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12/08/2008

Greedy Gert and the Fairy Godmother

Greedy Gert was lost. She was deep in the forest and she could not find her way. She had gotten herself lost because she was running and crying and not watching or caring where she was going and now she was lost. She sat down on a fallen tree trunk, and she cried.

She remembered what the the children in the village had been saying and she cried even harder. "Greedy Gert, smells like dirt, and no one round here likes her." They should have been singing "Ring around the rosey" but they had made up a song about her, instead. And so she cried.

After a while she noticed a squirrel sitting at the other end of the tree trunk. "Go away", she cried. "I'm sitting here!! This is MY tree trunk!! Now shoo!!"

The squirrel turned and scurried away, and Greedy Gert cried even harder.

"I don't understand", she wailed, to no one in particular. "Why doesn't anybody like me?" And she cried and she cried.

After a while she noticed a bush with some berries. All the crying she had been doing had made her rather peckish, so she went over to the bush and started picking berries to eat. Just then, a robin landed in the top of the bush and started eating berries up there, berries she would never be tall enough to reach. "Go away", she cried. "I'm eating these berries!! This is MY bush!! Now shoo!!"

The robin flew away, and Greedy Gert gorged herself on berries.

After a while, she started crying again, but this time she was crying because her stomach hurt her so much. "I ate too many berries", she wailed to no one in particular. "I'm lost and no one likes me and now my stomach hurts." And she cried and she cried.

She laid down on the ground because her stomach hurt so much and it felt good to lay down. And as she lay there, she cried and cried and finally didn't cry so much, because all the crying had made her so tired and now she was sleepy. And just as she was falling asleep a strange blue glow filled the little clearing where the tree had fallen and she saw it and sat up. And she saw that the blue glow was coming from this little point of light and the point started to grow and grow and it got bigger and bigger, but not really brighter, just bigger. And then in the middle of the blue glow she saw a lady and the lady was beautiful and perfect and she had a wand in her hand with a bright blue star at the end. And the blue lady said, "What's wrong, Gertrude? Why are you lost in the forest?"

"You know who I am?", Gertrude asked.

"Yes, of course I do. I am your Fairy Godmother and I know everything about you."

"You do?", asked Gertrude. "You do? Oh please, Fairy Godmother, can you tell me why no one likes me?"

"I could, yes. But maybe I should let those you have hurt tell you."

"Hurt!! I haven't hurt anyone. Who have I hurt?"

"Look over there, Gertrude, on the tree trunk you claimed as your own. Ask the squirrel if you hurt her. Go ahead. Ask."

There, on the tree trunk, sat the little squirrel she had shooed away earlier.

"Little squirrel, did I hurt you?"

"No, you didn't hurt ME", the squirrel answered in a squeaky little voice. "But my babies are inside this tree trunk and you stopped me from getting home to feed them. They were hungry and they were afraid. You hurt them, not me."

"Oh, I'm sorry little squirrel. I had no idea."

"Now look up in the berry bush", said her Fairy Godmother. "Ask the robin if you hurt her."

"Little robin, did I hurt you?"

"No, you didn't hurt ME," the robin answered in a chirpy little voice. "But my babies are up in a nest, high in the trees, and you stopped me from getting home to feed them. They were hungry and afraid, and they could have fallen from the nest because they were so hungry. You hurt them, not me."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, little robin. I had no idea."

"This is a big world, Gertrude. If we are to live together, and love each other, and like each other, we must learn to share. You weren't willing to share your tree trunk; you weren't willing to share your berries. The squirrel's babies and the robin's babies were hungry because you were greedy and selfish."

"Oh I know Fairy Godmother, and I'm so sorry." But the light was gone. The lady was gone. And Gertrude wondered if she had just had a dream.

"I am still lost," she said, to no one in particular.

Just then she looked down at her feet and the cutest little bunny was right next to her and she said, "Oh, a bunny rabbit!! I always wanted a bunny rabbit of my very own!!" And she bent over to pick it up, and she reached for it .... and she stopped. She looked around and then she saw her. The Momma rabbit. Hiding under a low branch.

"Shoo, little rabbit," she said, gently. "Your momma is looking for you. She's right over there. Go on. That's a boy." And the little bunny hopped over to his momma, who picked him up by the back of his neck, as rabbits are wont to do, and carried him away to her burrow.

"That felt good", Gertrude said, to no one in particular.

Just then she heard her Poppa's voice, calling to her, from a long way away.

"Oh, there's Poppa. I have to go home now."

"Thank you", she said, to no one in particular. "Thank you ... very much."



OHmommy was looking for a fairy tale to help with a little girl who has learned the word "MINE!!!", said with emphasis. I promised her I would write one for her.

I hope this is adequate.

UPDATE: THIS UPDATE IS TO INCLUDE THIS PARAGRAPH _ MISSING FROM MY WEEKEND POSTS:
Zoeyjane of Mommy is Moody is DOING something. She is donating all the revenue from her advertisements on her site, for this month, to To Write Love On Her Arms. Go to Zoeyjane's site and read This Post. She gets paid by 'Impressions'. Just going there helps. Click on her ads - and help more. Click through to To Write Love On Her Arms and see what they do. Just doing that will help, too. This paragraph is going to appear at the end of each post, each day until the end of the month. As a reminder. Just click through. And help. Save the women and men and boys and girls that don't need to live without love, that don't need to suffer addiction and depression, that don't need to die.


