Charlie pushed back the duvet, rolled over and tumbled onto the thick rug beside his bed. This was his favourite way of getting up in the morning. He washed as quickly as he could then he pulled on his clothes, pushed his feet into his trainers and rushed downstairs, clearing the last two steps in one jump. "Hi, Mum," he said, as he sat down to eat breakfast of crackling cereal and toast with strawberry jam.

"Time to be off," said his mother when he had finished his jammy toast, "but go and wash your sticky fingers first."

Charlie rinsed his fingers under the running tap, scrunched up the kitchen towel with his slightly wet hands, picked up his school bag and walked briskly to the door. Just then the door bell rang and there was Charlie’s friend Rick grinning at him as his Mum opened the door. "Hello, Rick," she smiled and said, "he’s actually ready for once." Off the two went down the road, around the corner towards their school. At the crossing they tagged on to other friends and waited until their lollipop lady waved them over while the cars halted on either side of the road. The two boys burst through the gates and into the playground. They rushed around at high speed for the first few minutes, careering into other friends until they stopped for breath. Then they joined a group from their class and listened to Dave talking about the film his Dad had taken him to see. "Wow," he said, "it was great. I did like the scary monster. He was big and hairy and everybody kept running away from him."

"Then what?" asked Jenny, who was also in the same class as Charlie.

"Oh," said Dave, "they found the monster wanted to be friends. He couldn’t understand you see why everyone ran away from him. He trod on their cars and squashed them with one foot and no one liked that."

"Except the monster," said Rick, with a grin.

Before Dave could tell them what happened next the bell rang and they lined up for their teacher, Miss Smithers, and followed her into school.

Later on that morning Mrs Smithers told them to write a story about a giant. She told them to describe the giant’s face, hair, hands and feet.

Putting her hand up, Jenny asked, "Is the giant a bad giant or a good one?"

"You can choose," said Miss Smithers, "but if he’s a good one make that very clear to me. I want you to describe him so that we all can tell that he’s good. If he’s bad he must be dreadful, so you have to describe how really horrible he is."

They settled down to write. One boy sat and looked around the class. "It’s no good Michael," said Miss Smithers, "you’ve got to use your imagination and make him up. There’s nobody here who looks like a frightening monster, not even me."

At that they burst out laughing, then they all settled down to write, including Michael.

Pauline put up her hand. "Well Pauline?"

"I’ve finished and I’ve read it through."

"Well then, put it on my desk and then you may read your book until the bell goes. Now, how many more have finished?"

The teacher glanced around the class as a few more hands went up.

"Read it through, then read your library books, and please don’t tell me you’ve finished your library book; just do what you have to do when you’ve finished and don’t fuss."

By the time the bell rang to end the morning there was a large pile of books for Miss Smithers to mark.

"I hope all these are really good, because there will be more to do about giants this afternoon. Line up now and be ready to go off to wash your hands for dinner."

Miss Smithers went off to the staff room to eat a sandwich and talk to the other teachers. Charlie, Rick, Jenny and Dave joined the queue for dinner. Pauline came along – "Anyone know what’s for dinner?" she asked.

"Tuna salad or mince and veg," Dave told her. He was always very keen to know what they were having to eat.

Once they had been served at the hatch they all sat down together to eat their food and talk about monsters and other scary things like lions, snakes and wolves.

"Ugh," said Jenny, "I hate slugs."

"Well at least they can’t eat you," said Charlie. "Ooh! Just imagine being attacked by a giant slug."

"Ugh" said Dave, and they all laughed.

That afternoon, when they came in from the playground with Miss Smithers they sat in their places and waited to discover what came next after writing about monsters that morning.

Miss Smithers stood in front of her desk and tilted herself back so that she rested on the very edge of it. When she seemed so relaxed her class usually guessed that she was about to tell them that their next task might be a challenge, but they would probably like it. Of course there were always a few who felt they couldn’t manage the task, but they tried just the same and found that they could do it after all.

"I want all of you to draw or paint a really large frightening monster. You see this piece of paper," and she held up a large piece for them all to see. "Well, I want you to fill the paper – the top of the head at the top and the feet right at the bottom."

