8.31.25 - Part 1

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, and welcome to Rayi's Charny's Story Hour. As a reminder,
RAI is a reading service intended for people who are
blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
read printed material. Today we will be reading from various
books on school. Your reader today is Diane. We will
get back to the book we began reading last week,

(00:24):
Back to School, Mallory. It was published by Darby Creek,
a division of Learner Publishing Group. It has a copyright
here of two thousand and four and the author is
Laurie B.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Friedman, Teacher of the Month.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
It's out, screams Pamela, what's out?

Speaker 2 (00:46):
I checked the four round my desk. A rat, a mouse,
a snake.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
No silly, Pamela shoves the first issue of the Daily
News in my face and starts jumping up and down
like a cheerleader in the last minute of a tie game.
It's so exciting, she squeals. I walk to the front
of the classroom and get a copy of the Daily
News off of missus Daly's desk. I searched through the

(01:11):
table of contents until I find what I'm looking for.
I flip to page seven, cross my toes and read
How to Get Your Cat to Nap by Mallory McDonald,
dedicated to Cheeseburger my cat, who is a great napper.
Most cats love to nap, but if you have the
kind of cat that prefers to be awake, here are

(01:32):
some tips to get your cat to sleep. Tip number
one seing your cat a luttaby. Don't try this if
you've seen off key. Your cat might get mad and
stay awake forever.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Tip two.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
Draw a picture for your cat of other cats sleeping.
Once she sees that cats are doing this everywhere, she
might want.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
To try it herself.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Tip three, make your cat watch while you do your homework.
I promise this will put your cat to sleep.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Tip four.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
If your kid is already sleeping, this is my best advice,
don't wake her up. If you need help with any
of these tips. As Mallory McDonald local cat experts, my
article isn't bad.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
In fact, it's pretty good. Cat should be.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
Sleeping all over fern Falls by the end of the day.
But I don't get a chance to admire it for
long before Pamela starts squealing again. Mallorie, did you see
my teacher of the Month? Common on page three She
looks over my shoulder and waits for me to read it,
even though I'm officially not speaking to Pamela. I flip
to page three and start reading Teacher of the Month

(02:44):
fern Falls Elementary third grade Teacher Missus Daily by Pamela.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Brooks, her devoted student.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
Missus Daly is the third grade teacher at fern Falls Elementary.
Missus Daily makes learning fun. She makes learning science fun,
makes learning social studies fun. She makes learning math fun.
Missus Daily makes learning so much fun that even that
even when you're learning, you feel like you're at recess.

(03:14):
Missus Daly is super. It was her idea to publish
the super newspaper. I asked Missus Daly if she could
tell us the secret of her success as a teacher.
You have to love what you do to do a
good job at it, and I love what I do,
says Missus Daly. I love what she does too, and
so do a lot of third graders at fern Falls Elementary.

(03:35):
So let's all give a big cheer for Missus Daly.
Hipp poray hip hop poray hip hip Pooray. Thank you,
Missus Daly for being the best teacher ever. I close
my newspaper. I've read enough. Pamela tugs on my sleeve.
Missus Daly said she loved my article and the apple

(03:55):
I gave her for being teacher of the Month. I
wrote my news paper into a cone in case I
have to barf. I'm sure Missus Daly loved Pamela's article
in her apple. She loves everything Pamela does, but I don't.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
I reopen my.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
Newspaper and pretend to read the school lunch menus. Missus
Daily taps Chester on the head. Class, you should be
proud of the first issue of the Daily News.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
You all worked hard.

Speaker 1 (04:21):
Does anybody have any comments? Joey raises his hand. Did
everybody see my announcement column? Unroll my paper? Joey's announcement
calm is on page four. Dress rehearsal for fall festivals
next Thursday night, my last a plant free weekend. I
think about all the times we practice our songs and

(04:43):
music class. It's one thing to seem like an egg plant,
but another to dress like one. Pamela leans over my
shoulder and reads the announcement column. Dress rehearsal next week.
It's so exciting, she squeals, even though we've been practicing
in class. Want to be exciting when we finally get
to rehearse on the stage. I put my head on

(05:04):
my desk and groan. I'm trying to get excited, but
some things are hard to get excited about. Having Pamela
Brooks as a desk mate is one of those things.
Being an eggplant in Fall Festival is another dress rehearsal.
Eat your meatball, says Mom. I push my plate away.

