The stories we consume affect how we view everything.
With a nine-year-old girl in the world today, the movie 'Frozen' has a good chance of coming up.
Once upon a time in the kingdom of Arendelle lived a King, a Queen, and the Princesses Elsa and Anna.
On a stormy Tuesday they decided to play a game. But the window wouldn't fully close in their room.
They wanted to play with snowballs.
Elsa had magic in her hands, she could make snow or ice because of her magic hands.
Just as Elsa was going to make a pile of snow in the room the window slammed open with a loud Bang! In jumped a squirrel that looked very cold. He turned around and shut the window.
"Elsa," said Anna "what a big storm! Please close the window. It is so scary!"
"Do not worry Anna!" said Elsa.
The squirrel looked at Anna and said, "Hey, I already shut the window. You have no idea how cold it is out there."
"A talking squirrel?" said Anna with interest on her face.
"Imagine my surprise in finding a talking human." said the squirrel, without sounding like he was being sarcastic.
"How can you talk like that with my sister!" said Elsa angrily, and her face beyond angry.
"How can you talk like that with my sister!" said squirrel, with a funny look.
Elsa pulled her arm back as a snowball formed in her hand. The squirrel pulled his arm back as a fireball formed in his hand.
At that moment, as far as Elsa thought, the squirrel went fully transparent.
Elsa turned to Anna, the snowball still sitting in her hand, "Where did the squirrel go?"
But Anna's face was still stuck in shock.
"Anna, Anna, Anna. Can you hear me?" shouted Elsa.
"What, where, how, why, when?" said Anna.
The window slammed open again, and the wind started blowing snow into the room.
"Why is it snowing?" said Anna. "Are you still making snow?"
"No, it is not me!"
Then, from the other end of the room, there was a fireball moving fast. A squirrel carrying it. Running across the floor. He leapt onto a table. And launched the fireball, followed by himself, through the window.
Then another fireball moved toward Anna and Elsa!
"Aaaaahhhhhhhh!"
Than Anna opened her eyes and she was in her bed.
"Why are you shouting?" said Elsa.
Then Anna understood that that was a dream.
"Come on. Today is your birthday!" said Elsa to Anna.
Anna smiled and looked out of the window. There was a squirrel, smiling and looking back at her.
THe EnD.
The dream ending idea is common. It's not my favorite, but some people definitely do like it. I think it gives them the freedom to be imaginative. I don't feel the need for that permission. I like to treat dreams, stories, myths, etc. in a serious way. But, Vera obviously likes the dream ending.
Even though Vera wanted to use the 'Frozen' world, I pushed the story to break out of those norms so that we could explore other possibilities that might emerge organically. And it definitely came out unique. The stories we consume shape us, but we can also shape them.
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