Trivial Tuesday: A Story That Never Got Published

Several years ago, I had a spurt of writing energy that turned into about 5 stories I attempted to have published into books. Getting published “cold-turkey” is not all it’s cracked up to be; publishers don’t want to take on new authors, and agents don’t want to take on new writers. So, after digging these stories out of a big pile, I blew off the dust and have enjoyed reading them to my children and thought you might too.

This story was meant to evolve into a manners-teaching-series featuring the big-hat-wearing character “Margaret Lily Bumbledilly”. Now who can resist such a cute little girl as that? I loved her before I ever wrote the story!

Margaret Lily Bumbledilly loves to dress in red….and everywhere she goes she wears a big hat on her head.

She loves to go with mother to the fruit and veggie market, she helps to fill the cart with food and when they’re done she parks it.

“Hello Margaret”, Mrs. Jenkins said the other day. Margaret smiled, but then she shyly looked the other way.

“Margaret Lily Bumbledilly!” Mother slightly frowned…”When someone says ‘hello’ to you, you don’t look at the ground! The smile you gave was perfect–that’s the first thing that you do, but then you need to follow with ‘Hello, and how are you?’ Manners are important dear, it’s common courtesy, to speak to those who speak to you and answer pleasantly”.

Margaret couldn’t wait to practice this new thing she’d learned, and she didn’t have to wait too long before she got a turn.

At the bakery stand they met Miss Daisy and her brother, “Hello” they said again, and Margaret saw the wink from Mother.

“Hello, and how are you today,” little Margaret chirped, and then to everyone’s surprise, little Margaret burped!

“Margaret Lily Bumbledilly! Cover up your mouth! You’re supposed to say ‘excuse me’–ladies never burp out loud!”

Margaret turned a little pink and then went on to say, “I’ve been learning lots of fancy ety-ket today!”

Margaret’s mother sent her down the aisle to get some eggs, but Margaret couldn’t see a thing for everybody’s legs!

“Oh dear,” Margaret thought, “What do I do now? I need to get those eggs–but how do I get through this crowd?”

“OK, Margaret Lily–THINK–what would Mother say? How do I politely get this man to clear the way?”

And suddenly it came to her–she’s as smart as she can be–in her loudest, sweetest voice she said, “Sir, will you pardon me?”

If only mother could have seen how Margaret handled that, and Margaret’s little face beaming underneath her hat!

Well Margaret didn’t know it but her mom was standing near, and she DID watch little Margaret with a smile from ear to ear.

When Margaret and her mother finished shopping at the store, little Margaret Lily made her mom stop at the door.

“Wait a minute, Mommy let me hold the door for you, then it will be easier to push the buggy through.”

Mother said to Margaret with a proud and happy grin, “I’ll be glad to take you shopping with me anytime again!”