Storytelling (Week 5) The Grumpy Boy and The Shy Girl

There once was a boy, not an ordinary boy but a very, very grumpy boy. This boy was also very wealthy in items that children were out to like: toys, games, stuffed animals and especially coloring supplies. When the time came to do coloring projects in class, the grumpy boy was always very pleased because he knew he had the most and the best crayons of anyone in his entire school. So when their teacher gave them sheets sometime around Christmas, with a duck named Scrooge and various Christmas items to color, the grumpy boy was quick to get to work. 

In the midst of his coloring the boy was interrupted by a girl in his class. She was a quiet girl, one that he rarely ever noticed much less paid any attention to. She had braids, he noticed, and a simple pink dress. She look nervous, maybe even scared. Quietly she spoke,

"Could I borrow a purple?" she asked hesitantly.

The boy studied her a moment more, slightly taken aback but certainly not for the appropriate reasons. He thought to himself, "how dare she ask me for one of my crayons". He glared at her and pulled all of his crayons closer to himself. He said nothing, his fierce glare and look of disdain being more than enough to send her away.

She had not been the first to ask for one of his crayons and the boy doubted she'd be the last. He had never let anyone borrow any of his things and he never would. 

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As the boy neared the end of his coloring, he reached for his green crayon to finish his picture but as he picked it up and placed it upon his paper, it snapped into two small pieces. Even with his tiny hands he could hold neither well enough to color with. He kept trying and trying until finally, frustrated and at a loss, he tossed both pieces away. He sat for a moment, thinking to himself. Obviously, he'd have to borrow one from someone else. That should be easy enough.

Without another thought he stood from his seat and walked to his nearest classmate. He asked to borrow the color he needed but he was quickly rejected. A bit stunned and very hurt, the boy tried another but again he was rejected. By the time he got to his very last classmate he realized with much regret that it was the girl with braids.

With a deep breath to try and steel himself he approached her and repeated his question again. She looked up at him, her gaze curious and suspicious. He'd made her cry, he could see that in her red eyes and nose. 

"No," she answered.

He sighed, nodded in understanding and began to turn away. He realized much too late that he should have not been so mean and stingy with his own things. Then the others might have been nicer to him. 

"It isn't because you didn't let me use your purple," she added quietly, "I don't have a green."

He turned back and studied her desk. Indeed she did not. She had two crayons, a small yellow and a bright little blue. 

"You...is that all that you have?" He asked, turning to her with wide eyes. 

She nodded meekly, chewing her bottom lip. "You could borrow one if you want."

The boy thought for another moment before holding up a finger and disappearing across the classroom. He returned with his arms full. With him he had all of his art supplies: crayons, markers, paints, pencils, everything--  including his paper. He knelt next to her, as there was no extra chair, and placed everything on her desk as neatly as possible. 

"Here," he said, "you can use mine." For even though he had been unkind to her and though she had very little, she had been willing to share that little with him. 

(photo credit)

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So I wanted to base my story off of the 'The Rich Man' tale by Bidpai which is basically a 'treat others how you wish to be treated because you may need their help one day' sort of thing. The Rich Man buys a bundle of wood from a poor woodsman and pays him with only a few pennies. He's chastised by a priest but says he does not care whether or not he's paid a decent amount or if the poor man and his family starve. Later that night the bundle of wood accidentally catches fire and his house and barn burn down leaving him even more poor than the woodsman. 

I tried a new style where there was no names and everything was a bit more...omniscient? I don't know. Anywho, I kind of like this. It was fun to write and came fairly easy to me. Usually stories with this moral end unhappily, punishment being the only way the 'rich' person learns their lesson. I really didn't want an unhappy ending so I tried something a bit different. I hope it works well. 

The Tortoise and the Geese and Other Fables of Bidpai by Maude Barrows Dutton,  with illustrations by E. Boyd Smith, 1908.