April 2025
This month we asked our writers to create a children’s story that highlights a theme deeply significant to them in honor of International Children’s Book Day on April 2nd. Keep reading to see what creative stories they’ve come up with!
Make up for your mistakes and use your benefits for good!
Cameron Madden
MSMU Class of 2028
Some time ago, there lived a kid in the woods. This child’s name was Klyde, and Klyde’s birthday was coming up. Klyde’s parents loved him very much, and were planning to give him the best present possible, and since they were wizards, they could make it the most magical gift ever! So, when his birthday came, they gave him a box nearly twice his size! Inside, Klyde found himself a tall, darkened piece of wood with rubies stuck to the top.
"What is this?" Klyde had asked, holding the large object next to him. "It is your birthday present, a magical staff for you to practice your magic on!" Klyde became excited, as he had not been able to learn magic at his young age, and now he was finally able to start training to become a wizard! Just then, the parents pulled out a smaller box and handed it to Klyde - it was a surprise gift! When he had opened it, a strange blue ball arose from the top and hovered in the air above. Klyde was scared at first, and tried to back away, but the orb followed him wherever he went! He then asked his parents what this was for.
"It is an extra gift, passed down by your grandfather! It is an orb of wishes, which everyday can grant up to one wish for an entire week; be careful though, you cannot reverse the wishes you make!" Klyde’s eyes widened and immediately he took off to the front yard to test out this new present.
"I wish for a tree house!" he shouted, and a ladder dropped from the branches above, into a small house on top of the trees. He climbed up and played all around the house, until he grew bored and dropped down. He wondered what better he could wish for, and dreamed the rest of the day about how the orb was a better gift.
Not too long after the next day arose, and immediately Klyde awoke and set out for the fields. In between reeds and grains, he and the orb went away. Somewhere nearby he and the orb lay, where he thought and thought between his wishes to say. "Alright," said Klyde, "I wish for the field to be growing candy, not grain!" and so it became. Soon the field’s rows turned to chocolate, with peppermint sticks and pods of sugar being sowed to the ground. He ran through the fields, picking as he went; until the farmer came out and found Klyde in his field. "Hey!" said the farmer, whose food was now gone. "How dare you remove all the work I had done!" And so, he chased Klyde all the way out, past the field, forests and all in between. Klyde did not mind, and went back all the way home, dreaming of what more he could do with his magic orb.
The next day came, and Klyde sought to do more. As he went out of the house and into the town, he found townspeople, all dressed up in gowns and soon realized he had not brought his money. He suddenly jumped and turned to the orb and said, "I wish that everything in this town was free to me!" Once said, the shopkeepers looked up; they saw little Klyde and wondered what was up. Klyde came to the shoemaker and asked him for new shoes, and without a hitch, the Shoemaker gave him the best pair he knew. Then he went to the barber asking for a haircut, and suddenly the barber walked up and cut his hair for free. Next, he traveled to the toy shop and soon he walked out with his cart filled to the top. As he was leaving the townspeople came out and said, "how dare you do this all without paying!" Just like before, Klyde ran off.
For the next couple of days Klyde used the orb for whatever he saw fit, and without caring about the consequences. He didn’t practice with his wand, and did not become any closer to being a wizard; he simply played with the orb, and grew more bitter and selfish. After his 6th wish, he knew not what he wanted. And so on the 7th day, he went around the area to see what he could do. He stopped at the field where he found the farmer, now hungry and tired, without crops to water. He went to the town and saw stores closing for they had nothing to sell and now were not well. Everywhere he went, there were people that were hurt, by the wishes and actions that he created. Klyde was distraught, he didn’t know what to do. Now nobody liked him, and there wasn’t anything he could do.
That was until he came back home, where he had left his other present - the staff in his room! If he could learn to become a wizard, then he could fix all of the problems he caused. The only problem was he did not learn - he spent his time wishing, instead of earning. He thought it doomed, and knew people would suffer and hate him until he realized he had one wish left to make.
"Orb!" He exclaimed, "I wish to know how to be a wizard, and use magic with my staff!" Without hesitation, all manner of color and sound now glowed from his staff, and when he had touched it, it sparked greatly and flew to his hand. He now was a wizard, and could fix his mistakes at last! He went to the farmer and tapped the candy fields with his staff. It was raised and replaced into crops; vegetables, fruits, and honey on top! The farmer was glad and thanked Klyde for fixing his mistake. Next, he went to the townspeople, and to every store he went to, paying the people double what he owed them. And all over the country, Klyde used his magic to help others; even those he did not use the orb against. He learned that it is okay to wish, but to learn from his mistakes and to be selfless and kind is the real gift he received!
