Hello everyone,
The story that I am going to tell you today is my own creation.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as enjoyed writing it.
SPOILT LITTLE MAUREEN
Maureen was a six year old little girl. If
you saw her she was the sweetest little girl you ever saw. She had chubby
cheeks with dimples in them when she smiled. She had golden hair, which was
tied into a bow at the back of her head. She had small white teeth and big
round eyes, which were deep blue in colour like a calm sea. As a matter of
fact, you would never ever dream that this little girl could become a real
monster if she did not get what she wanted! She would throw tantrums until her
mother did not know what to do!
One day, Maureen’s mother took her to one
of her friend’s house. Now, her friend had a son who was the same age as
Maureen. His name was Bobby. Bobby was a nice little boy. When Bobby saw
Maureen, he invited her to his room to play with him. There he had a lot of
toys. He also had a beautiful train set. He had been given this train set by
his uncle on his birthday and he really loved it.
They played for about an hour and then
Maureen’s mother called to go home. This is when the problem started. Maureen
came downstairs obediently, but as soon as she came downstairs, she said in a
demanding voice, “I want that train set that Bobby has. I want to take it
home.”
“Maureen dear, you just can’t take anything
at home like that. Besides, you have to ask politely,” her mother said, feeling
that familiar uncomfortable feeling.
“I want it, Mum and I want it right now,”
she said, stubbornly.
“I tell you what we’ll do. We shall go to
town tomorrow and buy one just like that, alright?” her mother said, coaxingly,
hoping against hope that she wouldn’t go into in one of her embarrassing
tantrums again.
“I don’t want it tomorrow. I want it right
now. I want Bobby’s train set,” she said, stiffly.
“Try to understand, dear. This is Bobby’s
play station. You just can’t take it away from him just like that. That’s very
rude, don’t you think?” her mother asked, uncomfortably.
She knew what was coming and she was
dreading it. She wished that she had never to her friend’s house.
Maureen started screaming at the top her
voice! Then, she lay down on the floor and beat her legs and fists with all her
might.
Bobby’s mother looked uncomfortable. She
took Bobby aside and said, “Bobby dear, do give Maureen your train set. I’m
sure she will bring it back tomorrow.”
Bobby looked at his mother. His heart sank.
He understood what his mother meant. If he didn’t give the train set Maureen
would go on with her tantrum. So, he reluctantly went and brought the train set
and gave it spoilt little Maureen, who wiped her eyes and looked victorious
because she got her way again with her tantrums.
“I’m so sorry for all this,” said Maureen’s
mother, very much embarrassed. “I’ll make sure that Maureen sends it back to
tomorrow.”
Bobby looked ready to cry. He knew somehow
that he would never see his train set again.
When Maureen and her mother were gone,
Bobby went upstairs to his room and shut himself there until it was time for
dinner.
The next day Maureen wouldn’t let her
mother return the train set neither the day after and nor the day after that.
Her mother had really gotten tired of her tantrums and was thinking of some way
to make Maureen a well-behaved child. Suddenly, she had an idea! Of course, why
not! She took her phone and dialed her mother’s number. She talked to her for a
while and then said goodbye and put down the phone.
Then, she called Maureen.
“Maureen dear,” she said, “would you like
to go and stay with Grandma for a few days?”
Maureen was delighted. Going to Grandma’s
meant having all kinds of good things to eat and having a lot of fun, doing
whatever you wanted and having whatever you wanted.
“Oh, yes!” she said at once. “I would love
to go to Grandma’s. When can I go, Mother?”
“Well, you can go tomorrow, if you like,”
her replied.
Maureen jumped for joy. She could go
tomorrow! This meant she had a lot of packing to do.
“Mother, can I start packing right now?”
“Yes, you can,” her mother said. “But don’t
take too many things, as you know Grandma isn’t very strong.”
Although she said that she knew that
Maureen would take whatever she wanted regardless of what she was told.
And so, Maureen went to do her packing. She
took all her best clothes, some of her games and one or two of her dolls and
her teddy bear, although, she knew that she would never be using most of her
things. When her mother came up to see how she was doing, she told her to
reduce some of her things. Maureen was stubborn. She said she must take all
these things as she did not know when would need them and looked ready to go
into one of her tantrums. Her mother gave up and went downstairs.
The next day, Maureen woke up very early. Had
her breakfast and got ready.
Maureen’s mother took her to the station
and put her aboard the train. She sat near the window and when the train was
ready to go she waved her mother goodbye. Soon, the train was gone. She heaved
a big sigh of relief. Now, she would get a few days’ rest and go and visit her
friends without any fear of a tantrum.
When Maureen reached the station, her
grandmother was there to receive her. They were both delighted to see each
other.
Once, at home, Grandma gave Maureen some
fresh lemonade and some freshly baked cookies that she had baked that morning.
That whole day Maureen played at home or she went into the garden and played
there as it was a beautiful day.
