Key becomes one of the kids on visit

He's the Prime Minister  but when it comes to talking to children they say he's just like "a grown-up kid."
 Matahui Road School pupils were left in fits of laughter on Saturday when John Key took to the microphone and delighted youngsters with an original fairytale with a National Party twist.
Mr Key was in town to open the  Triodent Innovation Centre in Katikati, and afterwards stopped by Matahui Road School as a guest at their 21st anniversary and reunion weekend.
Matahui, a private school just south of Katikati, opened in 1988.

 The weekend was packed with activities, but the highlight was Mr Key's visit.
"I'm going to tell you a story set a long, long time ago in medieval times," he told the children at the formal proceedings on Saturday.
"It involved a very rich man who had two things he loved. He loved his daughter, and he loved keeping crocodiles in his swimming pool.
"... When his daughter was 21, the same age as your school, he threw a big party and all the eligible bachelors came. He took them down to the pool filled with crocodiles and said 'if any young boy can swim from one end to the other and survive, he can have one of two things; $1 million in cash, or marry my daughter."
He then paused and asked the Matahui pupils, "Who would take the $1 million in cash?"
A sea of eager hands flew up and a delighted Mr Key replied: "Excellent, I can see there's heaps of National supporters."
He then jokingly noted that "mostly" girls put their hand up to take the marriage proposal.
He continued, saying how one man managed to get to the other side of the pool unscathed.
The  father said to the man, "wow, that was absolutely amazing. What do you want? $1 million, or to marry my daughter?"
"Neither, the man replied. I just want the name of the person who pushed me in the swimming pool." To which there was a roar of laughter.
"It is amazing what you can achieve if you try hard," Mr Key finished.
As a child he always wanted to be prime minister, and he warned the students there would always be people who  would say you can't make it.
"You may change your mind but the important thing is to give it a go."

 Pupils Gina Swanney, 12, and Corban, 11, showed Mr key around the school. They confessed they had done a little "victory dance" when they caught their first glimpse of him being escorted by security.
Gina said Mr Key was "nice and calm" and she likened him to a "grown-up kid".
When asked whether they would like to be prime minister, Corban replied: "I would actually, it'd be fun."
 Gina disagreed. "It wouldn't be right for me. I do too much sport and I couldn't handle the pressure," she said with a sigh.
Mr Key's visit had  made it "a really good day".
"We don't see many famous people so it's really cool," Corban said."
Mr Key said his visit to Katikati had been "great fun".  Triodent was  taking science to a new level. It was very important for Katikati's economy.

Western Bay of Plenty Mayor Ross Paterson said it had been "an incredible day for Katikati and quite exciting".
WEDNESDAY BUSINESS: INSIDE TRIODENT