Today in reading we made Paper-copters which is based on this story.
Bart and Orville by Hilton Ayrey
Orville was Bart's much-loved cat. From the very first day,
when Bart found him curled up in a basket beside his bed,
Orville made it very obvious that he was different from
other normal, everyday cats. When Bart arrived home from
school, Orville would be lying in wait, in the tree overhanging the
driveway. He would pounce on Bart and they would tumble to the
ground in a wild play fight. When Bart collapsed into his favourite
bean bag to watch TV after a hard day at school, Orville always sat
on his head, purring loudly. They both seemed happy about that.
Orville was also a very curious cat. Many, many times he had to be
rescued from the strangest places. He was fearless and never thought
for a moment about the consequences of his actions. There was the
time Bart's mum went on a shopping trip to the supermarket. She got
out of the car and found Orville clinging to the car roof with a wild
look in his eyes. His fur was swished back against his body from the
ride. Then there was the time he took a nap in the tumble dryer.
Someone loaded it up and turned it on without noticing him.
He seemed to be delighted by that.
Unfortunately, Orville’s colourful life came to a sudden end one day
when he was run over by a car. Bart decided to do something special
to celebrate Orville’s adventures. After a few days of mourning, Bart
began work on his project.
Many may think that there is something seriously wrong about stuffing
a beloved cat and turning it into a
remote controlled helicopter. But Bart was sure that Orville would
have approved.
This wasn't such a difficult project once he got started. Bart took his
dead cat to the taxidermist and explained that he wanted Orville to be
stuffed with his legs spread wide apart. Then he fixed Orville to a
frame for stability and attached upwards-facing propellers on each of
Orville's outstretched paws. After a number of trials the day came
when Orville lifted off. With Bart manning the controls, Orville hovered
above the ground and then rose into the sky. The legend of Orville
the cat would live on.
This is the photo of me and my friends dropping the helipapers. I liked doing it because it was really fun to make and they spun well.
Thanks for reading.
