A challenge

I was looking at a podcast on The Guardian this morning. Acclaimed children's author Andy Griffiths was answering questions from children about his books. It got me thinking; writing for children is a skill not all of us possess. How do you write, and not talk down to children?

I love reading short stories and that is another specialized skill. It's very hard to encapsulate a whole story in the short form. So, l have a challenge for you all. 

Try and write a short story with a 500 word limit. Have a think about it and have a go. It's harder than it sounds.