BIBLE STORIES, RE-INTERPRETED, #1.

My wife and I frequently have the children draw out pictures of various stories while we're reading or telling them. The Biblical book of Genesis has been an especially interesting one, as we have given a great degree of creative license in rendering their own interpretations. Our daughter has drawn some lovely imaginings, and our son has...also drawn some intriguing renditions. His collection of Genesis artwork and accompanying stories is one that I could potentially see being appealing to Billy Graham, Richard Dawkins, and everyone in between. Or at least being a catalyst for some chuckles, which is good exercise for the belly and cerebral cortex. And David James Duncan has pointed out that God not only plays, but laughs, so I would guess that might happen, but I can't be certain. Perhaps I will post some illustrations eventually, but for now his first re-imagining is this:

HOW THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT GOES.
Sadly, jealous Cain kills his brother Abel, infamously becoming the world's first murderer.

HOW OUR SON'S VERSION GOES.
"Abel starts fighting Cain, and pushes Cain into the river, and then a crocodile bites Cain's head off."

The tiniest bit of poetic license.

Just wait for Noah, Abraham, and Deborah. 

I AM (NOT) THE WALRUS.

- Good morning!
I said. And asked the same question I ask every morning:
- What did you dream about?

- Nothing,
he said; mind moving to other matters more important.

I am persistent.
- You didn't dream about anything? 

- No, not really.
He said, brushing me off.

I am not easily brushable.
- How about telling me ONE tiny thing you dreamed about?
I asked.

He started in first gear and effortlessly upshifted to sixth:
- I dreamed about a walrus and it was evil. No, actually it was just bad. He had a knife and he didn't really have a name. I was swordfighting him with a broadsword and his eyes were glowing. He did not have his blood out or his bones out and then I was knifefighting him, and we did not become friends. I won.

- Oh.
I said.
Nice dream. 

____

(Buried in here are the names of two songs by two of the greatest bands ever. One is very obvious, one is slightly less so. What are they?)

I guess technically there's a bunch of one-word titles, like Friends. Not it though.

A WHALE TALE.

I have been working with the children on story structure, and specifically the importance of developing plots that are consistent with the intrinsic motivations of the primary characters. This was my son's effort today. Reminiscent of Shyamalan's The Village, sort of, with shifting protagonists, and a muddied middle act, but I think he grabs us with the ending. Here it is below:

WHALE TALE.
Once upon a time, there was a shark.
And it was a huge shark.
It weighed eight pounds.
It ate a fish,
and then it ate a whale's tail.
The whale got on the beach
and was tied up,
and then smoke got in his lung.
And he died.
The end.

So, there's that. Deus ex machina leaves the door open for a sequel, which would not surprise me terribly. 

Anyway, I'll pass along your comments and feedback. Thanks.