Conner's Sad Story

Once upon the grass there was a mom hippo and she had a baby and the baby did not appreciate her milk. So she went into the river to seek water. She walked around to find water but she could not find any water. "Mysteirious." She said at the age of zero. Then all of a sudden she saw water. She ran to the water on the way she died because her heart burst.

The End
Part of Conner's second grade homework is to draw a picture of suggested item and then describe the picture. Conner has been getting progressively more creative with his descriptions lately and usually pens some pretty good stories. Sometimes he focuses a lot on the picture and has even added three dimensional items, like cotton balls for clouds, in the past. Other times, he chooses his words carefully and writes and edits for a good, long while.



This time, it is safe to say he put some thought into the story and in what he wanted the reader to take away from it. When I asked him about the sudden tragic ending, I thought he was going to tell me he was just tired of writing and wanted to end it quick, but he surprised me with his response. He said he wanted it to be a sad story like "Stone Fox" when the dog dies because his heart bursts. He wanted people to feel bad for the hippo and maybe even shed a tear or two like some of the kids did when the dog died. Hmmm. Really?

All I know is this sad story might have had the opposite effect on me. I especially grin when I think of his opening line, "Once upon the grass" or how he used the word "appreciate" instead of boring old "like." He also ALMOST spelled "mysterious" right, pretty good for a seven year old. Of course, the picture is adorable too. Not so sure he's going to get the reaction he's anticipating once he hands this in to his teacher, but I sure thought it was enjoyable; and SAD too. I made sure to tell Conner that.