In English we have been watching the brilliant animation called El Caminante. It is a superb film which shows the power of imagery in order to create suspense. Class 8’s challenge is to try and create a piece of writing as exciting and dramatic as the scene in the film.
Please use this link to watch the animation which we have used for the purpose of this writing:
Leslie Manser Blog 
El Caminante was preparing to have his chance to be famous but things weren’t going to go the way he planned. He knew that this wouldn’t be easy because he was risking his life just for fame. It was time! Without hesitation he cautiously trembled onto the tightrope (which was as thin as a hair strand.) he was petrified but at the same time determined. Determination was spread across his face but he was really terrified.
It was nerve-racking with all the gasping, the length and the height. He took his first step on. It wobbled. He carried on across the pit of despair and broken dreams. It was hard but what if he didn’t make it what if he fell off. It didn’t matter he had to try. El Caminante panicked at the sight of birds. Why did it have to be birds, why couldn’t it have been butterflies. He took another step. It really wobbled. He might fall off.
In a heart stopping moment he unexpectedly lost his balance and dropped his balance bar. El Caminante struggled to stay on. His life flashed before his eyes and time stood still. He wobbled this way and then that way but regained his balance. He held his breath but perseverance kept him going. It was intense. With the help of God’s blessing he made it to the other side…
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Well done Freya you have done a very good job 😎
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I like the suspense your writing creates Freya! 🙂
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Wow Freya your writing so good. 🙂
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Absaloutly fantastic Freya! I loved it make sure you use a but more similes though. Not including that, it was marvellous well done! 🙂
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Wow, Freya.I like how you used” he unexpectedly lost his balance, but next time, try to describe how he is feeling. 😉
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Well done Freya your work is amazing. I wanted to read more.
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In the early morning, when the wind blew heavily, a mysterious man approached. EL Caminante was down to see everybody and he went up the ladders to look at the tightrope. The clouds gathered above EL Caminante.
He stepped forward onto the tightrope, and the the audience went silent. The birds soared past him and made EL Caminante wobble. He looked anxious as he lost his balance.
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Well done Aaron I love your opening sentence
remember to use ellipses
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El caminate
The a tiny village was full of excitement. All people however poor or rich were heading for the amazing once in a lifetime event. The fluttering birds glided passionately through the spring time wind while the people decorated the streets, all of there small compact homes and cafe bars. All for the visitor…a strange tall figure
The man wanted to have some fun with what looked like fans so he had some pictures taken with some of his best fans. But what does this dark figure do? Why is he here? what is his name? A boy came up to the person and said “what is your name?” The man replied “el caminate.” ” The tightrope walker” el caminate added.
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I really like your writing Aaron! 😎
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I really like your writing Aiden
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El Caminante
Early in the afternoon El Caminante walked through the village and went over to some kids and the kids welcomed him to the village every one saw him. and came around. Everyone was cheering and clapping even the kids she was talking to everyone and at one point she gave her cape to a kid and went and then a prest blessed him so if he fell he would go to heaven he walked to where the tight rope was and the clouds came in and was trying to keep her mind off falling.
He took one step then another he was about half way then all of a sudden he dropped his balance stick and started to wobble could this be the end of El Caminante he finally got his balance back he was walking on a Finn bit of rope he got to the end. Everyone was clapping then the village went silent and the kids followed in till they got to the end of the village the girl that had his cape gave the cape back and they good by and the kids went back to the village that was silenter than a mouse
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Good descriptive writing Ethan!
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Amazing work Ethan next time be a bit more formal and dramatic 🙂
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I really liked your writing. You made it sound really dramatic.
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Well done done Ethan and good description. :Mrgreen:
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Eli Caminante was focused on one thing and one thing only, the other side of the tight rope…
Without hesitation El Caminante cautiously trembled onto the tight rope(witch was as thin as a strand of hair.) As his tall and mysterious figure filled with fright, worried what would happen next… The village was silent with nerve.
He carefully took his first step out onto the tight rope. Every second felt like a minute, every minute felt like an hour as El Caminante slowly strolled across the tightrope trying to dodge the the wind. In a heart stopping moment, he unexpectedly lost his balance and began to wobble. The air was filled with butterflies as he began to do a dance like wobble. He continued to walk on getting closer and closer every step of the way. He held his arms up high In the air catching a better balance as he finally made it to the very end of the tight rope feeling more than relived but professional!
