Thrown

Aliceshivered,wrappedherdressinggowntightlyaroundherandbravedtheshortjourneyfromherbedtothewindow.Outside,theheavily-frostedgroundswereglisteningintheweak,earlymorningsunshine.Afaintsmiletwitchedatthecornersofhermouth.Itlookedliketodaywouldbetheday:thegrandfinaleofadramathathadbegunninemonthsago…

Heavingasigh,Alicedumpedtheweedsintothebarrowand

wheeleditdownthehilltotheflowerbedclosesttothelake.There,beneaththepalepinkhazeofablossomingappletree,hersister,Isobel,andhertwobrothers,MaxandWilliam,wereloungingaroundenjoyingthelastraysofawarmspringday.

‘Don’tlooknow,’drawledWilliam,‘butitlookslikeoldmisery-gutsisonthewarpathagain.’Theyallturnedtowardsthehuge,oldhousetowatchtheirfatherstridingacrossthelawn.Asheapproached,Alicenoticedthesadnessinhiseyesandaskedhimwhatwaswrong.

‘I’vejustbeenspeakingtoDrWhite.I’mafraidmytestresultsdon’tlookveryhopeful.’

Alicegaspedandthrewherarmsaroundhim.MaxandIsobelglancedateachotherandrolledtheireyeswhileWilliammutteredaratherhalf-hearted,‘Oh,badluckPa.’

‘So,’continuedtheirfather,‘IhavetostartputtingmyaffairsinorderforafterI’mgone.Thebiggestquestioniswhattodowiththehouse.’

‘Simple.Sellitoffandshareoutthemoneybetweenus,’saidWilliam.

‘Iwasworriedyou’dsaythat,’saidFather.‘Asyousurelyknow,I’vealwayswantedtokeepitinthefamily.Afterall,myfatherbuiltupthebusinessfromnothingandI’vemadeitevenmoresuccessful.Thishouseis

amonumenttothathardwork,soIwantittobeourlegacy.Itwill

takesomelookingafter,soI’vedecided…’Atthispointhepausedwhilehelookedintentlyintohischildren’seyes…toleaveittoAlice.Afterall,she’stheonlyonethat’sshownanyinterestinit.’

Alice’ssiblingseruptedintofuriousprotests,claimingthat,hadtheyknown,theywouldhavedonealittlebitofworkaroundtheplacetoo.Ultimately,Williamthreatenedtochallengethedecisionincourtunlesstheywereallgivenanequalchance,soFatherconceded.

Maxproposedacompetition,sothatoneofthemcouldwinthehouseandgroundsfairandsquare.Alice’sheartsank:whatcontestcouldsheeverwin?Williamwasthecleverest;Maxwasthestrongestandmostathletic;Isobelwasbeautifulandextremelypopular.

Devastatedthathistruewisheswouldnotberespected,Fathertriedtothinkofasuitablechallenge.Finally,aftergazingatthelake,heannouncedhisdecision:hewouldawardthehousetowhoevercouldthrowastonethatreachedthefarbank.Theywouldeachbeallowedonethrowonly.Nocatapults,slingshots,oranyotherdevicescouldbeused.Andifno-onemanagedwithinayear,thehousewouldbesoldandtheproceedsgiventocharity.

‘Youridiculousoldman,’snarledIsobel.‘Noonecouldeverdothat,sowhat’sthepointoftrying?’Tossinghersilkenhairdefiantly,shepickedupasmallpebbleinherperfectlymanicuredfingersandlobbeditafewmetresoutintothelake.‘There,’shesnapped,‘that’smygo.IcanmarryallthemoneyIcouldeverneed.’

Onedown,threetogo.

Overthenextcoupleofmonths,AlicenoticedMaxputtinghimselfthroughanintensivetrainingprogrammetobuilduphisstrengthand

throwingskills.Hehadevenmeasuredthediameterofthelakeandmarkedoutanequivalentdistanceonthelawnstohelphimfindhisrange.

