It’s almost Valentine’s Day and that means it’s time for Susanna Hill’s Annual Valentiny Writing Contest! I love
holidays and writing contests, so this one was a perfect fit for me. Here are the rules:
“. . .write a Valentines story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in which someone feels guilty! Your someone can feel guilty themselves or make someone else feel guilty. They may feel guilty for good reason, or just because they think they should! Your story can be poetry or prose, sweet, funny, surprising or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes someone guilty (can be the main character but doesn’t have to be) and is 214 words (get it? 2/14 for Valentines Day).”
Hope you enjoy what I came up with. . .
Woa, Diddle, Diddle!
By Patti Richards
On Valentine’s Day
I wanted to play
A tune for my very best girl.
So, I ran down the hill,
To give her a thrill
And said, “Cat, can I give it a whirl?”
“You want THIS violin?”
The cat said with a grin,
“I know you can’t handle the magic.”
But Jill loved a good tune.
And if I couldn’t croon
The results would be terribly tragic.
So, when I stole that fiddle
To play “Diddle, Diddle,”
The guilt was quite strong, I’ll confess.
‘Cause when I began playing
That cow started swaying
And jumping and making a mess.
She bounced off the moon,
Then clomped on the spoon,
Tripping over the dish on the way.
As she toppled the dog
Her hoof stuck on a log,
Where Miss Muffet was eating her whey.
Now hear these wise words
(While I’m raking up curds),
Be careful when playing a tune.
If a cow is around
Her love for the sound
Could mean more than just jumping the moon!
A dance may ensue
And cause you to rue
The time you and a fiddle cut loose.
‘Cause you’ll spend the day hearing
The thing you’ve been fearing,
A lecture from your Mother Goose!
Sensibility- It’s fun to take familiar stories, nursery rhymes and fables upside down and make them your own.
Sense-When writing fractured folktales, fairy tales, nursery rhymes and fables that have strong main characters for an immediate reader connection.