Here is a short story I wrote called Unforgettable Dinner Guests.
by me Nickie Korpal. I was in the process of making this book into a picture book but decided to just release it as is. Hope you enjoy reading it. Thank you for reading!

Fannie Marsh and Emily Hopper has different types of table manners, who are you more like Fannie or Emily? Read on and find out!
 
Emily gets home from school, takes off her coat, hangs it on a clothes hanger in the front closet. She takes off her shoes, and places them in the closet and kisses her mother a warm greeting.
BUT
Fannie entrance is more extreme. Like a mighty hurricane Fannie runs in. She throws her coat on the floor, school backpack flies in the air landing anywhere and sometimes everywhere.  Fannie walks onto her Mother’s clean floor with her muddy shoes making paths in all different directions toward the television set and refrigerator without a word to her dear Mother.
 
Emily makes sure her homework and chores complete before watching television or playing outside.
 BUT
Fannie like clockwork parades into the house and quickly turns the television so LOUD as her favorite cartoons rings out. Fannie does not care who is watching what at that time!  Cartoons comes first! Homework and Chores what’s that? 
 
When Emily mother said, “Time to eat!”
Emily Hooper washes her hands and face before eating,
 BUT
Fannie never washes her hands before eating but rather sit with her dirty elbows on the table yelling “HURRY UP!  BRING IT ON NOW, I’M HUNGRY!”  She sits picking her nose, while tasting each dish with her grimy and filthy little fingers.
 
Emily places her napkin on her lap, so its ready to wipe for misses or messy hands or face.
BUT
Fannie wears her napkin on her head and plays peaky boo with her dog Sweetie under the table.
 
Time for the dinner prayers, Emily bows her head as her mother gives the blessing. Emily quietly says thank you to God for the food served tonight!
BUT
Poor Fannie fidgets in her sit as the blessing is being said.  Without thinking Fannie starts filling her dish with food and gets up to watch TV. She expressed as she watching TV, “ I LOVE PINCH THE CLOWN HE’S MY HERO!”
 
 Emily always asked anyone near her dish of choice. “Please pass the green beans! Thank-you!” Emily never reaches in front of anyone for a dish she was eying.  Emily is always polite!
BUT
Fannie pushes and grabs and even sits on the table just to reach her favorite dill pickles across the table.   “Watch out Mother!”  O’ No!  A whole dish of red beets falls into Mrs. Marsh’s lap! Mrs. Marsh's white skirt now is a red beets polka-dots mess.
 
Emily would only eat small bits and wiped her mouth after each,
BUT
Fannie stuffs her mouth full, as she let her food dribble down her cheeks!  Fannie would start to cough and vomit on her dish any food she dislike or couldn’t fit.
 
 Emily would not speak until her mouth was clear,
BUT
Fannie talks with her mouth full and laughs for more.  Fannie favorite trick would be to open her mouth wide and yell. “ SEE FOOD!”
Causing Mr. Marsh’s eyeglasses, to become filled with crackers and salvia.
YUCK!
 
Emily would never play with her food, at the dinner table she is there to eat,
BUT
Fannie creates castles with her potatoes, carrots became trains and her peas are Queens and Kings!
 
Emily knew which utensil to use for each course.
BUT
Fannie ate her soup with her fork, peas with her knife, ate her ice cream with her hands and licks her dish clean! YUM! YUM!
 
 Emily would be willing to try new foods, without a complaint,
BUT
Fannie when presented with a new cuisine she never had.  Fannie would have a tantrum and yell,  “WHAT IS THAT? I WANT ICE CREAM BRING IT ON, NOW!” and than Fannie would feed it to her pet goldfish  Goldilock.
 
Emily would ask, “May I be excused” and always takes her dishes to the sink,
BUT
Fannie got up throughout the whole meal to watch television, go the bathroom and even sat under the table barking for more food.  Throughout the whole meal Fannie has been all through the house food and all.  Leaving a trail wherever she goes. When she was finish eating, like a flash she was in front of the television, sound turned up full blast and dirty dish left for her mother to clean up.
 
Emily always thanks, the cook after she ate or thanks the hostess or host for inviting her over for supper and ask to help with the dishes.
BUT
Fannie would BLURP with a big smile on her face!  Fannie flew to her bedroom, like a dust storm leaving her remains behind as she hid under the bed until the dishes and kitchen is clean.

