Jimmy the Pea

The following is a children's book that should not be a children's book I wrote when given the writing prompt "nonconformity."  I'm currently working on a writing project about the Princess and the Pea, and keep on being reminded of this.

Jimmy the Pea

                Prue, Peter, Penelope, Pat, and Pomona were just what peas ought to be.  They were ball-shaped, an essential quality for all peas.  Their round edges allowed them to nestle together easily.

                Jimmy, on the other hand, was spiky so he more often than not pricked one of his sisters who would invariably yell, “Ouch!  Jimmy, why can’t you be round like the rest of us?”

                Prue, Peter, Penelope, Pat, and Pomona were also all small—a useful quality for peas.  Their tiny size allowed the peapod to snap shut easily.

                Jimmy, on the other hand, was twice the size of his siblings so each night the peapod had a lot of trouble forcing itself shut and it would invariably yell, “Argh!  Jimmy, why can’t you be like all the other peas?”

                Prue, Peter, Penelope, Pat, and Pomona were all green—an advisably quality for a pea.  They matched all the other parts of the green bean plant.

                Jimmy, on the other hand, was bright blue so he stood out from everyone else.  Every day the other plants would invariably say “Look!  Why isn’t Jimmy green like all of the other peas?”

                Jimmy wasn’t happy.

                Every night he would will himself to be round, to be small, and to be green.  But each day he would wake up spiky, big, and blue.

                One day the peas heard a loud thumping noise and became silent, Prue quieting herself in the middle of her “Ouch!” at having been accidently stabbed by Jimmy.

                The thumping continued and pretty soon the peas could see two giant moving blue trunks through the cranny the peapod had been unable to close.

                The thumping stopped.

                There was a deafening CRACK!

                Suddenly the air was filled with horrible screams, “Everyone hide!  He’s eating peapods!” they heard.

                But peapods can’t move all that much so Prue, Peter, Penelope, Pat, Pomona, and Jimmy were forced to wait in terror.  There was another CRACK and their own peapod was being lifted high—high up and tilted so Prue was thrown once again on Jimmy’s spikes.

                “Hmmm…what’s this?” came rumbling from the two big trunks and the top of the peapod was ripped off.

                A man was looking at them and then he stared, shocked, at Jimmy.

                “Why what’s this?” he cried.  “All of you peas look round, tiny, green, and scrumptious, but this one here looks pointy, big, blue, and I think that if I ate it, I’d get sick.”

                With that the man threw Jimmy down on the ground, where he landed on nice, soft dirt.  Jimmy then watched in horror as Prue, Peter, Penelope, Pat, and Pomona were eaten up by the scary monster.

                Which just goes to show that being different has its benefits.