Introduction

Introduction

Hullo! I'm Jack Merridew, chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp!

Entry Ten

10

Dear Diary,

Yesterday, my tribe succeeded with the raid. We took Piggy's glasses. 

When I came back from hunting later that day, Ralph's group was in my territory. He told me to give Piggy his specs back. Roger used a lever to knock down a boulder. It destroyed the conch and killed Piggy. There was no longer a tribe for Ralph, the conch was gone. I was chief. I charged at Ralph with my spear. He ran away into the forest.

I ordered my tribe back to the fort. I made Samneric join my tribe and put them on lookout. 

Today we were hunting Ralph. We started at the thicket where Samneric said he was hiding. We didn't find him there so we went back to our territory. From there we knocked a boulder down on the genersl area the twins said he was hiding in. I then sent some of my boys to set the thicket on fire. They chased him all the way to the beach. An officer was there talking to Ralph when the boys caught up. I was behind my boys and when I could see them, they were all crying. 

When Ralph came on my territory

Our Fight

The Officer that could save us

Entry Nine

9

Dear Diary,

Piggy and Ralph showed up at my feast. I told my boys to give them some meat. I got myself comfortable and told everyone to sit. I asked who would join my tribe and Ralph said that he was still chief and that the conch counts even at my feast. Three boys spoke up saying that they will join my tribe. Ralph said there is going to be a storm and the littluns got scared. I told the boys to do our dance and they did. We chanted and our movement became a steady pulse. Something stumbled out of the forest and into our circle. It fell over the steep edge and drifted out to sea.

Our Dance

Piggy and Ralph at my feast

Entry Eight

8

Dear Diary,

Earlier today, I left Ralph's group. A small group of boys had followed. I told them that I was their chief and that we were going to forget the beast. I planned to get more of the biguns away from the conch, kill a pig, and give a feast. I decided that when we kill, we'll leave some of the kill for the beast. I thought that would satisfy it enough to leave us alone. 

The boys and I then went into the forest to hunt. We killed a pig and I told the boys that we would take the meat along the beach and then I'll invite everyone at the platform to the feast. Then we realized that we couldn't make a fire and I decided that we will raid Ralph's group and take fire. We left the head of the sow on a stick before running toward the beach.

Celebrating Our Kill

Our Sacrifice to the Beast

Entry Seven

7

Dear Diary,

Today I called an assembly because of a lot of things. First, I brought up the beast. I told them that we don't know what it is or what it does, but that it's up there and we couldn't kill it. The second reason I called the meeting was because Ralph said my hunters are no good. He thinks they are cowards. When Roger and I went on - he stayed. Ralph disagreed with everything I said. 

I decided to give the boys the opportunity to vote for Ralph to not be chief. When no one voted, I was humiliated. I told them that I was going off by myself and invited anyone who wants to hunt when I do to come with me. 

Leaving the Group

Entry Six

6

Dear Diary,

Samneric said they saw the beast. After they described it, Ralph, Roger, and I went looking for it. We found a rock-like hump where no rock should be. Ralph got closer and saw that it looked something like a great ape sitting asleep with its head between its knees. He could make out the ruin of a face on the thing that bowed.

The Parachutist 

Entry Five

5

Dear Diary,

Ralph called a meeting today and decided to talk about the beast again and decide what it is. I took the conch and told the littluns that they are a bunch of sissies that don't help. I told them that they'll have to put up with fear like the rest of us. I told everyone that if there was a beast I would have seen it. It was pointless for everyone to be so frightened about it. I set the conch down and was applauded for giving them relief. Piggy took the conch and suggested that we are only afraid of people. For proof, he called up a littlun named Phil. He said that he had a nightmare last night and woke up. He was outside the shelter by himself in the dark and he saw something big and horrid moving among the trees. Simon admitted that it was him going to a place in the jungle. 

Another littlun named Percival told me that the beast came out of the sea. Simon tried to say something but was unable to express his thoughts. Someone thought Simon meant that the beast was a ghost. Piggy said he doesn't believe in ghosts and I told the fatty that no one cares what he thinks. Piggy ranted and I told him to shut up. Ralph told me to stop breaking the rules because they're the only thing we've got. I got the crowd excited and the assembly shredded away. 

Assembly

This littlun said the beast is in the sea.