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Amazing piece of writing Layla but next time you could tell who El carminate and you could tell how he came to the village and if they were excited but it was a good piece of writing 😉
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I really like it when you use “El Caminante focused on on thing and only one thing”
Next time you could use paragraphs. 😎
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El Caminante
Without hesitation he placed one of his feet on the rope. All of a sudden all of the crowed were focused on his feet, that where moving one by one, all of a sudden he wobbled a tiny bit then he kept on going.
In a heart stopping moment the long balancing pole wobbled and slipped out of his hands because of the cold sweat dribbling down him. He shock. He wobbled. He found him self half way there. The cold breeze flowed up his shirt. All of a sudden a large flock of birds came towards him…
Out of nowhere a wooden block came into sight. “Do it do it ” shouted the crowed.as soon as his foot touched the wood they knew he would make it.
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Well done cordelia! I like how you have used “without hesitation he placed one of his feet on the rope.”, but next time, try to check your spelling such as were and where. 😉
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Thank you Lucy Mae that is a nice comment.
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Wow Cordelia, your writing is amazing especially this part ” In a heart stopping moment the long balancing pole wobbled and slipped out of his hands because of the cold sweat dribbling down him.” It is truly amazing. Next time try to include some more suspenseful adjectives. 🙂
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Well done Cordelia. 🙂 Next time remember to use punctuation.
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I really like that you have a lot of powerful words which keeps the reader guesing. Next time, try to add personification. However it’s a great piece of work. 🙂
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El Caminante
In the small frame of the playground, a tall caped figure emerged from the door as its shadow got bigger. He had long silky hair that shined in the sun like a bar of gold in Egypt. His eyes were ocean blue and people gazed into them for hours. He walked onto the playground and the children immediately dropped the rubber ball they were playing with to inspect this stranger that had entered their peaceful village. Very soon, more and more people came onto the playground to check out this famous tightrope celebrity. A short while later, the whole crowd knew exactly what was going on, the priest was blessing the man with golden hair as he walked up the wooden ladder to meet his life or death challenge.
His mind and soul was focused on his destination, his eyes were fixed to the end of the line and nobody else. He took his first step on the rope, his head was buzzing full of words that he just couldn’t make out. Like he was communicating with his death shadow. Nervously, he held his breath and walked freely along the string of unexpectedness holding his balance stick out in front of him hoping for the best to happen. Like a angel would pick him up and send him home. Panic filled up his body, his fright got the best of him and he began to shake out of control. He lost his balance stick as it fell to the bottom of what awaits for him beneath the two cliffs.
He was so close to the edge and nobody in the whole world knew if he would make his way to the end. He closed his deep blue eyes and walked on to the finish line. He opened his eyes and couldn’t believe what he was seeing, he was at the end of the line and the crowd cheered him and blew party poppers at him and relief filled the soft air. The distress and horror drained out of his body like water going down a plug hole. And he clutched his life back into his heart. Amazed by the performance, the crowd went home. And mimicked his performance on the way. The moon shined bright and silence filled the air, it was eerie but calm. The streets were filled with the brightness of the moon and sleep settled upon village.
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Well done Theo your work is so good 😉
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Wow that’s very long remember quality not quantity. 🙂
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Theo I really really like your writing Theo. 🙂 next use El Caminante in your story
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Amazing Theo, it is very imaginative especially this part ” he had long silky hair that shined in the sun like a gold bar in Egypt” Great job Theo 😉
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Cautiously, El Carinante wanted to get to the to the end of the tightrope. In a heart stopping moment he put one foot on the rope, then another. He took one step every minute. The crowed gasped like a pride of lions. He took other step… The rope wobbled, the crowd held their breath, El Caminante’s legs shook dangerously. Suddenly, his balance pole slipped from his sweaty palms. The crowd looked on in horror.
Nervously, he slowly calmed his wobbling legs. He stood still for a few minutes then bravely he started his journey along the tightrope again, one step at a time. As he continued his walk along the tightrope of death the crowed couldn’t bring themselves look. Seconds now felt like hours. Without hesitation, El Caminante reached the wooden platform. Claps, cheers and shouts rang in his ears. He bowed and thanked his adoring fans before collecting his silk cloak and slowly walked famously out of the village.
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I like the writing at the start I wanted to read more
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Good writing Ashton 😛
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Your writing is really good. You have used descriptive writing. Next time try to include metaphors. 🙂
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I really enjoyed reading your writing it was really intense and you hooked me in 🙂
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El caminante
Without hesitation El caminante risked his life to entertain an audience stepping on a tightrope as fin as a strand of hair…In a heart stopping moment, he looked back and sore a flock of birds, suspense fills the air, when he wobbled it would all be over as he sees the tightrope turn into a knife it could kill him if he messes up or not…
As the man walked forwards the tightrope seemed to get longer and longer every step a sweat “look out” somebody shouted not noticing that this could distract him as the cold breeze flows by it starts to get tense more scary like them movies where seconds feels like hours or days even wondering what’s going to happen at the end of the story.