Read other articles by Cameron Madden
The perfect balance
Gracie Smith
MSMU Class of 2027
It had been raining for nine days straight. At this point, the once-dry grass began to weep from the over consumption of fresh, constant rainfall. I never thought you could get tired of something you needed to survive. For nine days I had watched the grass slowly resurrect from the crisp rain, only to die again from nature’s stimulating generosity. It baffled me how easily something could die. If you don’t get enough of something, you start to die. However, if you get too much of something, you also start to die. How solely dependent we were on balance.
My gaze out the window broke when my teacher, Mrs. Haney, dismissed us for lunch. The other students and I made our way to the cafeteria to eat, and I took my usual seat at the end of one of the long tables. I opened my lunch to reveal what my mother had packed for me. There was a tuna sandwich on wheat bread, baby carrots, blueberries, and two packs of string cheese. My eyes lingered on the tuna sandwich. Right, Friday.
During Lent, it was expected that we avoid eating meat on Fridays, and we fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Going to a public school made these obligations difficult to explain. I, being somewhat shy and modest, never wanted to put myself in a position to explain my Catholic practices or obligations. It was most unfortunate that a group of kids on the other half of the table took notice of this and decided to comment.
"What is that?" sneered a girl, with brownish hair and a pale complexion. She looked at my food in disgust. Her eyes were particularly fixed on my sandwich, the tuna sandwich.
I thought a moment before commenting, trying to figure out the best way to answer without further questions. However, the only thing I could muster up was, "Oh, it’s a tuna sandwich."
Stupid. Of course they know it’s tuna.
The girl with brown hair laughed an obnoxious sort of laugh that drew attention to the situation. Before I knew it, it felt like half of the cafeteria was looking at me and my tuna sandwich. Not only was my appetite lost, but I was numb. For the first time ever, I couldn’t move. I just sat there holding my sandwich while the girl with brown hair laughed at my food.
After a seemingly long while, she finally stopped laughing, "Tuna? Who eats tuna?"
Her friends laughed in support of her ignorant comment. I gazed across the room, face red, and noticed now that everyone in the cafeteria was looking at me.
Again, I found myself considering my options, though, rather blindly. Looking down at the rest of the food my mother packed, I found myself angry at her. How could she do this to me? Why would she pack me tuna? Of all things!
Before I spoke, I quickly composed myself and dismissed my previous way of thinking. It wasn’t my mother’s fault, and I knew that.
I opened my mouth to speak, but the words came out weakly. "My mom made it for me, today’s-" I stopped myself quickly before I continued. I can’t tell them why, no, they wouldn’t understand.
The girl with the brown hair met my gaze, her eyes clawing into me. I was at a loss for words. That is until one of the hall monitors approached the table. "What’s going on here?"
First, the lady looked at me, then she shifted her stare to the other kids on the opposite side of the table. The blatant snickering from that half the table silenced almost immediately. The girl with brown hair grabbed a strand of her hair to twirl, "nothing."
I couldn’t believe that was all she said. I further couldn’t believe that the hall monitor accepted her words - no - her word and went on.
I looked back at my food, refusing to touch it.
On the bus ride back home, I brainstormed ways to explain to my mom why I hadn’t eaten the food she prepared for me. Deep down, I knew she’d be disappointed in me, but I didn’t know what for. Would she be upset I didn’t eat, or didn’t stand up for myself?
I swallowed as I found myself robotically walking into my house. As the door opened, I could hear my mom yell from across the house, "Hey honey, how was your day?"
Her voice echoed across the room, and her footsteps followed. My heart only began to pound more as I let out a "It was fine."
Instinctively, she took my lunch box to empty it; I had a bad habit of never doing that. I watched her do this, bracing myself for the confrontation that was about to occur.
"You didn’t eat?" Her voice shifted to one of concern, and her eyes darted at me for an explanation.
I knew I couldn’t lie to my mom as I felt the tears coming on, "I-I couldn’t eat… these kids, they- they were making fun of my food- and-"
My mother knelt down to me and took my shoulders, "Caleb," her voice wasn’t mad, "you should never be ashamed of who you are, do you hear?"
I nodded, gaining control of my emotions, "but, but they don’t understand."
"And?" My mother looked into my eyes, "they don’t have to. You should never be ashamed of who you are, or what you believe in, Caleb. The only person you need to please is Him."
I nodded, suddenly feeling foolish about this whole ordeal.
"Don’t you ever let someone persuade you into doing something that goes against you, and what you believe in. Don’t you ever feel ashamed, Caleb."
Her words echoed over and over in my head. I turned my head to look outside at the drowning grass. In a world full of inconsistencies, it occurred to me that there is one thing that remains constant: God.
You can never have too little of Him, nor too much of Him. Perhaps He is the balance that we need in life. That, as my mother reminded me, is nothing to be ashamed of.
