Christmas Pudding: The Story of the Holiday Silver Coin

Christmas pudding isn’t just a dessert,

That you try to keep from spilling on your shirt. 

It’s filled with fruit and a silver coin, 

That you search for after eating tenderloin. 

Made weeks or even months in advance,

With thirteen ingredients not by chance. 

The British pudding is steamed and lit,

And doused with custard when it cools a bit. 

If you find the silver coin inside your cake, 

Luck has found you through a pudding bake. 

Happy December becomes happy all year,

Sweet blessings filled with love and good cheer.

Top it with holly and red berries for show.

Plum pudding tastes better than holiday snow. 

Stir up the wishes with a round of applause,

And be sure to save a piece for Santa Claus. 

Copyright 2019 Jennifer Waters

BARNYARD ANIMALS AND THE BIG CITY synopsis

LOGLINE

One brave and visionary individual can inspire and improve the lives of many others . . . even if they’re a chicken.

PITCH

Roberta the Chicken has had enough of mean old Farmer Bosworth and has decided to fly the coop and head to the Big City to make a new life for herself. She invites the rest of the Barnyard Animals to join her. Each one has a personal reason why they don’t think they can leave, but Roberta’s logic and enthusiasm sway them to the idea of a great escape. Piled into Sam the Taxi Driver’s cab they head out, pursued by Farmer Bosworth with his shotgun. Thus begin the adventures of the Barnyard Animals & The Big City.  

SYNOPSIS 

Roberta the Chicken is flying the coop, going to the Big City, and leaving the Barnyard behind. Anyone brave enough to come with her is welcome. Farmer Bosworth paces through the Barnyard with his shotgun and cup of hot coffee with whisky. Olga the Pig wonders why Roberta would do such a thing—like leave them. Of course, Farmer Bosworth is crazy mean, but the Big City might not be much better. Gobbler the Turkey doesn’t understand how Roberta would ever stay there. Possibly visiting would be tolerable but living there is another circumstance altogether. 

If Ezequiel the Sheep goes to the Big City, he is sure that everyone will try to make him into a wool sweater. Olga the Pig thinks she might even become bacon, and Apple Dumplings the Cow is hesitant because the whole neighborhood will want milk from her all day long. If the Barnyard Animals moved to the Big City, Gobbler the Turkey fears every Thanksgiving the Pilgrims would try to make him into flaming turkey wings, or Nanny the Goat would be used for goat cheese. It just seems altogether too dangerous. Stallion the Horse and Jack the Donkey think they might have to go with the Chicken anyhow. When Sam the Taxi Driver arrives at the farm, Roberta suggests that everyone pile in the car, and even ride in the trunk. Jack the Donkey insists that he cannot let Roberta go-it-alone and asks everyone to accompany them. Taking last gulps of water and food from their troughs, the Barnyard Animals ready themselves for their trip. 

They all pile in and Stallion the Horse runs beside the Taxi. Sam triples the fare since the entire Barnyard comes with Roberta, who says not to worry because she swiped money from Farmer Bosworth. When the Farmer sees the animals fleeing, he comes after them with his shotgun and shoots out the right back tire. Threatening to track them down in the Big City, the Farmer keeps shooting at the car. Sam promises that he has friends who can help them out in their new life. He worriedly says he will have to teach them everything he knows, but at least he will get them away from crazy Farmer Bosworth. Of course, Farmer Bosworth follows them all over the City with his shotgun, but he is never able to catch them. Sam the Taxi Driver has too many friends in low and high places in the Big City—and soon so does Roberta the Chicken and her friends. 

Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters

Cockatoo: The Story of a Parrot Who Lost His Voice

Cockatoo, Cockatoo, I can’t hear you!

Wherever did your voice go? 

Is it traveling to-and-fro?

Cockatoo, Cockatoo, can you hear me?

I’m talking rather loudly. 

I’m feeling rather proudly. 

Cockatoo, Cockatoo, I think I caught a glimpse!

Your voice is in your throat, 

But you swallowed it like a goat. 

Cockatoo, Cockatoo, can you burp it up?

