kids’ stories – Ivan Kreilkamp

Iris came home with another doozy of a story.

Once upon a time there was a little kitten. And he found a baby mouse. And the mouse said, “I live in a farm. And they make fun of me because they think my body is very small and I’m so small that I can climb up on them. But I heard them whispering that they’re making a plan. To make a fire because they think that if they made a fire they would think that I would think that it would be interesting to look up at closer. And then they think that I would fall into the fire and die. But I won’t go near it because then I would die but I don’t want to die. That’s the whole thing I went out the farm.” And the kitten said, “Then I can help you because I am very strong and scary. Because I can arch my back and then they might run away. And if that doesn’t work I could put my claws out and they would probably run away.” And then the kitten said, “I have an even better idea. I will put my claws out and arch my back at the same time.” The end.

Celie’s is much more cheerful and less complicated this time:

One day a little snake went on a trip. And he found another baby snake. And the other little baby snake said, “I’m lost and I can’t find my house. Can you help me?” “Yes, I can.” So he took she to her home and they had dinner and breakfast together. And then they went on a little bike ride. And then they went to the palace. And then they went on a trip to the moon. And then they went to the pet store to get a little puppy. And then the first little snake said, “I’m bored. I want to go to my friend bear’s house. Come on!” And they went there and bear was there and they had lots of candy. The end.

The common denominator here is, I guess, the twin theme of companionship and friendship. For Celie it’s pure fun: sleep-overs, candy, and the care-taking of pets; for Iris it’s banding together in the face of peer bullying, mockery & violence. But baby animals can protect themselves and their friends by acting bigger than they really are. If you put your claws out and arch your back, people might think you’re strong and scary even if you’re just a little kitten. (This is definitely true of Pot Luck.)

The girls came home with these stories they’d narrated to a teacher. They’re very nicely illustrated as well but I will just transcribe.

Iris:

Once upon a time there was a little goat. And he lived in a very unusual farm. Because the farmer and the farmwife didn’t let him make milk. But one day he got an idea. He would trick the farmer and wife. So he hid behind the milk shed. He poked the farmer and the wife. And then he trotted off on a walk. So that the farmer and his wife thought he was gone. And then he found a little filly and the filly said, “I live on a farm that’s bright red. And it has roosters, a cow, and my mommy and daddy horses. So I need someone to help me get back to the farm.” And the goat said, “And who would that be?” “That would be someone who’s smart and who has a tail and can pull me along.” “That would be me, because I’m smart and I have a tail and I know where the farm is.” And the pony said, “Ok, then I’ll tie my tail to your tail and you start trotting.” The end.

And Celie’s:

Once upon a time a little giraffe was so excited because it was his birthday today. And he had a cake ready and all his friends were there. And they played pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and he won. And then they played checkers. And then they played dress-up. And he was the king. And his sister was the princess. And the king said, “Princess, go ask your servant to clean the walls.” And the servant did it. Soon the walls were shiny clean. And the servant said, “I am tried of working like this.” And she asked the princess and king if she could stop. And they said, “Well… Okay.” The End.

All I can say is, wow. I am supposed to be some kind of professional analyst of narrative, but I hardly know where to begin.

Tag: kids’ stories

The Little Kitten, Baby Mouse, & Baby Snake

An unusual farm and the giraffe’s birthday