Tommy Learns How to Draw
(A Retelling of an Old Story)
Once upon a time there was a little boy named Tommy. One day in school Tommy’s teacher said, “Class, today we are going to draw.”
Tommy thought, “Oh good! I know how to draw!” And Tommy took out a sheet of paper and his big box of crayons and began to draw cars of different colors and houses of different colors and people of different colors.
But the teacher said, “Wait! Not yet! Wait until everybody is ready.” So Tommy put down his crayons and waited. Then the teacher said, “Today we are going to draw a flower.”
Tommy thought, “Oh good! I know how to draw flowers!” And he began to draw roses of different colors and carnations of different colors and lilies and mums and geraniums in every color of the rainbow.
But the teacher said, “Wait! Today we are going to draw a tulip. And we are going to draw it like this.” And the teacher drew a big red tulip with a green stem with two little green leaves on it.
Tommy looked at the
teacher’s tulip, and he looked at his own drawings, and he liked his own
flowers better, but he didn’t say anything. Tommy just turned his paper
over, put away all but two of his crayons, and drew a big red tulip with
a green stem with two little green leaves on it, just like the teacher’s.
The teacher said, “That’s a very good flower, Tommy! Well done.”
The next day, Tommy’s teacher passed out clay to all the students and said, “Class, today we are going to make something out of clay.”
Tommy thought, “Oh good! I know how to make things out of clay!” And he broke up the clay into lots of little pieces and he began to make little houses and cars and people and dogs and a streetlight.
But the teacher said, “Wait! Not yet! Wait until everybody is ready.” So Tommy put down his clay and waited. Then the teacher said, “Today we are going to make a bowl, and we are going to make it like this. First you roll all your clay into a ball like this, then you flatten it out like this, then you form it like this, and there’s your bowl.” Tommy looked at the teacher’s bowl, and he looked at his miniature village, and he liked what he made better, but he didn’t say anything. Tommy just took all his little figurines and smashed them into a big ball and squashed it flat and made a bowl just like the teacher’s. The teacher said, “That’s a very good bowl, Tommy! Well done.”
Then it happened that Tommy’s family moved to a different city, and Tommy went to a new school. On the very first day of school, Tommy’s new teacher said, “Class, today we are going to draw.” The students took out paper and crayons and began to draw cars and houses and people in every color of the rainbow, but Tommy just sat there and waited. The teacher said, “Tommy, don’t you want to draw?”
“Yes,” said Tommy, “but what am I going to draw?”
“Well, I won’t know until you draw it,” she replied.
“But how do you want me to draw it?” asked Tommy.
“Why, any way you please,” said the teacher.
“You mean I can draw anything I like?” asked Tommy.
“Yes,” said the teacher.
“And I can draw it any way I like?” asked Tommy.
“Yes,” said the teacher.
Tommy thought, “Oh good! I know how to draw!” And he took out a sheet of paper, and two crayons, and very carefully he drew a red tulip with a green stem with two little green leaves on it.