"Ivor, what have you to do?" Ivor often went off in a day-dream and Miss Smithers had to tell him all over again what she wanted from him. Not today though! Ivor was wide awake.

"A great scary monster and it’s got to fill the page."

"Good lad, Ivor, I am pleased that you were listening this time."

"Right! Let’s all get going. I’ll read out the names of six people who are going to paint and they’re to stand up when their names are called."

She read out six names.

"Great, Ivor!" she exclaimed, as he rose to his feet at the sound of his name. Awake twice in one day. I won’t be able to get over my excitement."

They all laughed, especially Ivor.

Then work began.

Large monsters began to fill the large pieces of paper. At the easels bright splashes of green, yellow and black were used to create really, scary psychedelic monsters. The rest of the class managed equally well with the large wax crayons their teacher had chosen to give them.

When it was play-time Miss Smithers said: "Right, it is time to stop; put your brushes in a pot and your crayons down, sit up and listen."

After some fussing and shuffling everyone appeared to be ready, apart from Anita who had dropped her paint brush on the floor.

"Oh what a bright spark you are Anita! Just leave it, leave it where it is and I’ll give you a paper towel and you can clear it up later. I’m sure that when you do that you’ll make a great job of it."

Anita was very relieved, as doing the wrong thing when she never meant to always got her into a state.

"As I was saying," said their teacher, "never mind Anita’s small problem, look at me. First, leave your work where it is. Second, stand up."

"Fine, that’s everyone. Aren’t we doing well this afternoon?"

They laughed as they stood in their places.

"Now you may walk to the door – and I did say walk, not run, Jimmy."

"That’s a great line, you’re ready to go out. Keep it up, show everyone else what a great class you are and off you go."

"Don’t worry, Anita, we’ll soon sort your problem out," and Miss Smithers ran a little water on the paper towel, handed it to Anita, who soon wiped the paint from the floor.

"Off you go to play," and Anita went off to join her friend Mia who was waiting in the playground.

Afternoon break soon passed and Charlie’s class trooped back in.

While they were outside the easels had been turned round so that the paintings could be seen by everyone.

"Don’t sit down, just pick up your pictures and hold them for others to see."

Now when everyone was ready Miss Smithers said: "I’ll pin them all round the room and then we’ll look for the best one."

When all was ready and the children had had a really good look at each others’ work Miss Smithers said: "Put up your hands if you like one monster picture better than the other. The best three will go on the wall at the front and the rest will go on the back wall."

There was a lot of walking about and viewing for a few minutes and some giggling. Soon they were all back in their own places facing their teacher.

"Well," she said, "do you like one in particular?" There was more shuffling and giggling. Jenny’s hand was raised tentatively. It didn’t go straight up, but it stopped half way.

"Mmm," began Jenny, "well I like Charlie’s, though it isn’t all that scary."

"Right," said her teacher, "who else wants to choose a monster?"

Hands were raised and she asked Pauline for her choice.

"Michael’s," was the reply.

"A third please," said Miss Smithers, "what about a girl this time?"

This time Dave’s hand was raised and Miss Smithers asked him for his choice.

"Anita," he said.

The three children, Anita, Charlie and Michael were asked to come out to collect their monster pictures.

They held them up for all to see, first Charlie, then Anita and finally Michael. As they held them up they all began to clap and when Michael held his before them first there was some whispering and then some giggling.

Miss Smithers knew why.

"Michael," she said, "your monster reminds me of some one," and she turned to the class, "who thinks they know who it is?"

Hands shot up all round the room, even those few who took their time to see a joke put their hands up.

Their teacher tried to look serious and stern.

"Well, Michael," she said, "why are they laughing, did you expect to make them laugh?"

Before he could respond, some of them said: "Miss Smithers, it’s a bit like you, isn’t it?"

"Why is that, Michael?" she asked.

"Well, Miss Smithers," began Michael very slowly, "you told me to use my imagination and you said that even you didn’t look like a frightening monster. You don’t, but I tried to draw a monster who looked a bit like you."

"Well you seem to have succeeded," commented his teacher, as the laughter diminished. "I must say I am glad you don’t think I really look like one. Let’s pin these three up now and the rest can go up later."

The pictures went up and the children went home laughing.