Sample 4

Sample 4
1 One night, I had been listening to soothing music on the radio before going to sleep. I sat on the sofa, eyes closed, taking in the beautiful tune. Gradually, I dozed off……
2 The music stopped abruptly. My eyelids flew open as I sensed, in my dreams, the music ending. A voice was now coming from the radio, “We interrupt this program to give you urgent news: a dangerous lion has escaped from the zoo! The zookeepers are now looking for it, but we advise you to stay at home until we announce its recapture. We apologize for the inconvenience caused.” I jumped up from the sofa. A ferocious lion, on the lose around Singapore? I shuddered. The music started again. I sank onto the sofa again, somewhat calmed by it. As I listened, I made a decision: I was going to stay up until they announced the recapture. Otherwise, I would never feel safe again. After a while, I fell asleep.
3 When I woke up, it was already morning, and I had completely forgotten about the escaped lion. I was famished. Seeing that my parents weren’t awake yet, I decided to go out and buy myself some sweets.
4 As I walked down the streets, I hummed the song I had listened to last night. It seemed to be connected to a lion. I struggled to remember the details, but they seemed to have trickled out of my brain when I was asleep. I shook my head, and concentrated on the sweets I was going to buy. As I neared a corner, I heard a ferocious roar. My heart started thudding. I wasn’t keen on spending the rest of my life in a lion’s stomach. I rounded the corner.
5 My heart jumped into my mouth. Charging along the road, right at me, was a ferocious lion! Its matted brown fur told me that it had been traveling for ages. It looked like it had been starved for a long time. And I would look really good to it. I could even imagine it licking its chops after it devoured me. I cried out, but no one else was on the lonely street. The lion charged. By instinct, I ducked behind a tree. The lion blinked and skidded to a halt. Hidden by the tree, I glanced wildly around, looking for a weapon. But I knew it was hopeless. What weapon could be used against a lion? A net to trap it in, I thought. But where could I find a net now? Right behind me, was a fishermen’s shop. There! I was overjoyed. I dashed inside, looking desperately for a big enough net to capture the lion. I looked and looked, but all were too small. Meanwhile, the lion was sniffing and nosing around, still searching for its prey that had appeared and then disappeared so fast. I could feel its breathe on my face when it ate me already. I did not want to be eaten. I searched faster.
6 After what seemed like an eternity, I realized two things: the lion had bad eyesight and I had finally found a big enough net! I rushed out the shop. The lion roared. Looks like it had finally found its prey. I ducked behind the lion. It blinked, confused, and looked around trying to see where his breakfast had gone. Ha! I thought, Gotcha, big guy! I grinned. I readied myself. I raised the net above my head. I brought it down on the lion! It roared in a surprised sort of way and, when realizing that it was caught, whimpered and seemed to admit defeat. I called the zoo and said that I had the lion caught, one hand holding on to the net which held the “ferocious” lion, which was now sniveling sadly. They refused to believe me, but when I got them to hear the lion’s moans, they were delighted and came in their huge van in ten minutes. Then they loaded the lion into a cage.
7 I was awarded many awards: the Lion Tamer award, the Bravery award, and the Great with Animals award included. You name it, I’ve got it. Some of them weren’t even about lions, bravery and animals. But each had a prize-giving ceremony in which I received my prizes. I stood up on the stage, grinning; I loved getting attention. Catching a lion? It’s all in a day’s work for me! (737)