Are you really allowed to do this? I mean, how can you publish something you wrote eons ago?
And can I laugh?? Because yes, it’s possible, and yes, I have wanted to bite my tongue for doing this. Come on, I really wrote THAT?? Impossible!
Well, not exactly- You see, I was in fifth grade, and facinated by the fantasy/fairy tale section in my library. I would literally go to the library to just sit there and read. After all, kid’s books are too short to check out, so why spend the time? So, perhaps, after all that reading, it’s no wonder I decided to write a book myself.
And, because I am so nice, I would like to share it with you; aren’t you lucky?
Hence, here lie the reminents of my first book: “Tipsey and His Brothers”, a fantasy/fairy tale:
Three brothers lived on a small farm in Northern Switzerland. There was Peter, the oldest, Rudolf was next, and almost right behind them was the youngest, Tipsey.
Tipsey’s brothers were always in mischief, blaming most of this on Tipsey. Tipsey didn’t mind, but once and a while he had something to say about the whole thing. On the other hand, Tipsey’s brothers were good boys behaving themselves… well, most of the time. Tipsey was lively, almost never daring near trouble. His golden hair and his wild imagination made him special.
There was a small problem with Tipsey. From birth, he was crippled, which is why people thought he wore a hat: it made him feel better and confident. Tipsey and others hoped, one day, his leg would heal or be fixed, and since Tipsey knew that his family couldn’t afford such treatment, he always said, “One day I’ll be a prince or a duke, then my busted leg won’t be called crippled any more!” The family would chuckle, but Tipsey stuck to it.
Finally, the day came for Peter, Rudolf, and Tipsey to seek out their fortunes. The two oldest first, then Tipsey hobbling behind them.
The two oldest were joking and laughing down the road, and they were still doing so when they came upon an old plump man pushing a cart full of barrels of beer. Peter and Rudolf mocked and teased him and knocked over and curshed a few barrels of beer, then they ran off. Tipsey, seeing what had happened, hobbled as fast as he could to where the man was cleaning up his mess very slowly.
When Tipsey arrieved, he apologized for his borhter’s rudeness and did what he could to help clean up the mess.
As they worked, Tipsey told a liitle about himself, his life, and what he was seeking. Strangely, the man never spoke a word. Finally, Tipsey tipped his hat and turned to go.
The man spoke. “I’ve heard of a fortune that shall make you plum rich,” he said.
Tipsey turned. “How?” he questioned curiously.
Copyright of Jessica Anne McLean, all rights reserved.
So what happens next? Really, I can’t tell you. So unjust to leave you hanging like this I know. But, let me explain:
It took me a couple years, but I finished. And when I finished, I, a scrawny 7th grader at the time, proudly paraded the entire thing around, showing it off to my family (I didn’t have many friends to speak of).
That summer, right when I finished it, our family took a vacation to Canada. I, not wanting to take the story with me and being the immature child that I was, hid the book, my precious gem, where I thought no robber would find it. Trouble was, when I got home, I couldn’t find it either.
It’s been about 6 or 7 years now, and I still haven’t found my book. We’ve re-done multiple rooms in our house, and still, no book.
But, luckily, there’s a tombstone to “Tipsey and His Brothers”. Before I lost the book, I began copying the words on to our, and now my grandmother’s, computer. I didn’t get very far before we left for Canada, but I did complete a couple pages. And that, more or less, is what you see here, which is the acute reason why I must leave you hanging. Sorry it’s so much like a movie preview, but, yes, the novel is really lost. If you find it, will you please tell me? Perhaps we will go on another Indiana Jones adventure and, “Last Crusade” style, The Lost Novel will be found. Until then, this is what’s left. Or shall we look under the bed?
This page is: Copyright of Jessica Anne McLean, all rights reserved.
Note: This story was originally inspired and based on George Dasent’s version of Boots and His Brothers (1888), a Norse folk tale. You can read the original by going to: http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=lmr&book=k2rainbow&story=brothers
The Rose 