Read other articles by Gracie Smith
The beauty of learning
Devin Owen
MSMU Class of 2026
Della loved learning new things, whether it be hobbies or facts, she was always ready to grasp onto new pieces of information and never let go. Currently, she is learning about how to multiply numbers in her math class and how to write in cursive in her ELA class. Like any 8-year-old, her favorite time of the school day was recess, where she learned how to climb the monkey bars, play kickball, and throw a football! Della loved learning new things. She has learned how to count to one hundred, how to tie her shoelaces, and she is attempting to learn how to whistle…except it kind of just sounds like blowing air.
Della has begun to put together that learning is actually a really cool thing! It’s so odd though that only kids get to learn new things. Adults should be allowed to learn too! Shouldn’t adults be allowed to learn, too?
Little did Della know, adults never stop learning!
It was a perfect September afternoon. The sun still shone warmly, but a crisp breeze carried the scent of the changing autumn leaves. The school day had ended, and Della eagerly awaited her arrival at her grandparents’ house—her favorite place to be until her mom and dad finished work. Della tapped her fingers on her backpack, wishing the bus would go faster. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the bus pulled up to her grandparents' house. On the front porch, Grandma Eileen sat with a glass of iced tea, the dogs lounging beside her. Grandpa Rick was just returning from checking on the horses ready to greet the young girl as she arrived. He saw her and begun waving and hollering as Della hopped off the bus.
"Well look who finally decided to join us! Only took you eight hours little miss!" he teased.
"Grandpa Rick! You know I don’t have a choice when I get here…I have to go to school!" she called back, a grin spreading across her face.
Grandpa Rick began to chuckle and then asked, "School! Well, you must have learned lots today. What do they teach you there anyways?"
"All kinds of things! I’m learning how to multiply numbers and how to write in cursive like Grandma Eileen does! It’s really fun actually, learning stuff is so cool. I’m sorry you and grandma can’t learn new things anymore now that you’re all grown up." Della replied.
Her grandparents exchanged a surprised look before bursting into laughter—not in a way that made Della feel silly, but in the warm, amused way adults do when children say something unexpectedly funny. Wherever did their sweet granddaughter get this ridiculous idea? Adults learn new things all the time.
"Della, sweetie, what makes you think that me and grandpa can’t learn new things anymore?" Grandma Eileen asked.
"Well adults don’t go to school. Only kids go to school so that means you guys don’t learn new things." Della said.
Again, her grandparents laughed to themselves a bit, careful not to make her feel like they were making fun of her. Grandpa Rick started "Oh, kiddo, that’s not how it works at all! We learn new things all the time."
Grandma Elieen continued with a smile, "My dear you can always learn new things! Just because we’re all grown up doesn’t mean that we stop learning. In fact, your grandpa and I have started taking a cooking class to learn new recipes for dinners! You can also learn things outside of school, my girl. In fact, sometimes you learn more outside of school than you do in school"
Della’s eyes widened. "Wait… grown-ups can take classes too?"
"Of course!" said Grandpa Rick. "And you don’t have to be in a classroom to learn something new. Like your grandmother said, sometimes, you learn more outside of school than you do in school."
Della looked a bit confused for a moment but then realized that Grandma Eileen and Grandpa Rick were right! She has watched them both read books and newspapers and talk with her mom and dad about the new things they recently learned. "That’s true! Like how I learn how to help take care of the horses here. I learned that outside of school and they definitely don’t teach it there!" She exclaimed.
"Yes, precisely Della! Learning never stops no matter how old you are." Grandpa Rick stated.
This was a very eye-opening moment for young Della, not to mention exciting, as she learned that she could keep learning new things for the rest of her life! From that moment on, she made a promise to her grandparents: they would always keep learning new things and sharing them with each other.
Years have passed and Della is now 21 and about to graduate college! She decided to major in Education so that she could share her love for learning with the next generation of kids. Every break from school she makes it a habit to go visit Grandpa Rick and Grandma Eileen, it has become a tradition. With each visit they sit in the living room and talk about all the new things they’ve recently learned. During her latest visit, Della beamed as she told them, "I started taking a painting class! I’ve been learning all about different ways to create beautiful art." She’s been so excited to share this with them!
Grandma Eileen smiled. "That’s wonderful! I actually just started reading a new book, and I’ve discovered that I love mystery novels. This one is called, ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’, you should read it honey!"
"And I just started learning pottery!" Grandpa Rick added. "It’s tricky, but I think I’m getting the hang of it."
Della’s eyes sparkled. "Pottery?! That sounds amazing! We should do it together while I’m here!"
