Imagine That: Bruised hero

Roland, Donald and Juanita were giggling because a spider was crawling towards Miss Trollop's foot.

"As soon as you have finished your snack, form into teams and wait for me to tell you what to do."

Miss Trollop blew the whistle again and the kids went everywhere. George and Jeff ran out into the mud and fell over. Donald knocked a chair over and hit Tamara in the face. Juanita and Daphne grabbed the floor rug and rolled themselves up in it. Mr Gamper unrolled them and ordered them to get into the kitchen and help. They walked there, dropping sticks, dust, dirt, mud and rug hairs as they dusted their clothes with their hands.

The biscuits spilled on to the floor. The drink slopped on to the floor after it. Some of the kids ate like muppets, dropping cascades of crumbs as they talked. Donald took three biscuits more than he was allowed. Sheryl poured too many drinks and put the jug to her mouth for a quick, greedy guzzle. Tamzina cried because she didn't get enough to drink and it wasn't her favourite flavour.

The three teams gradually formed . Every kid shouted at every other kid, or screeched, or howled, or whistled, or hooted, or pushed, or shoved, or laughed. They stood, all thirty of them, on a carpet of crumbs and orange splashes. They shambled against each other, bedraggled and untidy, dressed in untucked shirts, trailing shoe-laces, patched trousers. They stuffed sweets into their pockets and their mouths. They slouched against the wall or stood on chairs or lay on the couch.

Miss Trollop blew her whistle. Three times.

"That's better. When I blow the whistle, I expect you to be quiet. What is it now Tamzina? It doesn't matter if your biscuit was broken. It was going to be chewed up anyway. What do you do with them, swallow them whole?! Donald, I told you to leave that poker alone. OK, now I want the three teams to line up from here. Streakers from this line, and Zombies along here, and Heroes from the corner of this mat. Stop the fighting. Settle down. Right, Elizabeth, if you do that again you can stay back. Sheryl, which team are you meant to be in? Well get over there."

The teams clumped like crowds at a circus, which was close enough to a line for Miss Trollop, so she blew the whistle again and waited for quiet.

"Where's Jeff?"

"He's hiding behind the couch!"

"Jeff, get into line. What's the matter with you?"

"I'm feeling sick."

"No you aren't. You just don't want to go on the bush walk."