Lilah M.Where There's Rain, Look to Books “Why can’t we stay outside?” Hannah asked her mother, Meg, who was shoving Hannah’s two sisters inside the small cottage.
“Yeah, we weren’t even playing in the woods!” Misha added, although Hannah, Kili, and Misha had just come running out of the brush when Meg called. Even Kili, the smartest and most convincing sister (Kili almost never lied) attempted to convince Meg to let the girls carry on with their play. “Please mommy? We didn’t do anything wrong,” Kili whined to Meg, putting on her best pouty face. “Why can’t we stay outside?” Hannah asked again. “Because I said so,” Meg sighed. It was clear that her patience was running out. Meg cast a look at the sky, which, Kili realized, had slowly became dark with cumulonimbus clouds. The clouds loomed over the horizon, blocking the sun. It was like the kiss of death to Misha, Kili, and Hannah’s fun. “So what if it rains,” Kili grumbled crossly. “I want to keep on playing that game where the princess gets kidnapped by the evil king and the hero gets a magical sword and rides a horse and has to rescue her.” Misha and Hannah nodded in agreement. |
“And we like puddles and raindrops just fine, and don’t mind making mudpies for dinner at all!” Misha told Meg with defiance. Meg just shook her head and closed the back door to the cottage. Mudpies for dinner! What a foolish thought!
After each of the girls finished taking off their shoes, socks, and jackets (along with asking Meg why they couldn’t stay outside for the twentieth time), Meg led her children into the cottage’s family room. A small television was placed in one corner, with a large bookcase and a shelf full of board games sitting next to the television. A grandfather clock was positioned near the fireplace. There was a plump chair, and small couch, and a rocking chair that Meg used. Various potted plants dotted the room as well.
As Misha, Kili, and Hannah collapsed onto the furniture, Meg departed for the kitchen to finish supper. Hannah looked out the broad window to peer at the thunder clouds just as the first few drops of rain fell.
Meg just didn’t understand. To Hannah, the woods were a magical, wonderful place where life lingered, thoughts could be finished, and something new could be found every day. Misha and Kili might take a less emotional approach to describe the woods, but they still enjoyed it too. The girls had been adventuring in the woods ever since they were seven (and now they were each ten years old).
Finally bored of staring at the ceiling, Kili moved towards the shelf of board games.
“We could play a board game,” she suggested. Kili surveyed the options - Candy Land, Battleship, Scrabble, Chutes and Ladders, checkers and chess, Parcheesi, Twister, Mouse Trap, and even Clue! Kili rather liked Clue, usually winning with her intelligence. As if reading Kili’s mind, Misha groaned.
“Definitely not Clue, Kili. You always win and it's not fair.”
“What about Parcheesi?” Hannah asked. She was fond of the bright colors and animal pieces you got to play with.
“I’d rather arm-wrestle,” Misha sniffed as she stretched her arms. Now that was a game she could be guaranteed to win.
“If you’re going to pick something, do it now, because supper is ready to eat,” Meg commented, suddenly walking into the family room. Misha, Kili, and Hannah’s noses became aware to the smell of fresh bread and tomato sauce.
“I want to play Clue, but Misha would rather arm-wrestle, and I think Hannah would like a game of Parcheesi,” Kili explained to Meg.
“We’re at an disgreement,” Hannah concluded.
“I think you mean ‘we’re having a disagreement,’ honey,” Meg corrected. Kili couldn’t help but feel smug - she was certainly too smart to ever use the wrong grammar.
“Well, I suppose we could try to fit in all three games, or we could play one and have a special story,” Meg proposed to the sisters. A special story?! Why, the sisters lived for stories! Forget the board games, they would rather spend the night listening to Meg - and even sacrifice their television time!
“Oh, yes!” All three girls shrieked. Kili shoved the board games back into their proper places on the shelf and paraded into the kitchen with Hannah and Misha. They all filled up their plates with pasta, fresh strawberries from the garden, and warm bread smothered with butter. To please their mother, they even gave themselves an extra serving of salad. Hurrying to the dinner table, the eagerly waited for Meg to begin her story.
The rain was pouring outside, but it didn’t scare the sisters. They liked the booming thunder and flashes of lightning. It reminded them of a scene from their favorite picture book where the magical sword hero was facing off against the evil king. And whenever they were lucky enough to escape Meg’s grasp just for a little while and stay outside, they pretended to be powerful lions that ruled the wilderness, and tried to roar like the wild cats along with the thunder.
“Now, what shall be the topic of the story be about?” Meg asked Misha, Kili, and Hannah. There wasn’t even really much of a point in asking - all the sisters ever wanted to hear was fairytales.
