Home » Reading & Literature » Children's Poetry » Stories that Read Like Poems

Stories that Read Like Poems

© Arden Davidson

One of the best ways to get a child to truly enjoy a story is to spice it up with a little rhyme and rhythm. Here's an example of how a fairy tale can become even more enchanting through the use of rhyme.

The Adventures of Petty Popperkosh

Little Petty Popperkosh went out for an evening stroll. Then suddenly she came across a mean and ugly troll.

He asked her what her name was, then he said it beared repeating, 'cause a troll with his good taste likes to know who he is eating.

"Petty Popperkosh, what a pretty name", he said as if to win her. "Now that we've been introduced, come here and be my dinner."

"You can't eat me yet!", sweet Petty warned, "You haven't had your salad. Here, eat some grass and some nice, green leaves. Then your dinner will be valid."

So the troll ate the greens and he licked his lips, quite ready for the main course. But before he could approach, Petty shouted with reproach, "Wait! You have to eat your soup first, of course."

So she poured rainwater in a tulip bulb and the horrid troll sucked it away. "Now I'm ready!", he said with a smile. "I've got no time for one more delay."

"But you can't eat me yet! You can't eat me yet!", Petty pleaded with tears on her face. "What now?!", growled the troll with an evil frown. "Well, first you must say grace."

So the angry troll sighed and closed his eyes and began to thank God for his food. Till Petty stuffed lizards in his open mouth and the troll cried out, "Hey! That was rude!"

But he chewed and he swallowed the lizards right down, Then he fell on his side with a moan, wailing "I'm to full to eat you now. Petty Popperkosh, go home."

(C) 1998, Arden Davidson

And just for fun, you could even turn classic fairy tales into rhymes - for example...

There was a girl named Cinderella who had a crush on this hot prince fella Things started out rough; not much fun at all, but now they're in love and they're having a "ball!"

(C) 1999 Arden Davidson

The copyright of the article Stories that Read Like Poems in Children's Poetry is owned by Arden Davidson. Permission to republish Stories that Read Like Poems in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.