An Interview with Humpty Dumpty from "Humpty Dumpty Sat On a Wall"

Writing Strands Level # 6 Lesson # 8

Dear reader,

            This is a fun story about Humpty Dumpty. I wrote this piece at the age of 17. It could be a very interesting story if you have little one’s who like this nursery rhyme. Or you probably like the rhyme yourself and would like to hear this rendition. This was the first time that I was given the assignment of interviewing someone. Even though this was actually an interview with a fictional character it provided some grounds for my next blog. It will contain “real” interviews and will be about the issue of prayer in public schools. I hope that it will be thought provoking. This Blog will commence after a short bit on writing from Dave Marks. As always the Glory goes to GOD for His help in this assignment.

            (The following is an excerpt from Writing Strands Level #6 Lesson #8.)

            It may take you six days to learn:

1.      Imaginary characters sometimes do what they want to do

            2.   How to write an interview

PREWRITING

Day One:

            Newspaper or magazine writers, before the have interviews with people in the news, must plan their time carefully so that they can learn as much as possible while they’re talking to their interviewees.

            Good interviews are much more complicated than just the asking of a series of questions. There is research which the interviewers have to do. Reporters must find out all they can about people before talking to them.

            You will transcribe (write) an interview with a character from a nursery rhyme or Mother Goose story. In your research for this interview, you will first have to read the nursery rhyme or story so that you can know as much about your interviewee as possible. You will have to invent reasons why the characters act as they do.

            (End of excerpt.)

An Interview

with

Humpty Dumpty

from

“Humpty Dumpty Sat On a Wall”

            Back when I was a little lad, I lived in a kingdom of enchantments and fairy tales. My family and I were peasants, but we had the honor of tending the King’s garden. I had heard a great many tales that pertained to life outside the castle walls, but alas, I was not fortunate enough to behold any of those queer wonders. Until a fateful Saturday morning.

            On Saturdays I was allowed to sleep late; however, on this Saturday I awoke to the sound of horses and men riding by my small hovel on their way toward the stables. I hurried outside to find that I had just missed them. I had so hoped to hear just one of the horses talk. I was crestfallen. However, being in my youth, I quickly found another form of entertainment.

            There was a peculiar mess of some yellow and white egg like substance just this side of the east wall. As I hurried over, I stepped on a white shell that crunched beneath my bare feet. It turned out that there were several large pieces of the white shell scattered around the glop and in the grass.

            I began to gather the shell pieces and semi-liquid mass into two garden pails. As I did so I realized that I was gathering the constituents of a large egg. Then I came to the conclusion that this poor mass was Humpty Dumpty. A royal egg jester who was traveling from another kingdom to perform for none other than that my own king.

            I hurriedly carried the two pails, now full to the brim, into my hovel. My father was fetching manure for the gardens and my mother was pulling weeds in the gardens. This left my little brother the only one still in the hovel. I hurriedly woke him and discussed with him how to revive Humpty Dumpty. It was he, my very same brother, who concocted the idea to glue the shell back together with a paste made from common chicken eggs.

            It was tedious work. But finally, after several hours of gluing, we were ready to pour the egg white and yoke back into the shell. When we did so a wonder occurred.

            The cracks in the shell seemed to disappear. Then suddenly eyes, a mouth, arms, and legs grew from the shell right before our eyes. Humpty Dumpty was alive again!

            It turns out Humpty Dumpty was an uppity sort when not performing for the noble class. However with sheer perseverance, and a great deal of curiosity on our part, my brother and I convinced him to tell us what had happened to him. We discovered that Humpty had climbed the castle wall and fallen. The following interview covers our conversations with him.

Q: Mr. Dumpty, what possibly possessed you to climb that wall?

A: I was traveling with a few of my egg jester associates, none of whom are quite as talented as I, when we espied these high, castle wall. One, Romney Jomney made a trivial comment that states, “Wow, look at how tall and intimidating those castle walls are. One would be beyond foolish to attempt scaling such an intimidating and indeed heavily fortified wall.”

            I, however, having seen far greater walls that these, redundantly quipped, “These walls – fortified as they may be – are not nearly as impressive as the walls of Terabithia. In fact, I presume climbing these walls should not prove difficult to a skilled egg jester such as I.”

            Upon this statement of prowess my uncivilized colleagues insisted that I prove my fascinating skills. Therefore I was unable to decline the challenge, however trifling it may have seemed, without impugning my pride.

Q: How did you manage to climb the wall? I’ve heard that it has been adequate defense in many a siege.

A: Oh, it was nothing really. There were a few thick vines that ran the height of the castle’s east wall. They were strong enough to support my body’s tender weight.

Q: Humpty, I’m sure you don’t mind me calling you Humpty, what caused you to lose your balance and fall?”

A: Actually I prefer the title Egg Jester Mr. Dumpty. Anyway, as I sat atop one of the wall’s many crenellations, a slight breeze began to blow. Due to my round underside and unstable internal mass, the breeze caused me to lose my balance.

Q: Did you die instantly, and did you feel any pain?

A: Of course I didn’t die instantly. I’m much stronger than that. I died after my sturdy shell hit the ground. It actually survived hitting the wall top. And what type of question is that of yours, “Did it hurt?” Of course it did. The pain was excruciating.

Q: Finally what is your opinion of the ineptitude of all the king’s horses and all the king’s men?”

A: (Snort of disgust.) Their reconstructive intellect is so anti-present that I am utterly repulsed. In fact, our interview is over. I feel compelled to inform the king that I am very displeased with his hospitality.”

Copyright Isaiah T. Silkwood 4/23/12 ®

Writing Strands Level # 6 Lesson # 8