The Hallowed Scarecrow: The Story of a Straw Man in a Pumpkin Patch

If you see a scarecrow on the corner of your fence, 

Stop and say hello and try not to have pretense.

The Hallowed Scarecrow could be a person, 

And if you ignore him it will surely worsen

His straw body and his fragile feeble frame.

Much better if you would give him his own name.

He isn’t just a decoy or a plastic mannequin.

Not ever saying hello will leave him panicking.

He needs some new clothes and a house over his head.

He needs his own pillow and his own special bed.

Birds already hate him when they could have been friends. 

He was told to scare strangers, and it left him at wit’s ends. 

The pumpkins and the horses in the fields are irate, 

But they can’t do a thing to stop the human hate. 

Be the first one to think a thought that’s clever.  

You are the one who can change his life forever. 

Copyright 2019 Jennifer Waters

The Imaginary Spice Cupboard: The Story of Happy Recipes that Make Your Heart Full

My mother had a cupboard full of jars with spices. 

If you didn’t use them properly, the flavors caused vices. 

If you used too much allspice, the neighbors did strange things. 

They would run in crazy circles and start to wear nose rings.

The bay leaf and the basil mixed in bad proportion

Would cause chaos and confusion and even extortion. 

Chili pepper burned your tiny tongue to little pieces, 

And dill was so boring that it gave you sleep increases. 

Fennel and ginger made you giggle ‘till you cried. 

Horseradish and lavender made you talk until you lied. 

Nutmeg and oregano always made you snort and sneeze. 

Paprika and parsley made drop right to your knees. 

Rosemary blessed you if you used the right amount, 

But in double doses, it would raise your blood count. 

Saffron and savory would go right to your head. 

Tarragon and thyme would turn you cherry red. 

Vanilla made you dizzy and sent you to outer space. 

White mustard made you cough and turn green in the face. 

So I used the spices sparingly and never took them for granted. 

All the seeds my mother sowed were for spices she had planted.

Copyright 2019 Jennifer Waters

THE MAN UPSTAIRS synopsis

LOGLINE

Give away your pennies, and you get more coins that can start small miracles, which lead to bigger ones.

PITCH

Almost like manna from heaven, magic coins come to nine-year-old Coral Graf from The Man Upstairs through her heating vent. She lives on the Upper East Side of New York City and always wants to cause good in the world. She gives the pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollar coins away in her neighborhood and hopes to create miracles. Whenever she shares her coins with others, she gets more coins from The Man Upstairs. The stream of coins never stops and neither does the goodness with them. 

SYNOPSIS

Nine-year-old Coral Graf lives on the Upper East Side of New York City with her father and mother in a red brick high-rise apartment with many neighbors. Her father owns a local deli with Jewish delicacies that all the neighbors love. At least three days a week, her mother works as a telephone switchboard operator at the Empire State Building. 

 

Ever since Coral was a baby, The Man Upstairs dropped pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollar coins through the heating vent. At first, her father yells at The Man Upstairs because he doesn’t want the coins. When The Man Upstairs continues to drop the coins, Mrs. Graf sets out a tin can in order to collect them. The Man Upstairs calls to Coral through the heating vent and tells her that he needs her to help the people in the neighborhood with his money. He also asks her not to keep the coins only for herself. Coral agrees and wonders how he got so much spare change. After the Grafs grow tired of giving the coins away and want to keep the money for themselves, The Man Upstairs stops dropping the coins. Believing in the power of small miracles to create bigger ones, Coral insists that she must give the coins away. Later, when Coral places the tin can under the apartment vent, more coins come out, faster than ever before. 

 

The Man Upstairs only drops coins when someone from the Graf family gives the coins away. From that day on, Coral is in charge of the coins that fall into the tin can from The Man Upstairs. Visiting the Man Downstairs, The Man Next Door, The Man Across the Street, The Man Around the Corner, The Man from Central Park, and The Man from the Synagogue, she promises never to hoard the coins, but to do good with each penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar, and dollar coin. The more coins The Man Upstairs gives her, the more she gives away. She might even be a millionaire; all because The Man Upstairs knows that she will keep her promise to him.

Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters

The Cookie Bandit: The Story of Chocolate Chip Banana Oatmeal Ginger Almond Macadamia Nut Sugar Cookies

Once there was a Cookie Bandit,

That had a scheme, and he planned it.

His hand was in the cookie jar.

Cookie crumbs were never far. 

He couldn’t eat a normal cookie.

At baking, he was not a rookie. 

He mixed his favorite recipes, 

To leave lasting legacies.

Instead of a cookie that was simple,

He created a sweet with a dimple:

Chocolate chip, banana, and oatmeal

Combined with zest and much appeal. 

Then ginger, almond, and macadamia 

Can be eaten from here to Mesopotamia. 

So, if you need a special dessert, 

Dress in your cookie-eating shirt, 

And have a Cookie Bandit biscuit. 

It’s almost like your mother fixed it. 

Copyright 2019 Jennifer Waters

Donkey Riddles: The Story of Puzzles and Problems

If you meet a donkey on the side of the road, 

Make sure to ask him to speak to you in code. 

Yes, donkeys talk a lot in languages galore. 

There are many topics that you can explore. 

Ask the donkey to tell you a simple riddle. 

If you feel inclined, you can play him like a fiddle. 

