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Bartholomew's Boredom Buster

Bartholomew Benjamin Bartholomew was a boy with a very, VERY long name. But that wasn't his biggest problem. No siree, not at all! Bartholomew's biggest problem was...his boredom!

A bored boy with a long name looking glum

Every day seemed the same. Wake up, eat toast, go to school, come home, eat peas, draw trees, go to bed. Yawn! Even Bartholomew's yawns were bored.

A bored boy eating peas and drawing trees

"This is simply unacceptable!" Bartholomew declared to his pet goldfish, Bubbles. Bubbles, being a goldfish, just blinked her shimmery scales.

A boy talking to a goldfish in a bowl

Bartholomew decided he needed a change, a shake-up, a...FLAVOR EXPLOSION! He imagined his boring day transforming into something spectacular, something...EXTRAORDINARY!

A boy imagining a flavor explosion of colors and excitement

First, he swapped his plain toast for rainbow pancakes! Each bite tasted like a party in his mouth. Even the syrup sang a jig on his plate.

A plate of rainbow pancakes with dancing syrup

Next, he ditched the school bus and hopped on a unicycle! Okay, maybe not a unicycle, but he DID skip all the way to school, whistling a happy tune.

A boy skipping happily on his way to school

At school, instead of just drawing trees, he drew trees that grew lollipops and swings made of licorice! His teacher, Ms. Bloom, even cracked a smile.

Whimsical trees with lollipops and licorice swings

After school, he replaced those pesky peas with pizza! Not just any pizza, but a pizza topped with gummy worms and sprinkles. Okay, maybe not gummy worms, but it did have extra cheese!

A pizza with extra cheese, looking delicious

That night, instead of counting sheep, Bartholomew counted dancing hippos wearing tutus. And guess what? He fell asleep with a smile bigger than a watermelon slice.

Dancing hippos in tutus

From that day on, Bartholomew Benjamin Bartholomew knew a secret. He knew that even a little bit of imagination could turn a boring day into something...well, extraordinary!

The happy boy smiling brightly with a twinkle in his eye

The End

Curtain closing on a stage

Reflection Questions

  • How do you think Bartholomew felt when he was bored? Can you describe a time when you felt bored?
  • What were some of the creative things Bartholomew did to make his day more fun? What are some things you like to do when you're bored?
  • Why do you think Bartholomew started smiling more at the end of the story? How can using our imaginations make us feel happier?

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