My teacher liked it, too. she told me that I could be a writer practicing. Then she gave me my prize. It's this diary a five-year diary with a lock and key. Maybe I'll all my secret thoughts in here and, of course, ideas for write other poems! My best friend Zoe was very happy for me. She made me go to her house on the way home from school so that she could show her mom and dad the diary. (I think she wants one exactly the same for her birthday!) Toe's mom's an artist. She paints extremely good pictures, mostly of our village. It's such a beautiful village that it would be diffoult to paint a bad picture of it, to tell the truth. Why don't I draw some pictures of your elephant?" Zoe's mom asked me. "All good stories and poems have pictures to go with them. Wasn't that nice of her? Of course I said yes immediately and called my mom to say I'd be home late for dinner. I watched happily while Zoe's mom drew lots of pictures of elephants, then Zoe and I had to decide which one we thought looked the most forgetful. It was so much fun that I forgot all about the time. Before I knew it, Dad had arrived to pick me up. I heard his car outside first, then his voice shouting, "Come on, Elephant Girl. It's almost time for bed!" I put my diary and some of the elephant pictures carefully into my bag, said goodbye to Zoe and her mom and ran out to the car. Now I'm sitting in bed writing about my day. I didn't have any adventures, but it was exciting enough for me. I'm happy with my life. I have great friends, a loving family, and I live in a beautiful place. But I'm going to keep writing in my diary Even ordinary girls have their secret thoughts