And just like that, a new plan was made. That afternoon, Della, Grandpa Rick, and Grandma Eileen spent their time shaping clay, making wobbly pots and silly sculptures. Then, Della showed them some new ways to paint so that they could paint their new sculptures when they were ready. They laughed, learned, and proved something important—no matter how old you are, there’s always something new to discover.
And Della, just like she had when she was a little girl, never stopped learning.
Read other articles by Devin Owen
The smallest squirrel
Dolores Hans
MSMU class of 2025
There are many animals in the forest with important jobs. The beavers build strong dams, the birds sing beautiful songs throughout the skies, and the bees help pollinate the flowers and make honey. Then there are the squirrels, who help plants and trees grow by burying seeds and acorns in the ground. The trees grow big and tall, and make nice homes for lots of animals.
One day, a small squirrel named Lily came across the biggest acorn she had ever seen. She thought about eating it or playing with it, something that would make her happy. She simply couldn’t decide. Eventually she decided to bury it.
Over the years, that acorn would become the biggest tree in the forest, and many future generations of squirrels would live there.
Now, Stella was the smallest squirrel in the tree. She would watch as her friends and neighbors scurried down the tree trunk each day to do their daily tasks.
From where she sat in the tree, she could see some squirrels go left through the tall grass, the path that led to a riverbank that was covered in fluffy moss. This moss was perfect for making cozy places for other squirrels to sleep in the tree. She knew how important this job was. She liked to picture herself going to see the riverbank herself and bringing back moss for her family to sleep on.
From her place in the tree, she also saw some squirrels go right through the tall grass, the path that led to a row of bushes, which were full of delicious hazelnuts. She loved the taste of this food, and it was especially important to scavenge these tasty treats before the winter.
As the summer came to a close and the autumn leaves began to fall, Stella knew she was old enough to do a job just like the rest of the squirrels. She was so excited to help her family and friends. She got to thinking though, what if she was too small? What if she chose the path to the moss but wasn’t strong enough to carry it back to the tree? What if she chose the path to the bushes but couldn’t reach high enough to take hazelnuts from the branches?
From her spot in the tree, she looked back and forth, from the path on the left to the path on the right. She just couldn’t decide. She asked her mom what she should do. Her mom said "the moss is lighter than you think, and you are plenty strong. The hazelnuts are low to the ground, you would be able to reach them". This helped Stella realize she could do either job just fine, but for some reason she still couldn’t decide. Her mom said, "Do you know how this tree came to be?"
"It came from a big acorn, right?" asked Stella.
"Yes, but the acorn wasn’t put there by accident. A long time ago, there was a squirrel named Lily. She was small like you. She came across the acorn, and was trying to decide what to do with it. Now, she could have eaten it or played with it, or given it to someone else as a gift. But she decided to bury it."
"Why?" asked Stella curiously.
"Because she knew that the acorn might become a big strong tree for her family to live in for many years to come."
"So, Lily was in our family?"
"Yes," said her mother, "so you see, no matter what job you decide to do, as long as you are helping someone else, you are doing something important."
Stella smiled. She loved helping others, and she could do that with both jobs. She slept well that night knowing that when she woke up, she could follow the rest of the squirrels down one of the paths through the tall grass and no matter what she was doing a good thing.
The next morning, as the sun beamed through the treetops, the squirrels scurried one by one down the tall trunk of the tree. Stella leaped off her mossy bed and scurried down too. She was going so fast that she started to trip over herself. She started to tumble down to the ground. When she landed in the dirt, she felt sad. She started to question her path again. If she couldn’t go down the tree without falling, does that make her too small to carry moss or pick hazelnuts? Even if she got up and continued today, she would still have to go down the tree tomorrow and every day after that. She was afraid to fall. Maybe she was too small.
She looked up at the tree and tried to have courage. She remembered Lily, a small squirrel like her, a squirrel who did something important. "If she can do it, so can I", Stella thought. She thought about what her mother said, and about how much she wanted to help people. The idea of falling was scary, but even if she fell every day, it was a struggle she would have to face in order to do something for the good of squirrels in the tree.
She got up out of the dirt and decided to keep going. But there was one problem. From the top of the tree, she could see the paths, but from the ground, she was too small to see over the tall grass. She didn’t know which direction to go in. She started to feel uneasy. Should she wait until someone else came along to direct her? Should she give up and go home? She looked back up at the tree.
Just then, a leaf floated down toward the ground from the top of the tree. It moved with grace and ease. Not certain in a direction, it didn’t have to be. It was just free. Inspired, Stella decided to just take a step forward. She didn’t know if it would lead her to the riverbank or the bushes, she just went. She thought to herself "even if I don’t end up carrying moss or picking hazelnuts, I can still find something important to do. And who knows? Maybe I will come across a big acorn."
The End
Read other articles by Dolores Hans
Read Past Editions of Four Years at the Mount
