Saturday, June 04, 2005
Kids write the darnedest stories
One of my Live Journal friends shared a story whe wrote WAY a long time ago (1991!) found by her sister during a closet decluttering. It was adorable, and made me think of some of my daughter's early work.
Damaris, who is 31 now, didn't write things down much, but some of her stories were so memorable that they became family legend. There was a Weekly Reader series about a character named Morris the Moose, and she actually wrote a parody when she was about 6 or 7.
"Morris the Pickle wanted candy. He went to the wrong store. 'This is a pickle store,' said the man. They ate him. The end.'
I also remember something about The Horse that Came Out of Space, but sadly, no details survive in my brain.
The writing came out because we used to play those 'make up a story' games. I was under the impression that it would help build their little imaginations. Why I thought they needed any building, I have no idea.
I remember one such time, when I started the story off with something about a little bird that fell out of his nest, right at our feet. He looked up at us and cheeped sadly, I said. "What would you do next, Damaris?" I asked.
She gave me a Look and calmly said, "I'd squish him."
I decided to take this as a sign that she did not care for the sweet and emotionally manipulative style of fiction usually considered proper for little girls. If the other possibility, about her being a future serial killer, turned out to be closer to the truth, surely I would see additional indications soon enough.
Since neither of her brothers ever came to me with complaints about being blackmailed into digging mysterious holes in the fields around our house, I think it's all okay.
Still keeping an eye on those grand-girlies, though. You know how some things skip a generation.
Damaris, who is 31 now, didn't write things down much, but some of her stories were so memorable that they became family legend. There was a Weekly Reader series about a character named Morris the Moose, and she actually wrote a parody when she was about 6 or 7.
"Morris the Pickle wanted candy. He went to the wrong store. 'This is a pickle store,' said the man. They ate him. The end.'
I also remember something about The Horse that Came Out of Space, but sadly, no details survive in my brain.
The writing came out because we used to play those 'make up a story' games. I was under the impression that it would help build their little imaginations. Why I thought they needed any building, I have no idea.
I remember one such time, when I started the story off with something about a little bird that fell out of his nest, right at our feet. He looked up at us and cheeped sadly, I said. "What would you do next, Damaris?" I asked.
She gave me a Look and calmly said, "I'd squish him."
I decided to take this as a sign that she did not care for the sweet and emotionally manipulative style of fiction usually considered proper for little girls. If the other possibility, about her being a future serial killer, turned out to be closer to the truth, surely I would see additional indications soon enough.
Since neither of her brothers ever came to me with complaints about being blackmailed into digging mysterious holes in the fields around our house, I think it's all okay.
Still keeping an eye on those grand-girlies, though. You know how some things skip a generation.
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