“How about something with an evil wizard who turns people into books and paintings, along with the hero with the magic sword,” Kili said immediately.
“And a world that is entirely ocean, with only a few islands in it!” Misha said as she stuffed her mouth with bread.
“And maybe a worldwide celebration that includes a masquerade party,” Hannah added to the list of ideas. Kili opened her mouth to say something else, but Meg cleared her throat. The clearing of throats was the signal to the start of the storytelling.
“Many ages ago, in a great land much different from ours, the waves of the Far Sea crashed against the shores of a small island. But among those waves was a ship, a tiny, small, red colored boat . . .”
After each of the girls finished taking off their shoes, socks, and jackets (along with asking Meg why they couldn’t stay outside for the twentieth time), Meg led her children into the cottage’s family room. A small television was placed in one corner, with a large bookcase and a shelf full of board games sitting next to the television. A grandfather clock was positioned near the fireplace. There was a plump chair, and small couch, and a rocking chair that Meg used. Various potted plants dotted the room as well.
As Misha, Kili, and Hannah collapsed onto the furniture, Meg departed for the kitchen to finish supper. Hannah looked out the broad window to peer at the thunder clouds just as the first few drops of rain fell.
Meg just didn’t understand. To Hannah, the woods were a magical, wonderful place where life lingered, thoughts could be finished, and something new could be found every day. Misha and Kili might take a less emotional approach to describe the woods, but they still enjoyed it too. The girls had been adventuring in the woods ever since they were seven (and now they were each ten years old).
Finally bored of staring at the ceiling, Kili moved towards the shelf of board games.
“We could play a board game,” she suggested. Kili surveyed the options - Candy Land, Battleship, Scrabble, Chutes and Ladders, checkers and chess, Parcheesi, Twister, Mouse Trap, and even Clue! Kili rather liked Clue, usually winning with her intelligence. As if reading Kili’s mind, Misha groaned.
“Definitely not Clue, Kili. You always win and it's not fair.”
“What about Parcheesi?” Hannah asked. She was fond of the bright colors and animal pieces you got to play with.
“I’d rather arm-wrestle,” Misha sniffed as she stretched her arms. Now that was a game she could be guaranteed to win.
“If you’re going to pick something, do it now, because supper is ready to eat,” Meg commented, suddenly walking into the family room. Misha, Kili, and Hannah’s noses became aware to the smell of fresh bread and tomato sauce.
“I want to play Clue, but Misha would rather arm-wrestle, and I think Hannah would like a game of Parcheesi,” Kili explained to Meg.
“We’re at an disgreement,” Hannah concluded.
“I think you mean ‘we’re having a disagreement,’ honey,” Meg corrected. Kili couldn’t help but feel smug - she was certainly too smart to ever use the wrong grammar.
“Well, I suppose we could try to fit in all three games, or we could play one and have a special story,” Meg proposed to the sisters. A special story?! Why, the sisters lived for stories! Forget the board games, they would rather spend the night listening to Meg - and even sacrifice their television time!
“Oh, yes!” All three girls shrieked. Kili shoved the board games back into their proper places on the shelf and paraded into the kitchen with Hannah and Misha. They all filled up their plates with pasta, fresh strawberries from the garden, and warm bread smothered with butter. To please their mother, they even gave themselves an extra serving of salad. Hurrying to the dinner table, the eagerly waited for Meg to begin her story.
The rain was pouring outside, but it didn’t scare the sisters. They liked the booming thunder and flashes of lightning. It reminded them of a scene from their favorite picture book where the magical sword hero was facing off against the evil king. And whenever they were lucky enough to escape Meg’s grasp just for a little while and stay outside, they pretended to be powerful lions that ruled the wilderness, and tried to roar like the wild cats along with the thunder.
“Now, what shall be the topic of the story be about?” Meg asked Misha, Kili, and Hannah. There wasn’t even really much of a point in asking - all the sisters ever wanted to hear was fairytales.
“How about something with an evil wizard who turns people into books and paintings, along with the hero with the magic sword,” Kili said immediately.
“And a world that is entirely ocean, with only a few islands in it!” Misha said as she stuffed her mouth with bread.
“And maybe a worldwide celebration that includes a masquerade party,” Hannah added to the list of ideas. Kili opened her mouth to say something else, but Meg cleared her throat. The clearing of throats was the signal to the start of the storytelling.
“Many ages ago, in a great land much different from ours, the waves of the Far Sea crashed against the shores of a small island. But among those waves was a ship, a tiny, small, red colored boat . . .”