Old Mr.Fray...

I read in a magazine a while back that if your child can't get the point you're trying to convey, you should put it in story form. They may not understand why they can't take their brother's cookie, but they definitely know why a dragon can't steal a princess' favorite toy. Stories help take our kids out of the issue, let them see it from a new perspective, then (with guidance from us), help them realize how the story applies to their own lives. Their defenses retreat when we're talking about dragons and princesses, instead of just scolding them for doing wrong. You know kids- when they feel defensive, they don't hear a word we're saying.

I've been having trouble lately with my four year old getting distracted on her way to obey. "Please brush your teeth," for instance, is interrupted by the soap bottles that need to be reorganized, the towel that would make a great cape, and the bathtub toy that Mama forgot to put away. I wanted to show her that (as we say in our house like, every day) "Slow obeying is disobeying." She also needed to understand that her disobedience has a greater effect than she sometimes realizes. So I wrote this little poem last night. We talked about it this morning, and she totally got the point. It didn't cause her behavior to change immediately- that will take time, discipline and consistency on my part- but the story coupled with our own real examples did help her understand that her disobedience affects the whole family.

So here ya go. This is a story about a man whose disobedience nearly ruined the princess' birthday celebration (*GASP!*)

Old Mr.Fray
by Kristi Wood

There once was a village,
Not far from the sea,
Where everyone worked and lived happily.

They all had their part,
And they all did their share.
And that, my dear friend, made that village quite rare.

Well, it happened one day,
That the princess, so fair,
Was to have a birthday- and her party she’d share!

With all of the people
Who lived in her town.
Yes, she’d share her big cake, and show off her new gown!

There’d be presents and flowers
And ice cream to spare,
For every man, woman and child who was there.

The whole town was stirring,
They all were abuzz!
To think, what a wonderful privilege this was!

They all went to work,
Making presents and such,
To show thanks to a princess who loved them so much.

Now there was a small shop
Near the south end of town,
Where eggs, milk and flowers and fabric were found.

So it made sense that when,
Their supplies were all spent,
The shop was the first place that anyone went.

But it just so happened,
That on this special day,
The supply cart was driven by Old Mr.Fray.

He was a good man,
But stubborn and slow.
He went when he wanted to get up and go.

His boss told him clearly,
“Take this cart straight to town!
No stopping to play, and no slowing down!”

But He stopped to catch fish,
He stopped to draw pictures.
Why, he even stopped to polish his dentures!

He thought, “What’s the hurry?
I’ll be on my way.
No one will notice if I stop to play.”

But the townspeople noticed.
They waited till night.
Finally, over the hill came a light.

Old Mr. Fray
Had made it at last,
But the time for preparing the party had past.

The princess would open
Her window tomorrow,
Only to find a town full of sorrow.

For there would be
No party to share.
No cake, or gown or ice cream to spare.

For Old Mr. Fray
Had taken his time.
He’d played and caught thirty-two fish on his line.

The townspeople yawned
They all went to bed.
“No party this year,” the little one said.

Well, Old Mr. Fray
Felt pretty low.
But then an idea came to him, so…

He opened his cart
And got out the milk.
He gathered the eggs and flowers and silk.

He was quite sorry
For what he had done.
Now he’d make it up to everyone.

He worked through the night,
His coffee got cold.
But he prayed and kept going till the sky turned to gold.

The morning sun said,
“Goodbye!” to the night;
And the town awoke to a startling sight!

The whole town was filled
With streamers and flowers!
Someone had worked through the long night hours!

The princess smiled
As she opened her eyes.
There, on her table- a lovely surprise!

She opened the box,
And what did she find?
But a gown made of silk and solid gold twine.

The whole town was happy
The party had come!
There was ice cream for all and cake for each one!

But Old Mr. Fray
Wasn’t even in town
To share the big cake and see the new gown.

He’d gone on his way
When his work was all done.
He was too sleepy to join in the fun.

Old Mr. Fray
Learned his lesson that day.
It’s better for everyone when you obey.

“If I’d just been there sooner,”
He thought as he sat,
“They would have been ready for a party like that.”

He’d worked awfully hard
And mended his way.
Next time he’ll certainly choose to obey.


Note: Please don't do anything silly- like copy this and claim it as your own work. We're all adults here. If you choose to share, just give credit where credit is due.