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 The Story of Stanley BookmanBy: Caitlin Pierce, age 12
1st Place Contest Winner
Stanley Bookman lives in the quiet, peaceful town of Storyville. Storyville has always been that way. At least, until yesterday…
Stanley was cleaning his house (which needed a good cleaning at the time) when, all of a sudden, there was a pounding on his door. He opened the door to find Jane Fable and Ellie Poem at his doorstep.
Jane said breathlessly, “Stanley, someone new is in Storyville! He’s big and he looks scary.”
“Calm down, Jane,” said Stanley, “Are you sure? Because last time . . . ” Stanley didn’t get to finish.
“Yes I’m sure. Ellie and I saw it as we were going to pick some letter berries for the little kids at Fairy Tale House. Suddenly, we looked up, and there, staring at us, is a big Thing!”
Ellie nodded in agreement, shaking her head vigorously.
“Come and see for yourself, Stanley!” Jane said excitedly.
“Okay, okay,” Stanley said, “I’m coming.”
Jane and Ellie led the way down winding Sentence Lane and on toward the dense Story Woods.
But when they were about to enter the woods, a pale-faced Ellie said, “I think I will go on home, I don’t want to see it all over again.” So before you could say ‘I love books,’ she was gone.
Stanley and Jane went on into the woods. When Jane stopped, Stanley whispered, “Where is it, Jane? This isn’t going to be like last time you thought you saw something and you called the whole town out to the woods for nothing, is it?”
But before Jane had time to answer, they heard a noise that scared the wits out of them. It sounded like someone chomping very loudly. Both Jane and Stanley were shaking.
Then a big empty bookshelf sat up and said with a big rumbling voice, “Who are you? And what are you doing?”
“We, we, we’re Stanley Bookman and Jane Fable. And, and we were just coming to meet you.” Stanley said, trembling.
“Well,” said the big bookshelf in a terrifyingly loud and not very nice voice. “I am Jethro Read.”
“Hi Jethro,” said Stanley, as Jane was too scared to speak. “Well, we’ll be going now. See you!”
And off went Stanley and Jane so fast, Jethro didn’t know where they went. But he turned around and went back to eating letter berries.
Meanwhile, back in Storyville . . .
The whole city of Storyville was in an uproar. Then the mayor came out and held up his hand for quiet, cleared his throat, and began to speak. “Fellow citizens of Storyville, we seem to have a visitor upon our hands. Don’t be alarmed,” he said, as the noise of everybody talking at once was suddenly deafening. “I know everyone is worried, but I hope he is just passing through. If he has other intentions, he will make them known when he wants to. Now, I want everyone to go back to whatever he or she was doing and try to forget about the whole incident.”
So the mayor went in to his office and motioned Stanley to come along. “Now Stanley,” said the mayor, when he had sat down in a chair. “Storyville has always been a peaceful town and I intend to keep it that way. I want you to go back to the woods and find whatever you said his name was, and ask him what exactly he wants.”
“Me?” Stanley squeaked with surprise.
“Yes, you,” the mayor continued. “If you start now, you can get back here before it gets dark and tell me what he said.”
“But . . . ” Stanley said, but the mayor interrupted him.
“No ‘buts’ about it.”
So there was nothing Stanley could do but walk out and start for the woods.
When Stanley got back to the mayor’s office, he was pale and scared. He said to the mayor, “Jethro said that he’ll let you know in the morning.”
“Well,” said the mayor, “then we’ll just have to wait until tomorrow. Alright, you may go Stanley.”
That night, Stanley didn’t sleep well; he kept tossing and turning. He felt like something bad was happening, but he didn’t know what.
The next morning, he was awakened by an incessant rapping on his door. He sleepily got up, still in his pajamas and night cap. When he opened the door, he saw Jeff Shortstory.
Jeff said in a scared, squeaky voice, “Eliza Books is gone! And we think we know who did it!”
“Who?” Stanley asked, sleepily.
“Why, Jethro Read, of course!” Jeff said impatiently.
Then Stanley woke up. “Oh! Why we must go tell the mayor!”
“I already did,” said Jeff, “and he said to tell you that the town unanimously voted for you to go rescue her.”
“ME? Why do I have to do everything?” gasped Stanley.
“Don’t ask me!” Jeff replied. “I am just happy it isn’t me. Well, good luck!” And off went Jeff.
So Stanley got dressed, got a skillet and a metal spoon, in case he should need them, then started off to the woods. When he was almost there, he heard Jethro talking.
He rushed into the clearing and said, “Hand over Eliza Books. I am armed and deadly!”
“Oh!” Jethro said in surprise. “I’m sorry.” And, believe it or not, he started to cry.
Stanley lowered his spoon and said, “What are you crying for?”
“You wouldn’t understand,” Jethro said, sobbing. He had been holding Eliza by one hand and now let go of her to wipe his tears.
Eliza scooted towards Stanley, but Jethro didn’t notice.
“Just tell us and maybe we will understand,” Stanley said. He was beginning to feel sorry for Jethro.
Sadly, Jethro said, “I was sent by our mayor to find some stories somewhere because where I live, there are no books and our little children don’t have anything to read. I saw Eliza and so I just took her. I wasn’t thinking. I am so sorry,”
“Oh, well, it’s okay, but maybe I can help you. Come with us!” And Stanley led the way to Storyville.
Later, the mayor stood on the platform and said, “Alright now, everyone settle down. I have concluded that since there are no books where Jethro lives, one of us should go with him and tell the little children there our story. Then that one will come back and another one of us will go and so on. What does everyone else think about that?”
His question was met with a round of applause.
“Thank you so much!” Jethro said. “Now our little ones will be so happy.”
Then the mayor spoke up, “Now, since that is decided, let us decide who will go first!”
Stanley started to say something but was interrupted by the mayor.
“How about Stanley, everybody?” the mayor said.
Stanley groaned. “Not me,” he said.
But everybody was too busy cheering to hear him.
~The End~
Illustration by Kevin Scott Collier
Copyright © 2008 by Stories for Children Magazine
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