Rural, Suburban, Urban: reading creative fiction; The Little Yellow House 2

The Little Yellow House

1. The Little Yellow House stood in a meadow surrounded by a thick stand of trees. Nearby, there were raspberry bushes and peach trees. There was a small pond with ducks that quacked happily all day long. Little Yellow House loved watching the squirrels scampering in search of food, and seeing the gopher burrowing underground. She loved watching the trees sway in the wind and drop colorful leaves in the fall. It was a lovely, peaceful location.
2. Little Yellow House also loved her family. The father and mother farmed the land. The little boy and little girl played in the yard and read books on the front porch. The family chatted around the dinner table every evening. Little Yellow House was very, very happy.
3. Years passed. Soon the children grew up and moved away. The trees of the forest slowly disappeared. Roads and homes started popping up all around—but thankfully, there was not a house too close to her yet.
4. One day a large truck came and dropped dirt into the pond. Soon the pond was nothing but a hole filled with dirt. The ducks flew away. Little Yellow House was very, very sad.

5. Not long after, Little Yellow House noticed a flurry of activity where the pond once stood. Soon another house appeared! Little Yellow House was not happy.
6. “How dare a house come so close to me!” she said to a squirrel. “Especially one that made my friends, the ducks, leave.”
7. One morning Little Yellow House heard something that she never heard before. “Yoo hoo! Little Yellow House! My name is Little Blue House, and I am new to the neighborhood.”
8. Little Yellow House didn’t say anything. She was still mad. She didn’t like all this change.
9. Soon more things began to change. A park was built with a small pond. The ducks came back! This made the Little Yellow House happier.
10. Then, more houses started to pop up. Children filled the streets and yards. They were playing games and having fun. Little Yellow House enjoyed watching the children laughing and smiling. Soon, she began to think to herself, “Maybe these new houses aren’t so bad. If there weren’t any new houses the children wouldn’t be here. I love to watch the children play.”
11. One spring morning, her new neighbors, Little Brown House and Little Green House, said, “Yoo hoo! Little Yellow House, don’t you just love to watch the children play? Don’t they look like they are having so much fun?”
12. Then it occurred to Little Yellow House that the other houses were trying to be friends. All she had ever known was the meadow, the forest, the animals, and the family. She remembered how the family talked every evening around the dinner table. She wanted someone to talk with about her day, too.

13. Little Yellow House felt her heart open up. She replied, “Yes. I do love watching the children play. I also like to watch the ducks splash in the pond.”
14. “Me too!” said Little Brown House.
15. “The ducks are so much fun to watch!” said Little Green House.
16. Little Yellow House smiled to herself. She was glad that she took a chance and spoke to Little Green House and Little Brown House. Now she had others to share her feelings with.

Practice Question