Another picture from the assembly

Entry Four

4

Dear Diary,

Today I told my hunters my idea to paint our faces for hunting. I explained to Roger that I don't think the pigs smell me, but they see me. With painted faces we could look like something else. I painted one cheek and eye-socket white, then rubbed red over the other half of my face and slashed a black bar of charcoal across from my right ear to my left jaw. I looked at my reflection in astonishment and jumped to my feet. I felt liberated from shame and self-consciousness. I danced around with Bill and the twins as the mask compelled us.

Later, I reached the top of the mountain where Ralph, Piggy, and Simon where. The twins were  behind me holding the carcass of our pig. The hunters began to tell the story of killing it. Ralph ruined everyone's excitement when he said that I let the fire go out.  I was irritated by his irrelevance but because I was so happy, I didn't let it worry me. I continued to talk about the pig and then Ralph, who had not moved, repeated himself, making me uneasy.  Then Ralph informed me that while the fire was out, a ship had passed.  He and Piggy both addressed me about it, saying that we could have gone home.  Piggy irritated me, so I stuck my fist in his stomach and smacked is head, knocking his glasses off. They broke on one side and that made Piggy even madder. I mimicked his whines, earning laughs from the hunters. Finally, I apologized about the fire and the hunters buzzed of admiration at my handsome behavior. The hunters then waited for Ralph's expected response that did not come. He simply said to light the fire. 

By the time we had finished building the pile, the link between Ralph and I had snapped. We cooked the fire and distributed the meat to everyone except Piggy. When Piggy asked for some, I told him that he didn't hunt. He pointed out that Ralph and Simon didn't either, then Simon passed his meat to Piggy. I threw more meat at Simon. 

Finally, Maurice changed the subject to the pig and the hunters and I told the story, even re-enacting some parts.

Putting my paint on

Entry Three

3

Dear Diary,

Today I went hunting again but the pig got away. I found Ralph and got some water. Him and Simon were building huts. Ralph was frustrated because he had been working for days with only Simon helping him. Then Ralph provoked me with his undertone of antagonism when he said I haven't killed anything yet. He changed the subject back to the shelters and said we would need them if it rained again and because of the beast. We all knew the littluns were scared and needed a sort of home. 

One of the huts

Entry Two

2

Dear Diary,

After Ralph, Simon, and I returned, Ralph called a meeting. We told the boys that we are on an island with pigs on it. Then we established rules. You can now only talk when you have the conch, unless you're Ralph. Then Piggy took the conch and reminded us that no grownups know where we are and we may be here for a long time. A littlun spoke through Piggy to tell us that he saw a beastie. Ralph told him there is no beast. I agreed and added that if there was, my hunters would hunt it and kill it. 

The next item on Ralph's mental agenda was rescue. He said that to help people find us we have to have a signal fire on top of the mountain. As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone was following me to gather wood. We made a massive heap before we realized we had no matches. Then I had the brilliant idea to use Piggy's specs as burning glasses. Ralph and I knelt by the wood until a tiny flame appeared. The flame spread and the boys cheered. Ralph shouted for the boys to gather more wood and the boys scattered through the upper forest.     

The fire was big, but there wasn't any smoke. Maurice said we needed to use green branches. Ralph decided that we needed people to look after the fire and I volunteered my choir/hunters to be responsible for keeping the fire going. The boys applauded my generosity and I grinned at them. Then Piggy got mad and set his gaze to the patch where we had found dead wood. We saw smoke rising among the creepers and realized that our fire had gone out of control and all of our fire wood was being burned. We also noticed that a littlun was missing and we can only assume he was somewhere in the fire.

Gathering Wood

Our Pile

Piggy's specs came in handy

Our fire got a bit out of control...

Entry One

1

Dear diary,

Today my choir was going on a trip, but our plane crashed. We were wandering the land when we heard a trumpet and headed that way. We found a group of littluns, a fat kid, a pair of twins, and the person who blew the trumpet that was actually a conch, his name was Ralph. We all said that we had not seen any grownups and decided we needed a chief. I suggested myself, but when we voted Ralph won. He said I could still be in charge of the choir and that they could be the hunters. Then Ralph chose Simon, one of the choir boys, and me to go with him to find out if we were on an island. While we were out, I almost killed a pig. I could have killed it, but I didn't know where to stick it. Next time I'll get it.

The Choir

Myself

Ralph and Piggy

Simon