Katie Morag and the Big Balloon Katie Morag

# Katie Morag

# Run away across the ocean

# Katie Morag

# Over the sea to Struay

# Katie Morag

# Run away across the ocean

# Katie Morag

# Over the sea to Struay #

'My name is Katie Morag McColl and I live on the island of Struay.

'I suppose it's quite wee but it's ginormous to me

'and everyone looks out for me

'when I'm out and about having my adventures.'

This is where I live with my family.

My mum and dad run the shop and post office.

This is the bedroom I share with my brother, Liam.

My mum says it's an absolute midden.

This is the croft where Grannie Island lives

with her animals and hens.

This is the village where Neilly Beag lives!

Hello! How're you doing?

'And I think it's the best place in the whole entire world

'and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.'

# Katie Morag. #

'I reckon balloons must be the greatest invention, ever.

'You can play with them, use them as decorations, or just blow them up...

'and let them go.

'So I couldn't believe it when Mum said a real-life

'hot-air balloon with someone in it,

'was going to be flying over Struay.

'I figured we should send up a wee one of our own to say hello.

'Problem is, normal balloons don't float very well.

'You can throw them up, but they come right back down again.

'I needed to come up with an extra specially brilliant idea.

'And that's exactly what I did.'

-RADIO ANNOUNCER:

-'As Hollywood superstar Candice Kennedy approaches

'the end of her round-the-world balloon challenge,

'she's taken a detour over the Hebridean island of Struay.'

-See! I told you.

-Isn't that something!

She's putting Struay on the map!

Och, Struay's already on the map! Last time I looked, anyway.

I'm not sure about all this.

-RADIO ANNOUNCER:

-'In her latest movie, she plays Flora MacDonald,

'the Hebridean heroine who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie

'avoid capture after the Battle of Culloden.

'Miss Kennedy herself spent a summer on Struay as a child,

'and says Scotland has always had a special place in her heart...'

-Oh, isn't that lovely!

-I've never heard of her.

Away ye go! She's famous. Look.

Well, surely I'd remember her, if she'd spent a summer on this island?

-I'm really not sure about all this.

-Dad?

-Yes, sweetheart?

Could I have a wee cup of bubbles so I can

blow them into the sky to say hello?

That's a great idea.

Well, you better move fast, or you'll miss her!

'If balloons of the best invention ever, bubbles are the second-best.

'But blowing them isn't as easy as it looks.

'Especially when your little brother likes bursting them

'every bit as much as you like blowing them.'

-Any sign?

-Not yet.

'I couldn't help wondering where all my bubbles had gone.

'Maybe they did reach the big balloon,

'and they're flying across the big sea with the world-famous film star.'

I don't think she's coming.

It wouldn't take much to blow her off course.

Look at the way those bubbles are going!

That's a shame. I've never seen anyone famous before.

You see them on the telly every night, sweetheart.

-It doesn't count either on the telly, Peter!

-Can't even find us.

Shows you how much she knows about Struay.

-GRANNIE ISLAND SIGHS

-I'm not at all sure about this.

Now, remember to tell Uncle Matthew everybody's asking for him.

Mum, what does famous mean?

You know what famous means.

-I do know that Dad's famous.

-Is he?

For being voted the best shopkeeper here in Struay.

He's the ONLY shopkeeper here, in Struay.

-But he has won it three years in a row.

-That's true.

And he said that you were famous for burning the porridge.

Oh-ho-ho! Did he now?

Though I also said I'd grown to love its unique, smoky taste.

Hmmm. Well.

There's famous and there's famous-famous,

and Candice Kennedy is what you would call famous-famous.

Right. Come on, you two! Uncle Matthew's waiting.

I love walking to Uncle Matthew's house with Dad,

because we always see something new.

This time, it was holiday-makers snorkelling in the water.

So how do people become famous-famous?

Oh, well. Lots of different ways.

Could be actors on the telly,

or pop stars, or they could play shinty for Kingussie.

But why do they become famous if they're only just doing their job?

Good question.

-So, who decides who becomes famous?

-Well, we do, I suppose.

Ordinary folk, like us.

So long as we like reading about them,

the papers will keep on writing about them.

Would you like to be as famous as Candice Kennedy?

Me? No way!

'I was glad Dad wasn't famous, because that meant

'I had him all to myself.

'We could do the things we always did without people bothering us.

'We could climb the hills like we always did,

'we could walk beside loch like we always did,

'we could cut through the muck at the bog, like we always did.

'Thank goodness I was wearing my wellies.

