New Idea

Hi everyone!  I hope you're all having a great summer.  I also want to thank you again for reading my posts and sticking with me even when I can't always keep up on my stories!  Please feel free to comment on anything you enjoy, or even things you don't enjoy!  Just let me know what you're thinking.  So, I came up with a new idea and I wanted to see what you all thought of it.  Instead of just writing stories, I thought I could do book reviews as well.  How does that sound?  Comment, comment, comment!  Thanks so much.

Poseidon's Punishment

I'm on a roll with my new stories tonight!  Okay, here is a legend I wrote for Language Arts last year that tells how thunder and lightning came about.  I had a ton of fun writing this story and I hope you will enjoy reading it just as much!

Poseidon’s Punishment

Poseidon was never my favorite grandson.  He ruled the seas strictly and in anger and didn’t care about what other people thought.  I had suspected that someday he might eventually use his power against the Earth and me.  One week, he decided to do just that.  It was a cold, dreary afternoon and I was visiting with my good friend, Athena when water started to pour from the sky.  I looked and saw Poseidon's face peering through the clouds.  Naturally, I was upset and disappointed.  My heart began to pound like a stampede of elephants, faster and faster.

“Oh!  Mother Earth, what has he done?” Athena cried.

“I knew he would do this, someday.  Don’t worry my dear, this will be taken care of,” I responded to my friend.

“But what will you do?” Athena persisted.

Having no clue what I would do to stop my grandson, I tried to cover up my fear.

“We will wait.  Poseidon has to stop sooner of later.  If he doesn’t, he will hear from me,” I tried to stay calm while frustration and anger boiled inside me.

“Of course.  You know him best,” Athena agreed.

We waited for the rain to end for a whole week, but it never ceased.  I knew then and there that something had to be done.  The only problem was, what should I do?  Finally, after hours of pondering possible solutions, I knew what Poseidon needed.

I took a few deep breaths then soared up to the sky.  That is where I found Zeus, the god of heavens, and another grandson of mine with his daughter Ialy.  Ialy was a young goddess who didn’t rule anything, not yet at least.  They were a happy little pair that would do anything to please each other.  Ialy was born to Zeus and Hera, who left after hearing about Zeus’ many previous wives and girlfriends.

The two greeted me warmly and after many hugs and hellos, it was time to cut to the chase.  Now, you must understand something about me.  I am kind, loving, caring and helpful, but if someone is being hurtful to my precious Earth, they will be punished.

“Zeus, you are very helpful to me, but at this moment, I need Ialy’s help,” I assured my grandson gently.

“Of course, Mother Earth.  Whatever you need will be given,” Zeus responded faithfully.

“Thank you,” I began, “Now, Ialy, you are a good little girl but you don’t have anything to rule.  How would you like to be the goddess of thunder and lightning?”

“Yes, oh yes!  Anything for my gracious great-grandmother, Mother Earth!” Ialy rejoiced at my request.

“Good,” I replied.  At that moment, I knew this would be easy.  Ialy would do anything for me!

“But, Mother Earth!  Why would you want to do such a thing?” Zeus was shocked at my idea.

“Oh, I wish I didn’t have to.  Down on Earth, your brother Poseidon is creating downpours all over the world.  I want to find a way to respond to his rain that will scare him into stopping,” I said cautiously.    

“What can I do for you, beautiful Mother of all things?” Ialy asked excitedly.  This devotion was amazing!  I think after I saved Zeus from being eaten by his father, I became his favorite Goddess.  Obviously, he had passed this love of me down to his daughter. 

“Well, my child.  There is a very mean man down on Earth.  He is your uncle, Poseidon and he’s hurting my poor Earth.  I am going to teach you a game that you must play whenever it rains really hard.  Is that clear?” I asked before explaining my plan to Ialy. 

“How will that help, Mother?” Ialy looked very curious.

I answered by teaching her the game.  This is how it went: I placed 20 hot, fiery stones on Zeus’ cloud.  Then, I lined them up in a straight line.  Finally, it was Ialy’s time to shine.

“You will step from stone-to-stone.  Do not be afraid, for they will not burn you.  Each time you step on a stone, a bolt of fire will fly to Earth.  Then a big crash will come from the sound of your foot on the stone.  This will create thunder and lightning.  You must do this each time the rain showers the Earth like it is now and be sure to step very slowly,” I showed Ialy everything she needed to know about the game, “Then you will be goddess of thunder and lightning,”

“Yes, most wonderful Mother Earth.  I will do just as you say and make you proud,” Ialy beamed and began her job.

And to this day, Ialy continues her job beautifully.  She has learned from her uncle’s mistake that misuse of power is punished and is very careful with her work.  I have filled her request of becoming a woman and she is a very handsome one, indeed. 

So, my young mortal.  Next time you hear thunder and see lightning, give a wave to the heavens and you might just get a wave back.

Success!

All right I got it!  Here is Taking a Stand by Madelyn Brunvand, November, 2012!  Enjoy and comment please!  Sorry for a few errors with the paragraphs and font.

