One of our children wrote a story about being home at last, after an adventure. She 'magpied' ideas from the poem The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes to describe setting and description of character.

Home at Last

At last they were home. After all that had happened, they had never been so happy to see their house. Mr and Mrs Jones had been on a dreadful journey, this is what happened. Mr and Mrs Jones were going to get married, they were really excited by this, especially as they were to get married in northern France. After they had finished dinner one evening, Mrs Jones asked in a gentle voice, like angels singing above, ‘Have you arranged the marriage date yet dear?'Mr Jones was sweating in horror. He had forgotten! Mrs Jones felt so angry she thought her head might explode.

They had no choice but to go to see Carla, the lady who arranged marriages, however she lived in Ireland. They had to swoop quickly onto a flight. Finally they arrived in a damp, wet, muddy area where the trees were tossing, and the road was a ribbon of moonlight under the purple moor.

Without warning a figure, a dark figure, was standing in front of Mr Jones. He had to move quickly and tiptoed like a mouse creeping away from his enemy but Mr Jones made a noise as he moved. The figure, with a velvet coat and French cocked hat who rode a demanding, vicious horse, turned one dark black eye towards Mr Jones. He was terrified.

Mr and Mrs Jones did not want any more of this so they ran as quickly as they could from the threatening figure with his mighty horse. He chased them like a cheetah running for his prey but mysteriously when Mr and Mrs Jones turned around the figure had disappeared and right in front of them was their welcoming, safe home. Later, watching the television under the moonlight, a ghostly highwayman could be seen trotting past.

The children wrote descriptive story openings based on The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes. Listening to music (The Highwayman by Loreena McKennitt) and looking at various pictures helped the children to create the atmosphere appropriate for the poem. They also created freeze frames for sections of the poem.

Lo- To write a descriptive story opening for ‘The Highway man'

                 The Highway man

The deserted forest as lonely as ever, was an eerie place to be. Darkness engulfed the purple moor, whilst the wind whistled wildly through the trees that created long dark shadows. The moon illuminated the road which was a ribbon of moonlight as the owls cry echoed in the dark night. Then a terrifying figure, who tugged at his reins, came riding, riding, riding from the distance. It was total silence apart from a clattering of hooves.  

Lo-To write a descriptive story opening for ‘The Highwayman'

The Highwayman

The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees. The road was a ribbon of moonlight. The forest was still and silent. The demanding moon, shone like a ghostly galleon, over the trees forming long shadows. By that time, in the distance, there was a mysterious noise. A clattering of sort. It was a person, a figure with bunch of lace at his chin and a coat of claret velvet.

Lo - To write a descriptive opening for the Highwayman.

The Highway man          

Moonlight entwined in and out of the colossal trees creating a pathway of light, as the moon shone down brilliant and bright. A galloping of hooves could be heard over the aluminous purple moor. Riding, Riding like the wind. The enormous figure, who wore breeches of brown doe skin, trotted up to the stable yard. The Highwayman. He'd a large French cocked hat and lace at his manly chin. His eyes were like the stars in the jewelled sky, so did the pistol which lay at his side. The rouge called out to a charming young maiden who stood at a window in the inn yard, plaiting a love knot in her dark locks.

Lo-To write a descriptive story opening for ‘The Highwayman'

                             The Highwayman

A lonely owl wisped past the huge, gusty tree over head. Suddenly a torrent of darkness loomed over the purple moor and a clattering of hooves broke the still night air. Meanwhile a figure of a wary man crossed the soft moonlit ribbon of the road upon the vast purple moor.

Lo-To write a descriptive story opening for ‘The Highwayman'.

The Highwayman.

One lonely owl wisped past the huge gusty tree overhead. Meanwhile a figure of a wary man on a horse crossed the soft moonlit ribbon of the road upon the vast purple moor. Gradually a soft sound of clip-clopping hoof beats grew louder and louder, finally clattering over the cobbles. The Highwayman whistled a low, soft tune to the window, and the shutters opened.The Highwayman was a frightening figure who rode a mighty coal black horse. The rouge wore a French-cocked hat on his dark forehead with a bunch of lace at his chin. His velvet coat was claret red and his pistol twinkled in the moonlight under the jewelled sky. Worn as his breeches were, they were made of bark coloured doe skin and fitted with never a wrinkle under his thigh high boots.

 Lo-to write a descriptive story opening for the highwayman.

The Highwayman

The gusty trees swayed in the whistling wind. A misty moon shone like a lantern against the hard darkness. Echoing sounds bounced of the purple moor. A ghostly figure galloped and clattered over the dirty track. Upon his darkened body he wore a coat of claret velvet, which covered his clinging tight breeches, as rode on in the night. However under the thick mass of matted hair his eyes twinkled like jewels.