(05:25):
I don't want to eat my meatball. I also don't
want to put on my eggplant costume and go to
the auditorium tonight for dress rehearsal. And that's what I
have to do. As soon as I finish eating my meatball,
Come on, says mom. I can't be late. I take
a teeny tiny bite of meatball and spit it in
my napkin. This tastes funny, Mallory. Mom says my name like,

(05:48):
I'm going to run the whole night if I don't
eat what's on my plate. Dad sticks is forking the
meatball in his plate and takes a bite. New recipe.
Mom puts a bowl of spaghetti on a table. Actually
they're frozen. I've been so busy with Fall Festival. I
haven't had time to cook. I look at Mom. She's
wearing a T shirt that says director on it. It

(06:10):
should say all I care about is the stinking show.
Fall Festival is all she cares about these days. Mom
looks at me, Malory, hurry up. I stick a fork
into my meetball and hold it up to the light.
Who invented frozen meatballs? Mom groans, I continue expecting my meatball.

(06:31):
Maybe the astronauts did. They kind of look like moon rocks.
Mike shoves a big bite in his mouth.

Speaker 2 (06:36):
Who cares?

Speaker 1 (06:37):
Who invented them? Mike' helps himself to two more meatballs.
They're great, you know, if you'd eat yours. Easy for
Mike's to say he doesn't care if he has to
eat it frozen meatball, just like he doesn't care that
Mom is the music teacher at our school. But Mike'
and I are different because I do care. I take

(06:58):
a teeny tiny bite, then I give mom, and I'm
going to be sick.

Speaker 2 (07:02):
Look.

Speaker 1 (07:02):
Mom takes my plate and dumps it in the garbage.
We don't have time for this, she says. She picks
up the phone and calls the Winstons. She tells Joey
to come over because it's time to go. Tonight will
be awesome, says Joey when we're in the van. I
can't wait to rehearse on stage. It will really be
different from doing it in the classroom. Mom smiles at

(07:25):
him in the rear view mirror. When we pull into
the parking lot, Mom asks Joey and me to carry
an armload of costumes. Mom follows us into the auditorium. Careful, Mallori,
She says, your costumes are dragging. You don't want anything
to happen to them? Do you? Actually?

Speaker 2 (07:43):
I do, I whispered to Joey. I want them to
drop off a cliff. I wait for Joey to laugh,
but he doesn't. Mallory.

Speaker 1 (07:51):
You should change your attitude off. This will be lots
of fun, fun for him. He has a great part.
He didn't have to invite his best friend to come.
When we get inside the auditorium, Mom starts spreading the
costumes out on chairs. The auditorium is filling up with
fern falls elementary third graders. Okay, everyone, Mom looks at

(08:11):
her clipboard. Let's get into these costumes. Joey puts on
a straw hat. Pamela ties a red checkered apron around
her waist. The townspeople roll up the hems of their
blue jeans and tucking their white T shirts. Fruits and
vegetables are putting on their costumes. Produce is popping up everywhere.

(08:32):
There's a peach, a plum, and an apple and a
bowl of cherries. There's a carrot, a radish, a string bean,
and two lettuce leaves. Mom asked me to adjust the
stem on a cluster of grapes. Then she helps me
step into my egg plant costume. She starts pinning on
my stem. Hope Still, she says, I don't want to

(08:52):
stick you. What would happen if you did? I ask,
would egg plant juice strip out? I laugh at my
joe but Mom doesn't. Joey looks at me like I'm
a circus monkey who won't cooperate with the trainer. Be serious,
he says, Fall festivals tomorrow night, and we have a
lot of work to do. Did I hear him right?

