’ the child paused and groaned.

‘When I was at school we learnt it like this.  She chanted ‘Mrs. D, Mrs. I, Mrs. F F I, Mrs. C, Mrs. U, Mrs. L T Y and it really helped.’

Tara repeated it several times with the same rhythm as her mother.  Then she grinned.

‘I’ve got it!  What about elephant?’

Mum spread out her hands to indicate something large.

‘Big E L E, then P H.’

She went ph through her teeth like a horse then brought her hands together so there was only a tiny gap for little, ‘A N T.’

‘I get it.  ‘Big for the beginning Ele, then ph and tiny ant.’

Tara grinned, delighted using her arms to show big and small.  ‘And BECAUSE is Big Elephants Can Always Upset Small Elephants.’

‘That’s right,’ Mum encouraged her.

‘There are lots of ways of remembering hard words.’

‘Yes,’ shouted Tara as she ran upstairs.  She knew her angel was helping her already.

On Sports Day it was lovely and sunny.  Tara was very excited.  She phoned Rosy twice just to talk about it.  And she brushed her hair for ages and put it into bunches.

The whole family, Dad, Mum, Mel her big sister, Jack her brother and Granny were at school very early.  All the children were to march round the school in their classes waving their flags, led by Tara and Rosy carrying the banner.

The two little girls looked very smart.  They walked tall and straight.  Tara asked her angel to help her and suddenly she felt quite calm so she knew her angel was with her.

She saw the whole family waving madly as she walked past them but she just smiled and marched on.

At the end everyone said how well she did.

That night she cuddled Ash-ting and whispered, ‘Thank you for helping me Ash-ting and I wish every child in the world knew how to ask their guardian angel for help.’
Exercises

1. Design your very own flag. Make it lovely and colourful.

1. Write a letter to your guardian angel.  Make sure you decorate it.

1.   Do you know a rhyme or story which will help you spell a difficult word?  Please send it to us.