Now the test begins:
Who are you more like Emily or Fannie, when it comes to table manners or just being a guest for dinner at someone house or even dining out? Please say you are more like Emily Hooper, and never dare to be like Fannie Marsh.
THE END
Thank you for reading. See more of my eBooks at rejoicewithin.com

Mythology Question. Who married his mother by mistake? Sigmund Freud named one of his concepts in Interpretation of Dreams (1899) after this character who is it_________________.

Chapter 16
The flocks of mallards with Stan in the lead came to a marsh, “We will camp here tonight!” Angie was still disappointed about leaving Willow River but she kept praying as she and her sons touch the cool water it felt so good on her wings, they been flying non-stop the whole day.  Stan did not want to stop, fearing the first frost, he has shortened the breaks to just 10 minutes and back up into the sky again.
 
 “Mommy, I am so tired!” Ben laid his head on her mother.  “Relax, sweetie!”  Angie looked around at all the mallards when suddenly she could not find her Jason, giving out a quiet quack, “Come on Ben we must find you brother.”  Angie turned the corner behind some cattails and reeds; there was her son, flirting with a female mallard.
 
 Angie smiled to herself, but something was wrong the female was not moving, “Angie screamed at the top of her lungs, “JASON!” Out of nowhere came Buttercup she covered Jason with her wings as bullets shot at her as she protected Jason, suddenly Buttercup’s body went lifeless.
 
  Little Ben watched his mother turn into a golden light circling Buttercup, quickly Jason flew from under her, like something protecting her as she picks up Jason as bullets started to fly.  Angie, Ben and Jason soared high into the clouds.  Angie looked back with tears in her eyes as half of her friends where being slaughtered and hung on poles.  One hunter held up Stan the lead bird carcass, “Hey, I want this one stuff and hung on my wall, I will send it to taxidermy tonight…the guy at work will be surprise, it’s a beauty.”
 
She could not look anymore when she saw Jerry the strong drake of the group being carried away by a big hunting dog.  Jason almost hit a tree with a big poster saying, “DUCK HUNTING SEASON HAS STARTED!”  Finally landing in remote woods, Jason was uttering soft reedy notes uncontrollably.
 
 “Mother, I’m so sorry, you saved my life, I didn’t know, I just didn’t know she was the enemy, she was so pretty all painted up.  I just didn’t know.”
 
 Mother gave Jason a big feather down hug.  “I should have warned you, ducklings, we must be extra careful now, and we are being hunted.  The hunters will try anything to get us from whistles that sound like us, wooden mallards that look like us, netting and last placing food out to catch us. We must be on guard until duck hunting season is over and that sometimes goes right into winter.” 
 
Jason wiped away his tears with his feathers. “Mother is it safe now?”  Mother looked around with alarm, “Little Ducklings we are not safe, until we get to Faith River, it’s the only place protected for our kind!  Until we get to Faith River we must pray for God for guidance and lots of courage to never give up.”
 
 Ben will never forget the way his mother looked when his mother saved Jason by the grace of God saving his mother and brother.  Quietly he said a pray of thanksgiving.

Thank you for reading. If interested in purchasing Adventure to Faith River go to this link. https://www.rejoicewithin.com/store/p54/Adventure_to_Faith_River_Novel.html

What do you call an author who uses another name not really their own when writing or publishing their works? What do you call this type of author _____________________.

I love doing research. You can find out so much about trivia things besides it can open up your creative juices while writing your story. You can find the answers to almost everything by just researching. You can do it all on your computer. I still love going to the research department at the library and searching on microfiche, looking through old manuals and reports. Something about having my hands on them compared to looking it up on the computer makes it more personal to me.
To get you in the mood to do research here are some questions I came up with to help get you started on doing a research project. You can use online searcher engines or go visit your local library to find the answers. Have fun.

• What is the state flower for West Virginia?
• What is the population of Paris?
• Find the name of a river in China?
• In what country is the Sistine Chapel?
• What is the state tree in Washington?
• What sounds does a Armadillo make?
• How tall can a giraffe grow to be?
• What grows in South Dakota?
• How do this make crayons?

So how did you do? Did the exercise get you motivated to do more research on your story you are working on? Myself I like to  make researching a fun game.  Think of all the things you didn’t know and after researching you are more educated on the topic. Get together with friends and out of the blue share your knowledge. Your friends will think you are a walking encyclopedia. LOL until the next journal writing exercise.

What do you call a story with morals or lessons about life often taught by animal characters who are acting like humans called_____________________?