'And, when we finally arrived at uncle Matthew's house, we'd see him

'smiling and waving at us, just like he always did. Except this time...'

-Matthew!

-Matthew!

'..he didn't!'

Matthew, we're here!

'Everything looked a bit strange.

'The vegetable garden was only half done,

'and everything looked a bit of a mess, even messier than usual.

'Strangest of all, two empty plates

'and two glasses of elderberry fizz were sitting on the garden table.

'Why would Uncle Matthew need two plates and two glasses?'

-Matthew! Ah, they you are!

-Hello!

What's with the plates and...?

I... have a visitor! Heh.

-You never have visitors.

-Except us.

Well, I do today.

'Matthew!'

RADIO ANNOUNCER: 'Hollywood star, Candice Kennedy,

'was due to arrive in Flodigarry an hour ago,

'on the latest stage of her balloon trip.

'But so far, there's no sign of her.

'Miss Kennedy's support team are trying to make radio contact,

'but say that they aren't yet concerned for her safety.'

I bet she's gone off for an ice cream.

Maybe she just wants some time to herself.

-That girl did not spend a summer in Struay.

-Why d'ye keep saying that?

Because it's true! If she'd spent a summer here, we'd remember.

I'm thinking she's not the one saying it at all.

I'm thinking someone is making it up!

Why would they do that?

Because it makes a good story for the papers.

I don't often say this, Neilly Beag, but I think you're absolutely right.

SEAGULLS SING

Hi!

Oh, my goodness! It's you, isn't it?

Last time I checked!

-(It's her!) It's Candice Kennedy!

-Do you know each other?

It's Candice Kennedy?

World-famous Hollywood superstar, Candice Kennedy.

Oh. Right.

-I don't watch much telly.

-I don't blame you.

Now, who wants some of this delicious elderberry fizz?

-Wow.

-I'd love some!

-Do you remember that talent contest in Oban?

-How could I forget it?

-Mmm. Thought I was going to be the next Madonna!

-Madonna!

-You were better than Madonna.

-Oh, I wasn't really!

Your voice is every bit as good!

And you were juggling with tennis balls at the same time!

-Has Madonna ever done that?

-You know, I don't think she has.

Still didn't win, though.

-Well, maybe if you hadn't run off, halfway through the song.

-Mmm.

-And the crying probably didn't help.

-Ach.

But apart from that, you were great!

You've missed a bit.

'Candice had wanted some peace and quiet away from all the TV cameras.

'So, instead of passing over Struay, she decided to land here, instead.

'Luckily, Uncle Matthew didn't know who she was.

'So, instead of making a fuss,

'he made her the best vegetable curry she'd ever tasted.'

Do you like being famous?

Sometimes. Not all the time.

-What's good about it?

-I get to do good work.

I get to do that at school.

I meet interesting people!

There's LOTS of interesting people here, in Struay.

Do you know, my real name isn't Candice Kennedy?

-It's Wilma Whitesellen.

-I like that one better.

So do I!

Did you really spend a summer here in Struay?

Nah, it's just a story they made up for the papers.

But now I've seen it, I wish I had.

I don't think I want to be famous when I'm older.

What DO you want to be when you grow up?

Mmm, I think I'll just be me.

'Candice had to get going,

'but she said she's definitely come back to visit us again,

'and the next time, she'd stay a whole lot longer.'

We'd better run!

-Thanks for everything.

-Don't mention it.

-You have a lovely family.

-Aye.

-I don't see them enough.

-Why not?

Well, the village here in Struay can get awful busy

and I'm really not that fond of crowds.

Where I live in Los Angeles can be busy, too.

Does that mean you won't be able to visit me?

Well, I could maybe start taking the odd walk down to the post office,

try and get used to being in among the hurly-burly!

I think that's a great idea.

Aye, me too.

Goodbye, Matthew.

I'll see you again.

-You'll never guess what happened!

-Not now, Peter!

That's Candice Kennedy up there!

'The balloon passed low overhead,

'and if you listened hard, you could almost hear something.'

Hello, Isobel!

-Ha! Did you hear that?

-Hear what?

I think she shouted my name!

-Hi, Neilly Beag!

-I certainly heard that!

Och, she must have spent a summer in Struay right enough

if she can recognise me from that far up!

Bye, Peter! Bye, Katie Morag!

Bye, Wilma Whitesellen!

Who's "Wilma Whitesellen"?

It's a long story.

'Bye, Katie Morag!'

'I don't think I'll ever be famous.

'After all, I'm just Katie Morag McColl,

'from the tiny wee island of Struay.

'But I really wouldn't want it any other way.'