Eventually,heannouncedthathewasreadytohavehisturn.Thewarmsummersunhadshrunkthelakebyafewmetresandhereckonedhecouldmakethedistanceonmostthrows.Alice,WilliamandFathergatheredonthebanktowatchasMaxwentthroughaseriesofwarm-upsandstretches.Then,hejoggeduptothelakesideandlaunchedthestonehighintotheair…alittletoohighinfactfor,althoughitwasamightythrow,hehadslightlymisjudgedthetrajectoryandthestonesplashedintothewateragonisinglyclosetothebank.

Twodown...Astheyeargrewold,AlicenoticedWilliamfurtivelysneakingoutto

thegroundsalone,makingsurenobodyfollowedhim.Then,onechillyNovembermorning,heappearedinathickcoatandtoldhisfamilythathewasreadyforthechallenge.Intriguedthathisweedy,bookwormofabrotherthoughthecouldout-throwhim,MaxjoinedAliceandFatherbythelakewhileIsobelsulkedinherroom.

Ratherlikeastagemagician,Williamlethisfamilycheckthatitwasa‘justanordinarystone’,thenproceededtoperformamysterioussequenceofcrouchingandstretchingmovements.Finally,hesprangforwardandflungouthisarm.Thestonerocketedoutofhishandandsailedrightoverthelake,thuddingintothegroundagoodfewmetresbeyondthefarbank.

‘OhwelldoneWilliam!’saidFather.Maxwalkedovertohisbrother,offeringhiscongratulationslikeatruesportsman.AsWilliamgleefullyshookhishand,Maxsuddenlysnatchedhisbacksharply.Therewasasnapandatwang,followedbyatriumphant‘Aha!’fromMax,whowasnowholdingaloftalengthofstrongelasticwhichhadbeenconcealedinthesleeveofWilliam’scoat.

‘Isaidnocatapults,slingshots,oranyotherdevices,’growledFather.‘Yourthrowisdisqualified.’ThatleftAlice.JustAlice.

Andsoitwasthatinthedepthsofwinter,Aliceknockedonher

father’sbedroomdoorandtoldhimthatshewasreadyforherturn.Still

fasteninghiscoatandscarf,withhisotherchildrengrumbling

behindhim,hecrunchedacrossthebrittlegrassbehindhisdaughter.Alongwithhislatewife,hehadtriedtotreatallhischildrenequally,yethecouldn’tdenythathereallywantedAlicetosucceed.Astheyapproachedthelake,thathopebegantocrystalliseintoasolidbeliefthatshehadthewisdomandwherewithal,bothtowinthecontestandtakecareofthehouse.

Meanwhile,Alice’sthoughtswereswirlingaroundherheadlikethecloudsofcondensingbreathbillowingfromtheirsmallparty.Hadshereallythoughtthisthrough?Hadshebeenrighttotrustherfather’sjudgementandforesight?Withherheadspinning,sheproducedasmoothpebblefromherpocket.Foramomentortwo,shegazedatthestone,passingitthroughherfingersasifweighingthechancesofsuccessandfailure.Finallyshesaid,‘Well,heregoes!’andswungherarm.

Herpatiencehadpaidoff.Withastrange,ringingnoise,thestonezippedacrossthesmoothicethatcoveredthelake.Fivepairsofeyesfolloweditsunfalteringcourseallthewayacrosstotheothersidewhereitthumpedintothefarbankbeforereboundingashortdistanceforgoodmeasure.

‘DidIwin?’sheasked,turningtoherfatherwithaknowinggrin.Fathertookbothherhands.‘Ithinkwebothdid,’hesmiled.

1. "Today would be the day: the grand finale of a drama that had begun nine months ago..." Use evidence from the text to suggest what this may have been. (1) 2. Why was the father reluctant to sell the house? (1) 3. Explain why Isobel did not think she had any chance of winning a competition. (2) 4. Explain the differences between how the four siblings felt towards their father. Use evidence from the text to support your answer. (3) 5. The house should have been sold and the proceeds divided between the children. Do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. (2) 6. What does the father mean when he states "I think we both did," at the end of the story? (2)