Peace.

31 comments:

Myst_72 said...

That's a beautiful story Lou!

I love it!

G
xx

Shadow said...

this is more than adequate. this is tremendous! well done.

Anonymous said...

This is really a beautiful story. I just love it.

MissyBoo said...

Oh that was very sweet :-)

Mrs F with 4 said...

Ohh, Lou, what would I have to do to get you to write one for ME (never mind my four little beasties)? Would a trip in my Beech Bonanza do it?

Christy said...

You know Lou, this is perfect for a girl who is the a bit over-confident and selfish--phase-wise.

This is just the kind of story my mom would have told me if I was being harassed, though, invalidating my feeling!!! LOL

I kid you not. She was a big one on the "Your foot hurts? What about the girls with no legs???"

But for the over-confident? This is PERFECTION!

Nice.

Unknown said...

Myst_72: Thank you, Gina. I'm glad you like it.

Shadow: Thank you, V. I'm so glad you like it, too.

Acai Berry: Thank you, Eli. Now, that's either the slickest spam comment I've ever seen, or that's really you. Either way, you get this one.

M+B: Thank you, Lani. I am glad you liked it.

Mrs F with 4: Let's talk. What subject would you like me to cover?

Christy: Thank you, Christy. You're sweet. I'd massage your feet anytime.

Wait. What? said...

I loved this!

moneythoughts said...

This is much more than a story for just children, but then again, we all are children in some sense, just of different ages. :)

OHmommy said...

I am so very thankful to have crossed paths with you. This story is simply awesome. I can't wait to share it.

Thank you a million times.

Vikki North said...

Great fun Lou and very endearing.
Vikki

Honeybell said...

I love this! I'm printing it out to share with my little boy version of Greedy Gert.

Jientje said...

Another pretty fairy tale, but an educational one! Very well written, (as always)I enjoyed it!

Cathy said...

Very nice!

Anonymous said...

I hope the story will help.
No.
I actually am sure the story will help.
Beautiful and thoughtful piece.
Some adults could use this story from time to time as well.

Expat No. 3699 said...

Nicely done, Lou.

Unknown said...

Perfect!

I cannot wait until you have little grandchildren and you tell them these stories that are brewing in your mind.

Joyce-Anne said...

Great story! I love the moral to it.

Nan Sheppard said...

Very good!!!

Tara R. said...

I'm thinking LouCeeL's words, LouCeeL's paintings.... hmmm? A children's book perhaps? That would be fabulous!

Unknown said...

Cat: Thank you, ma'am. It was fun.

Moneythoughts: I still wonder what I'm going to be when I grow up.

OHmommy: You more than welcome.

Redchair: Thank you, Vikki. Like I said, it was fun.

Honeybell: I tried, but I really can't think of a good boy name that alliterative and starts with anything that means 'greedy'.

Jientje: I am so glad tha you enjoyed it so.

Cathy: Thank you, ma'am. I was hoping it would turn out well, and well ... I guess it did.

Nicole: Thank you, Nicole. My new name is going to be Hans.

Employee: Thank you, Linda. I think I REALLY like writing fairy tales.

Hyphen Mama: Happy.

Joyce-Anne: I am SO glad you enjoyed it.

Nan: Thank you, ma'am. Very much.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful! I wish my kids were young enough to appreciate it as intended- I'll have to see how my nieces and nephew like it.

Momisodes said...

I love it. This is perfect for my own little girl, an only child, who thinks EVERYTHING is hers. Well done, Lou. Thank you :)

Anonymous said...

What a lovely, well written story my dear. I think you should illustrate it and provide it to needy moms everywhere.

Patsy said...

You out did yourself, Lou. The teacher in me is delighted with the story line and the vocabulary. You didn't talk down to children, but you talked to them in the story. Delightful. I would love to see it illustrated -- so hook up with one of your many talented blogger friends and get it illustrated and published.
Oh, and when I buy my copy I would like it signed. :)

Unknown said...

Loraine: Thank you, Loraine. That is so flattering.

Momisodes: Sandy, if I have helped, then it is I who should thank you.

Ree: We'll see. But thank you, so much.

Patsy: Thank you, Teach. I'll be happy to sign your copy.

Bridge said...

Lovely! What a delightful fairy tale. I just gave you an award on my blog - but couldn't find an email address to send you a notice. :) I love your stories - you're one of the most creative and unique bloggers I know.

Zoeyjane said...

TaraR was onto something. Paint and fairytales from your hands would be a perfect bed time read.

Soge shirts said...

Great story Lou. Nice to see a fairy tale with such a clear distinctive message/ life lesson. Too many Greedy Gerts in this world.

Anonymous said...

Totally pefect, my friend. You are the master of stories.

KG said...

That's a fantastic story! Or, trantastic, as the case may be.

My stories usually don't have a moral undertone and are the "and then they all danced while blowing bubbles" variety.