Find your voice again. 

So, you can speak to men. 

Cockatoo, Cockatoo, it might be coming back. 

I hear it growing stronger. 

Speak out a little longer!
Cockatoo, Cockatoo, your voice is loud and clear.
I'm glad I made you find it. 
Now you'll have to get behind it.

Copyright 2019 Jennifer Waters

BUBBLEGUM TAFFY HOT PINK HIGH HEELS synopsis

LOGLINE

Time-traveling shoes offer a twelve-year-old girl a world of adventures, but her first mishap-ridden journey warns her to seek some experienced advice before her next trip. 

PITCH

Twelve-year-old Aiyana Mitchell sits on the back porch of her home in Philadelphia wearing her Bubblegum Taffy Hot Pink High Heels. With these time-traveling shoes, a secret gift from her adventurous Aunt Olivia, she can travel to the future and the past. Despite her mother’s warning to stay in the present, Aiyana decides to travel to the early 1900’s and finds herself in a boat on a lake with swans, wearing a lace dress with a fancy parasol. Surprised to be there, she lets the parasol slips from her hand, the boat capsizes, and she falls into the lake. When her time-traveling shoes slip off and sink to the bottom she fears she’ll be stuck in the 1900’s forever and calls for help. Aiyana decides if she ever comes back to the past or braves the future, she needs to ask her aunt for advice. It has to go better next time, she hopes.

SYNOPSIS

Twelve-year-old Aiyana Mitchell has her Bubblegum Taffy Hot Pink High Heels on. She loves to sit on the back porch in the suburbs of Philadelphia. With her time-traveling shoes, she can travel to the future and the past. The shoes are a special, secret gift from her Aunt Olivia, who used them to travel so many places it seems she is on a constant vacation. But Aiyana’s mom always says: “It’s better to stay in the present—forget about the past and wait for the future.”

Despite her mother’s warning, Aiyana wants the adventure and mystery of the time-traveling shoes. She hides them under her bed and her mom never notices them. Now that she’s ready to use them, she thinks about traveling to the early 1900’s to a lake with a boat and a fancy parasol and swans. When she closes her eyes, she appears with a lace dress on, sitting in a boat on a lake. Aiyana grabs the side of the boat with her left hand. The parasol slips from her right hand.

Then the boat capsizes, and she falls into the lake. In all the commotion, Aiyana’s time-traveling shoes slip off and sink to the bottom. Fearing she’ll be stuck in the 1900’s forever, she pulls herself back up the side of the boat and cries: “Someone help me get my shoes back!” A proper gentleman in a full-body swimming suit, dives in her direction. Insisting she’s from the future she says she’d appreciate it so much if he would dive in and find her shoes, so she could return to 2018.

He makes a couple of dives then finally a hand arises with the Bubblegum Taffy Hot Pink High Heels and hands them to Aiyana. She pours out the sand and puts the shoes back on. Aiyana returns to the present on the back porch with her mother calling. As Aiyana walks into the kitchen, she creates a trail of footprints and a puddle of lake water. As her mom cleans up the mess, Aiyana runs upstairs before her mom can see her Bubblegum Taffy Hot Pink High Heels. Before she goes time-traveling again, she’ll ask her aunt for advice. It has to go better next time; she thinks to herself.

Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters

Chubby Cheeks: The Story of the Skunk Who Wanted To Be a Squirrel

“I wish I had chubby cheeks instead of such a stinky scent, but then I’d have to be a squirrel, and I’m only a skunk,” said Patches the Skunk, whisking his black and white tail behind him. 

“If I had chubby cheeks like a squirrel boy, then I could find my own squirrel girl, and I wouldn’t have to be made fun of for smelling and making everyone hold their noses,” he said, hanging his head. 

There was a certain squirrel girl named Nibbles that Patches the Skunk had admired for quite some time. He adored her blue eyes and brown coat, but he was too embarrassed to tell her how he felt because of his overwhelming odor. The smell was so bad that animals could smell him coming for yards.

