"If You Give a Clementine a Cookie"

The name of my new book--you like?



It will begin like this:

The baby was a girl. Not just any girl, mind you....this baby was a very special girl. Even more special than all the princesses that have ever lived in every single fairy tale in all of the world. This baby was magical. Her name was Clementine.

This baby, who we can call Clemmie now since we already know her, had 2 brothers. One was a pirate (A very good pirate, of course!) that we shall call Bastian. Bastian was a very kind and popular pirate and sailed the seas two weeks out of each month just so his crew wouldn't miss him too much. Upon his return he would bring back all sorts of mysterious objects for Clemmie to play with, and often she would put them in her mouth even when he would remind her that they were very rare and unique and don't belong in wet, slobbering places. Clemmie adored her brother, who was the eldest, and would often tell him bedtime stories through telepathy at nighttime when they were both in their separate rooms and were supposed to be fast asleep. 

You see, Clementine was magic. Did I already mention that? Sorry. It's just critically important that you don't forget that because it will be very important later on, I assure you. I'm not a fan of making a big deal out of nothing, so you will be very pleased, indeed, when you find that I am telling the truth about such a serious matter. Also, Clemmie can't talk--in case you didn't already know, most babies don't know how to do much of that, and isn't talking completely overrated, anyway?

On with the story.

Clemmie's other brother was a brave knight working under the orders of His Majesty, The King. His name was Sir Bnethan. He was often sent on long and intense missions that once included rescuing a fair maiden from the clutches of a hot air balloon who had managed to hold her captive for four days! She floated thru the air pleading with him to let her go, but the balloon would only call her "mother" and carry on. He was a rather melancholy hot air balloon, most likely still depressed after his real mother went flying one day to Peru and never came back. It took quite a deal of wit and ability to lasso the poor maiden down from way up high and from such a tight grip! But that was the kind of knight he was; brave and smart. And he was an even better brother.

Once, when the eldest brother was away at sea dealing with the latest pirate situations, Clemmie and Sir Bnethan went on an outing on their parent's estate. They hadn't gone far when their Dear Mother called out, "Come, my Darling Bnethan! I have made cookies for you!"

Now, Sir Bnethan had many times before eaten his mother's sugar creations, so to him, this was a simple request. Of course he would go back! These were the best cookies in the world, and to turn them down would be like turning down a princess rescue from the mouth of a dragon! To Clemmie, though, the thought of going back to the house to fetch some cookies seemed absurd.. It was all the same to her if they kept on their merry way. She had never eaten cookies, so why should she care? There was so much to do today and cookies were not on that list.

Suddenly, though, the aroma of chocolate drifted to her nostrils. She had never smelled such a delight, and immediately reached into her pocket for her pencil and paper and wrote down a question to her brother. This is what it said:

Why haven't you 

told me about this wonderful scent before?

Does this have something to do with Mother's request?

C.

Sir Bnethan wasn't sure how to respond. Then the look in his sister's accusing eyes told him what he needed to do. What he must do.

He swooped her up in his arms as he had many times before with much heavier bodies and although Clemmie kicked and fussed, she didn't use her magic to free herself. She secretly thought being lifted that way was funny, and she imagined she was a princess that just managed to escape severe doom.

Just as her imagination was about to take her back to the kingdom of marshmallows and pink ponies, she was back on her own two feet standing, wobbly knees and all, before a mountain of cookies. She was just about to reach for one when her Dear Mother said, "Not for you, my little tangerine. You're just a baby!"

And with that, she picked up Clemmie and put her outside on a blanket with her toys under the big Willow tree.

And when she came to check on her, this is what she found:

And from that moment on, Clemmie happily used her newest magic power whenever she got the chance. Sometimes when the family went out to dinner, she would use her magic as only a baby, or other small child, would. The waiters were always perplexed to see dessert on the table before the bread basket was out, but the children were always so happy, and Clemmie's smile was always so bright, that nobody, not even the confused waiters, seemed to mind. 

El Fin.