In a far away part of outer space, there is a planet a lot like ours. It moves around a different sun than ours, and even though it's a lot the same, it's also a lot different.
O: It moves around a different sun??? How??? And which planet is bigger, ours or that one?
Just like our planet goes around the sun, that planet goes around a different star, very far away. I would say that planet is just a bit bigger. It is also full of very flat land with very few mountains so lots more people can live on the land there. And the oceans are smaller, so many people can live there on the large flat areas of land.
O: But they can't go mountain hiking! And they can't go fishing much at all!
Well, I didn't say there were NO oceans. AND, they have really terrific lakes, big lakes.
O: Oh good, THEN they can go fishing just fine...good.
Yep. Another thing about this planet is that they have not just one like we do, but two moons!
O: [skeptical] Wait, is one of them just space junk?
No way! Two real moons! [mother struggles not to laugh hysterically] One is bigger and it's sort of reddish and the other's a little smaller and it's
O: [interrupting] Yellowish!
Why yes, it is! A bit yellowish. The other interesting thing is that not a single bit of fruit grows on that planet. Not one single fruit tree. All the people know about is vegetables, and boy do they love them.
O: [wide-eyed shock] NO fruuuit???
Nope, not one bit.
O: Do they build rocket ships to go other places?
Nope, they've never flown into space and have no rocket ships. But one day a great explorer from our own planet built a rocket ship so fast that it could fly amazing distances, farther and faster than anyone has ever thought of flying. The explorer got on his ship and flew so far and fast that he actually found the other planet and landed right on it. But, the people were so terrified because they'd never seen anything like a rocket ship, and when he got off his ship he was wearing his space suit and they thought he was a monster. He couldn't speak their language and they didn't know English of course. They rushed toward him with weapons to kill him, but he had been eating a pear, and he held his arms up to protect himself with the pear still in his hand. The people stopped in their tracks and stared at the pear. Someone took it from him and tasted it...they passed it around...they they all started grinning and giggling and squealing because they'd never tasted anything so good!!! He showed them how to plant the seeds in their soil and pear trees grew wonderfully well there, and in 300 years the entire planet was covered in pear trees. They were so happy!
O: Did the man go back and get some other kinds of fruit for them too???
Well, even though his ship was fast, it wasn't that fast. An explorer knows that if they leave their own planet, they might never return. He couldn't ever go back. He stayed on the new planet for the rest of his life.
O: [crestfallen, thinking] Oh. [more time] But how did he live there if he couldn't speak their language?
Well, he had to use a lot of sign language at first, but eventually he learned their words and in a few years time he could speak quite well.
O: What did their language sound like?
[Reuel now steps in to help with a lexicon] Umm, 'sleep' was something like fashoofashooshooshoo. 'Drink of water' was eh-ee-OH. So if you want a drink of water before you go to sleep you have to say, 'Meh eh-ee-OH ta gong fashofashooshooshoo.' Or something like that.
O: But they only had one kind of fruit and he could never go back??
Well, the explorer had a special laser that he used to transmit information about his journey back to earth. But it took a long time for them to get the message. So maybe another explorer might come in the future to bring more fruits. But the people were just grateful because they'd never had fruit at all so having even one fruit made them super, super happy. Well, that's the end of the story. Time to go to sleep, we'll see you in the morning Owen. We love you! [parents exit room and pull door shut]
O: [from beyond door] What's the word for milk??
Reuel: [peeking head back in] Kee-Ee-Op.
Man, these stories get harder and harder to generate...and the expectations are mighty high. Let this be a lesson to you, dear reader, to stick with books or to set the story bar low from the start. Had to record this one because the 'space junk' question just tickled me!!
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4 comments:
You need to write children's books. :) Actually, you need to write period. Cute story. Very talented you for coming up with it on the fly.
Ha! This is why Owen is disappointed when I take him for bedtime....he wants a story and I can never deliver *quite* the same as mom ;)
This was *awesome*. Very inspiring to us... I can only hope we can muster some creativity when Elle's a little older. She's just past chewing on books, so I think we will start with those and move our way up to stories.
It's so awesome that you do that. What special memories he'll have.
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