Taking a Stand

Kara Mitchell had one wish.  It was something that most of us take for granted.  It was something that many of us don’t like; something we would gladly give up.  For Kara, this wish was the most important thing in the world.  Kara’s wish was to be allowed to go to school with the white children in town.  This is the story of how Kara made her wish come true.

The sun shone brightly on Powell, Alabama.  Many families sat on their porches or worked in the yard and enjoyed the beautiful day.  On the edge of town, there was a small cottage.  In the little house lived an elderly woman, Mae Carlson, and her granddaughter, Kara Mitchell.  Being colored, Kara didn’t go to Madison Elementary, even though it was the closest school to her house.  It had been two years since the Supreme Court had decided that schools couldn’t be segregated because of race, but Madison Elementary still didn’t have any black students.  Kara had always wanted to go to Madison but was afraid to be the first colored student to attend.  But today was going to be different.  Kara and her friend Emma, who happened to be white, had finally figured out a way to make sure that Kara wasn’t the only colored student at Madison. 

Kara hurried to get dressed before giving Granny Mae a peck on the cheek and running out the door.  She ran all the way past Madison and arrived breathless at Emma’s house four minutes later.

“Emma?” Kara called as she knocked on the Thompson’s door.

The door flung open revealing a young girl with long brown hair and pale skin.

“Kara!  I’m so glad you’re here!  Come in, come in,” Emma smiled at her friend and led her to the living room. 

“Okay, where’s the paint?” Kara asked.

The girls had decided that Emma would paint her skin dark to match Kara’s.  Then, they would head to Madison Elementary together as colored students.

“I’ve got it here.  We should hurry, school starts in twenty minutes,” Emma grabbed the paint, a paintbrush and the girls headed into the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, no one could have recognized Emma.  Her skin was completely brown and her hair was braided just like Kara’s.

“Let’s go now,” Kara picked up the books she was borrowing from Emma and led Emma from the house and straight to Madison Elementary.  Once the friends got to school, Emma led Kara to a seat next to hers.

“Ahem!  Who are you two and what are you doing here?” a tall, blonde woman blocked their path.

“I’m Emma Thompson and this is my friend, Kara Mitchell,” Emma explained.

“What happened to your face, and your arms?  Is that . . . paint?” Ms. Lesy asked.

“Yes, it is.  Is there a problem?” Emma drew herself to her full height.

“Is that paint on your friend?” the teacher questioned.

“No.  It’s my skin.  Is there a problem?” Kara said bravely.

Ms. Lesy ignored Kara and looked at Emma.  “What are you trying to do here?”

Every student in the class turned to listen when Ms. Lesy said this.

“Why must I go?  I want the same thing as all the other children here.  We all want a good education so we can get good jobs when the time comes.  We all want to help society and make a difference.  Why may they follow their dreams and I may not?” Kara defended herself.

“There are no others like you here!  Please leave, now,” Ms. Lesy pleaded.

“She has me!  I look like her!  The only difference is that I can take this color off and she can’t.  Kara has a right to come here!  It’s part of the law that she can come to Madison Elementary and learn just like the rest of us!” Emma cried.  The other children gasped.  Emma had just done what no other child had dared to do.  She was arguing with Ms. Lesy.

“I understand the law but I could lose my job by allowing Kara in class,” Ms. Lesy said.

“You always taught us to stand up for what you believe in.  That’s what I’m doing!  I’m standing up for what I know is right,” Emma told her teacher.  “What do you think is right, Ms. Lesy?  Should Kara be able to come to school here?”

“Well, I think Kara has a right to go to school here, but there are a lot of people who don’t agree with me,” Ms. Lesy answered.

“There will always be people who don’t agree.  That’s okay, though.  You can stand up for what you believe in, what you know is right.  Don’t worry about what others think.  Please, Ms. Lesy,” Emma encouraged.

“You’re right, Emma.  I need to practice what I preach.  Kara can pull up a chair next to your desk until we get her one of her own,” Ms. Lesy smiled and moved aside to let the girls in.

Kara & Emma learned many things over the next several years.  The most important of them was to keep trying and never give up.  You can count on friends and family to help you.  Most of all, though, you can count on yourself to make your dreams come true.

Update

Hi, everyone!  So, I'm working on transferring my ELA story (the one I told you about in my last post) onto my blog.  I'm having some issues but I'm trying my best to get it posted.  Thanks so much for your patience, support, and dedication!

NEW STORY!

Hi everyone!  I'm soooo sorry it's been so long!  I don't have much time to write for fun anymore :(

Thanks to those who still check my page on a regular basis.  There's a reward!  Keep checking in for a new story, "Taking a Stand".  This is a fictional narrative that I wrote in my Language Arts class and I thought I'd share it with you!  "Taking a Stand" is about an African-American girl named Kara who lived during the time when the law was first passed that colored students could go to school with white children.  Kara wants to learn more than anything.  Sound good?  Check it out!  Doesn't sound very interesting?  Check it out!  Thank you!!!!!!