Read Our Winning Student Stories
Stages held a Student Story Contest in celebration of the world premiere production of Panto Snow White and the Seven Dorks by Adam Howard.
Winning stories received a cash prize, and the first place winner, Zaia Madan, will had her story read aloud with Buttons at the Holiday Night Market on Saturday, December 3.
1ST PLACE
Greta & Jack and the Magic Workshop
by Zaia Madan
3rd Grade, Poe Elementary
There once was a family with twins named Jack and Greta. Their parents were very mean and always punished them and made them suffer. They wanted them to do all their work, like write all their emails and do all their computer work, because they didn’t want to do it themselves. They were lazy. They thought it was excellent they had children they could use as free labor! They didn’t send them to school.
One afternoon, Greta said, “If our parents are so mean, and don’t love us, and make us do all their work, why don’t we run away?” Jack thought this was a brilliant idea. So, at night, they grabbed some money from their parents bedroom, stuffed some clothes into two bags and left. They didn’t know where they were going, they just knew they had to get away from their tiny grey cottage. However, little did they know that their mom knew about their plan to run away – she had heard them talking about it! And they wandered into her trap! She had put a map with the money leading to an amazing place – a giant mansion, which she had set up with traps inside.
When they got there, bad things happened. First, a siren went off! Second, laser beams shot out of the floor! Then, they accidentally stepped onto a laser beam and got trapped in a giant electrical box with a secret passcode. They tried all the codes, but nothing worked. The mother saw it happen, laughed, and said, “I’ll hire robots to do my work!” She just left them there!
Suddenly, a tall lady stepped out of a dark room. The lady was tall with brown hair down to her waist. She wore a furry vest with a pink top underneath, and some pitch black leggings. She saw them hanging in the box and asked, “Are you okay?”
“No, someone trapped us,” Greta said.
“Oh, are you the Dale kids?” she asked.
“Yes, how did you know?” said Jack.
“Well, your mother certainly did this,” she said. Then she offered something that they would never turn down. “Do you want to come work with me?”
“What would we have to do?” they both asked.
“Design new video games and apps for kids and test them out,” she said.
“Yes!” they both shouted, “We’d love to!”
And so it was. The tall lady snapped her fingers and took them to an electric workshop with a ton of other kids there. It was magic and so much fun! Then they saw her holding a red ruby in her hand. And they realized that the ruby made her magical. “Call me Ruby,” she said. Then she whispered, “I’m your fairy godmother!” and pink and gold wings shot out of her back. And they worked happily ever after, making fun apps and games.
THE END
2ND PLACE
Trust Me, Snow White Was the Evil One (As Told by the Evil Queen)
by Zindagi Madan
5th Grade, Poe Elementary
Hello, I’m the Evil Queen. I know, I know, I’m supposed to be evil. But trust me, Snow White was really the one who was evil. Do you know how many things she lied about?!?!?!?!?! Let me tell you the true story.
Snow White was born a beautiful girl who everyone loved. Everyone but me. From the time she was born she hated me. On the day she was born, she was brought up to me, her aunt. She pinched me and blew me a raspberry. From then on, she always found a way to make my life miserable. When she was 8, she asked her mom for a phone. Her mother refused, so the girl pushed her mother into the pot of stew she was cooking. After the queen’s death, her father became weak. He now obeyed every one of Snow’s commands. Soon after he died and Snow came to live with me, against my will.
On the first day, Snow ran away. Embarrassed of ME! I called the police. They came back saying she was dead. The relief! One night, I was going to bed and a funny looking, dwarf-like creature appeared in my kitchen. I hid behind the curtains, watching it. Then it stole my food! I came from my hiding spot and clawed it with my nails. It left with a scratch, but the newspaper said I’d killed it!!! The same thing happened the next night, but this time I crept after it, following it to its cottage. I peered in the window and saw none other than Snow! Furiously, I dug in my bag and picked up my phone. I opened the Kroger app and ordered one caramel apple. In the meantime, I put on an old lady costume, and when the apple arrived, I knocked on the door. Snow was making a music video on her iPhone 14. All the dwarves were out, no doubt, stealing my food.
Snow answered the door sweetly, and I gave her the apple. She took a bite out of it and fell on the ground, choking on the apple. Girl needs to learn to eat. She coughed and got up. She grins at me then says: “Nice to see you again, Auntie.” She gives me a wicked grin and slams the door in my face.
We start fighting and then she gets knocked out. Just then, POOF! The dwarves appear in a burst of smoke. “Snow is dead!!! Bring in the prince!!!”
While the dwarves scrambled around frantically, Snow winks at me. The dwarves kick me out and a new movie comes out. Guess what, I’m the villain. A handsome prince appears and kisses Snow. She inhales deeply (and extra dramatically), then wakes up to the prince proposing. Then they get married, and I get thrown in jail. Unfair!!!
THE END
3RD PLACE
Little Blue Riding Hood
by Naledi Chery
2nd Grade, Westbury Christian School
Once there was a little girl named Little Blue Riding Hood. One fine day, Blue Riding Hood’s mother said, “Go to Grandma, give her donuts to eat, don’t talk to strangers.” So she did not, until she found a mushroom. It said, “Where are you going?” three times. On the third time, she said, “The little cottage down the path,” and continued the journey down the path. The mushroom knew the grandma had a flower, but where was she? He followed Blue Riding Hood. When she got to her grandma’s house, it did not smell like flowers and flowers were not there. She knew that mushroom! She called Butter the butterfly. She came zooming. Butter asked a few questions, then caught the mushroom about to use the flower. Then she trapped him in a cage, and he went to jail. Little Blue Riding Hood, Butter the butterfly and Grandma had a picnic all together. They enjoyed grapes, sandwiches, apples, and oatmeal. They had the best time.
THE END
P.S. Never steal or speak to strangers.