داستان کوتاه

Cycles and Rhythms – Mini Story

Welcome to the mini story for this month’s lesson. Let’s get started.

Simon the squirrel is known as a wet blanket. His friends have always called him a wet blanket. A wet blanket is a person who is no fun. Someone who kills the fun.

Is Simon the squirrel a fun squirrel, a fun guy?

No, he’s not fun. He’s the opposite. He always kills the fun. He’s a wet blanket.

Who is a wet blanket?

Simon the squirrel. Simon the squirrel is a wet blanket.

Are his friends wet blankets?

No, his friends aren’t wet blankets. Simon is a wet blanket. In fact, whenever anyone is having fun together, Simon talks about depressing topics. Whenever his friends have a party, Simon always leaves early.

Is Simon the squirrel really fun or is he a wet blanket?

He’s a wet blanket. He’s kind of depressing. When his friends have fun, Simon talks about depressing topics.

Simon’s best friend is Anthony, the rabbit. Anthony is the opposite of Simon. Anthony has always been a party animal. A party animal is a kind of slang or idiom. It means someone who’s really fun. They’re super extroverted, really fun and they love parties. They love to have a great time.

So, is Anthony the rabbit a wet blanket?

No. Anthony’s not a wet blanket. Anthony is the opposite. Anthony is a party animal.

Is Simon the squirrel a party animal?

No, Simon’s not a party animal. Simon is a wet blanket. Simon’s no fun.

So which one is a party animal?

Anthony. Anthony the rabbit is a party animal.

And which one is a wet blanket, no fun?

Simon. Simon the squirrel is a wet blanket.

Anthony, the party animal always stays out late partying and having a great time. One day, Simon and Anthony go to a party together, at the bottom of a big tree, and at the party Simon sees a beautiful girl squirrel. She has a big bushy tail. It’s love at first sight for Simon.

Simon talks to the girl squirrel. Her name is Andrea. Andrea says, “What do you like to do?” And Simon says, “Oh I just like to work. I always gather nuts to prepare for the winter.” And Andrea says, “But what do you do for fun?” Simon says, “Nothing.” Andrea becomes bored with Simon and she leaves. Poor Simon.

Is Andrea fascinated by Simon?

No, she’s not fascinated by Simon. She’s bored with him.

Is she bored with herself?

She’s not bored with herself. She’s bored with Simon, because Simon is a wet blanket.

Is Andrea bored with Anthony, the rabbit?

No, she’s not bored with Anthony. She’s bored with Simon and she leaves.

Simon feels terrible. In fact, he feels even more bummed out than usual. (To be bummed out means to be depressed, to be really sad, depressed. It’s very casual.)

So who feels depressed? Who feels bummed out?

Simon. Simon the squirrel feels bummed out.

Why does Simon feel bummed out?

Because Andrea left. He’s bummed out because he likes Andrea. He’s attracted to her. He loves her.

So which one is bummed out?

Simon. Simon the squirrel is bummed out, depressed.

And so he asks his friend Anthony the rabbit for advice. Anthony says, “You must learn to have more fun. Girls like fun.” And so Simon decides to practice having fun so he can get Andrea. He says, “I will be disciplined about practicing fun.” Every day he looks in a mirror and he practices smiling and laughing. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.

The next time he sees Andrea, the girl squirrel he smiles and laughs. Ha Ha Ha Ha. But his laugh sounds really strange and fake. Andrea thinks he’s weird and she leaves again. Poor Simon.

Well, next, Simon takes dancing lessons. He practices diligently every day. (Diligently means with discipline. In a disciplined way.)

Does he practice casually every day?

No he doesn’t practice casually, he practices seriously and in a disciplined way. He practices diligently.

How often does he practice dancing?

Every day.

And how does he practice every day?

Diligently. He practices diligently every day.

What does he practice diligently every day?

Dancing. He practices dancing diligently every day.

And who practices dancing diligently every day?

Simon. Simon practices diligently every day.

Every day he practices dancing for 12 hours and while he dances, he smiles and he laughs, “ha, ha, ha, ha, I am having fun.” Well, when he sees Andrea the girl squirrel at another party, he dances with her. His dance moves are technically good, but he is very stiff and so Andrea leaves again and dances with someone else. Poor Simon.

Finally, Simon gives up. He’s exhausted by all of his efforts. He takes a vacation to Tahiti. Every day he sleeps late. During the day he lays on the beach and relaxes in the sun. He drinks Pina Coladas every night and he listens to Jimmy Buffet music.

What does he drink every night?

Pina Coladas.

What is a Pina Colada?

It’s a coconut drink, coconut and pineapple drink. Yummy. It has alcohol.

So what does he drink every night?

Pina Coladas. Pina Coladas are a kind of tropical drink.

Who drinks Pina Coladas every night in Tahiti?

Simon. Simon the squirrel drinks Pina Coladas every night.

What does he also do every night?

He listens to Jimmy Buffet music. (Jimmy Buffet is a musician. He plays kind of island music, tropical party music.)

So which musician does Simon listen to when he’s on Tahiti?

He listens to Jimmy Buffet music.

Well, Simon finally returns home feeling very relaxed and happy. At the next party he sees Andrea and talks to her. He chats casually. He has a great time, because he’s so relaxed and happy, Andrea also has a great time.

They talk for hours and eventually Andrea becomes Simon’s girlfriend and they have a long and happy life together with lots of fun.

That is the end of our mini story. When you listen to the mini story, be sure you have a lot of energy. Stand up and move if you need to.

Bring your shoulders back, smile, your head up, pause and answer the questions with a loud strong voice. Just answer with one, two or three words, it’s enough. Short answers.

I’ll see you next time. Bye for now.