What is a Random Title Story?
In my bathroom there are four kids' books posters on the wall. As I looked at the posters today, I thought about creating a fun story from the titles. That's what I call a Random Title Story.
The titles on the posters are:
- Cat and Rat by Ed Young
- Little Hobbin by Theodor Storm
- Time for Bed by Mem Fox
- Six Creepy Sheep by Judith Ross Enderle and Stephanie Gordon Tessler
Here's my story. How about creating your own Random Title Story?
Little Hobbin's Night Out
Little Hobbin knew it was a mistake to babysit for the Six Creepy Sheep. But what could she do? She needed the money, and jobs for hobbins were as rare as...well, they were rare. Little Hobbin wasn't good at thinking up similes.
Ding dong. Oh no, who was that? Little Hobbin opened the door. There stood her next-door neighbor with his children, Cat and Rat.
"Can you babysit tonight?" asked Cat and Rat's father, a gigantic striped alley-cat with his ear torn off.
"I'll take them with me to the Six Creepy Sheep across the street," said Little Hobbin. "Is that okay?"
"Sure, whatever," said their father, who was known for not keeping track of his children. Cat and Rat's mother, a ferocious rodent, had left years ago.
"Follow me," said Little Hobbin to Cat and Rat, and the three hobbled, padded, and scurried across the road.
Mr. and Mrs. Sheep left for the movies (a horror story involving lamb chops).
"Time for bed," said Little Hobbin to Cat, Rat, and the Six Sheep, thinking she could watch her favorite TV show, "The Hobbins Go to Hollywood."
"Time for bed," said Little Hobbin to Cat, Rat, and the Six Sheep, thinking she could watch her favorite TV show, "The Hobbins Go to Hollywood."
But just as she predicted, the Six Creepy Sheep did creepy things. Like sharpening their teeth on the kitchen knives. And putting spiders into their parents' lambswool slippers. Cat dunked the sheep's tails into the pot of Elmer's Glue on the stove, and Rat ate all the cleanser under the sink.
"Stop!" said Little Hobbin, sinking into the couch. "TIME FOR BED!"
But it was too late. The Six Sheep were glued to the floor, Cat collapsed in a heap from glue fumes, and Rat was doing something gross in the garbage pail after eating all that cleanser.
Little Hobbin hobbled to the sofa. Forget her TV show. She curled up in a wool blanket and counted sheep. Oddly, they were all holding knives in their teeth. Little Hobbin happily snored her way through the night. Maybe babysitting wasn't so bad after all.
