How the Narwhal Got His Horn - A Just So Story by Matthew

We've just completed Bravewriter's Just So Stories class (fabulously fun class with great coaching) and this is Matt's story.

How the narwhal got his horn

Once upon a time in the deep, blue sea there was a Narwhal with a gnawing need for jelly beans. Every Monday morning he snuck into the jelly bean store through a long, tight air vent and swam to the back of the store. He stealthily swiped the orange and red jelly beans – his very favorite kinds. On this particular morning, Crab, the jellybean store owner, went early to his store because he wanted to catch the thief but just as he opened the door he saw ripples in the water below the air vent as something went up. Infuriated, Crab mourned as he stormed to the cash register.

The next Monday morning Narwhal woke up with a grumbly, growly, griping tummy desperate for jellybeans. He reached into his jellybean drawer and was distraught to find no more! He twisted and turned rapidly through the coral reef mall and arrived at the jellybean store before any shops had opened.  He slided and glided through the air vent and sneakily spilled the orange and red jellybeans into his hole. Crab, arriving at his store even earlier than normal, spotted a flash of a grey tail swimming up the air vent.  Then three red jellybeans bumped him on the head. Bang! Bang! Bang! Furious and fuming, Crab realized he had been foiled again.

The next Monday morning Narwhal’s grumbly, growly, griping tummy torpedoed him through the mall to the jellybean store once again. Cunning crab, determined not to be foiled again, rushed into the shop at the same moment and saw the now frantic Narwhal furiously swimming back up the vent.

That night Crab snuck silently into the Narwhal’s house pinching tightly to some extra-sticky glue and an extra-long shell. Crab scuttled into Narwhal’s bedroom and silently attached the extra-long shell onto Narwhal’s forehead with the extra-sticky glue. But Narwhal rolled over causing Crab to spill extra-sticky glue on his pinchers. Without thinking or blinking, Crab jumped out the window and thankfully landed on some soft sand outside.

The next Monday morning, Narwhal’s grumbly, growly, griping tummy desperate for jellybeans woke him once again.  He raced to his front door but went “BANG” as his new horn caught on the top of the doorway. OUCH! He tumbled back and rushed again but went “BANG” as his new horn caught on the side of the doorway. OUCH! He lurched back and charged again but went “BANG” as his new horn caught on the bottom of the doorway. OUCH!

Crafty Crab, watching from a distance, declared:

By means of a shell – long with much feeling

I have now stopped your selfish sly stealing.

And from then on Narwhal, once skillful and sleek as he maneuvered through the water, was now cumbersome and awkward.  To this day he has not stolen a single jellybean!