Today in we were asked to write a 500 word children's story for tomorrow's workshop. I wrote the story below in a couple of hours this afternoon. Tomorrow we will be cutting it down to about 300 words and storyboarding it so it can be made into a picture book. Not my best writing, but I want to put it up so you can see how the cutting process goes and just how few words a person gets to use in a Children's book!

Gary Frogmother

There once was a boy named Milton. Milton was a bully. He put gum in Sally’s hair, pinched his sister Molly, hid his dog Griswald’s bone and told Henry he stunk at football, which was Henry’s favorite game.

Milton was rude. He stuck his tongue out at the teacher whenever she turned around, never covered his mouth when he burped, always talked with his mouth full and never helped his mom put the dishes away when she asked for his help. He didn’t have time to help, he said.

Milton was selfish. He hid all of the best crayons, stole Molly’s dessert from her lunch pack, never passed the ball in gym class and always had to be first in line.

One day, Milton’s librarian read Cinderella to Milton’s class. Milton, being the rude, selfish bully that he is, demanded that he should have a Fairy Godmother.

Poof! A young man appeared right in Milton’s library. “Did someone call for Gary Frogmother?” he asked.

“Gary Frogmother? I thought Milton wanted a Fairy Godmother,” Sally whispered to Betsy.

Well, Gary Frogmother appeared by magic so he must be able to do magic, Milton figured. “I did,” he told Gary.

“Well, you must be a rotten little boy,” Gary Frogmother told Milton. “Only the nasitiest children get me. Nice boys and girls, even so-so boys and girls, get Fairy Godmother. Meanies get me.”

“Milton is mean!” Henry bravely said.

Milton pushed Henry. Gary Frogmother pushed Milton. “Ow!” Milton cried. “You can’t do that!”

“You pushed Henry. Treat others the way you want to be treated, Milton,” Gary said.

“You’re dumb!” Milton shouted at Gary.

“You’re dumb. Treat others the way you want to be treated,” Gary told Milton.

It was time for recess. The kids went outside and Gary followed Milton. Milton kicked a ball at Gretchen. Gary kicked a ball at Milton. “Treat others how you want to be treated,” Gary said.

That hurt, thought Milton.

At lunch Milton thought he would open his lunch box and find his turkey sandwich, an apple and both his and Molly’s brownies. Instead, it was empty. “Treat others the way you want to be treated,” said Gary, between bites of Milton’s brownie.

When he got home from school, Milton wanted help with his math homework, but Gary told Milton his mom didn’t have time to help him. Gary Frogmother had even hid Milton’s pencils.

At dinner, Milton belched at the dinner table and didn’t bother to use his fork. Gary Frogmother belched right in Milton’s face!

“I can’t take it any more!” Milton cried. “You made fun of me, pushed me, kicked a ball at me, ate my lunch, made it so I didn’t have help with my homework and now burped in my face!”

“Well, Milton, isn’t that how you act every day?” asked Gary. Milton’s family nodded, even Griswald. “Treat others the way you want to be treated.”

Milton opened his mouth to argue, but he realized Gary Frogmother was right. He did hurt others and take what wasn’t his and have poor manners.

Milton decided to treat others how he wanted to be treated. He helped his mom with the dishes and she helped him with math. The next morning he gave Molly a hug and she gave him her cookie from her lunch. At recess, he took turns shooting baskets with Henry and made his first friend.

Milton was much happier when he decided to nice instead of nasty.