A very good morning to the chairperson, honourable judges, loyal time keepers, teachers

and friends. I’m Hasief and I’m going to tell you a story entitled “The Chair”

There was once a boy called Sam. He loved to have loads of friends. He showed off

a lot, always talking about how many friends he had at school, and how he was so friendly

with everyone.

One day his grandfather said to him, "Sam, I think you don't have as many friends

as you claimed you have. I'm sure many of them are nothing more than companions,

acquaintances, or partners in crime."

Without hesitation, Sam replied to his grandfather “You are wrong Grandpa, I have

many friends. I’ll prove it to you!” However, Sam wasn't sure how he could test whether

his schoolmates were real friends. He asked his grandfather for advice. The old man

answered, "I have just exactly what you need, and it is in the attic. Wait here a minute."

Grandpa left, and soon returned he was carrying something in his hand. But, Sam could

see nothing there. He was puzzled.

His grandfather said "Take it. It's a very special chair because it is invisible. It is rather

tricky to sit on. If you take it to school and you manage to sit on it, you will activate its

magic and you will be able to tell who your real friends are.”
 The next day, Sam set off for school. He was brave and determined. He took the

strange invisible chair along. At break time, he asked everyone to form a circle, and he put

himself in the middle, with his chair.

"Nobody must move. You are about to see something amazing." Sam attempted

to sit on the chair. Having difficulty to see it. He missed and fell straight onto his backside.

Everyone had a pretty good laugh.

"Wait! Wait! Just a slight technical problem," he said. He made another attempt. But

again he missed the seat. There were more surprised looks, and a few cat calls. Sam would

not be beaten. He kept trying to sit on the magic chair, and kept falling to the ground.

Suddenly, he did not fall. This time he sat, hovering in mid-air.

It was then that he finally experienced the magic that his grandfather had been

talking about. Looking around, Sam saw Ryan, Lim, and Diana - three of his best friends -

holding him up, so that he would not fall. Meanwhile, many other friends had done

nothing. They made fun of him, enjoying each and every fall.

Finally, the show came to an end. Leaving with his three friends, he explained to

them. His grandfather had so much wisdom to show him the proof that true friends are

those who care for us, and not just anyone. A true friend would not take joy in our

misfortunes as “a friend in need is a friend indeed.”

 From then on, they used the magic chair to test on people. And whoever passed it

became friends for life.

The moral value of the story is not everyone around us is a real friend. True friends

walk into a friends aid when others walking out. I cherish and appreciate my friends who

are real friends. Together we will sail to our dream.