A Little Winter Magic: The Conclusion

The Story So Far:  Two little bears, Honey and Beezer, disregard their mother's advice to nap for the winter.  Instead they want to stay awake to see snow and ice for themselves, because their friend Squirmy Squirrel has told them all about ice skating and snow ice cream.  When they sneak out of the house, a strange, rather unorthodox creature who calls herself their "Hairy Fairy Bearmother," uses a series of rhyming chants to convince them they might not enjoy ice and snow so much after all.  Honey and Beezer decide to return home for now, but to dress warmer and try the adventure again next year.

"Where did the Hairy Fairy Bearmother go?" Honey whispered, as she and Beezer sneaked quietly back into their warm den and underneath their mountains of warm blankets.

"I guess she just disappeared," said Beezer.  "After all, she's magical, you know."

Honey didn't even hear Beezer answer.  Her eyes wouldn't stay open any longer.  Beezer himself felt his mouth stretch into a gigantic yawn.

In her room next door, Mama smiled at the sound of soft little bear cub snores.  Just as she was crawling into bed, she noticed the pile she had left on the floor.  In it were a shimmery gown, a lopsided crown, a sparkly veil, and a branch from the walnut tree right outside.

"Oh, well," she said, snuggling down under her own mountain of blankets.  "I'll pick those things up next spring.  The way it sounds, I may need them again next winter."

Commentary:  So now you know that the story is really about a mother's resourcefulness as she comes up with a creative solution to the problem of two little bears who don't want to go to sleep.  Hopefully, it is not apparent until the end that she and the Hairy Fairy Bearmother are one and the same.  I want that to be something children can figure out for themselves.  

I didn't know myself that this was going to be the case until I was trying to think how to end the story within the 750-word maximum imposed by the contest.  For me, watching a piece develop in the actual act of composition is always a real thrill.

The names Honey and Beezer, I suspect, arose from my subconscious through a circuitous route that winds back to A.A. Milne and the honey-loving, bee-beleaguered Winnie-the-Pooh.  The kids and I have read a lot of those charming tales over the past five years.  Last weekend, Sooby said she would again lend me her illustrating expertise when she comes for her extended visit this summer.  If that happens, I will share her illustrations here on the blog.

As I mentioned several posts ago, the fiction-writing thing is relatively new to me. However, the recent experience of having five grandchildren in five years has given me much opportunity to contemplate and analyze the literary strategies of those who write for children.  Likewise, I have had a lot of fun trying my own hand at it, so I was glad for the opportunity to enter the contest sponsored by my local senior center.

Thanks for giving the story a look here on the blog.  I have learned much from your comments, and I thank you for those as well.

And--oh yeah--I promised to tell you the outcome of the contest.  Honey and Beezer, it seems, garnered second place.  Good enough to be encouraged.  Room to grow.

 

 

 

                                                   

A Little Winter Magic: The Middle

Headnote:  This is the second installment of the kids' story begun in the previous post.  In that segment, two little bears, Honey and Beezer, disregard their mother's advice to nap for the winter.  Instead, they want to stay awake to see snow and ice for themselves, because their friend Squirmy Squirrel has told them all about ice skating and snow ice cream.  At this point in the story, they have just escaped from their beds into the winter wonderland outdoors.

Sure enough, a layer of ice topped the pond like cake frosting.  Squirmy was already gliding and sliding on tiny skates made of walnut shells.  Snow was falling all around, and its soft whiteness made the world appear magical.

Suddenly a most interesting creature appeared before Honey and Beezer.  She wore a shimmery white gown and a lopsided crown.  A long sparkly veil hid her face.

"Who are you?" Honey asked. "Are you our fairy godmother?"

"I am your Hairy Fairy Bearmother," said the strange creature.  "Is it true that you want to stay up all year and see what winter is really like?"

"Oh, Yes," Beezer exclaimed.  "Can you show us how to ice skate?"