(09:13):
Did Joey tell me to be serious? If you ask me?
Joey is taking fall festival way too seriously. Okay, everyone
says Mom, I want to take a quick picture before
we get started. Fruits in front, vegetables in the back,
townspeople on farmers squad in the middle. Everybody smile and
say salad. I think about the picture. If I make

(09:35):
a scrap book a fall festival, it will look more
like a cookbook than a scrapbook. Mom blows her whistle,
places everyone, let's stick to the schedule. She sits in
the front row of the auditorium while we sing all
our songs. First the farmer singes, then his wife sings,
Then the townspeople sing, Then the fruits make a sing

(09:56):
fruit salad. When the vegetables go on stage, I waddle
behind the string. Being the vegetables make a circle around
the lettuce leaves and sing our song. Well would you
do if no one ate the stewp How would you
feel if you got a raw deal? Everyone should eat
at least five a day, asking you vegetable and that's

(10:16):
what they'll say. When we're done, the lettuce leave sing
the salad finale. Bravo. Mom shouts when they finish, Tomorrow
night will be a smashing success. When I get home,
I'm going to wish the pond to wish that somehow someway.
This show will close before it ever opens. But when

(10:38):
I get home, Max hands me a letter. It's from Marianne,
he says. I rip it open and start reading. Dear Mallory.
Mom says, we wouldn't miss the Fall Fest for for anything.
We think you'll make a great, cute eight plant. We're
driving up Friday after school so we'll get there in
time for the show. The mom says, we have to

(10:59):
drive back Saturday morning. See you so so so soon.
Can't wait, Wait wait fall Fest Full be the best
hugs and kisses Marianne. I rub my eyes. I can't
believe Marianne is coming to the Fall Festival. I crumple
upper letter and aim for the trash. Mix catches it
knit air and reads it for once. Bird brain is right,

(11:22):
you'll make it an adorable egg plant. Be serious, I
tell Matt it's my big brother. You could try to
help me think of something so I wont looks stupid
on stage.

Speaker 2 (11:32):
You're right.

Speaker 1 (11:33):
Mix hands me Marianne's letter. He looks serious. How about
dancing lessons? Mix puffs out his cheeks and dances around
the room like an overgrown egg plant. Then he falls
on the floor laughing. I crumple up Marianne's letter and
throw it in the trash. I hope you laugh so
hard your head falls off. I tell Mix, I run
to my room and slam my door. But even after

(11:56):
I do, I can still hear Mix laughing. And the
truth is, I don't blame him. I'm sure the sight
of Mallory the Dancing Eggplant live on stage will be
just hilarious.

Speaker 2 (12:08):
A broken leg.

Speaker 1 (12:10):
Joey and I stop and read the sign on the
bulletin board outside the auditorium Fall Festival tonight, he says
out loud. I can tell reading that sign makes Joey
feel terrific, but it makes me feel sick. I fill
my head. I think I have a fever fall festivul fever.
I know if I tell Mom, she'll just say the

(12:31):
show must go on. Mike says that shows that show
talk lately. That's the only kind of talk I hear
from Mom. Fac stage. Mom zips kids into costumes. Who's
excited for Fall Festival? She asked, This must be a
trick question. Who could possibly be excited? By looking around?

(12:51):
And I see lots of kids who look excited. Joey,
Pamela even zich and anam, who are let us leaves?
Look excited? I pull my eggs playing stem down on
my head. I think I'm the only one around who here,
who's not? I walked over to chair and sit down.
I think about this afternoon when Marianne and her mom
got to our house. As soon as they pulled into

(13:12):
our driveway, Marianne popped out of the car and started
hugging me like crazy. You're gonna be a star. She
was jumping and dancing around me. She even tried to
pick me up. I know a stage star. I know
a stage star. Cut it out, I mumbled to Marianne,
but her mom heard me. She's just excited to see

(13:33):
you on stage tonight, and so am I.

Speaker 2 (13:35):
She rumpled my hair.

