A Friend Like Freddy

While looking through some old papers recently, I stumbled upon an essay written by my mother for a college English class in 1976.  Rather than writing about the essay, I’ve decided to copy it in its entirety below.

A FRIEND LIKE FREDDY

         This is the story of a friendship.  It all began one Christmas morning about five and a half years ago when Adrian, who was five years old at the time, was opening her gifts.  She picked up a strange shaped package and shook it, as people do, but it didn’t make a sound.  She squeezed it.  It was soft and squashy.  And since she couldn’t guess what was in it, she opened it quickly.  And there was Freddy –well, actually his name wasn’t Freddy yet.  It took Adrian about fifteen minutes to decide that!

         His fur was tan and white and he had brown ears and tail and big brown eyes.  He was about twelve inches long and had a little black nose and black belly button.  His ears stood up nicely and he seemed to be smiling sadly at Adrian and begging to be loved.  Adrian thanked her big brother Nick for the gift and then hugged Freddy.  And that was when it all began—the friendship of Adrian and Freddy that has lasted all these years.

         That Christmas night Freddy went to bed with his new friend, Adrian.  They cuddled up in bed and were soon fast asleep—it had been an exciting day—as Christmas days usually are.

         Freddy began going places with Adrian—rides in the car, visits to Grandma’s house, and shopping.  He usually ended up tucked in a shopping bag or in Mom’s big purse so he wouldn’t get lost.

         The following summer, Freddy went on his longest trip—all the way across the country to Albuquerque, New Mexico.  It took three days of riding and staying at motels before they got there.  Freddy and Adrian traveled far that summer and had their first airplane ride on the way home.

         Through the years, Freddy has also gone on picnics and to slumber parties and has never gotten lost on these trips.  But he has gotten lost a few times—in, of all places, his own house!  One he was wedged down so tight between the bed and the wall he was hard to find.  Another time he got mixed up in a basket with some other animals and when bedtime came a frantic search by some members of the family finally uncovered him.  At bedtime, Freddy must be around.

         Freddy and Adrian have shared many good times but there was one bad time when Adrian got sick during night and Freddy didn’t get out of the way on time!  That meant a bath for Freddy at midnight and the next day he had to hang outside, by his ears, on the clothes line until he was dry.

         Freddy doesn’t look exactly like he did five and a half years ago.  But then everyone changes as they grow older.  His ears are drooping and his fur is squashed down.  His body is a little limp and flatter than it was—but maybe that’s what happens when you sleep with someone bigger that you are!

         But Adrian doesn’t mind the changes.  After all, she doesn’t look the same either.  She and Freddy are still friends.  Freddy is someone to talk to when no one else is around;  someone to hug when you’re alone in bed;  someone to cry on when you’re feeling sad and someone to play with when you feel like it.  Everyone should have a friend like Freddy.

My Getting Ready for Christmas Book

By Harriet Ziefert and Mavis Smith

Copyright 1991

This great big oversized board book was a favorite for my daughters around the holidays.  It is very interactive, with plenty of I spy and search and find activities that were always a favorite in our house. 

The last page spread is one of my favorites, since it depicts a key meaning of Christmas:  giving of oneself.  It consists of a wordless story that depicts acts of kindness, passed on and payed forward.  The fact that the story has no text makes it easier to focus on the faces of the people involved, and more opportunities to discuss what is happening.  A point to notice:  both givers and receivers are equally happy.

A man gives a cup of cocoa to a boy, the boy in turn plays a song for a woman, that woman offers a bottle to a baby, the baby hands his teddy bear to a man standing alone, who in turn feeds the birds.  The giving goes on and on, each person offering some small kindness to the next.  

As we see people going about the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, this is what I like to keep in mind.  The gifts that last are the ones that require not money, but thoughtfulness and consideration.

The Golden Magazine for Boys and Girls

December 1966

 

This little magazine is a thrift store find.  Due to the pristine, unmarked condition it is obvious that it wasn’t mine!  The picture puzzles are undone and the Santa Claus paper doll has not been cut out.  The magazine is full of short stories for children, some Christmas theme, some not – some fiction and some non-fiction.  

