Little boy looking out rainy window.
RAIN, rain, go away;
Come again another day;
Little Arthur wants to play
One dreary Saturday afternoon, Arthur sat at the window all
day watching the heavy rain pour down on the street. He desperately begged his
mother to go outside. All he wanted was to play basketball with Sally. Sally
was a fourth grader that lived across the street. She was fantastic at
everything she did, including basketball. Arthur really admired Sally. He
always hurried home after school and asked Sally to play. Arthur was just a
lowly third grader and never got to play with Sally at school. This made Arthur
so sad! However, every Wednesday at 2 o’clock right in the middle of
multiplications, Arthur could look out the window and see Sally playing with
her friends on the playground. Arthur seemed to always be watching Sally from
the window. Sometimes Sally would see him through the window and wave. He would
always get in trouble by his teacher for being distracted when this happened.
“You should be doing your multiplication tables like the rest of the third
graders,” Arthur’s teacher fussed.
What Arthur did not know was that Sally also admired Arthur.
Sally would sit in class and think about what Arthur and her were going to do
after school. She was always so antsy to run home so she could see him. She
loved when her parents would leave for the evening, so she could go stay at
Arthur’s house. Arthur’s mom made the best pizza rolls!
Sally sat across the street watching the rain beat down on
that Saturday. She wondered when it would ever stop. She begged and pleaded her
mom to let her go outside, just for a short while. “You will catch a cold,”
Sally’s mother said. Sally replied, “Oh,
but please, Mom! I have been cooped up all day!” As soon as Sally said that the
rain stopped. The clouds suddenly did not look so scary. Sally and Arthur
sprinted out of their house, Arthur with basketball in hand. Arthur and Sally
both smiled at each other with joy.
Authors Note. We have all been there. We look out the window
and see the sudden down pour. Our plans that we were so excited about, that we
prayed would not get ruined, inevitably did. So we hoped that it will just
magically stop raining and the sky clears. When I read this nursery rhyme that
is what immediately came to mind. However, growing up on a farm, it was a sin
to pray for the rain to stop. Every drop was welcomed and encouraged. This was
always such a mind conflict for me.
Bibliography. This story is based on the nursery rhyme
“Rain, Rain, go away” in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang (1987).
Oh, the combination of the picture and the rhyme itself really sets the mood for the story right from the start, Jordan - super! I also like how you set up the characters for the story so sympathetically there in the first paragraph, with the nice surprise in the second paragraph: the feeling is mutual! Of course, for us a year difference in age is nothing at all... but it is fun to remember how back when we were little, of course that year difference changed everything. I think it's great that Arthur enjoys the company of an "older woman" and Sally enjoys her "younger man," with such a fun and sweet ending, despite the gloomy rain at the start of the story. I also really like the personal memory from your own childhood that you included there in the author's note: that is one of the best things about the author's note, giving us a little clue into the mind of the author. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteJordan I really enjoyed reading your story about Arthur and Sally. I liked how you set up the admiration from Arthur when he thought of Sally, while ending it with Sally enjoying his company just as much. The way the story ends allows me to think of the endless possibilities of their future together as friends. I can relate to this story because when I was younger, my sisters and I loved playing outside and when it rained, all we hoped for was for it to stop. It brought back memories!
ReplyDelete-Trevor Eckard-
Jordan I really enjoyed reading your story about Arthur and Sally. I liked how you set up the admiration from Arthur when he thought of Sally, while ending it with Sally enjoying his company just as much. The way the story ends allows me to think of the endless possibilities of their future together as friends. I can relate to this story because when I was younger, my sisters and I loved playing outside and when it rained, all we hoped for was for it to stop. It brought back memories!
ReplyDelete-Trevor Eckard-
Man, your story is cute. Personally, I like the rain and would very rather stay inside and nap, but since these are kids, I understand the urge to want to go outside and play. Arthur and Sally sound adorable, and I ship them very much. If there is ever a time where we have to write another story, could you please write one where Arthur and Sally are all grown and married with kids of their own? That would be adorable.
ReplyDeleteOh my, this is so very cute. I love children and their innocence. This story makes me think of me playing outside on the trampoline with my niece and nephew with the sprinklers on because it was just so hot. This was an amazing story, you are a very good writer.
ReplyDeleteJordan,
ReplyDeleteI like the way that toward the end you came back to the way you started the story. I usually enjoy little devices like that in storytelling. I also really liked that you opened up a world around Arthur that was left dry by the simple rhyme giving the story meaning and depth. Making it a mutual love however unrequited because of shyness was a great addition as well!