The Story that did not want to be Read

(page 4)

One after the other, readers kept turning the pages of The Story that did not want to be Read.

But on page 4, one reader said, "It really is rude to read a story that does not want to be read, so I'm going to be polite and close the book."

Another reader said, "I wonder if my friends would like to play football or just plain ball. I'm going to close the book and give them a phone call."

There was even one reader who said, "I'm hungry for a snack. I'm going to close the book and get a bowl of French vanilla ice cream, topped with an ornery onion and a rutabaga that looks like Winston Churchill."

Later on page 4, one reader closed the book and said, "Boy, this is the grouchiest story I've ever read."

Another reader closed the book and played himself in a game of tic-tac-toe. He lost, crumpled up the paper, pretended the crumpled up paper was a rutabaga, and used it to shoot baskets.

One after the other, readers kept closing The Story that did not want to be Read. Finally there was only one person left, and that reader thought, "If everyone else is closing the book, maybe I should too. I could go to sleep, play ball, read something else, go to the dentist, or do that thing where I'm drawing while holding one foot in the air."

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