Sunday Scribblings: Bedtime Stories



This is a story I tell my three-year-old son on those nights when he can’t sleep. I've been meaning to type this up as something I could give him in the future—something he might tell his kids someday.

The story is without flowery language or embellishments. Names and places are authentic.

Thanks to Sunday Scribblings for the cool prompt.


The Apple Story

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Alex. He was known as the Prince of Parramatta Road. One day, he noticed that the leaves on the trees had changed color and he needed a sweater to go outside. So his mother, the Queen, and his father, the King, decided it was the right time of year to go apple picking.

So the King, Queen, Prince, and little Princess (Alex’s baby sister) picked a bright and sunny day for apple picking. The Queen explained that in their kingdom, there are farms that only grow apple trees. Rows and rows of apple trees with all colors of apples: red apples, yellow apples, blue apples, purple apples, orange apples, green apples, pink apples, and brown apples. (In this part of the story, Alex tells me the color of apples.)

The royal family picked all the apples on the trees until there were no more apples to pick. They went back to their castle with their baskets full. Little did they know they picked so many apples, there was nowhere left to put them.

They put apples on the table
They put apples in the drawers
They put apples in the stable
They put apples on the floors

They put apples in the bathtub
They put apples in the sink
They put apples behind the shurbs
They put apples in fruit drinks!

So the Queen and the Prince started cooking the apples. They made all sorts of goodies: apple pie, apple sauce, apple pancakes, apple ice cream, apple spaghetti, apple steak, apple lemonade, apple pot pie, apple stir fry, apple scampi, apple pizza, apple hamburgers … (Yes, this is where Alex gets to embellish the Queen’s apple cooking abilities.)

They made lots of yummy foods, but still there were too many apples for the King and Queen and Prince and Princess to eat. So they did the only thing they could—they opened the castle doors and gave away the excess apples to their friends and neighbors.

There were just enough apples to give to everyone in the kingdom. And just enough to last through the long winter, past Halloween, and Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and New Years, and summer, until the next time they could go apple picking. So every time the Prince ate an apple, he was reminded of that time of year when the leaves fall, the temperature cool, and the land is filled with apples--just for him.

The end.

(And then my son says, “And now, tell me the story about bananas!”)

Comments

Catherine said…
That sounds like a lot of fun, having places where your son can help tell the story. and it's a great photo of Alex too
Deb R said…
I love the apple story!!

(Now tell us the story about bananas.)
J.B. Rowell said…
This is a great autumny story - kids love repetition - don't they?
wendy said…
your son will always remember you a poet. How cool is that!
The interactive part is what is so neat about it--he gets to fill in as he chooses any given day...I also am waiting for the one about bananas!!!
Anonymous said…
What a great story!! Love how your son can contribute to the storyline! He's a total cutie!
paris parfait said…
Fabulous and imaginative apple story! What a gift for your son. And he is adorable - great photo and obviously a great imagination as well.
January said…
Thanks for the kind words to my silly story.
Kristine said…
Very cute! Talk about creating memories. This will probably be something that becomes one of the great memories of his childhood!
Alex said…
What a wonderful story Jan! Alex is right, you need a banana story. Maybe as a summer story...

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