Work in Progress --- Copyright © 1997 Morris Hirsch

WORK IN PROGRESS -- COPYRIGHT MORRIS HIRSCH

Once upon a time there was a boy, and a monster. When they first met they were enemies, but then they became friends. This is their story.

The boy and his family lived a long time ago, and they lived up in a tree, as everyone did, because there were no houses then.

Every day, when the boy walked across the field, a monster would chase him, and try to eat him, and every day the boy would run really fast and get away.

Once upon a time there was a boy, and a monster. When they first met they were enemies, but then they became friends, and had many adventures. This is one of them.

The monster had told the boy about how he always got tricked out of the treasures he found, and the boy thought that was not fair.

"We could go on adventures together," he said. "They wouldn't be able to trick both of us."

One day, the monster came to see the boy, and he was carrying a map.

One day, one very pretty summer day, one day that was perfect for an adventure, the Boy decided to explore the Big Woods beyond his backyard. He told his Mother, and she helped him to pack his supplies.

They packed his poncho, in case it rained, which it almost certainly would not.

They packed his lunch, in case he got hungry, which he most certainly would.

They also packed lunches for the Cat, the Mouse, and the Spider, who always came on the Boy's adventures.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful Princess, but she didn't know it! Well, she knew she was beautiful, because people told her that all the time, but no one had ever told her she was a Princess.

She lived in a big old farm house, that her Mom and Dad shared with a bunch of other people. Every day her Mom and Dad took the bus into the City, where they worked. Some of the other people did that too, and some stayed to work on the farm.

She knew that people did all different kinds of work. Her Mom and Dad just never told her that their work was being the Queen and the King.

Once upon a time, in a kingdom by the sea, there lived a foolish King.

Angel and Blossom Make a New Friend

The girls meet Scales, a singing dragon, who is quite at home on land, sea or air. Scales can take each of them farther into the world of the other.

Spotless and Alison

Spotless is Alison's pet pig, she is cleaner than most children, and better behaved too. She can go anywhere that children can go, and is usually less trouble.

Spotless at the Beach

Spotless and Alison at the school field trip to the beach, save the day when Spotless finds the lost keys for the bus.

Spotless at the Paint Factory

Spotless and Alison at the school field trip to the Paint Factory, Spotless notices a valve left open and leaking paint.

Spotless at the Picnic

Spotless and Alison at the school picnic, do not do well at all the games and contests, until finally one they are good at.

Spotless at the Zoo

Spotless and Alison at the zoo, where Spotless walks through a parking lot paving project, getting covered with black tar and yellow paint.

When the fierce Polar Bear is missing, it is spotless that finds it, and when the PB mistakes Spotless for a giant Arctic bumble bee, it escapes right back into its cage.

The Seven Fluffies

Once upon a time, there was a Little Old Lady with seven cats, named Fluffy. The cats didn't mind.

Bailey the Wise

Bailey was a cat that looked a lot like an owl. Because she looked like an owl, all the other animals thought she was very wise.

The Brave Frog

Once there was a frog who got turned into a person by the frog witch. Of course he wished he was still a frog, but if he had to be a person, he was going to make the best of it.

Away in a manger, no crib for His bed, sleeps little Lord Jesus, with cats on His head.

Frederick was a leprechaun that never listened in school.

Once upon a time, there was a chicken that belonged to a man and his wife. Every day they fed the chicken some grain, and every day it gave them two eggs, and all of them were happy.

One day, they decided that the chicken was eating too much grain, and started to give it less. The chicken did it's best, and still gave them two eggs every day, but they were a bit smaller than before. After a while, they gave the chicken less and less grain, so that finally the chicken could only make one egg a day, and then no eggs at all.

"Chicken soup time," said the man, grabbing the chicken, but the chicken pecked at him and got away. The chicken flapped off down the road,

His mother said it was a fine name. His father said it was a fine name. But Least Weasel did not like his name.

Thought a frog "The world's alright,
a cool lily pad in the warm sunlight."

'Til a Princess gave him a terrible fright,
by kissing every frog in sight.

Throwing each back saying "You're not right,
I'll find him if it takes all night."

Some years ago, during my Yuppy period, I ordered a kerosene lamp from the Bean's catalog. This wasn't just any kerosene lamp; it was an Aladdin, a patented design that produced a very bright light. Before electricity reached the countryside, every self-respecting parlor had either an Aladdin or a Coleman.

Once upon a time, there was a young Princess called "Princess Hmph" who was very beautiful, but only on the outside. Princess Hmph was not her real name, of course, but that is what everyone in the palace called her, because "Hmph" is all she would ever say.

The King and Queen loved Princess Hmph very much, and tried to give her whatever she wanted, but they often had no idea what that might be, because "Hmph" was all she would ever say to them either. "Someday she will change," they told each other, but they were not so sure.

Sarah was lucky. Her family lived so close to the park with the merry-go-round that they could walk to it. When she was little, her mother and father would take her, but now that she was big she could even go by herself.

Sarah loved the bright colors of the merry-go-round and went there whenever she could, sometimes to ride and sometimes just to watch the horses go by. She had ridden all of the horses many times, but her favorite was Rosie, a white horse with a golden mane, and a beautiful red saddle decorated with roses.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful Princess, but this story is not about her, except for a little bit.

In the palace where the Princess lived, there was a Wizard, who looked fierce and fearsome, but was really quite nice. He had come to the King many years ago, and persuaded him that the kingdom needed a wizard, to protect them from enemies.

My older sister is a cat. Well, she isn't exactly my sister, but almost, and she is a cat. Here is how it all started.

Really long ago, before I was born, my parents had a pet cat named Hekate. My Mom says that name means she is a witch's cat, but really she is just a sweetie.

When I was born, my parents didn't want Hekate to be jealous, especially being a witch's cat, so they decided that everything they did with me, they would do with her too.

"Nothing interesting ever happens around here! This has to be the most boring place to live in the whole world. "

"Interesting things happen when people make them happen," Cynthia's Mom replied.

I was so mad!

I had just finished my best ever pillow fort. It used every pillow from my Mom's sofa, and my Dad's sofa, and from the guest room sofa. It had a living room and two bedrooms, and a swimming pool in the back yard.

Then my Mom walked in and ordered "Put everything away before your Father gets home."

"Why is the sand white?" Susan asked her dad.

Hi! My name is Alice, and my favorite story has always been "Alice in Wonderland," which is also called "Alice's Adventures Underground." My Mom and Dad always read it to me when I was little, and for the longest time I thought it was about me.

Crows are all pretty clever, and Albert was one of the cleverest crows. The others all said so. But Albert was not happy. He did not want to be a crow.

"Hummingbirds are so beautiful," Albert thought, "and they can fly backwards and fly standing still." So Albert practiced until he could fly backwards and fly standing still.

Rowena was a fierce and frightful witch, who loved to fly though the night sky on her broom, and swoop down and frighten people half out of their wits.

The trouble was, she didn't.

Claudia always knows when Christmas is coming. First it gets cold, then they bring a tree into the house, and finally, lots of people come and there are good things to eat.

Everyone in the town said the new family was crazy to live on Spooky Hill. Or at least they would be crazy soon enough. The new family was us.

Once there was a Teacher Doll, who showed children how to get dressed.

"I have terrible news for you," said Harriet's dad, "our family's prized felt picture is missing!"

Frank had been to lots of schools. He had been to: a regular school, summer school, and enrichment school. Frank had his own opinion about each of the schools.

Write to me at morris_hirsch@brown.edu Morris G. Hirsch.