To me, though, the most entertaining part is the advertisements.  A set of four hardcover Wonderful World of Disney books are available for just $15.95.  I wonder what would happen if I sent in the order form?

There is a brand new board game too, as seen on TV.- “Hey Pa!  There’s a Goat on the Roof”.  Collect tin cans, jump over obstacles, and try to land your goat on the roof.  

My favorite ad contains a guessing game.  Barbie and Francie have brand new dresses.  Where do you think they are going?  

                Francie just loves all her pretty new clothes,

                She’s always well dressed, as everyone knows.

                Francie is wearing a dress you’d call “pop”,

                Can you guess where she’s going?

                She’s going to _________!

   Is the answer A. School, B. A show, or C. Shop? 

                You guessed it!  She’s going shopping for even more clothes!

I’ll leave you with a joke sent in by 8 year old Lisa from Connecticut.

“Knock, knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“Fitsby!”

“Fitsby who?”

“Fitsby Ginning to look a lot like Christmas.”

Because a Little Bug went Ka-choo

By Rosetta Stone

Copyright 1975

Rosetta Stone, otherwise known as Theodor Geisel, and most commonly known as Dr. Seuss, wrote this humorous tale of cause and effect.

One fine summer morning, a little bug sneezed.  Because of that sneeze, a little seed dropped.  On and on the story goes, with each action causing an even greater effect, eventually leading to the sinking of a boat, and an interrupted circus parade.  The ending is left open, with the assumption that the consequences are still escalating to this day.  

All of our actions have consequences – even the actions of someone small and seemingly insignificant.  This book offers food for thought for readers of all ages.  Our choices affect not only ourselves, but have the potential to snowball with far-reaching consequences. 

The Big Rock

By Marilyn Claus

I’m not exactly sure when this story was written, but it must have been in the 70’s, back in the days of the typewriter.  You won’t find this story on any dusty shelves but mine, as it was written by my mother for a college class. 

 

I took many hikes out to the Big Rock in the Morton Arboretum during my childhood.  At that time, the spot was not well marked, so we were usually the only ones on the trail.  Once at the rock, we would scramble to the top and think about how this huge boulder was dropped in that spot by a long-ago glacier that was pushing its way across the land.  Imagine how long it sat unseen by human eyes.   Imagine all the generations of people who stumbled upon this rock in the past.

This little work of historical fiction imagines just that.  Told in three parts, from the points of view of three different children from past centuries, the story examines how different our lives are from those of our predecessors, yet also how like them we are.  

The first part tells the1765 story of Dreaming Dove and begins with her lying on the big rock in the sun, feeling the spirit of the rock embrace her.  She had little time to rest though, since her clan was busily preparing for the cold season ahead.  Besides that, her brother’s naming ceremony was coming up, so there was extra food to prepare.  She had to sew leggings from softened deerskin, gather moss to line her baby brother’s rabbit skin coverings, collect firewood, and grind corn.  Dreaming Dove dearly loved her family, her clan, and her home near the big rock.

The second part jumps to 1860, where a little German girl named Maria lives in a cabin near the big rock with her family.  It was Saturday, so she didn’t have school, but there was plenty of work to do to prepare for her baby brother’s christening.  There would be potato salad, headcheese, pfeffernusse, and kuchen.  It was a beautiful fall day, and in the afternoon she had a little time to go outside.  She climbed over the fence, and ran out to the big rock that was out past the woodpile.  As she sat atop the rock watching the clouds drift past, she thought about how lucky she felt to be in this new land and wondered about the Indian children who used to play there.

Fast forward a little over a hundred years, to present day.  A little girl named Carolyn is excited to be going with her Grandma to the Morton Arboretum for a walk.  After finding Parking Lot 14, they get out to walk on the Big Rock Trail.  Once there, Carolyn climbs up on the rock and she and Grandma talk about the Indians who lived and hunted right on that land.  While watching the clouds drift by, they talk about girls a generation before having to play and climb wearing skirts.  They also talked about how much fun her little cousins Baptism party was going to be that weekend.  Carolyn feels so lucky to be living in the present day and age.

And so we see that while the particulars of day to day life have changed, sometimes drastically, little girls still dream, still celebrate with their families, and still find joy in nature.  I think Dreaming dove, Maria, and Carolyn would be good friends!