This is the first post of a series of Story Cards that I will be creating for our three-year-old twin grandchildren. The stories will be written in two chapters and mailed a few weeks apart. I know that children enjoy stories featuring their own names, but I have decided to use given names selected from the family tree that I created for the twins when they were born.
The stories will be "flash fiction," a storytelling genre in which the characters, storyline, and setting are captured in just a few words. They are very short stories. Given the economy of words, the stories will likely all begin in "medias res," that is, in the middle of the action. Each card will contain little inserts to be held while the stories are read to them and will feature a tree.
So, here is the January Story Card.
With the glow of the moon,
the two boys saw the spiky seed pods strewn across the sidewalk.
So many were on the ground! So
many were still on the tree, dangling like little brown Christmas tree balls.
Russell asked his brother,
“Adrian, what kind of tree is this?”
“Well, the leaves are shaped
like a star with five points,” said Adrian, picking one up from the grass.
“One, two, three, four, five. That means the tree is a Sweet Gum.”
The pair walked toward home.
With lots of lights turned on inside, the house, which was set up on a hill, glowed.
Russell made a joke. “Our house is a lighthouse!”
Adrian said, “No it’s not.
Our house is a regular house.” They both smiled because they liked to be
opposite. Not all twins match exactly.
“What will we do tomorrow?”
asked Russell. “I like to think about it when we go to bed.”
Adrian said “Let’s go ask
Mommy and Daddy.” So together they ran up the driveway.
In the morning, Daddy made
eggs with warm, crunchy toast and sticky, sweet jam. The twins ate their
breakfast quickly.
Mommy said, “I have a
surprise for you. We will take the train into the city today.”
Russell jumped up and down.
“Hooray! Our first time on a train!”
“Will it be scary?” asked
Adrian. Mommy reassured him, “No, but it might be a little loud.”
At the Art Gallery door, they
saw three men standing close together and looking at a book. Mommy asked, “Are
you lost?” One said, “We are three brothers visiting from Canada. Can you help
us find the Art Gallery?”
Mommy spun around on one
foot, grabbed the hands of her little boys and said, “It is always smart to ask
for help when you need it. Follow us.”
Adrian said, “One, two,
three, four, five. Wow! That’s five brothers.”
“Plus, one mommy!” joked
Russell. And together, all six of them walked through the big, wooden door.
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