You could see the dread in his eyes wishing he had never had gone up to the challenge but I can’t be over he has to do this what else is doing he going to do. Then all of a sudden his foot stepped on the other side a relief for everyone…
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That is so so good Alisha. I loved the beginning and I loved the ellipsis. 😀
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A mysterious figure stepped in from a arched doorway and bowed to the few children. He was the tightrope walker El Caminante, he came to town every year and walked the tightrope for the people of the Spanish village. The village got more busy since he had entered the village. As soon as he got to the tightrope, a lady asked for a picture of him. He didn’t refuse, he posed and she took the photo. He asked in Spanish, who would like to hold my cape? He gave it to a little girl who looked like the age of eight, and she smiled and said thank you to him. A priest told him prayers before
getting on the tightrope, then he climbed onto it with his balancing pole in the hands.
The tightrope, that was as thin as thread, started to wobble a bit, but El Caminante didn’t mind. He kept on walking and walking until out of the corner of his eyes, a flock of birds flew over the thread thin tightrope with El Caminante on it. He suddenly started to panic about him slipping off the rope.
Instead of falling off the tightrope, he dropped his pole into the pit of doom (a deep pit), but he wobbled on one foot to the other.It was eerie,and kneeling on one kneel, he was balancing. El Caminante had made it, he took a bow, and everybody strolled home.
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Really nice description I like this part”tight rope as thin as dread”next time try to include more paragraphs 😎
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Well done Lucy! I love your ending paragraph. Next time included more parenthesis.
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Well done Lucy your writing is good. 😉 Next time look at your punctuation. 😉
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El Caminante
Was he about to do this. Was he about to risk his life just for entertainment. El caminante got his balance stick. He stepped one step. He was feeling nervous. He put his other foot on. El caminante was on the thin piece of string. The string was as thin as a strand of hair. He walked slowly and carefully. The howling wind went wildly through El Caminante’s Head. He looked up. He saw some birds. They made him get distracted. El Caminante was trying his best to concentrate. But just with one slip He… Lost his balance stick.
He was shaking and he was moving about everywhere. Eventually he caught his balance. He kept walking slowly and El Caminante took his first step off the tightrope and then he took his second step off the tightrope. He was so proud of himself for doing that big risk. Everyone that was in the village was clapping and cheering. The end
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I like the way you add suspense Rhys I enjoyed reading it 😆
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Rhys your writing is so good well done. 😉 nest time look at your punctuation but well done in your wrting. 🙂
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Without hesitation El Caminante focused on the tight rope that is as thin as a pencil. With his balance stick at hand, he took a step onto the tight rope and started to walk with great focus. As the crowd didn’t bear to look magnificent and majestic creatures came soaring by. They missed him.
A person from the audience shouted ” Be careful.” But as they said that, the rope started to shake and before he knew it he was frozen in fear. He finally moved but his foot slipped and he dropped his stick. He started to shake but he couldn’t hold much longer so El Caminante needed to get to the end as quickly as possible.
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Nice work Alfie! I like how you used your imagination to make the audience talk! Well done:)
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I like the bit were you mentioned “He was frozen in fear.” Well done. Next time add more similes. 🙂
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This is brilliant Alfie. You have painted a picture in my head of how the character was feeling and set the scene. Well done I’m very proud of you 😁
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As the mysterious man slowly strolled through the small village, the village began to get crowded it gained lots of people, and the people began to come out of their houses getting ready for an event. It got even more crowded by the second people were gathering at the bridge. Apparently a man named El Caminante was going to preform a tightrope stunt he was going to walk across the pit of doom on a tightrope which was as thin as a strand of hair. El Caminante thought of what might happen then El Caminante held his breath and took a step of faith onto the tightrope with his balance bar.
