Little Grim’s

Little

BIGAdventure

wRITTEN BY

Kate JeanesiLLUSTRATIONS

Ross mUNRO

Little Grim’s Little BIG AdventureWritten By Kate Jeanes

and

Illustrated by Ross Munro

Little Grim was the baby in a family of

Reapers

He loved his family

He loved his Mum and Dad andMuertos, the cat.

His brothers, Mort and Anubis,liked to tease him about how small he was...

...but the rest of the timethey had fun together.Little Grim wantedto be just like hisbrothers.

Mort was already a Professional Reaper.

Little Grim would watch him get ready every night.

Putting on his long black cloak, polishing his scythe, and his best shoes.

“Why can’t I be a Reaper, Mum?”

Little Grim asked every night after Mort left.

“Cos you’re too small!” Anubis would laugh, before disappering to make mischeif with his firends.

“I’m not too small!” Little Grim would shout. He said this alot.

“I’m not, I’m not, I’m NOT”

One night near HalloweenAnubis had been tauntingLittle Grim all day.

“You’re barely tall enough for the beginner scythe” he said.

Little Grim sat awake after Mort went to work, plotting.

It was time to show his brothers that he was BIG now.

He crept down the dark stairs.He slipped down the hall past a

sleeping Muertos and then, at last,out the front door.

Then he headed for the hospital... It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for.

In a small blue bed, a little boylay close to dying.

A sign hung above him with his name: Daniel.

“I’ll show Anubis I’m big enough!”

Little Grim said bravely, as he approached Daniel’s bed.

But as he did Little Grim noticed a hand clasped

tight around Daniels

An older boy, about Morts age, sat crying

at the bedside.

“Please don’t go Dan, please”

he sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

Little Grim stood watching as the older boy talked softlyto his brother.

Little Grim realised that being a Reaper meant taking people away from their families.

Horrified, Little Grim thought about his family.

He thought about losing his brothers.

He tried to think about life without Mort, or even Anubis

However annoyingAnubis could be,

Little Grim couldn’timagine not hearing himlaughing in the next roomever again.

Little Grim saw the love betweenthe two boys and began toback away.

A boney hand touched his shoulder and made him jump.

“Death is a natural part of life, little brother” Mort said.

Little Grimlooked up at his brotherin his best Reaper robes.

“How did you find me?”

“I didn’t. I came here for him.”

He pointed towards Daniel.

“But you cant! His brother needs him! It’s too soon!”

Cried Little Grim.

Mort walked over and kissed Daniel’s forehead

“It’s always too soon when someone loves us”

he said as the soul of thelittle boy appeared.

“But death is a part of life. We’re just here to guide them to where they belong.”

He finished as he used his scythe to seperate soul and body.

Mort made quick work of snipping a chunk from Daniel’s soul and pressing it firmly into the heart of Daniel’s brother.

Leaving a part of Daniel remaining behind to guide him. Then, with a smile, Daniel faded into peace.

Little Grim couldn’t help but cry that night, but as he fell asleep he thought that he truly understood.

Death was just the next stepthat everyone had to take.

Part of being Big meant understanding that.

lITTLE gRIM DREAMS OF BEING LIKE HIS BIG BROTHERS, REAPERS, MASTERS OF

THE NIGHT, DEATH AND DARKNESS.

cONSTANTLY TEASED FOR HIS SMALL STATURE, ONE FATEFUL NIGHT HE DECIDES HE WANTS

TO BE BIG.

bUT THE LESSONS ON BEING BIG STAND TO CHANGE HIS LIFE FOREVER.