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The man with the parachute remained firm about jumping from the airplane. It was the principle of the thing afterall…he’d said he would jump on his 40th birthday and eventhough he was terrified he wanted to keep his word. So he’d gone to classes so generously provided by his wife. Tomorrow would be the day he would gather his courage and get in the airplane.
The man with the boiler had a problem. He needed a new part but the shop needed time to mill one that would suit the purpose. In the meantime he had to sit there and keep an eye on things or it would blow. He sat there all night making adjustments here and there to keep it together.
Morning arrived
The man with the parachute went up in the plane and actually did jump. But as he was plummeting to earth he was desperately trying to recall his instructions. He pulled one cord…..nothing happened. He pulled the backup cord….. still nothing.
The man with the boiler had gotten extremely tired and ended up falling asleep as morning approached. The pressure in the boiler reached a critical point and …
Kaboom!
As the man with the non-functioning parachute continued his descent to earth he noticed the man with the boiler coming towards him as a rapid pace.
He called out – Hey! Do you know anything about parachutes?
The other man replied – NO! Do you know anything about boilers?
The man strapped on his parachute,
and stepped up to the door.
He listened for the pilot's toot,
then, as in days of yore,
He stepped out of the airplane's side
and started down the sky,
Did dips and turns with diver's pride
You should have seen him fly!
He landed near a boiler
and looked about the room.
On top there was a broiler
brandishing a broom.
"You know, it is the principle,"
the broiler boldly said,
"and since I know the principal
it must be true you're dead."
The man, confused, closed his eyes
and shook his dazzled brain.
He opened them to seven pies
and waving fields of grain.
He then, with generosity
gave to a nearby cat
(one full of curiosity)
the pie ('twas made of rat).
This dream began, you may recall,
in quite a normal way,
a simple jump and then a fall -
it seemed like normal play
But when he stepped into the mill
and found him ground to flour
He woke up feeling very ill,
so went and took a shower.
It was a run-of-the-mill boiler repair, he recalled. He had been pleased
with the customer's generosity, but had to refuse the extra money - it
was the principle of the thing. His attention returned to the present
when his parachute opened, and he concentrated on landing safely.
K&E S. Episode 2: Meet Marian
GLOSSARY
Mrs. Funcie: Miss-iss Foon-see
Marian: Mare-ee-in
Mr. Hatman: Mist-er Hat-min
Heidi Hatman: High-dee Hat-min
Mrs. Shinderlay/Kathy: Miss-is Shin-der-lay, Kathy
Kathy Lee: Kathy Lee
Marian grabbed her helmet and put it on. Then she jumped on her bike and peddled across the street, turned left and rode along the street. She glanced down at her watch and peddled faster. She saw Mrs. Funcie’s house and put on her brakes, making a shrill squeal. Mrs. Funcie came out of her house and saw Marian and smiled.
“Here you are, Marian,” She called. “I have the cookies ready.”
Marian got off her bike and hurried to Mrs. Funcie.
“I am in a hurry, Mrs. Funcie,” She said. “I’m going to be late if I don’t hurry.”
Mrs. Funcie nodded. She handed the cookies to Marian silently.
“Thanks, Mrs. Funcie.” Marian smiled and rushed back to her bike.
“I recall your mother wanted to see me,” Mrs. Funcie mused. “I’ll be headin’ over there. See ya, Marian!”
“Bye, Mrs. Funcie!” Marian jumped on her bike and headed off. She had to hurry or she would be late. She glanced at her watch and peddled faster again. She passed the Grain Mill: A place where they made flour and bread and such. It’s a good thing school is nearly in again. I can work hard at school, get good grades, Mom will be proud and let me go back to this job! It’s a good thing I like school, too, I guess. She thought. Marian passed the principle’s house and waved to Mr. Hatman, the school principle. Marian ran her bell at Heidi Hatman, walking down the sidewalk slowly, looking at a paper in her hands. She looked up and smiled and moved off the walk so Marian could go past. Marian shouted thank you and turned the corner. Finally, she saw Mrs. Shinderlay’s house. She got off her bike and hurried to the door. As she rang the doorbell, she noticed a strange car parked in the driveway. But she did not think much of it because just then Mrs. Shinderlay opened the door.
“Hello, Marian. Kathy Lee has been waiting for you. I think she would like you to play with her. I have to make cookies, brownies and a couple cakes so I will be here a while. I am going to a party and you and Kathy Lee are invited! Oh, but be sure to tell your mom. It’s from 5-8—3 hours at the most— and at Apple Sauce Inn. We’ll have dinner there, too. Why, what do you have there, Marian?” Kathy Shinderlay said.
“Oh hi, Kathy! I’ll be there for sure! Mom wont mind but I’ll tell her anyway. Yes, and I can ride my bike to Apple Sauce Inn! Uh… Where’s Kathy Lee?”
