little brother Peter. It was dark and stormy that night and he was afraid Santa wouldn't come.

"Don't be silly Peter,'' said Bess, "of course he'll come.'' Bess heard her mother calling to her from the other room asking her to take their dog, Scruffy, for a walk.

Scruffy barked and wagged his tail. Bess put on his leash and opened the door.

Scruffy began sniffing every thing in sight. Bess closed the door and they headed down the street.

Suddenly Scruffy stopped. He pricked up his ears and stopped wagging his tail, then he started to howl and pulled on his leash. He broke free and bounded away.

Bess called his name into the darkness. She could hear him barking. She ran toward the noise. Bess saw his brown and white form running past St. Peter's Church. She followed Scruffy all the way past The White Horse. Bess found him at the foot of the statue of Sir George Somers.

She picked up his leash and tugged. Scruffy didn't move. He just sat there, staring up at the statue. Bess looked up. Suddenly the statute began to glow.

Bess's brown eyes opened wide as her mouth dropped down. Scruffy barked and pulled on his leash. When the statute stopped glowing, Bess heard a sign.

There, where the statue was, there stood a man. Bess screamed and so did the man. He was dressed in green cape that looked really old fashioned.

"Who are you'' Bess managed to say.

"I am Sir George Somers,'' he replied.

Bess said that was impossible. Sir George Somers smiled and replied, when he died and became a ghost, he wandered around Bermuda.

When they put up the statute, he jumped into it and became the statue.

Every once in awhile he would become human and go fishing, but tonight he had a mission. Someone called the Humbug had turned off the lighthouse on Gibbs Hill.

The Humbug hated Santa and Christmas. He didn't want Santa to come to Bermuda.

Rudolf was sick so he couldn't guide Santa with his bright nose.

Sir George Somers told Bess he was going to turn it back on again. Then he asked Bess if she would like to go with him. Bess smiled and nodded. Sir George Somers asked her it she could call him George, because that's what his friends called him.

George put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. Suddenly a huge cahow appeared. George climbed onto its back then he helped Bess up. Scruffy, who was tucked under Bess's arm, began to whimper. Bess held him more tightly. She didn't want him to fall while they were up in the air.

The cahow pushed off the ground and they soared into the sky. Bess's short black hair blew wildly in the strong wind as she looked around. She could see every thing! They traveled up toward the light. When they reached it they discovered the light was smashed in.

They went back outside and George told the cahow to fetch a hogfish scale.

After the cahow flew off, Bess asked George why they needed a hogfish scale.

George told her that hogfish glow every Christmas, so if they had a hogfish scale with orange and purple on it, it would glow and Santa would see Bermuda.

Just then the cahow came back with the scale.

Bess and George turned to go back into the lighthouse when a harsh voice ordered them to stop. Someone was standing in the door way. It looked like a mosquito only some parts of it looked like a human. It had large eyes that shimmered in the moonlight.

Two long antenna stuck from the top of its head. It had a human like mouth and its ears looked like an elf's. It had four arms and four long, skinny legs. It had a giant, thin nose that resembled a needed that drooped down to its knees.

It also had two wings sprouting from its back.

"The Humbug!'' exclaimed George. The Humbug demanded that they give him the scale. Bess saw Scruffy running toward the Humbug. He jumped up and knocked the Humbug down. Bess leapt over them and bolted up the stairs. She heard a faint hum behind her. The Humbug was following! She reached the light and placed the scale in the broken glass and turned the power on. The scale shone brighter and brighter with every second. The Humbug scowled and muttered something like, "Bah, humbug!'' then flew away.

When she joined George and Scruffy she saw the cahow was gone. Instead there was skink, a giant skink almost as long as a bus. They scurried away. The went so fast everything was a blur. When they over took cars the drivers didn't notice. They made it back to St. George's in about ten minutes.

Then the skink disappeared and George said good-bye and turned back into a statue. Bess heard someone call her name. She turned around and she saw her parents and Peter. They told her she shouldn't be out this late since she was only ten.

They headed to the car and drove away and when Bess looked out the back window she thought she saw the statue wave. When they made it home, Scruffy fell asleep.

Bess walked over to her stocking and felt it. There was a lump. She reached in and pulled out a carved figure. It was made from cedar wood. Bess realised it was George. On his shoulder there sat a cahow with real cahow feathers on it.

George was holding a lantern with skink on the side. In the lantern was a real hogfish scale. In his other hand he held a fishing rod with a hogfish on the end. The little figure was brightly painted. On the base it said: THANKS. I'LL SEE YOU AGAIN SOON.

Antique drawing by Thomas Nast.

SHORT STORY COMPETITION CPN