Every time Nibbles smelled Patches, she usually hurried the other way before he could speak to her. Though he was sure he loved her more than any other animal, Patches had never spoken to her. 

“I have to find a way to speak to Nibbles,” he said, hiding behind a large green bush with twigs. “Maybe she could just pretend that I’m a squirrel instead of a skunk and everyone would like me.”

Gathering sweet-smelling flowers from the forest, Patches tied them to his tail to cover up his scent. 

“I suppose it’s now or never,” Patches said to himself, jumping from behind the bush to greet Nibbles on her daily hunt for nuts. “I’ll just pretend like I don’t smell anything other than the flowers.”

As Nibbles gathered nuts, her adorable cheeks got bigger and bigger, almost like they would soon burst. 

“Darling, these flowers are for you,” Patches said. “You have the cutest chubby cheeks I’ve ever seen.”

“Chubby cheeks! I look fat and ugly,” she said, talking with her mouth full of nuts. “Umm, but those are the most beautiful smelling flowers I’ve ever received. All the squirrel boys think I’m overweight.”

“What nonsense! You’re beautiful just the way you are,” Patches said. “I love your chubby cheeks!”

Although it seemed like the oddest story of true love, Patches the Skunk and Nibbles the Squirrel lived happily ever after for the rest of their lives in the forest, and as long as he gave her flowers, she pretended that she didn’t smell is odor, and he loved her for her chubby cheeks. 

Copyright 2019 Jennifer Waters

Synchronicity: The Story of Wishes on a Clock

Let me tell you a secret,

In case you didn’t know:

Every time the clock

Has numbers that show

All the same at once,

Like three thirty-three,

You get to make a wish,

And your wish is free.

The same is true with

Two twenty-two,

And four forty-four.

So, wish out of the blue.

By five fifty-five

Or ten minutes past ten

You have more chances

To make a wish again.

By eleven-eleven or

Twelve minutes past twelve,

You can pull out the wishes

That you put on the shelve.

Keep your eye on the clock

And wish throughout the day!

By the time you go to sleep,

You wished the bad away,

And all things are good,

As good as can be.

Wishes are child’s play,

And wishes are key.

Copyright 2019 Jennifer Waters

PEANUT BUTTER MARSHMALLOW synopsis

LOGLINE

A lonely little girl makes a new best friend from her favorite foods—marshmallows and peanut butter.

PITCH

Ten-year-old Bethany wants to make new friends. She sneaks into her father’s marshmallow factory, leaves the machine on all night, and turns out a huge marshmallow. Once Bethany makes a peanut butter face on it, her dad can’t destroy it. The marshmallow wants to be Bethany’s pal, and he’s accepted into her home, becomes her new best friend, and even wins her more friends at school.

SYNOPSIS

Bethany Buttercup, age 10, wants to make new friends and gets the bright idea to leave the marshmallow tube on overnight in her father’s factory, creating a puffy white friend as big as a snowman. Bethany creeps through the window into her father’s factory and turns on the machine, which creates a marshmallow larger than human size.

In the morning her dad finds out about it and says she was caught on video, so don’t deny it. Bethany suggests that she come with her father to the factory. Upon arrival Bethany jumps out of the car with her jar of peanut butter and runs onto the factory floor. She paints a personality face on her new marshmallow-cotton ball friend. She is in awe, but her father overreacts again in shock. Her father threatens to hose it down with water, but the Marshmallow suggests that he become Bethany’s pal. Her dad reluctantly agrees but says he will roast the marshmallow at a campfire if he causes his business any problems.

The Buttercups make Peanut Butter Marshmallow welcome in their home. Peanut Butter Marshmallow and Bethany do everything children do with their best friends. If anyone bullies Bethany, the Marshmallow rolls them right out of the way. When he comes with her to Best Friend Day at school, Bethany is the most popular girl in her grade. Despite all, Mr. Buttercup comes to love Peanut Butter Marshmallow and even creates a line of special marshmallows with peanut butter filling. Of course, Bethany takes the credit, for without her insistence on creating a new best friend, no one would have ever eaten peanut butter marshmallows.

Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters