Author Archives: Patricia Smith

Stories for Another Day Garth and Shanama were the children of the Dharab, the dragon-slayer and Eva, his wife, who was known across the seven secluded kingdoms as a healer. The children were born within the same hour on the same day, just as the morning star was rising. They grew together and played togetherContinue reading “Garth and Shanama”

Stories for Another Day In a land far away there is a place where three great rivers come together at the edge of the sea. Mangrove trees grow in the rivers and their roots grow upwards like black fingers in a sea of mud. One day, a long way upriver, a melon fell off theContinue reading “The Winged Tiger”

Stories for Another Day Once, in a small house on a small island in the middle of a vast, sparkling, blue sea, there lived a small family. The mother’s name was Shalinda, and there was a boy named Rush and a girl named Esha. Their father’s name was Kopp. It was such a small islandContinue reading “Time and Tide”

Stories for Another Day A cat once had a litter of kittens, and the prettiest of all was named Zirka. She was as black as night all over except for a single splash of white on her tail, like a star. Perhaps it was for this reason that she was enchanted by the night sky.Continue reading “The Tale of the Cat”

Dharab the Dragon-slayer Dharab killed his first dragon when he was four years old, but then it was a very small dragon, hardly bigger than a lizard. When he was ten years old he killed his first fully-grown dragon, by luring it into a closed valley and levering a heavy rock onto it. It wasContinue reading “Stories for Another Day”

Once there was a soldier in the king’s army, who lost his taste for fighting, He put down his weapons and would not fight any more, so he was dismissed with a week’s pay and the clothes he stood up in. He walked away, and kept walking until he was too tired to walk anyContinue reading “The Old Soldier”

In the last years of Dharab, the greatest dragon-slayer ever known, his daughter Shanama hunted with him, and she learned from him many of the skills that made him great. She learned how to kill her dragon cleanly and humanely, how to protect herself from the fire that the dragon throws from its mouth, andContinue reading “The Wild Dog from the West”

In a village in a valley not too far away from here lived a doctor, called Dr Averil. He was a good doctor who looked after his patients well. If his patients could pay, well and good, but if they were very poor, he didn’t ask them to pay at all. As time went on,Continue reading “The Wooden Doctor”

A toad once asked a giraffe to marry him. The giraffe, whose name was Tilly, looked down and down at the toad. “A toad?” she said. “A slimy, warty, ugly, disgusting toad? I could never marry a toad!” The toad was quite offended at her words, as you might well imagine. He became angry andContinue reading “The Toad and the Giraffe”

As you know, the very last and final story about a young wombat named Benson was published some time ago, and we said goodbye to Benson and his family and friends. Now a new website is beginning, offering stories of a different kind, called Stories for Another Day. To access this website and investigate theContinue reading “New Stories!”

(The Last Story) Once there was a young wombat named Benson, who lived in a warm, comfortable wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. Benson said to his mother, “Will you remember me when I’m not me any more?” His mother said, “How do you mean?” Benson said, “I meanContinue reading “Remembering”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson, who lived in a happy, safe wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. One morning Benson’s mother said, “Benson, would you like to go and stay with Nanna for a few days?” A warm feeling spread through Benson’s tummy. He loved visitingContinue reading “Nanna’s Farewell”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson who lived in a safe, happy wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. One day Benson was outside trying to work out the best way to put up a flag in a tunnel, when he heard a great clattering and banging comingContinue reading “The Super-Dooper Solar-Powered Billy-Cart”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson, who lived in a warm, dry wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. Benson’s friend, Mick, had a new bike. It wasn’t really a new bike. He had found some old handlebars and Hazel had helped him fix them up, and thenContinue reading “The New Bridge”

Once there was a young wombat who lived in a nice, roomy wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. One morning Benson’s mother took him to the park. His friend Alejandro was there, playing with someone Benson hadn’t seen before. “Hi, Benson,” he said. “This is my cousin, Errol.” “Hi,Continue reading “Errol”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson, who lived in a safe, comfortable wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. One morning after breakfast, Aunt Lillibet said, “We’ve been invited to a naming party.” “What’s that?” Benson asked. He was drawing a cockatoo but the ears weren’t coming outContinue reading “Naming No Names”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson who lived in a happy, comfortable wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. Benson and his mother were going to visit his mother’s friend, Dellie, who lived by a big lake. It was a long, long way so they were going toContinue reading “Benson on the Train”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson who lived in a warm, tidy wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. Benson and Aunt Lillibet and Aunt Moss were playing cricket in the back yard with Uncle Elton and cousin Elmer and Aunt Moss’s friend, Shelley, one sunny afternoon. AuntContinue reading “Upcycling”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson who lived in a safe, warm wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. Aunt Lillibet had been in bed with a bad cold for a week and she was very grumpy. She had read all her gardening books twice. She had knittedContinue reading “Nature Bathing”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson, who lived in a safe, happy wombat hole, with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. One morning Benson’s mother made some particularly good banana and carrot muffins. They smelled so good, warm and golden, that Benson couldn’t wait to eat them. But his motherContinue reading “Cora”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson, who lived in a warm, comfortable wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. One day Benson and his mother went to the zoo. They saw lots of strange animals, antelopes and lions, and even some giraffes. They stared at crocodiles in ponds,Continue reading “The Zoo”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson, who lived in a warm, safe wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. Aunt Lillibet and Aunt Moss went to the fruit shop, and Benson went with them. “First of all we need a nice, ripe avocado,” Aunt Lillibet said. There wereContinue reading “Pineapple Jam”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson who lived in a safe, warm wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. Aunt Lillibet went to see Uncle Elton, and Benson went with her, to play with his cousin, Elmer. Uncle Elton was fixing the rake that Aunt Lillibet had brokenContinue reading “Mortified”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson, who lived in a tidy, comfortable wombat hole, with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. One day Benson’s mother came home with really good news. “Pascoe’s mob is up on the high paddock,” she said. Benson said, “Can we go and see her?” HisContinue reading “Roly’s Place”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson who lived in a safe, comfy wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. Aunt Lillibet joined a jogging club. She had a jogging t-shirt and special leggings and jogging wristbands and a special hat, just for jogging. It had a hole onContinue reading “Out of Sight”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson, who lived in a warm, happy wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. Aunt Lillibet’s cousin Ruby sent her a present. Aunt Lillibet was very excited until she opened it up. “Oh, it’s an apron,” she said, disappointed. “That’s nice,” Benson’s motherContinue reading “The Present That Nobody Wanted”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson, who lived in a warm, dry wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. One day there was a Mishap in the kitchen. Benson’s mother was cooking some rhubarb in the big stewpot but she had to go out to a meeting, soContinue reading “A Stewpot Turkey”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson who lived in a comfortable, happy wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. Benson’s mother and Aunt Lillibet and Aunt Moss were cooking, and Benson was playing one of his favourite games, Guess-What’s-Cooking-by-the-Smell-in-the-Kitchen. “Is it banana bread, and apple pie?” he said.Continue reading “The New Baby”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson, who lived in a safe, happy wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. One day Benson said to his mother, “I think I’ll make a picture book, about elephants.” “Elephants?” his mother said. She was busy trying out a complicated new recipeContinue reading “Peanuts and Prison Bars”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson who lived in a nice warm wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. One morning Benson’s mother came into his room, where he was making a machine for scaring snakes, out of an old hairbrush and banksia seed pods. She said, “I’veContinue reading “When Someone Dies”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson, who lived in a tidy, warm wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. One morning after breakfast, Benson was getting ready to go to the park when his mother said, “I’m sorry, Benson, I can’t take you to the park after all.”Continue reading “Missing”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson who lived in a warm, happy wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. It was Wonderful Wombats Day, and everyone was celebrating. There was going to be a big ceremony at the community centre, and Nanna was getting a special award forContinue reading “Helping People”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson who lived in a warm, happy wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. Aunt Lillibet loved hats. She loved making hats, and decorating hats and wearing hats. Sometimes she would lie in bed at night and dream up new types of hats.Continue reading “Aunt Lillibet Loses her Hat”

Hairy Nose Day 2022 Once there was a young wombat named Benson, who lived in a warm, tidy wombat with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. One morning everyone was sitting at the table eating breakfast. Benson had porridge with stewed plums and almonds, and then he had some toast with mulberryContinue reading “The Giant Hairy Nose”

Once there was a young wombat named Benson who lived in a safe, dry wombat hole with his mother and his two aunts, Lillibet and Moss. Benson was digging a hole in the backyard one day, humming a little song to himself about a bear that he had read about in a book, when heContinue reading “Winking, Blinking and Rodney”