Marian answered. “And who’s here?”
“Oh, Eric’s back. After two whole weeks, he’s back. But he cant come to the party, I am sad to say. It’s a girl’s party. But I can see why you did not recognize his car. He got a new one. But what in the world do you have on your bike, Marian? It smells like—"
“Um! A girl’s party? About what? A baby shower? A bridal shower? Just guesses. And what’s for dinner? I’m allergic to peas.”
“I think that chicken, salad, eggs, sausage are for dinner and maybe more. What do you have in the bag?”
“Oh look, Kathy Lee is looking out the window! Lets go see her.”
“Okay,” Kathy sighed and they went inside. Katy, as they called Kathy Lee, squealed and crawled over to Marian. Katy was 6 months old.
“Hey there, Katy! Hey, don’t eat dust. BLLLLECCHHKKK! Yuck. Don’t eat my dress, either. Yuck, yuck yuck.” Marian laughed.
“Well, I had better go make my brownies and cake and cookies. What did you have in your—“ Kathy was interrupted my Marian—again.
“Um, no reason, but, could, would—uh, um—Well, what I mean to say is, please save the cookies for last? I might want to help, you know.”
“Yes, I will, Marian. Oh, you’d better go tell your mom what you’ll be doing tonight!”
“Okay, Kathy. I’ll be back in 15 minutes!”
Marian rode home. She passed the mill, the principle’s house and then paused at the park to watch men floating down in parachutes. After she got home and told her mom where she would be, she hurried back to Kathy’s house. She stopped when she saw a police car drive up to Heidi Hatman and talk to her. Heidi got in the car and they drove toward the Hatman’s house. Marian anxiously rode off, eager to ask Heidi about it tomorrow. Back at Kathy’s house, she helped Kathy work the boiler and then gave her the cookies. Kathy laughed and laughed and thanked Marian for her generosity. Marian told her to thank Wendy Funcie for them. Then they went to the party. It went great. Marian went to bed that night very very very tired. The next day was Saturday so Marian rode to Heidi’s house to find out what was it with the police and such.
“Hey Heidi! What was with the police car yesterday?” Marian asked.
“Oh,” Heidi answered. “Dad was going to the concert and I was late. Dad was worried so he sent the police out to find me. That’s all.”
Marian and Heidi played a long time and has a great time.
The End
As you may recall, he had thought he was on his way home. He was rather
unnerved by the fact that things were not as they seemed.
He stood and walked around the walls, feeling carefully for anything
unusual. Sure enough, about halfway around, he found a crack in the wall
- a regular, door-like crack. He carefully searched for a hidden catch,
and finally was able to find it. The door came ajar, and he slipped
through it.
He found himself in a boiler room. The humidity in the room was
oppressive. He went down two or three steps and walked across the
cluttered room, threading his way between equipment and boxes and parts
and other things that were apparently being stored there.
It wasn't the changing reality, in particular, that bothered him. It was
the principle of the thing. If something *was*, it ought to *be*, he
thought. It only made sense!
He went up two or three steps on the opposite end of the room, and
paused at the door there. Bracing himself, he pushed the door open and
stepped through.
He looked down from the top of a windmill.
He shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment, but when he reopened
them, he was still in the same place. He briefly wished he had a
parachute, so he could just jump down, but realizing the futility of
that line of thought, he looked around for another way down.
At least, he thought, I have plenty of ammunition, thanks to
the "generosity" of my superior officers. He checked his weapon,
relieved to find that it hadn't changed in any way.
He spotted a rope off to the side. When he tossed one end over the edge
of the mill roof, he found that it was actually a rope ladder. He
started down.
Send submissions, by Saturday 8/13, to 6words@andfam.net -- don't forget a title. If you're new, let us know if you want a link to yourself. If you have children who enjoy writing, they are welcome to participate.
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This Week's Entries are below!
Send submissions, by Saturday 8/6, to 6words@andfam.net -- don't forget a title. If you're new, let us know if you want a link to yourself. If you have children who enjoy writing, they are welcome to participate.
Click here for about sixwords (rules and stuff)
This Week's Entries are below!
WEEK ENDING 7/30
sugar, astonish, fluffy, movies, sketch, old
WEEK ENDING 8/6
exercise, table, clip, speckled, gust, green
He was astonished when the counter stayed the same, but the entire
scenery behind it changed. It was no longer an airport ticket counter,
but now it was a movie theater, with old posters on the walls and fluffy
plush toys in the case waiting for some child to beg to take them home.
He shook his head, blinking, and stood there for a moment trying to get
his bearings, when someone behind him gave him a shove. "Hey, buddy, you
gonna stand there all day?"
He stepped aside, allowing the man and his children - whose faces were
sticky with sugary snacks - to go ahead of him. He walked toward the far
corner, where someone was sitting with a sketch pad, drawing the area
around them. He maneuvered around behind and looked at the sketch, which
showed the airport he thought he'd entered.
