"Jenny, the Beautiful"

a folktale adaptation by
Kim Mariotti
Grade Five
Sts. John and Paul Catholic School, Mt. Carmel Building



Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl named Jenny. Jenny lived with her sister, mother, and father. They lived in California. The two sisters and their mother and father always worked together to keep the house clean. When they were finished with their work, each night they would sit down and watch T.V. or play a game. Jenny would always win.

But one night the doorbell rang while they were playing their favorite game, Monopoly. Jenny answered the door. There was a guy standing in the doorway. He said, "Hi! My name is John." He asked Jenny and sister if they would like to go to a party at school the next evening. Jenny and her sister both said yes in excitement.

The next day Jenny and her sister spent all day getting ready for the dance. Jenny's mother yelled and told them to be home by 10:00 P.M. or they would be grounded. Jenny didn't pay any attention to her as she fixed her hair.

When they got to the dance, they went to the gym. Jenny saw all her friends were there. While Jenny was dancing, she heard the clock strike 10:00 and remembered what hermother had told her before she left the house. She told the guy she was dancing with that she had to go. So Jenny went to find her sister.

Jenny and her sister jumped into the car and raced home. As they walked through the door of the house, Jenny's parents yelled at them. Jenny's mother said, "You are both grounded and you have to clean the house for a week." Jenny and her sister walked to their bedrooms silently as tears came out of their eyes. As Jenny walked into her bedroom, she noticed that her diamond earring was missing.

For the next few days, Jenny was not allowed to go anywhere becasue she had to clean the house herself. She had to dust, mop, sweep, and clean drapes. Finally after a week, her parents let her go to look for her earring. But as a year passed, Jenny looked everywhere but could not find it.

One day Jenny finally put up a notice saying that she had lost her diamond earring. A week passed and many people said that they had found her earring, but it was never the right one. The next day, a guy confronted Jenny and said that he thought he had found her earring. When he showed it to her, she was surprised to see that it was hers.

Jenny ran home to tell her parents the good news. Her parents were so happy for her that they threw a party for Jenny and her friends at the school gym. When Jenny arrived at the school that night she started dancing with all her friends. Then she noticed that the guy she had danced with the night that she had lost her earring was there. Jenny approached him and asked him to dance. As they danced silently together, Jenny realized that he was the same guy who had found her earring.

Jenny and her dancing partner, Philip, continue to date each other and are very happy.




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Last updated Mar. 5, 1998