“Time to get up” Andy’s mom said. “You’ll be late for school” Any didn’t really want to go to school. He hadn’t done his homework and he knew he wasn’t prepared for his classes. “Everything is just so hard” Andy thought. But the truth was that everything wasn’t really that hard. It was just that Andy was lazy. He always tried to duck work. To take the best shortcuts he could. Now sometimes he could bluff his way through his classes with a smile and a joke. Everybody liked Andy. But not today. A week ago his teacher told the class that each student would be required to write a short poem which he or she would then read in front of the entire group. Andy hadn’t even thought about writing a poem. He just kept putting it off. He didn’t tell his mom or dad about the assignment either because he knew that they would have insisted that he sit and concentrate until he came up with something. “This is a stupid assignment anyway. Who cares about some stupid poem” Andy thought as he ate his cereal. But he was worried. He knew he would have to stand up in front everyone and that he would be embarrassed because he didn’t have anything prepared. On his way to school he tried to put a few lines together but they were horrible. “I wish there were some easy way out so I wouldn’t have to do any work and STILL not get into any trouble” Andy said out loud. As he got closer to school he saw an old woman sitting on a bench across from the school. She seemed to be looking at him. And smiling. As he got closer he was certain that she was smiling at him. Well actually more than smiling. Maybe laughing at him. Andy knew he wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers but he was in a bad mood anyway and he didn’t like the idea of this old lady laughing at him. So he walked up to her. “Are you laughing at me” Andy asked “Why yes young Master I am” the old woman replied. “And just what is so funny” shouted Andy “Why young master you have a problem I think. A problem that you would like to solve without giving much effort. Am I not correct” the lady asked. “And how would you know that “ “I don’t think it matters how I know. What does matter is that I think I can help you.” “How? Are you going to write that poem for me?” “Oh young master, I can do much better than that.” “How?” “I heard your wish!! An easy way out without doing much work.” “So What” Andy asked. The old woman cackled and said: “ So I can grant it! If you are sure that is what you want.” “Yeah I want it! What do I need to do?” “Just touch my hand and your wish will be granted” the old woman whispered. Andy was a bit skeptical but he figured that he didn’t really have anything to lose. So he came close to the woman and laid his hand on hers. Andy couldn’t be sure but he thought he felt a small shock when he did so. “Now what” he asked? “Your wish has been granted. You need only to speak and your poem will burst forth.” The old woman stood and looked at Andy. Then she walked slowly away. But as she did she began to laugh again. “What the heck” said Andy under his breath. “Crazy old coot. I guess I’m not gonna get my poem after all.” Andy walked into the classroom. He found his seat and slumped into it. "Allright students” the teacher said. “Please take out your poems and we will begin reading. Who wants to go first?” Well of course Andy didn’t want to go first. Or second or EVER. He didn’t HAVE a poem. So he slunk down in his seat. But it was no use. “We have time for one more poem” his teacher said. “How about you Andy. Stand up and read yours.” Well Andy knew that he was in trouble. He knew his teacher would be disappointed. He knew his parents would also be disappointed when they found out that he hadn’t done his assignment. So as he stood up he decided to tell the teacher that he had never done his assignment and take the consequences. But just then an amazing thing happened. When Andy began to speak, this is what came out: “It was bright and sunny a beautiful day A bluejay and robin came out to play till that pesky old cat chased them away” Andy was shocked! Where did that come from? I guess that ugly old woman knew what she was talking about! Andy’s teacher was very please and congratulated Andy on his good work. And Andy sat down with a smile on his face. “Well that was easy” he thought to himself. But at recess time when all the kids when out to play a funny thing happened. All the kids decided to play baseball and they asked Andy if he wanted to play.Andy loved to play baseball. So when he started to say yes-instead he said: “I think I would like some chances to hit. But I can’t do the catching cause I don’t have my Mitt” And that’s the way it went for the rest of the day. Everything Andy said came out in a rhyme. When his mom asked how school went that day Andy replied:“ Actually I’d say-my day went okay.” When his sister told him to turn down the volume on the TV Andy said: “I need it loud so that I can hear. If you don’t like it then don’t sit so near.” And so it went. On and on. When his mother asked him if he wanted cereal for breakfast Andy said: “Actually I’d rather have eggs on my platter.” Or when his father asked him to feed the dogs he said: “I’ll dish out some food for one then the other and a treat for them now and later another.” Or when his friends asked what he had packed for lunch he said: “ A carton of milk and a large round ripe peach. Got them both at the market right near the beach.” Andy couldn’t help himself. No matter how hard he tried everything came out as a rhyme. At first everything was okay. His teacher thought it was clever, his parents thought it was funny and his friends thought it was cool. But after a while it became annoying. Then it became REALLY annoying. His teacher stopped calling on him. His friends didn’t ask him to play anymore. And his parents became angry when they told him to stop but he didn’t. Andy was beside himself. He wanted this to stop. He was sorry he ever made that deal with that creepy old lady. He should have done his own work and not tried to find a way to skip his responsibilities. So the next day Andy walked back through the park. He wanted to find that old woman and get out of his deal. But he couldn’t find her. Again and again he went but with no luck. He decided to try one last time. So he walked through park again but there was no sign of the old woman. Andy was so discouraged that he sat on the bench where the old woman had sat and he put his head in his hands and wondered just what the heck he was going to do. And then Andy was aware of someone standing over him. He raised his head quickly in the hope that the old woman was back. But what he saw was not an old woman but a beautiful young lady. With flowing black hair, beautiful black eyes and wearing a long, flowing dress that reached to her feet. “You are disappointed to see me young Master” she asked in the softest voice Andy had ever heard. “I hoped you were the old lady returning” Andy said “And why did you want it to be she” “Because I made a deal with her and I want to end it right away. I just want to go back to the way it was.” “Ah young Master you can never go back to the way it was. But perhaps you would like to make a deal with me?” “But you are not like the old woman at all. You are young and beautiful.” The young lady smiled “What you see is what is in your heart. If you have faith in yourself and are willing to work hard and if you are truthful and honest then you will see beauty.” “I will have faith in myself, work hard and be truthful” Andy shouted. “Then touch my hand young Master and believe” Andy was a bit skeptical but he figured that he didn’t really have anything to lose. So he came close to the beautiful lady and laid his hand on hers. Andy couldn’t be sure but he thought he felt a small shock when he did so.The beautiful lady smiled and walked away. Andy wasn’t sure what to do next. So he walked home as fast as he could. When he got there he went looking for his mother and found her in the kitchen. “Well here goes” thought Andy. “Hi Mom. What’s for lunch?” NO RHYME –JUST A NORMAL SENTENCE! Hooray!! “Well I’m glad that rhyming stuff is over” said his mom. “Not nearly as happy as I am” Andy thought. From that day on Andy did all his work, was truthful with everyone and tried to keep only beauty in his heart. Oh by the way Andy went on to write many poems. But none of them rhymed.