A Short Bedtime Story - With A Moral And Art
Applebee Is Not A Name
UGH!
My Parents named me Applebee and isn't it a shame,
of every pretty word out there, I got stuck with this name.
(Boy - Unknown)
I mean, give me Harry. I'd take Larry!
Or a perplexing name like Tarry.
Willy, Billy, even Chilly.
I'd be thrilled to go by Philly.
But, no.
It's Applebee.
HUMPH.
(Questioning - Cesi)
What was going through their head?
That all they saw was Honeycrisp red!
Were they struck by a Pink Lady?
Which made them devise something this shady!
(Apples - Roesen)
Perhaps it was a swarm of bees,
Which forced them away from expertise.
Maybe they were in mid-sneeze,
and I got stuck with this disease.
(A Bee - Hoefnagel)
Applebee, huh?
APPLE. BEE.
And you know what's worse? Pretty soon
I'll be at my first day of school.
The kids in class, in their youthness
Will tease me in ways quite ruthless.
(Teasing - Traversi)
Apple sauce. Apple head. Mr. Rotten.
Every name will have been gotten.
Bee brain. Bee sting. Bee a nerd.
Every insult I'll have heard.
(Rotting - Mignon)
WE'RE HERE!
Oh, no.
I see a boy. Please look away.
I can't bear the things he'll say.
Here he comes with outstretched hand.
He greets me but with a demand.
(Shy Meeting - Lundahl)
"Hello there, what is your name?"
"Applebee." I say it lame.
A total hush falls on this kid. What mean thing will he say?
This is the terrible start of a lengthy, lengthy day.
(Defensive - Daumier)
"WHAT AN AWESOME NAME" he yells! "Man, am I jealous.
My own name is such a bore. Nothing for fun fellas."
HMM
Apparently I must rethink the things I said before.
Having a name that's this unique, at least won't cause a snore.
(Reflecting - Caravaggio)
Every kid will have some things that will set them apart.
But, friends will think it intriguing yet, assuming they have some heart.
This story was created in reflection of our general goal of freeing kids to be themselves. If your child has an uncommon name, tell them to wear it with pride!
To contribute to the 'Toys For Those In Need' fund please click here.
OMG!!! This is amazing!!!! I love it!!!! I read it to my Grandson Xavier (9) and he liked it too! Love the rhyming and the story is quite creative! I love the way you bring the reader into Applebees journey and angst of living with such a “unique” name. The message comes out loud and clear to the listener of how cruel one can be to another, and the unhappiness it causes. I loved your talent and yes I want to see more!! Of course I’m so jealous because you have no idea how long I have wanted to be a writer and just how bad I am at it! 😩 The best story I ever wrote was when I had a bad migraine headache. Thank you for sharing!! ❤️
So much pain a sick. I decided to write a story about my pain while I was suffering.