Speaker 1 (13:37):
We wouldn't drive three hours to see anybody but you.
Then Marianne started jumping all over me again. I want
to see your costume. So I took Marianne to my
room and showed her my costume. Try it on, she squealed.
I modeled my costume for Marianne. I look ridiculous, don't I.
I was hoping Marianne would say, no, you look really, really,

(13:59):
really cute. But that's not what she said. She didn't
say anything. She couldn't because she couldn't stop laughing. I
crossed my arms across my chest. Look Marianne was trying
to keep a straight face. It could be worse. You
could have been an onion or a turn up. And
at least your costume is a good color. But I

(14:21):
could tell mary Anne didn't think there was anything good
about it. Backstage, I wig on my chair and straighten
my stem. Crowd noises are starting to fill the auditorium.
I pretend like I'm at the wishpond and make a wish.
I wish there was some way I could get out
of this show, but I don't think wishing will do
much good. Mom claps her hands. Listen up, everybody. The

(14:44):
show starts in just a few minutes, so find your
places backstage. I walked a place near the front curtain
and peek of the auditorium.

Speaker 2 (14:53):
It's filling up with people.

Speaker 1 (14:55):
I see Dad, Marianne, her mom as Mom says, the
show must go on, but I can't wait until it's ober.
One minute till showtime, says Mom. Whiet, everyone, someone pulls
the stem on top of my eggplane hat. I turn
around it's Mick's what are you doing back here? I say,

(15:15):
I wanted to tell you to break a leg.

Speaker 2 (15:17):
Huh.

Speaker 1 (15:18):
I can't believe my own brother wants me to break
a leg. It's show talk. Mix gives me a thumbs
up sign it means good luck. On stage, Mix goes,
but he leaves me with an idea, a thumbs up idea.
If I pretend like I have a broken leg, I
won't have to be Mallory of the Dancing Eggplant.

Speaker 2 (15:37):
That's it.

Speaker 1 (15:38):
All I have to do is find the right way
to pretend like I broke it. Showtime says mom, Concentrate
and have fun. I am concentrating. I'm breaking my leg.
I've never breaken a leg before. I've never even pretended
to break one. Joey goes on stage. First, he reads
a page from Farmer Brown's journal about how much he

(15:59):
loves his and his fruits and vegetables. He sings a
song no one gives a hoot about veggies and fruit.
When he's finished, the audience claps.

Speaker 2 (16:09):
I squirm.

Speaker 1 (16:10):
I can't break my leg just standing here. Then it's
Pamela's turn. She reads a poem about wanting to save
the farm. She sings let's have a feast. More clapping,
Still no chance to break a leg. When the townspeople
go on stage, they sing we love junk food. I
watch a peach, a plum, and apples, some grapes, and

(16:30):
a bow of cherries go on stage. I listen as
they sing the song they practice in music class. Fruit
glorious fruit. We hope you will try it. Three pieces
a day makes a healthy diet. Just to picture a great,
big peach, plump, juicy and cute. Oh fruit, glorious fruit,
glorious fruit, glorious fruit. I wish I could find a

(16:52):
glorious way to break my leg. Emma, the peach holds
up a sign for the audience that says, go bananas.
There's clapping and whistling. Just like Mom said, there would
be still no chance for me to break a leg.
Mom motions for the vegetables to go on stage. I
follow a carrot, a potato, a radish, a string being,
and two lettuce leaves on stage. The vegetables make a

(17:15):
circle around the lettuce leaves. I walk to the back
of a circle. Then I see it, the crate on stage.
There's a little crate.

Speaker 2 (17:23):
I'm supposed to.

Speaker 1 (17:24):
Stand on while I sing. It's the chance I've been
waiting for. All I have to do is to pretend
that I trip when I'm stepping onto the crate, and
I won't have to do my park in the show.
I walk towards the crate two more steps. I take
a deep breath, close my eyes, and step up. I
hope this works. I pretend to trip and fall on

(17:46):
the floor.

Speaker 2 (17:48):
Oh, my leg gets broken.

Speaker 1 (17:51):
It's not easy to clutch your leg and roll around
the pain when you're wrapped up in five yards of
purple felt, but I do. Mom runs onto the stage.
The vegetables turn around to see what's going on. Everybody
in the autotoornaments looking at me, and that's the one
thing I didn't want anybody to be looking at. Mom
pokes my leg.

Speaker 2 (18:11):
Can you move it?

Speaker 1 (18:12):
Oh, I'm on like people do on TV when they're
really hurt, and wiggle my ankle just a little.

Speaker 2 (18:20):
I whisper.