The next day, Grandma took Maureen to one
of her friend’s house. There, Grandma’s friend had her granddaughter visiting
her for a few days. As usual, Maureen became friends with her and began to play
with her. Now, here, Maureen’s new friend, whose name was Susan, had brought
her violin with her to practice at her grandmother’s house. She showed Maureen
the violin and played a bit of music. She also let Maureen take it into her
hands and showed her how it was played, which was a big mistake because, she
immediately made up her to mind to take the violin with her when she went home.
They played for about an hour and then Grandma said it was getting late and it
was time to go home.
Now,
when Grandma said they had to go, Maureen suddenly said,
“Grandma,
I want to take that violin home with me. I like it very much.”
Her grandmother stared at her in disbelief!
Had she heard the right thing?
When Maureen saw her looking at her like
that, she said it again, “Grandma, I want to take that violin home with me. I
like it very much.”
“No, dear, you can’t take that violin with
you,” said her grandmother, firmly, “because, it doesn’t belong to you.”
“Oh! But I want it and I want it badly!”
she said.
“I said, you can’t take it with you as it
doesn’t belong to you,” said her grandmother, frowning.
Now, Maureen decided to have one of her
tantrums to have her own way.
“Oh! But I must have it! I must!” she
screamed.
“Give me one reason why you must have it
when it isn’t even yours,” Grandma said, calmly.
“Let her have it and then you can always
return it tomorrow. Susan has done her practicing for today,” said Grandma’s
friend.
“No, she mustn’t,” Grandma said, firmly.
“Why should she have something that doesn’t belong to her and besides she
doesn’t have the courtesy to ask politely. She doesn’t even know how to play a
violin so what will she do with it, may I know?”
Then, she turned to Maureen and said, “Now
young lady, are you coming home with me or should I leave you her, because I’m
going, see whether you come with me or not.”
And with that she turned to her friend and
granddaughter and said goodbye and started to leave.
When Maureen saw her leaving, she was
alarmed! She ran after her.
“Wait for me,” she said, running after her
grandmother, who was
already
out of the doorway and making down the path.
Maureen had never been treated like that
before and she didn’t like it one bit. She thought Grandma was very selfish to
have denied her the violin, when she had wanted it so badly.
By the time, they reached home, Maureen had
calmed down but was sulking. She wouldn’t talk to her grandmother, but Grandma
took no notice of her.
After dinner, when Maureen was going to
bed, Grandma called her.
“Tomorrow we are going for a picnic. We
will have to leave here at nine o’clock sharp. The bus will come to take us. So
you’d better be ready,” she told Maureen.
Maureen was thrilled and forgot to sulk.
Going for a picnic! Why, that would be great fun!
“Alright, Grandma,” she said. “I shall be
ready.”
The next day, Maureen got up early. She
began to pack up her things. She took her dolls, her teddy bear and some of her
games. Then, she took all these downstairs.
When her grandmother saw her with such a
big bag, she asked in surprise, “Where do you think you are going with all
those things?”
“I’m taking them with me to play,” Maureen
replied.
“Oh, no! You’re not taking anything with
you,” her grandmother said firmly. “If you want you can take your spade and
bucket, but nothing else, see!”
“But, Grandma, I must have all these
things,” she said, stubbornly.
“Okay, either you leave all these things
here or you stay here with them. See!” Grandma said, even more firmly.
Maureen looked her grandmother. She saw
that she was not going to give in like her mother used to do. She decided to do
as she was told.
“Well? Are leaving your things and coming
with me and have lots of fun and have all sorts of good things to eat?” her
grandmother asked.
“Oh, alright,” she said, reluctantly and
went to keep her things upstairs.
“Now, there’s a good girl. That’s more like
it!” said her grandmother, smiling.
Grandma had taken a lot of food and some
orange juice. They had a lovely day. Maureen was thankful she had not taken all
the stuff that she had wanted to take. She saw that she wouldn’t even have had
the time to play with it. There were so many other children who had come for a
picnic and they played hide and seek and catch and catch and lots of other
games.
The next day, Grandma told Maureen that
she was going to visit one of her friends with her.
“But, if you throw any of your tantrums
there, I shall leave you there and come back without you, see!” she warned
Maureen. “And next time I won’t take you anywhere, not even to the picnics. I
shall leave you her and go away by myself. See!”
So, Maureen didn’t make a fuss at all. And
although she found she wanted something she just kept quiet!
When it was time for Maureen to go home,
she was a changed little girl. She, no longer made any tantrums and was very
well-behaved. She, also minded her p’s and q’s, that is, pleases and thank
yous. She wondered now why she had brought so many things with her. She had
hardly played with any of her toys, as she hadn’t even had the time to play
with them.
When Maureen returned home, her mother was
very happy to see her. Grandma had told her the whole story. Also, she had been
warned not to give in to her tantrums.
So, whenever Maureen went into tantrums,
her mother would simply say, “Shall I tell Grandma?” And Maureen would behave
herself immediately.
