It's Your World, Hale True: October 2011

Hale bonked his head trying to get Penguin to stand up for the picture.

Hale: Tell me a fooky story.

Me: You want to hear a spooky story?

Hale: Mmm hmm. Tell one about Thomas.

Me: Umm, I think I can do that.

H: Do Thomas gets hurt in it?

Me: Well, in this story, Thomas gets hurt just a little bit. Like when you fall over on your scooter. Here goes:

One time, Charlotte, Elery, Asher, Lukas and Hale were playing up in the greenbelt, when they heard a chuffing on the train tracks.

The kids know they need to stay away from the train tracks, but it's hard not to go and look when you hear something coming by.

Just at that same time, Thomas the Tank Engine was scooting his way into the greenbelt. It was a rainy day and Lukas, Asher, Hale True, Elery and Charlotte were all wearing their mud boots and rain coats, and splashing in the mud. They were looking at pretty leaves on the ground, and touching the mud with their hands.

Then Hale said, you guys, let's go and see what's coming up the train tracks! And Elery said, Umm, Hale, you know we're not supposed to go too close to the train tracks. Hale said, Don't worry, guys, we will stand back, but let's just go look.

Because who can resist watching a train go by?

So they went and stood by the curve. And they could hear Thomas coming. Only they didn't know it wast Thomas, and they couldn't see him yet. Chuff, chuf-chuf-chuf; Chuff, chuf-chuf-chuf... They sure could hear him coming though.

And he was coming fast. Chuff, chuf-chuf-chuf; Chuff, chuf-chuf-chuf... And the kids edged a little bit closer to the tracks, hoping to get a better view, just as Thomas came round the curve...

And when Thomas saw Hale and Asher and Lukas and Charlotte and Elery standing there in the corner HE SLAMMED ON HIS BRAKES SO HARD! They squeaked and squealed, and he tooted his horn like no tomorrow! TOOT TOOT TOOOOOOOT!

And those kids froze in their tracks. It's THOMAS! Hale and Charlotte shouted at exactly the same time. And they jumped up and down, so excited to see the real train they knew from the books and videos. HI THOMAS!

But Thomas was still terrified he was going to crash into the kids, still slamming on his brakes. And he stopped so hard two of his wheels bumped off the tracks, and he kind of teetered, and tottered and then he fell right over on his side, right there in the greenbelt.

"Oh," Thomas said, "you kids terrified me. I didn't want to smash you flat. Now I'm on my side, and it kind of hurts. Ohhh. Can you go and get help?"

So the kids apologized to Thomas, and ran home and they got all the people from the building they live in, who grabbed shovels and sticks and ropes and cloths and sponges and snacks and followed the kids back up to the greenbelt.

Lukas and Charlotte and Elery and Asher and Hale True told them where to find Thomas, who was still lying on his side. They all put their backs into it, and together they heaved Thomas back onto his wheels, and back onto the tracks. A couple of people wiped off the mud and someone painted a bandaid onto Thomas's tank where he'd gotten a little bit smashed on the ground at the greenbelt.

Everyone cheered.

Then they all waved goodbye to Thomas and went and had pizza.

The end.

Pretty spooky story, huh, Hale?

Hale: Mmm.

(quater of a minute)

Hale: Daddy, Tell me the story about Mommy and the clown.

Me: I don't know that one Hale. You'll have to tell it to me.

H: Can you help me?

Me: Sure. One time, Mommy was hanging around with her friend the clown (and what were they doing?)

H: They were playing drums.

Me: Mommy and her friend the clown were playing drums. (How were they playing the drums?)

H: They were playing with sticks and with their hands. Loudly.

Me: Once upon a time, Mommy and her buddy the clown were playing drums. They were playing with sticks and their hands, loudly. (And what happened when they played?)

H: The BAT came, but he got on an airplane and they were sad.

Me: (What did Mommy and the clown do when they got sad after the bat flew away?)

H: They went to the Kawarium. [Me: Did they bring their drums to the aquarium?]

H: And they brought their drums and they played even louder. They sang!

Me: Mommy and the clown got their drums and went to the aquarium to play and sing super loudly.

H: Yeah. And the bat could hear them!

Me: And what did the bat do?

H: He came BACK and they were not sad any more. And they all went to look at the sharks and the octopus.

Me: And they lived happily ever after.

H: Mmm hmm.

(quarter of a minute)

H: Now tell me the story about Penguin.

Me: I'll have to tell that one tomorrow.

H: NO. Tell it now.

Me. Okay, but I will tell it to you silently. In my head. I'll put my head against yours and you can remember the story in your head as I tell it in mine.

(A rough outline of that story is: Hale's buddy Penguin smells fish one day, and decides to go find the source. He gets on the bus and goes to the kawarium, but then is mistaken for an inmate. He borrows the aquariumkeeper's cellphone for one final phone call, calls up Hale, who comes to rescue him, after which they all go and have fish and chips, along with the aquariumkeeper, and throw french fries for the seagulls.)

He fell asleep as I told the long version of the story in my head. I love the smell of that kid's hair.