Speaker 1 (18:21):
Mom helps me stand up. Let's go backstage and put
ice on it. The show can continue. Mom motions the
vegetables to start without me. Backstage. I sit in a chair.
Mom inspects my leg.

Speaker 2 (18:34):
Are you okay? I think so.

Speaker 1 (18:37):
I just the ice pack and watch while everybody does
the finale. We've been practicing a music class since the
second week of school. But Mom isn't watching the finale.
She's watching me. Don't you want to see the end
of the show, I ask her. She shakes her head.
Part of me is glad I'm not on stage singing,

(18:58):
but part of me wishes I was be better than singing.
Back here with Mom staring at me, clapping feels the auditorium.
The show is over. Everyone comes backstage. Pamela gives Mom flowers.
Thank you missus McDonald. She says, this was the best
Fall festival ever. Joey puts his fingers in his mouth

(19:18):
and whistles and yellsy yeehaw. He sounds more like a
cowboy than a farmer, but everybody laughs. I'm proud of
all of you, says mom. You did a wonderful job.
There's a party in the auditorium, punching cookies for everyone.
Kids start running to the refreshment table. Everyone looks like
they feel great, almost to everyone.

Speaker 2 (19:41):
My leg is fine, but the rest of me feels awful.

Speaker 1 (19:44):
I thought I would feel good if I didn't have
to be in the show, but now I wish Mom
was saying she was proud of me too. I stay
in my chair and hold the ice pack on my leg.
People start crowding around me, Dad, Joey, Pamela, even though
they ask if I'm okay, I feel like they know
what they're looking at is a leg that's not broken.

(20:07):
Way to run a show, Mix whispers in my ear
Whennie is standing behind him with her arms crossed. My
brother's chances start and wash down the drain. Agnore Winny,
and rearrange my ice pack. Mike sure, the one who
told me to break my leg? Show talk, remember, says Mix.

(20:28):
Marianne brings me some punch and cookies. She hands me
the plate, but I put it down. I love punching cookies,
but I'm not in the mood for a party. When
we get home, Mom takes out towels for Marianne and
her mom. Rember, your family needs a few minutes alone,
says Marianne's mom. Mom nods her head like that's exactly
what we need.

Speaker 2 (20:48):
Mallory.

Speaker 1 (20:49):
You and Marianne get ready for bid. Then Dad and
I would like to see you in our room. I
pull on my flower powered pajamas I brought up the
same ones. Marianne pulls hers on too. She flips her
head over and brushes her hair. Too bad, we didn't
get to see you perform tonight. I sit down on
the floor beside Marianne. I always know what I want

(21:10):
to say to my best friend, but right now I'm
not so sure. Marianne stops brushing. I think your mom
wants to talk to you about what happened tonight. I
want to talk about it too, and I do. And
I tell Marianne about all the things that have changed
in my life since I started schooling fern Falls. I
tell her how hard it's been to start a new school.

(21:30):
I tell her that it hasn't been much fun taking
mom with me. I tell her Mom doesn't have much
time to be my mom like she used to. Marianne
sits down on the bed beside me. Remember when my
parents got divorced, everything changed, and then after a while
I got used to it. I think about when Marianne said,
do you think I'll ever get used to the way
things are now? Marianne nods and smiles. My sticks is

(21:54):
head in my room. News flash, you're in big trouble.
You better get upstairs.

Speaker 2 (22:00):
The double. MICUs is right.

Speaker 1 (22:02):
I slipped my feet into my fuzzy duck slippers and
trudge upstairs to Mom and Dad's room. I feel like
I'm entering the chamber of doom. Mom tells me to
sit on the bed. She crosses her arms. Mallory, I
know you weren't excited about the show. Did you fall
on purpose? When I swallow, I feel like I've got
a cement truck stuck in my throat. I wish I

(22:24):
could be anywhere but here, right now, in a junkyard,
a sewer plant, even a swamp filled with quick sand
and hungry alligators.

Speaker 2 (22:33):
I nod.

Speaker 1 (22:34):
It's a tiny nod, but it's big enough for Mom
to know the truth.

Speaker 2 (22:38):
She shakes her head. Malory, what you did was wrong.

Speaker 1 (22:41):
You let your classmates down, you let the audience down,
You let me down.