Bewildered, he backed against the wall, which thankfully seemed real
enough. He eased to his left along it, feeling slightly green. This
whole situation was making him sick to his stomach.
He paused when he felt a gust of wind. He ran his hand along the
solid-appearing wall, but found that it ended after a foot or so.
Glancing around, he slipped a clip out of his belt and into his sidearm.
Feeling oddly glad for the exercise, he rolled around the corner, his
gun ready.
His shins painfully barked the coffee table that was there. Rubbing
them, he looked around at the mostly empty room. The walls were dark,
with phosphorescent paint speckled about, as if imitating a
conservatory. There seemed to be only the one way in. No windows, no
other doors, broke the monotony of the dark walls. He sank down on the
table, considering what to do next.
Episode 1: The Speckled Green Goose Egg
~~~
Kathy smiled as she looked at Kathy Lee, her first child. Kathy Lee was only 4 months old, but she smiled and cooed and sucked on toys.
“Eric! I have Kathy Lee in the Stroller! Lets go for our walk!”
She shouted, hoping Eric could hear her from his bedroom.
“I’m coming, Dear!” Eric replied, coming down the stairs. He also stopped, smiling at his little daughter who was looking at him with wide eyes and chewing on a toy and cooing and smiling. Kathy laughed as Kathy Lee dropped her toy and cooed so loud she surprised herself and stopped cooing to look around to see what made that loud noise.
“Well,” said Kathy, looking around. “I suppose we had better be off.”
Kathy Lee was still looking around to see that “big noise thing”. Eric pulled the stroller out of the garage and onto the sidewalk. Kathy Lee cooed and laughed and made annoying obnoxious sucking noises with her Little Ducky toy.
“Oohh!! Bwoo boo. Chtsee dah dah! Ma Ma dutty!! Suck slurp suck suck byo oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh mose bwoo bwoo Chtsee dah dah!” Kathy Lee reported to Kathy and Eric.
“Did she say ‘dah dah’?” Eric asked excitedly.
“Well, I thought she said ‘ma ma’. And she said ‘dutty’. Do you think that means ‘ducky’, or ‘dirty’?” Kathy replied.
“What’s that?” Eric suddenly asked, pointing at a small, round green thing. “It looks like a goose egg. But it’s green and speckled. Goose eggs are not green, but I am not sure about speckled.”
“Hm.” Kathy took a step closer. Then, a young boy came out and said in a single word,
“Mine.”
“Yours? But what is it?” asked Kathy.
“Its an egg.”
“But what kind of egg?”
“A green one.”
“Yes, but what type of egg?”
“Oh, that’s what you meant?”
“Well, yes.”
“Oh. Well, in that case, I am not sure. I found it in the goose pond. Some one put a paper clip right on top—and glued it there! So I brought it home, put it on the table, and carefully, carefully, carefully, took the clip off. My mam said that I’d be better off leaving it in the pond, but I did not. She went to do her exercise, but I went out side to play. But, It won’t hatch. I’m getting worried. Sorry it was left on the walkway, but I had to go in for something. What should I do about it?”
Well, it was plain to see that the boy was very worried about his egg, so Eric suggested, “Well, why don’t you take it to a scientist? They should know what is wrong with your egg.”
The boy ran off, shouting, “Thanks for the help, mister!”
Kathy Lee squealed as the boy ran off.
Kathy and Eric continued on their walk. They went around the block, then past the park a mile away from their house, then noticing that they still had 2 hours to go, they continued along the river for 2 miles, and they were suddenly soaked by rain. They were 2½ miles from home and it was pouring. Kathy Lee began to scream when she saw lighting and heard thunder. Kathy picked up Kathy Lee, Eric folded up the stroller and put it in its pack, put it on his shoulder and they both ran for the Library, the nearest public building. They reached the library, soaked, so they stood under the cover of the overhang and watched the rain. But they had just sat down when a big gust of wind blew in and got them all wet again. The door opened and a familiar looking boy came out with a book. He took one look at the rain, and sat down at a picnic table and began to read his book—without even seeing the Shinderlays’!
“Hey!” whispered Eric. “Its that boy with the green goose egg!”
It was. The boy had a green egg next to him and every now and then would take a look at it and go back to his book. Kathy had put Kathy Lee down so that Kathy Lee could look around. Kathy Lee ran toward the boy and screamed, “poon dah!”
The boy turned and said, “Hi! Oh, its you! Well, mister, I went to the scientists and they said to check out this book. And it says green goose eggs don’t hatch for 2 weeks longer then normal ones! Thanks, mister!”
And Kathy, Eric and Kathy Lee got home safely, with the wonderful thought that they had helped someone who needed it. Well, at least Eric did.
The End