Introduction to this Stone Soup Writing Activity Here you find Part One of Clea’s story. In a separate activity, we’ll offer the second part. The main story, or plot, is about a teachers called Mrs. Davids, though there is a second story, something we call a subplot, about a little girl, Flora Pinecrust. Mrs. Davids has a problem, and the main subject of “As Long as We’re Happy” is how she deals with this problem. In Part One of the story Mrs. Davids isn’t very happy at all. She seems to have no friends, and her husband has left her, apparently with little or no warning. While Mrs. Davids tries to cope with her problems, she has nobody to talk to, and it turns out that she can’t help herself very well. We see her become a moody, mean person, lacking self-control and unable to deal politely with her students. A problem or crisis is a common beginning point for storytellers and novelists. I think that is because it is through showing how a character deals with a problem that storytellers and novelists can most easily reveal the complete personality of their character. In “As Long as We’re Happy” the main difficulty Mrs. Davids has to struggle with is really herself, her loneliness, her own inability to keep control of her emotions. This is not an “action” or “adventure” story where the problem to be overcome is something in the outside world, like a mountain to be climbed, or a horse to be broken in. It is more of a quiet “psychological” story where the struggle takes place in a person’s heart and soul. Project: A Character With a Problem I want you to write a story in which you reveal the personality of your character by showing how that character responds to a personal crisis or problem. The important word here is “showing.” Clea reveals the personalities of her characters by showing us what they do or say in little scenes. Each of the scenes is like a little play. You might, in fact, try performing selected parts of it, like Clea does in the scene where Mrs. Davids first meets Flora, or a classroom scene, or the meeting between Mrs. Davids and the principal. I’d like to see you write your story so that with only a little extra work a group of people could enact the story. If you have a video camera you could also make all or part of your story into a movie. As Long As We’re Happy By Clea Rivera, 14, Hightstown, New Jersey Illustrated by the author From the September/October 1986 Issue of Stone Soup I was a proud woman on my first day teaching at the elementary school. I was trying to be the typical teacher. I brought a shiny red apple and placed it on my desk. I wore a stiff black skirt and high-collared white blouse and did a fine job of commanding my third grade class to work. I held the white, dusty chalk firmly and wrote neatly on the blackboard in ridiculously large letters. I was also very happy, for I was engaged to a handsome doctor about ten years older than me. Every afternoon he’d spin me off in his little racy car or he’d sometimes take me out to dinner. “Boys and girls, who can tell me what five times five is?” I asked that first day. Several rowdy boys and a few girls began shouting answers. However, one girl raised her hand. “Twenty-five,” she answered. “Very good. What is your name?” “Grace Matthews.” “Everyone, did you see how polite Grace was?” The room was quiet. “Have I gone deaf?” I asked. Finally, the children assented that Grace had been polite and they promised to be that way, too, in the future. * * * Three years later I was promoted to teach the sixth grade, therefore switching from the elementary to the junior high school. I was married now and I had the same batch of children that I had in third grade. I sometimes found it a little hard to hold a job now. I made all the meals and did all the cleaning at home. My husband, the doctor, didn’t help much. But I was more experienced and didn’t put on such airs as I did when I first became a teacher. The next summer my husband deserted me. He took our car with him. I was left with very little money and I felt miserable. Walking along on the first day of school I saw a thin, scraggly child blocking the sidewalk. I tried to pass her, but suddenly she fell into stride a few paces in front of me. Before I knew it she turned around abruptly and bumped into me. “Make up your mind,” I told her, “which way you want to go!” I meant it as a joke, but it came out in an annoyed, high-pitched voice which wasn’t mine. The girl evidently decided to go in the opposite direction and I felt guilty for having spoken harshly to her. I decided to be very kind to my class if I was capable of it. I had been promoted to the seventh grade still with the same bunch of pupils. They were my favorites. Grace Matthews could write like a poet, and Peter Tyner was excellent in math. I had nicknamed him Calculator. Anyway, I walked into the room and their radiant faces made me feel so much better. “Hi, Mrs. Davids!” cried Peter. “How is the old Calculator?” I asked, grinning. Grace came up to my desk very discreetly as if she had a secret. “Mrs. Davids, would you like to read my novel?” she asked softly. “Your novel?!” I cried. “Over the summer I wrote a novel and I’d like you to criticize it,” she said. “I’d be glad to.” She giggled happily and went to talk with her friends. After some time I was
Teaching Children
Art and Writing Activity: making a picture book with “When Smudgie Got Lost” by Karine Faden, 10