Then you will know the riddle, and you can share

With neighbors and friends, when they’re acting square. 

Riddles are tricky, and you have to think twice. 

Sometimes it’s like lying and that’s not very nice,

But riddles make you think far beyond yourself,

Or the books that are sitting on your lofty shelf.

So, stop and tell a donkey “hello” from time to time. 

Donkeys have a lot to say and even speak in rhyme.

Copyright 2019 Jennifer Waters

Fishtail: The Story of a Girl with a Summertime Braid

Each summer when you sit by the swimming pool, 

And you try to find a bit of shade to keep cool, 

Listen to the tales of fish in the open sea.

They might involve you, and they might involve me.

I like to braid my hair and tell stories aloud. 

I’m so good at spinning tales that my family is proud. 

The normal-type braid, I don’t ever do.

Fishtails are my favorite, let me braid one for you.

The fairytale will have a knight or a valiant king, 

And a princess that has a song to sing. 

An evil rotten witch is always a must,

But her plan in the end will need to go bust. 

The king saves the princess in the castle on a hill,

And love will win out, even if hope seems nil. 

Why don’t you braid a fishtail with your own hair?

I’ll listen to your story; it only seems fair. 

But a warning to tell you, fishtails have the charm. 

Other types of braids might bring you alarm. 

They have no story-magic or fancy at best.

Use your heart to practice fishtails; you will be blessed.

Divide the long hair in two larger sections, 

From which you take the outermost selections. 

Criss-cross the hair until you reach the end. 

By the end of the story, make a brand-new friend. 

You could braid three-strand or French braids all day, 

But none will bring you characters in a play. 

Three-strand braids use three sections to make one, 

And it stays together until you make it come undone. 

A French braid is classy but requires an accent,

So do Dutch braids which are having advent. 

Waterfall braids look good in long hair. 

Four-strand braids have a certain flair. 

The simple solution seems to be rope braids, 

Where two strands are twisted in double shades, 

But once again, none of these braids have tales. 

Only fishtails have stories that involve whales!

I’m listening to your fable as you make a braid,

Like fins in the sea, fishtails are handmade!

Copyright 2019 Jennifer Waters

OAK APPLE DAY synopsis

LOGLINE

A little girl longs for romantic love but goes after it in quite the wrong way. 

PITCH

Ten-year-old Poppy Marigold, inspired by the kiss in Sleeping Beauty, imagines being kissed by her own prince and thinks each of her three favorite boy classmates should by now have kissed her more than once. But they ignore her. Using the annual Oak Apple Day parade as cover, Poppy climbs a tree and pelts the boys with apples, planning to kiss them when they’re down. If one of them wakes when she’s kissing him, it will be true love, and everyone will know it. The first apple only hits Alastair in the shoulder. The second hits Duncan in the head but doesn’t knock him down. The third toss smacks Fergus to the ground. Poppy jumps out of the tree and kisses Fergus. He tries to run, so she takes chase and pelts him with apples. Finally, Fergus gives up and makes Oak Apple Day history by kissing Poppy. 

                                   

SYNOPSIS 

The British celebrate Royal Oak Day on May 29 in honor of King Charles II’s birthday. Ten-year-old Poppy Marigold wears an oak apple round her neck because if a student doesn’t wear a costume they are to be pinched—in the bum. Poppy sits at lunch with Alastair Glover, Duncan MacGregor, and Fergus Laird. None of the boys say anything to her. She wants to pinch them in the bum for their bad attitudes. Inspired by the kiss in Sleeping Beauty, she imagines being kissed by her own prince. For weeks, Poppy was sure she was in love with each of the three adorable boys, and now was the time to finally be kissed. She decides that the large Oak Tree outside the School is about to help her get that first kiss.

As Poppy pinches the boys’ bums, their teacher announces that the Heart of Oak Friendly Society Parade starts at three o’clock. This year Poppy plans to sneak up the Oak Tree and drop apples on Alastair, Duncan, and Fergus. More determined than ever, she remembers how wonderful love is supposed to be, according to Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince. So, when no one is looking, she stuffs her dress pockets and backpack with apples. Poppy thinks if she hits the boys in the head, they’ll pass out, and she can kiss them before they wake up. If one of them wakes when she’s kissing him, it will be true love, and everyone will know it. When Poppy finishes her Maypole, she slips out to the Oak Tree and positions herself on a sturdy tree branch where she has good aim at any of the boys. 

Her classmates walk out with their Maypoles, oak boughs, and flowers. They look so festive Poppy almost forgets her plan to drop the apples, but when she sees Alastair, she drops the first apple and hits his shoulder. She drops the second apple on Duncan. It hits him in the head, but it isn’t strong enough to knock him out. When she sees Fergus, she throws the apple so hard that it smacks him to the ground. She declares it’s true love. Poppy climbs down and the rest of the apples fall on everyone. As her teacher scolds her, she runs to Fergus, grabs him, and kisses him. A few moments later, Fergus opens his eyes, looking so shocked and confused that he can hardly breathe. Yelling, Fergus gets up off the sidewalk and runs down the parade route as fast as he can. Poppy calls after him and runs to try to catch him, throwing apples from the sidewalk at his head, with good aim. After a few minutes, Fergus gives up, and makes Oak Apple Day history when he kisses Poppy. 

Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters