Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! Thanks for the wonderful gift of words that you have entertained us with for so long!



"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"
"A person's a person, no matter how small." 
 
Here is an adaptation that I made for an LDS church group of Young Women: 

Personal Progress “ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT”
(Adapted from Horton Hatches an Egg)
One day a dear Young Woman was in the church walking
When she chanced by some leaders out in the hall talking.
“Hello,” called the Young Woman President, smiling her best,
“There is something to do!  This is no time to rest!
Would you complete a few goals?  They’re so neat and so dear.
Here is your book –you’ll have nothing to fear!”

“Me, do Personal Progress? Why that doesn’t make sense.
My time is so small, and the projects so immense!”

“Tut, Tut,” answered the President.  “I know you’re time’s small,
But, I’m sure you can do it, with no trouble at all.
Just work on them regularly.  You’ll be more gentle and kind.
If you work on them faithfully with a positive mind.”

“Very well,” said the Young Woman.  “Yes I will take it.
I’ll work on these goals and a good experience I’ll make it.
I’ll work and be faithful.  I mean what I say.”

“Oh, thank you dear young woman,” and the leader went on her way.

So that young woman opened her book on that very day.
And she completed some goals all that autumn.  Soon the leaves all blew away.

And then came the Winter, the ice and the snow.
But that young woman was faithful.  Every month completed a goal.
She caught a bad cold, but she said with a sneeze,
“I’ll work on these values and I won’t let them freeze!
I meant what I said and I said what I meant…..
I’ll do my Personal Progress ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT!”

 So that young woman worked the whole winter through
And then came the springtime with troubles anew.
She had finals, and tests and had to study each day.
She was tired of working so hard and she wanted to play.

But she cared for her values and continued to say,
“I meant what I said and I said what I meant.
I’ll do my Personal Progress ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT!”

Then one day this young woman, with a big smile and pink cheeks,
Completed her goals and projects after one hundred and fifty-one weeks.
Her leader congratulated her so long and so well,
She hugged her and thanked her, what more can I tell?

Then all the ward members came running “What’s all this about?”
They looked!  And they stared with their eyes popping out!
They cheered and they cheered and they cheered more and more.
They’d never seen anything like this before!

“My goodness!  My gracious!” they shouted. What a spectacular necklace!
It’s something special, a medallion for Personal Progress!

And it should be; it should be; it should be like that.
Because our Young Woman was faithful.  She wrote in her journal as she sat.
She meant what she said…and she said what she meant.

And she went home happy,
ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT!!

** I have several more churchy adaptations to other Dr. Seuss books as well. 
If you would like a copy just send me an e-mail or comment on this post.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.