Speaker 2 (22:46):
Mom keeps talking.

Speaker 1 (22:48):
Sometimes we all have to do things we don't want
to do, and that's what you should have done. Sometimes
we have to consider other people's feelings, not just our own.
My feet feel cold even inside my fuzzy duck slippers.
Mom is quiet for a minute, but her face is
all pinched up like a raisin. Mallory is there something
you'd like to say. Actually, there are a lot of

(23:11):
things I like to say. I think about the expressionist
paintings we're working on in our class. It's easy to
paint how you feel, but it's hard to say it
when someone's staring at you with crosstorms and an angry
look on her face.

Speaker 2 (23:25):
I'm sorry, I'm mumble.

Speaker 1 (23:28):
Parents should know it's embarrassing to get in trouble when
you've had a friend over. Marianne is waiting for me downstairs.
I tell them, I think we've talked enough for one night,
says Dad. He and Mom kissed me good night, but
I can tell what they're really thinking is bad night.
And I agree. This was a very, very, very bad

(23:48):
night at the wishpond. I look through the stones on
the edge of the wishpond. I'd like to find a
wish pebble. The problem is there never around when you
need one. Ow enough for your thoughts, says Dad. He
sits down next to me and opens a box of
chocolate donuts with colored sprinkles. I shake my hand. I
love donuts, but this morning I'm not in the mood.

(24:11):
Dad puts the box down and picks through the rocks
on the edge of the pond.

Speaker 2 (24:15):
What are you looking for? I ask?

Speaker 1 (24:17):
Dad doesn't answer. He keeps picking through the rocks. If
you're looking for a wish pebble, you might as well
give up. I tell him they're pretty hard to find. No,
says Dad, I'm not looking for a wish pebble. He
stops digging through the rocks and looks at me. I'm
looking for the Mallory I know, who always work at
something until things work out the way she'd like them to.

(24:40):
Dad smiles. Lately she's been pretty hard to find. I
kick my toe in the water. You're not going to
find her under a rock. Dad hands me a donut.
I peeked into her room this morning. Mari Anne was
still asleep and your bed was empty. I thought you
might be out here. I pick a sprinkle off my donut.
Feel like talk, king, asked. I shake my head from

(25:02):
side to side. Dad looks at the pile of stones
in my lap. Well, since this is a wish pond,
I bet you came out here to make some wishes?
Am I right about that? I shake my head up
and down. Feel like telling me what you plan to
wish for? If I tell you my wishes might not
come true. Dad puts his arms around me and pulls

(25:22):
me close to him. Sweet Potato, it might help you
to talk about what's bothering you. I hadn't planned to talk,
but everything that's bothered me starts popping out of my
mouth like Colonel's flying out of the popcorn machine at
the movies. I wish I was still at my old
school with Mary Anne. I wish things with Joey were
like they were this summer. I wish Mom hadn't picked

(25:44):
a stupid thing for fall festival. I wish she hadn't
made me invite Marian to the show. I wish things
could be like they used to be before Mom was
a teacher. And what I really wish is that I
could make her.

Speaker 2 (25:55):
Not mad at me anymore. Who Dad takes a deep breath.

Speaker 1 (26:00):
That's a pretty long list guiding the ideas how you
might make some of those wishes come true.

Speaker 2 (26:08):
I shrug.

Speaker 1 (26:10):
Dad pulls me closer to him. Feel like carrying his story?
I shrug again. I know Dave will tell us story,
whether or not I want to hear it. Once upon
a time, there was little girl, says Dad. She loved
to play with blocks. She used to build all kinds
of things out of blocks. She would build houses, schools, boats,
and even cities out of blocks. Now, this little girl

(26:31):
had an older brother. One day, her brother used her
blocks to build a tower. He built a big tall
tower with all the blocks. When he was finished, his
tower stood straight and tall, almost as tall as little girl.
The little girl must have decided herself that building a
big tall tower looked like fun, because that's what she

(26:52):
started to do. We will return to this book next time.
So this concludes our children's story today. Please join us
next time as we will read more stories, fables and
fairy tales. Thank you for listening and please stay tune.
Felix and Herold Leader on Radio I