He steadily walked across the dangerous tightrope not knowing what was going to happen. His every step felt like a hour. El Caminante started to become unsteady because he is about half way from the finish line. Suddenly, a man shouted “look out “El Caminante looked round and to his surprise he saw a flock of birds flying his way…
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Brilliant work connie, my favourite part was “his every step felt like an hour” I’m so impressed with your work. Next time try to use El Caminante a little less and try to use he or his. 😉
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From a corner of a girl’s eye a came from the main doorway to the village, and a man came out wearing a bright red cape with long blonde like gold hair and a white plane suit. Everyone was shocked of what he was wearing and people were telling more and more other people making a crowd shake the road like a tornado and the noiseswere making was filling up the space. It was a tightrope person doing for the audience
Everyone took pictures of him and they were really excited for the tightrope, however he needed to be blessed by the priest just in case he falls
He was climbing up a unsteady wooden ladder until he got up to its point and took its first step forward. It was a lucky step but will it be until the end? He was walking with a balance stick to have his balance just right. When he was half way through a flock of birds were distracting him, he lost his balance and the balance stick fell to the bottom of the never ending. He didn’t give up and tried to balance like if it was part of the plan.
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Amazing work kamile, next time try to make it make more sense include more personification. Amazing 🙂
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As the mysterious El Caminante walked to the priest to be blessed he saw the tight rope and held his breath. Without hesitation he stepped onto the the tight rope of doom where he could fall to his death at any time. As he stepped o to the rope he slowly walked with the balance bar in his hands which were sweating with nerves.
Out of the corner of his eye some birds came soaring by him and he wobbled and wobbled again trembling with fear then just simply stopped. Suddenly in a heart stoping moment his pole slipped out of his hands and in Alarm he cautiously went to the finish line of the tight rope as quick as he could. He blanked every thing and every one out but didn’t stop walking. When he arrived at the end of the tight rope he heard the noise of people cheering and shouting at him. After that every one went back to their normal life some were re-enacting when he nearly fell of
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Wow, josh. I like how you used mysterious in it. Next time try to check your spelling.
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El Caminante
Without warning an unexpected dark shadow appeared in the dreaded alley way. In alarm, people of the village started to gather around this figure that came from the alley way. It was El Caminante who stood in surprise and greeted the citizens of the village. He had arrived 3 hours early. El Caminante was like a famous celebrity to them because he did amusing but spectacular things…
Today, El Caminante was going to cross a tightrope that was as thin as a strand of hair, the villagers had got up early to put decorations up and set up a band with a guitar so it would sound more intense.
It was time for El Caminante to be handed his balancing pole and start walking over the tightrope. He took a big deep breathe of concentration and placed his foot on the tightrope the only worry he had was the distracting birds that were tweeting away. Suddenly, his foot slipped and he lost his pole…
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I really like your descriptive writing
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I think this is a great piece of writing you have included a lot of information. Next time, you could add a simile 🙂
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The bit at the end makes a lot of suspense! I loved it Billy. Next time try to use some descriptive writing though, 😆
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In the corner of the wall a tall shadowy figure approached the crowed. He was dressed in a silky orange robe. He approached the ladder that leads to a tightrope that was above a pit. He climbed the ladder and looked at the end to see how far he had to go. Trembling, he clutched the pole and put one of his feet on the tightrope. He slowly stepped forward with two hands on the pole and his two feet on the tightrope. El Caminante tried to block the crowed out of his mind. It worked for a while until he spotted a flock of brown birds. Better yet, they were heading right for him. El Caminante made a massive mistake by looking into the pit of doom. He sees the same brown birds he saw before and it makes him panic. El Caminante wobbled and dropped his pole. He nearly fell into the pit but luckily he regained his balance.
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Well done for trying hard on your writing. I really enjoyed reading it 😉
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Thursday 30th March 2017
El Caminante
El Caminante was at a tall tower, it was in a shadowy place. El Camiante picked up the balance stick, then he put his first foot on the tight rope then he put his other foot on the tight rope then started to move down slowly.
When El Caminante got near the middle of the tightrope he dropped the balance stick down in the pit of doom then he started to wobble because of the bird. The people felt worried, scared and nervous because El Caminante had dropped his balance stick.
El Caminante carried on walking down the tightrope with cold sweat shuddering down him, but at the very last second El Caminante made it all the way to the end and all the people were clapping.
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I really like your writing Kai! I like the words you have used to describe El Caminante!
next time try to add personification.
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From the dark shadows a figure emerged. A cold sweat ran through El Caminante’s body as he was about to step onto the tightrope. As the crowd watched on the tightrope started to resemble a strand of hair. Silence ruled the village. Seconds felt like minutes. Minutes felt like hours. Without warning, El Caminante placed one foot onto the rope. The crowd were cheering like their lives depended on it. It was all to loud for El Caminante so he decided to block them out. He then placed his other foot onto the rope. Time stood still. He and the crowd started to worry as the rope started to wobble. He started to panic. As he took his next step he held his breath. Suddenly a flock of birds soar through the air. They started to distract El Caminante as they were flying right near him. Unexpectedly he lost his balance and he wobbled. In distress he has lost his everything and wobbles even more. In a heart stopping moment he takes his next step without his life line and he does it! El Caminante had done it.
