Last week, we showed kids a drawing of Robbi’s at the time it wasn’t colored in, but now it is.
We asked them to tell us the story of what was happening in the drawing. And did they? Of course they did. Here’s what they came up with.
From Wesley:
The Worm Does Not Have a Name
It was a hamster. The hamster’s name was Red. It was riding a red unicycle. Red the squirrel said to the worm, “do you want to be my friend?” The worm said yes! The worm does not have a name.
I’m particularly taken by the indeterminate identity of the protagonist rodent. Is it a hamster? Is it a squirrel? The authorial uncertainty is indicative to certain puzzling choices made by the artist. I choose to read Wesley’s story as a parody of illustrators who don’t know how to draw a proper tail. I also think of it as a parable of friendship, that mysterious state that will not be defeated by such trivialities as anonymity.
From Emiliano:
Untitled
Cast:
Woodchuck – Groundhog
Squirmy – Worm
Why is woodchuck riding a unicycle?
Woodchuck is riding a unicycle because he slipped on a banana peel and landed on it.
What are they saying?
Squirmy is saying “Woodchuck stop, you’re going to run over me,” and Woodchuck said, “Ok, sorry, I’ll stop.”
Story:
One day, Woodchuck was taking a walk when he slipped on a banana peel and landed on a unicycle! He tried to keep his balance but it was really hard. After a while he got the hang of it. He even almost ran over his friend Squirmy! Then he took his friend Squirmy home and he went home too.
The End
I appreciate the way in which Emiliano sets the stage, naming the characters before the story begins the way one might in a theater program. I also appreciate the glimpse into his process. By listing the fundamental questions with which he wrestled, the author gives us a glimpse into the roiling heart of his narrative. We know from the outset that we will be struggling with the basic questions of why and what. This allows us to put on our thinking caps and avoid the inevitable headache that would surely result were we to venture onward unprepared for the challenge.
From Kato.
I See His Butt
Here is a squirrel. He’s riding, but I don’t know what that is called. Maybe it’s a one-wheel cart. And a worm. They’re talking to each other. The worm feels great because he’s just great. I don’t know how the squirrel feels, but I see his butt. It’s sitting on the wheel. I don’t know where he’s going.
What seems at first like a childish meditation is revealed to be much more when, just past the halfway point, the author concedes that he does not “know” his protagonist’s feelings and, further, being unable to access said feelings, resorts to bathroom humor as an attempt to deflect the inadequacy of our bests efforts to understand one another. The story’s final line amplifies this admission of human futility. “I don’t know where he’s going” seems on surface to refer to a physical destination, but the careful reader will see in these words a white flag. The author has lost control of his story, and perhaps, of his own sense of purpose. I suspect that the author is in need of his afternoon nap.
From Alden
The Circus
There was a circus and the chipmunk’s name was Kirby. And he had some friends— Jackson and Ruby Max and Isabella. And Kirby doesn’t see the worm (and his name is Kermie). Their names are almost the same, but once Kirby saw Kermie, they become friends, and Kermie can be in the circus. But he just went on Kirby’s head. [When asked where the other friends are] They’re behind Kirby. That’s all. The end.
It doesn’t take a graduate degree in literary analysis to realize that Kirby has multiple personality disorder. While “Kermie” is his most assertive alternate personality (the lowly, slimy “worm” version of himself), Jackson, Ruby Max, and Isabella (waiting “behind” our protagonist) are all present in their latent forms throughout the narrative. By setting up this tension (and narrative expectation) Alden has shrewdly set the stage for a sequel.
And from the non-kid bracket, this gem by our friend Don.
Splat
“Oh shucks*,” thought the worm.
*SPLAT*
The End.
A note to the purists, Don used a different word than “shucks,” a decidedly non-Bobbledy word. But in spite of the unwholesome nature of the expletive, our editorial board was charmed by the remainder of the story and decided to include it with justifiable modification.
And that’s that. Thanks so much for all these wonderful stories.
If you are inspired to hang this emotionally challenged, butt-baring, squirrel/chipmunk/hamster thing on your wall, it is available for auction over on Ebay.