The Scrivener: The Beeple Who Wanted To Be Something Else
Brian Barratt tells a deliciously silly children's story about an amazing creature called a Beeple who makes an important discovery.
Adults who read this story to children are sure to derive as much pleasure as their eager listeners.
Three more Beeple stories will follow in ensuing weeks.
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A Beeple was bored. There was nothing to do.
‘I would like to be something else,’ said the Beeple. ‘Then I could do something.’
‘What shall I be? I know! I will go to the city and be a tall building!’
When the people arrived in the city, they were very surprised. There was a new tall building.
‘Where did it come from?’ they said.
‘Why is it here?’ they asked.
‘Let’s go inside!’ they shouted.
So all the people went into the front door of the building. They walked up the stairs and went into all the rooms.
‘I do not like people walking all over me,’ said the Beeple. ‘Their feet are smelly.’
That night, the Beeple went back to being a Beeple.
All the people arrived the next morning, The tall building had gone.
‘Where has it gone?’ they said.
‘Why isn't it here?’ they asked.
‘We will have to go somewhere else!’ they shouted.
The Beeple said, ‘I would like to be something else. What shall I be?’
There was a long silence. There is always a long silence when a Beeple thinks.
‘I know! I shall go to the farm and be an egg!’
When the hens arrived in the barn, they were surprised. They found a new egg.
‘Where did it come from?’ they said.
‘Why is it here’ they asked.
‘Let’s sit on it!’ they shouted. ‘It will hatch and we shall have a new chicken!’
So the hens took turns to sit on the egg. All day long, hens kept it warm, and waited for a chicken to hatch.
‘I do not like hens sitting on me,’ said the Beeple. ‘Their bottoms are smelly.’
That night, the Beeple went back to being a Beeple.
The hens came back the next morning. The egg had gone.
‘Where has it gone?’ they said.
‘Why isn't it here?’ they asked.
‘We will have to lay our own eggs,’ they shouted.
The Beeple said, ‘I would like to be something else. What shall I be?’
There was a long silence. There is always a long silence when a Beeple thinks.
‘I know! I shall go to the bedroom and be a handkerchief!’
When the children arrived in the bedroom, they were surprised. They found a new handkerchief.
‘Where did it come from?’ they said.
‘Why is it here’ they asked.
‘Let’s blow our noses on it!’ they shouted.
So the children took turns to blow their noses.
‘I do not like children blowing into me,’ said the Beeple. ‘Their noses smell.’
That night, the Beeple went back to being a Beeple.
The children came back the next morning. The handkerchief had gone.
‘Where has it gone?’ they said.
‘Why isn't it here?’ they asked.
‘We will have to use our own handkerchiefs!’ they shouted.
The Beeple said, ‘I do not want to be something else. I do not want to do anything else. I think I shall be a Beeple. Beeples do not have to do anything at all.’
And so the Beeple did not do anything at all. That is what Beeples are for. They do not have to do anything. They are just Beeples.
© Copyright 1998, 2007 Brian Barratt
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For more of Brian's words please click on
http://www.openwriting.com/archives/the_scrivener/
And do visit his enjoyable Web site
www.alphalink.com.au/~umbidas/
