Telly The Tattle -Tale: Children Learn Through Stories and Metaphor

TELLY THE TATTLE-TALE (AND HOW SHE LEARNED TO BE QUIET)

Telly, her mother, and her little brother Roger were on their way home from school. "Roger forgot his pencils today," said Telly.

"Hush up, Telly," said Roger, blushing. But their mother still scolded him. Telly smiled.

Later, the family was sitting around the table enjoying dinner. "Roger's just pushing his peas around," said Telly.

"Hush up, Telly," said Roger, quickly dropping his fork. But their parents still scolded him. Telly smiled.

Later, the parents went upstairs to read while the kids went to their rooms to work on their homework. "Roger's playing video games and not working," said Telly.

"Hush UP, Telly!" shouted Roger, unplugging the video game. But their father still came in to scold him. Telly smiled a big, wide, smile, and then went back to work on her own assignment.

She was working on a watercolor for art class. It was going to be the biggest, best watercolor any kid had ever turned in, and she was sure to get a gold star on the school Good Behavior chart for it--maybe even two. She imagined herself putting the stars up on the chart, the eyes of all the other children on her. She closed her eyes and reached out her skinny finger to place the star--and her hand knocked the cup with the dirty paint water right onto the carpet.

She opened her eyes, looked down, and moaned: there was a big green puddle, soaking right into the carpet! Then she looked up and moaned again, because there sat Roger in the doorway, a huge smile on his face.

Roger would tell her parents about the puddle. Then it would be Telly who got scolded, and Roger who would get to smile. Her parents would call the school, and they would cross her name right off of the Good Behavior chart with a fat, black marker--no gold stars for her ever again. She felt herself starting to cry.

But suddenly, there was Roger, a big roll of paper towels in his hand. He dropped two paper towels over the puddle and waited. Before long, the green had soaked up into the towels. Then Roger picked up the towels and, like magic, the puddle was gone and the carpet was clean. Roger went back to his own room without a word.

The next night at dinner, they had peas again. Roger was pushing them around on his plate instead of eating them, and Telly opened her mouth to tell on him. And then she remembered the green puddle on the floor, and how frightened she had been--and how Roger hadn't told on her, when he had the chance. Instead of telling on him, she turned back to eating her own peas. But on her mouth was a smile. It was a bigger smile than her usual one, bigger and nicer, somehow.