The Hairy Fairy Bearmother raised her magic wand (which, by the way, resembled a plain, ordinary stick).  She cleared her throat and chanted:

          If you think that ice is nice,
          Think again not once but twice,
          For you might cringe and hear a thump
          And find you've landed on your rump!

"Ouch!" said Beezer.  Just thinking about that made his bottom hurt.  "Maybe I don't really want to skate.  But I sure would like to eat some snow ice cream!"

The Hairy Fairy Bearmother seemed to know a lot about winter.  Once again she raised her wand, cleared her throat, and chanted:

          You may think in your wildest dream
          That you would relish snow ice cream,
          But just when you are saying, "Yum!"
          The frosty cold will freeze your tum.

Hearing this sent a little shiver rippling through Honey's hair.  "I'm already a little cold," she said, pulling her night cap down over her ears.  "Let's go home, Beezer."

Just then Beezer saw Squirmy tumble head over heels on the frozen pond.  The cold air seemed to whistle right through his new night shirt.

"Well . . . OK," he agreed.  "We'll go home for now.  But next year, we'll wear warmer clothes."

                                                                                                            To Be Continued . . . .

Footnote:  Originally, I had planned to make the character they encountered a talking snowman who would impart some kind of wisdom to the bear kids.  But halfway in, I saw that doing that would put me over the word limit imposed by the contest I was writing the story for.  Hence, the Hairy Fairy Bearmother appeared, and I thought it would be fun to have her talk in rhyme.  

In a day or two, I will post the story's surprise ending (Can you guess it?) along with a few observations on the process of writing it.  Oh yeah--I will also let you know how I fared in the contest.  Thanks for your feedback.

A Little Winter Magic: The Beginning

Headnote:  This is the opening of a children's fairy tale, written last month for a local competition, on the theme "The bears decided to stay awake all year."  When Sooby comes to stay in a couple weeks, I will see if she wants to draw some illustrations for it like she did for "Jacky Joe's Halloween Party" last fall.

Once upon a time, on a cold night in early winter, a sleepy mama bear called to her children.

"Hurry, Honey!  Come on, Beezer!  Winter is here," she said.  "It's time for our long, long nap."

"But Mama," Honey protested, "Squirmy Squirrel stays up all winter, and he says it's really fun.  There's snow and ice and--"

"--we want to stay awake the whole year too," Beezer chimed in.  "Please, Mama?"

"That Squirmy Squirrel is nothing but trouble," Mama said, frowning.  "I wish he would quit filling your heads with those newfangled ideas.  We are bears, and when it's cold outside, bears are supposed to sleep."

Honey's face fell.  Beezer puffed out his mouth in a genuine baby-bear pout.

"But look here," Mama said, changing the subject.  "I made a new lace nightcap for you, Honey.  It's pink."  Honey brightened a little.  She did love pink.

"And Beezer, come try on your new striped nightshirt.  It's warm and stretchy, with plenty of room for those long arms and legs."  Mama helped Beezer put his arms through the sleeves.  Then, she led the cubs to their matching beds in the nursery and tucked them tightly under mountains of soft, warm blankets.

"Spring will be here before you know it," she reassured them.  "Now sleep tight."

After Mama left, Beezer climbed out of bed and tapped Honey on the shoulder.

"Honey!"  Let's tippy-toe outside.  Remember what Squirmy said.  The whole pond freezes over with ice.  What fun skating will be!"

Wide awake now, Honey also remembered Squirmy's words.  "And there is something called 'snow' that we can make ice cream with!" she said.  She wanted to stay awake as much as her brother did.  Very quietly the two little bears ventured outside.

                                                                                                To be continued . . . .

Footnote:  From long-ago college classes, I learned that part of the fun of reading to children and of teaching them to read for themselves is stopping mid-story and asking them what they think will happen next.  What do you think Honey and Beezer will find outside?  Will they get into trouble?  Will Squirmy Squirrel be involved?  What do you think?