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As the mysterious El Caminante walked to the priest to be blessed he saw the tight rope and held his breath. Without hesitation he stepped onto the the tight rope of doom where he could fall to his death at any time. As he stepped o to the rope he slowly walked with the balance bar in his hands which were sweating with nerves.
Out of the corner of his eye some birds came soaring by him and he wobbled and wobbled again trembling with fear then just simply stopped. Suddenly in a heart stoping moment his pole slipped out of his hands and in Alarm he cautiously went to the finish line of the tight rope as quick as he could. He blanked every thing and every one out but didn’t stop walking. When he arrived at the end of the tight rope he heard the noise of people cheering and shouting at him. After that every one went back to their normal life some were re-enacting when he nearly fell of
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Proof read your writing carefully however I really like how you said the tightrope of doom. 🙂
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Without hesitation El Caminante focused on the tight rope that is as thin as a pencil. With his balance stick at hand, he took a step onto the tight rope and started to walk with great focus. As the crowd didn’t bear to look magnificent and majestic creatures came soaring by. They missed him.
A person from the audience shouted ” Be careful.” But as they said that, the rope started to shake and before he knew it he was frozen in fear. He finally moved but his foot slipped and he dropped his stick. He started to shake but he couldn’t hold much longer so El Caminante needed to get to the end as quickly as possible.
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Wow Alfie that had a lot of suspense. 😉
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As the mysterious man strolled through the village people gazed up to study the man. Eventually people grew and grew around the man as if the mysterious man spread a gush of magic. Eventually, the man stopped in front of a priest and the priest lifted his hand and read a verse from the Bible in his hands. After, the priest finished reading from the Bible with the gaze of people looking in awe wondering what. his is going to do. The shadowy man swivelled to a ladder that seemed to be endless and leading to a event that could change everyone’s view about the man..
The mysterious man, called El Caminante, strutted nervously to the start of the interminable tight rope, that was a thin as the edge of a paper. He grabbed the balance bar with the villagers watching and he set foot on the rope…
With horror, every stride that El Caminante took the villagers gasped, the Earth seemed to open up ready to swallow him. When the time came, dead in the middle of the tightrope, a flock of adventurous birds towered over the village …
The flock of mischievous birds swayed and weighed around El Caminante. El Caminante was disappointed it was birds he wished it was angels. He was so distracted by the birds El Caminante lost his stick which was his life and without his balance bar he had no chance of surviving or did he…
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A dark figure appear in the long ally way. In alarm, the people came to El Caminante like he was a celebrity of the town. He walked to the place that he walked to the place that he was going to tight rope walk.
In a heart stopping moment, El Caminante stepped foot on the tight rope that was as thin as a piece of paper. He slowly walked across the rope in horror. Every single step felt like an hour…
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a flock of distracting birds! All of a sudden he dropped his balance stick in fright. He wobbled in horror… He stabelised himself and carried on walking across the rope as he held his breath. Then he stepped on the end as he lost his balance and maneged to get to the final step. The crowed went wild and El Caminante had his sigh of relief.
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Thursday 30th March 2017
In the early dark cloudy shadow, there was a man standing tall in the dark…
And he was freakly starring as he walked by the spooky village all you can hear is laughing, birds singing, moter bike running and foot steps walking…
Everyone was watching as he walked by the dreadful houses step by step…
Nervously he was walking up the steps. Without warning suddenly he stepped on to the large piece of string and he was walking step by step and in a heart shocking moment he dropped his stick and his face to… He was wobbling shaking until he stud up tall and made it across.
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Well done Layla I love your similes and your adjectives next time try to say more about the crowd of people what did they say or do or feel :p
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The man was walking on the rope and he was feeling really cross and scared that he will fall of the
rope and then he was very angry that the rope wiggled and then the man shouted let me go said the man and then the rope wiggled very fast because a man was wiggling and then the man was very scared because he thought the man will fall of the rope and then he was happy.
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Thursday 30th March 2017
El Caminante
When this mysterious figure came wearing a vary long blue material and a sky blue cape into the village he walked straight to the tightrope. The prised came over to El Caminante to bless him if anything happened to him. It was finally time for El Caminante to walk the tightrope…
He climbed a ladder to start walking the tightrope. As soon as he got up he blocked everything out except the end of the tights rope what is as thin as some dental floss. He picked up the balance stick and started to walk the tightrope.
He was half way across the tightrope until a flock of birds swooped down to disturb him.
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