Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (Lisa's retelling)
Setting: Main Character: Sylvester (* the donkey)
Other Characters: Sylvester's Mom and Dad, Lion
This story takes place at Strawberry Hill at night, during the day and a couple of seasons.
Theme:
When Sylvester finds a magic pebble he wishes for something he couldn't change back. Sometimes people have all that they need, a family that loves them. (* He learned never to turn yourself into a rock if there is danger.)
Plot Episodes:
· Sylvester has a hobby of collecting pebbles of unusual shape and color.
· 1. One rainy day Sylvester finds a shiny red pebble (* Magic) and makes a wish that it would stop raining.
· Suddenly it stopped raining instantly.
· Surprised by what had happened Sylvester wishes it would rain again to see what would happen. It starts to rain again.
· Sylvester thought that it was such a magic pebble that all his family and friends can have everything they want and he started home carrying the magic pebble.
· 2. On his way home he sees a mean hungry lion (* tiger) and Sylvester panicked and could not think carefully and he wished that he was a rock.
· 3. Sylvester turned into a rock and the lion left thinking that he was going crazy. 4. (* tiger walked around)
· Sylvester could not change back into a donkey because he had to be touching the pebble in order to make the magic work.
· So Sylvester stayed a rock.
· 7. His parents wondered where Sylvester was and they asked the neighbors, talked to the children and even went to the police.
· The dogs searched for Sylvester and even sniffed the rock but it smelled like a rock and not Sylvester.
· Months went by and the Sylvester's mother and father were sad that he was missing.
· 6. The seasons changed to fall (* then fall came) and Sylvester was still a rock.
· 5. Winter came and Sylvester howled with the wolf because he was hungry.
· 8. Spring came, the flowers were blooming and Mr. and Mrs. Duncan decided to go on a picnic at Strawberry Hill.
· 9. Mrs. Duncan sits down on the rock and Mr. Duncan finds a fantastic pebble (* magic) that Sylvester would have loved. He puts the pebble on the rock. (* table)
· Sylvester wishes he was his real self again and he turned back into a donkey.
· Mr. and Mrs. Duncan were very excited to have Sylvester back.
· 10. When they returned home they put the magic pebble in a safe and they have all that they had wished for. (* they happily laid down on the couch.)
Resolution:
The Duncans have all that they could wish for when Sylvester is returned to them and the magic pebble is put in a safe place.
*Problem: He turned into a rock and he couldn't turn back.
*Solution: He did put the pebble on him and he wised he was back.
* Student added information during her retelling. The numbers in red represent the order which the student retold the story.