Craig was looking forward to Saturday as it was his mum's birthday and this year for the very first time, he was going to buy her a present. Every week, he earned spending money by doing odd jobs in the house and for the past few weeks he had been saving-up. The only problem was what to buy her.
After school on Monday, Craig went with his mum to the shops. They went past a shop that sold brooches and she stopped to have a look. She spotted one she liked. Craig looked at the price, it was £1.30. He wondered if his mum would wander in and buy it, but she didn't. Now he knew what to get her for her birthday. When they got home, he went to his bedroom and counted the money he had saved. He had £1.40 which would leave 10p for a card, but how was he going to get the card without his mum knowing?
Next day after tea, his dad went to clean the car and Craig went to help him. He told his dad about the brooch and how he had saved enough money to buy it. His dad told him that he had to go to the shops so he could meet Craig from school and they could go together.
After school, his dad was waiting for him and they went to the shops. He parked the car and told Craig to meet him back there after he had been to buy the brooch. He gave Craig his money. Craig hadn't wanted to take it to school in case he lost it. He felt very proud and grown-up as he made his way to the shop. He hoped the brooch had not been sold. Sure enough, there it was in the window. He went inside and asked the shop-keeper if he could see it. The man got it out of the window and put it carefully on the counter. It was certainly the most beautiful brooch he had seen. The shop-keeper said he would put it in a gift box for Craig and it was when he was putting it into the box he noticed the clasp on the back was broken. Craig was very disappointed especially when he didn't have another one like it. The shop-keeper could see that Craig was upset and told him he would try and repair it but it would take two days. Craig said that would be all right. He would have the brooch back on Friday and his mum's birthday wasn't until Saturday. Craig gave the shop-keeper the money but he told Craig to keep it and give it to him on Friday when he came to collect the brooch. Craig left the shop and went back to meet his dad.
The next day when Craig woke up he felt rather peculiar. His head hurt and he felt dizzy. His mum told him to stay in bed and she sent for the doctor. The doctor said Craig had a bad cold and would have to stay in bed for a few days. All that day, Craig felt poorly. It wasn't until dinner time the next day that he realised what day it was. It was Friday and he had to get the brooch from the shop. His dad had gone to work and he couldn't get it. What was he going to do? He told his mum that he had to go to the shops but she said he wasn't going anywhere and if he wanted something so much he would have to wait until his dad came home then she would go for him. How could he tell his mum about the brooch, it was meant to be a surprise. That afternoon he felt very miserable. The shop-keeper might think he wasn't coming back for it and sold it to someone else.
He didn't want any tea or supper. At last he heard his mum and dad coming to bed and still he felt miserable. Suddenly, he heard a banging noise coming from the cupboard where he kept his toys. He lay very still and listened. Craig got out of bed and went to the cupboard and opened it. Out marched a toy soldier. Craig stared as the soldier marched over to him.
'Can I help?' asked the soldier. Craig explained why he was so unhappy. The soldier told him to stop feeling miserable and to find a piece of paper and the money for the brooch. Craig watched as the soldier wrote something on the paper then wrapped the money inside. He then marched over to the door.
'Where are you going?' asked Craig in surprise.
'To get the brooch', replied the soldier. Craig opened the bedroom door and watched as the soldier marched out.
The soldier marched out of the house and down the street to the shops. He found the shop that sold brooches and he climbed in through the letter box. Once inside the soldier looked for a way to get to the window. He saw some boxes leaning against a wall and he climbed up. He saw lots of brooches but he remembered how Craig had described the one he wanted for his mum and before long found it. He picked it up and left the paper and the money in its place. He then marched back to Craig's house.
There was a tap on Craig's door and he went to let in the soldier. He could hardly believe his eyes when the soldier gave him the brooch and then marched straight back into the cupboard.
The next morning when Craig woke, he had forgotten about the soldier but as he was getting out of bed he saw the brooch and he remembered. At first he thought it was a dream but it couldn't have been because there was the brooch. He was very pleased and proud when he gave his mum the present. She too was pleased and said it was the best present she had had.
The shop-keeper could hardly believe his eyes when he found the brooch missing and in its place was the piece of paper and the money.
Many times Craig went to his toy cupboard to look at the soldier but the soldier never came to life again. Often he wondered if it really happened but his mum still has the brooch to prove that it did.
The End