Introduction to this Stone Soup Art and Writing Activity Many of the stories we print in Stone Soup are both written and illustrated by the author. Many authors illustrate their own stories—especially authors of books for children. I am sure your library has books by authors like this: Maurice Sendak, Arnold Lobel, James Marshall, and M. B. Goffstein being just a few. In the original manuscript that was sent to us, “When Smudgie got Lost” had twenty-three illustrations and was made into a book. The original manuscript is a “picture book” with a picture on every page. In a picture book, there isn’t much of a story without the pictures. The story and the pictures are of equal importance and they are often created at the same time. Of course, unless you are ambidextrous and able to do two things at once, it’s difficult physically to write words and draw a picture at exactly the same time! To produce your picture book you will have to decide which one–drawing or writing–takes the lead, for you. Do you visualise your story in pictures or images first, and then add the words to help your audience understand what they are seeing, or to help them pick out particular elements in your picture that you want them to notice? Or do you have the outline of a story in words that you want your readers to be able to see in your picture rather than visualise for themselves using more words? Make a Picture Book Make a book where the pictures take the lead or the pictures and text are equal, where you can’t imagine one without the other. In a book of this kind there will probably be a picture on every page, and the text itself will be very short. In a picture book, one often finds that without the pictures, the written story doesn’t mean very much. It is in the pictures where a “picture book” comes alive. When Smudgie Got Lost! By Karine Faden, 10, Rockville, Maryland Illustrated by the author From the September/October 1986 issue of Stone Soup Erik and Ashley lived in England. They had a dog named Smudgie. Smudgie liked to go for walks to the marketplace where they had food, but even more Smudgie liked to go to the butcher and sit outside where all the good smells were. She came to the nursery every afternoon before tea for her daily walk with her leash in her mouth. Smudgie scratched at the door. Nanny said, “Smudgie, sit!” Smudgie sat. Then out came Erik and said, “Good girl.” Then Ashley came out and put on Smudgie’s leash. And then, out came Nanny, with the coats and mittens, hats and scarves, and said, “Button up, children.” Then Nanny put on Erik’s hat and buttoned up Ashley. “Come now,” said Nanny, motioning toward the door. Like soldiers they all marched out the door and down the stairs, Nanny first, then Erik, and then Ashley walking Smudgie. Finally, they were out on the street—Erik and Ashley and Smudgie, that is. Nanny was stuck in the door. But Smudgie tugged Nanny out while Erik and Ashley went inside the house the back way and pushed from the back. And then they marched out the door. Then we walked Smudgie to the market. Smudgie was very happy. Nanny had said that we were going to the butcher’s. That’s why Smudgie was happy. She always got a bone at the butcher’s. Smudgie did get her bone. Smudgie tugged at her leash very hard and Erik let go! In less than a minute Smudgie was out of sight. “Uh oh!” said Erik. “Whoops!” giggled Ashley. “This is not a laughing matter,” replied Nanny. They searched all over South London and didn’t find a trace of Smudgie. Finally, at seven o’clock P.M., way past tea, a bit past dinner, and almost bed time, they hadn’t found Smudgie. When they got to Markshire Square, Nanny said, “Let’s take a cab home. It might cheer us up.” But that depressed them even more. Smudgie had always followed any car that Erik or Ashley traveled in. By the time Nanny had brought the poor children home, they were all too tired to do anything but go to bed. While all this had been going on, Smudgie had gotten herself lost. Smudgie had seen a cat and she just had to chase her, but the minute she rounded the corner she had lost her. Smudgie had tried looking for Nanny and listening for Erik and Ashley’s call. But she hadn’t heard a thing, and right now was in a very bad neighborhood. And a mean dog had stolen her bone. About nine o’clock Father was driving home and he saw Smudgie in a side alley along the road. Then the two of them drove home. Erik, Ashley, Mother, and even Nanny were all happy to see Smudgie. And, of course, Father.
Art Activity: exploring the power of strong colors with ‘Fishing’ by Halima Said Ali, 6
Introduction to This Stone Soup Art Activity Halima’s colorful picture is made in felt pen. It is so completely colored in it looks like painting! But because it is made with felt pen, it is the kind of painting that is easy to do at home or at school. What makes this picture so wonderful to me are the colors. Halima approached the task of coloring her scene with great courage. She said to herself, “I am going to make a bright, strong picture, a colorful picture that makes me think of cool water and the bright hot sun shining on fishermen at the beach.” And then she went ahead and did it! Look at the picture closely, and look at it from a distance. Notice the effect of the bright colors. Look carefully at the black lines—at the faces and fish and nets. One might say that, with colors, Halima tells the story of the bright hotness of the day. And, with lines, she tells another story—the story of the fishermen and the fish they caught that day. Project: Make a Picture That Tells Two Stories Using lines, tell us what some people are doing outdoors on a clear bright hot summer day. Using color, tell the story of the weather, the story of that brightness and hotness that make certain summer days so special. Using pencil, lightly draw the basic shapes of people, some details of their faces and clothes, the buildings, cars, trees, whatever you need to tell the story of what your people are doing. Then, using felt pens, colored pencils, or paint, boldly and courageously transform your sketch into a brightly colored painting. Use color to tell the story of heat and brightness. You may discover that in some cases the “right” color to use is not the real color that you seem to see with your eyes. For instance, let’s say the day is very hot and the sky very blue. What color sky will best give the idea of a hot day? It might be blue, but it might also be red, orange, or some other “hot” color. So, in choosing your colors, be brave, and experiment! Go with all your senses! Follow Halima’s example and make your picture exciting as a carnival! From the May/June 1986 Issue of Stone Soup Fishing, by Halima Said Ali, age 6, Oman
