New ending to Ray Bradbury story
By: Mrs
SciFi
These are new endings to ALL SUMMER IN A DAY by Ray Bradbury, written by Lori Vanderwalker's 5th grade students at Lake Young's Elementary.
Matt's ending --
Then all the children apologized and asked Margot to forgive them for what they had done.
"It’s day, I forgive you," said Margot sadly, and sat down silently. She fell asleep and started dreaming about the sun coming up from the distant horizon.
Emily T's ending --
They unlocked the door, even more slowly, and let Margot out. She walked quietly out, a single tear trickling down her cheek. She then ran as fast as she could to the cl_____room.
"Wait!", called a boy, but she did not. The children heard her tearfully telling the teacher what happened. Then Margot ran out the door not caring what would happen to the others. Margot ran _____her than she had ever run before. She was soaked to the bone, then, all of a sudden, everything went black.
When Margot opened her eyes, she was lying in bed, surrounded by flowers and cards. Margot tried to sit up, but could not. She looked at her left arm, and gasped. A thick, white cast was wrapped around it.
A nurse walked into the room. "_____o, deary! I see you are awake," she said gently.
"What hap-apened?" Margot asked.
"We found you lying in the jungle," the nurse replied. Just then, Margot’s parents came in, and the nurse strolled out.
"Honey," Margot’s Father started,
"We’re going to OHIO!" her Mother cut in.
"HOORAY!" Margot shouted.
THE END
Kendra’s ending--
"You made me miss the sun!" Margot cried.
"We’re sorry!" said the other children.
Margot ran past them and back to her house, and to her parents. She was so sad that the children made her miss the sun.
Her parents said, "Don’t worry, Margot, we’re going back to Earth tomorrow!" After hearing that, Margot ran back to school. She would not, however, brag about going back to Earth. The only other person she told was the teacher, who told the class the next day.
Finally, tomorrow came, and they were in the spaceship, ready to go. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, liftoff! They were leaving.
THE END
Kelcy’s ending--
She was pale. Even more than usual, and tears streaked her face. She was not hated now, but understood of feeling about the sun. Now she was hateful. It was, of course, just rumor. She never knew what would happen by then.
The children then screamed, "It is like a fire, in a stove!"
Margot ran. She fled outside, into the mass of the plants. It wasn’t fair. Seven years, maybe more, depending on their jokes that made her weary. Oh! HOW could they have made her miss the sun? The sun seemed so far away. She drew a picture in the dirt.
The picture was of her, with her old friends, lying in the thin grass with gilded flowers in their hair. She so much missed the sun, even when she’d stay out so long she’d get a sunburn. She longed for the warmth on her back while playing soccer or reading a book.
When all her thoughts were out, she went back to the school. She went straight to her room, took out a piece of paper, and color crayons she had saved from Earth. She drew, and drew, and drew, of the sun. Then she wrote a poem on the back.
Why does the world turn its back?
And then suddenly smile my way.
It shines the sun but I’m not there.
It’s not fair!
Seven years of torture live forever and then gone.
Seven more knock on my door,
By then it’s too late,
I’m gone!
My love for the sun has kept me away.
I missed my love today. Fear of pitter, patter rain
Cries out once more. I have gone insane.
What is this name?
SUN.
Maybe.
Nevermore!
Then Margot went out to the children. They were playing sun tag (flashlight tag) in the darkened room. Margot finally now, but only now, realizes that they’ve been there (Earth) too. She runs over and joins them.
Sara’s ending--
Margot slowly looked around the group of children, filled with a deep loathing for all of them, hating them for letting her miss a chance to see the sun, her best friend, her only joy. Then, with a tremendous cry, a great bellow, with all her strength, she turned and ran, sobbing, into the dense, overgrown forest of Venus. She stayed there, weeping, and also getting soaked from the rain that fell in heavy sheets.
Margot remained in the vast forest for one hour, then two. All this time, she sobbed. She sobbed because she had missed the sun, and because she wouldn’t get another opportunity for 7 more years. She sobbed because she was different, and because the other children didn’t like her. Finally, when she could sob no more, Margot returned to the school.
At the school house, Margot had two visitors: her Mother and Father! Her red, swollen eyes gave it away that she had been crying. She ran to her parents. "Mom! Dad!" she cried, embracing them.
"Dry your eyes," her Mother told her, "This is not a time to be sad."
"That’s right," her Father said, "It’s a time to be happy, because we’re going back to Earth to live."
Margot let out a joyful shriek. "You mean we really are?" she exclaimed happily.
"That’s right." said Margot’s Mom. And they spent the rest of their long lives in Ohio.
Stephanie’s ending--
Margot came out, the skin under her eyes red from her crying.
"Did...did it happen?" Margot asked in her usual quiet voice.
"Yes it did!" said one of the girls, "It was all bright and warm and it made you feel hap --" she didn’t finish because she could hear a sniff and see a tear drop from Margot’s eyes.
And then the drops came down, two by two, almost like the rain that once stopped, then started again. Then one by one, everyone apologized to Margot, not in a snobby way, but in a comforting way saying she was right.
Finally, Margot stopped crying. And in the faintest voice she asked, "So you had all summer just in one day?"
William spoke up and said, "Yes. All summer in a day."
Valerie’s ending--
They unlocked the door, even more slowly, and let Margot out. Margot was in the corner crying. You could tell she had tried to bang down the door.
"We are all so sorry," said all the children. She just sat there and didn’t say a thing.
Then she spoke, "Why, why?"
The children all said, "You were right about the sun. We are really sorry."
Later, when they were having lunch, Margot’s parents walked in.
"Margot, we have some good news. Your Father just got a raise, and we’re going back to Earth."
Margot cheered, "Yes, yes, I’m so-o-o happy; I’ll go get packed."
She saw the sun for a long time after.
Justin’s ending--
They unlocked the door even more slowly, and let Margot out. Margot was silent. The teacher came in the dark and gloomy room and saw Margot on one side of the room, all alone.
"Where were you?" the teacher asked. One of the boys stepped up and was about to speak when another boy elbowed him in the stomach. Margot kept silent. "You missed a very special thing."
Margot walked over to her seat and sat down. The bell rang and she left school and went to her house. She lived in a cold shelter home.
The next day, after school, the boy who was about to confess asked her why she didn’t tell the teacher why she wasn’t outside with them.
She kept still for a while, and then said, "I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t know what to do."
All of a sudden, something phenomenal happened, something that scientists wouldn’t even be able to explain. The sun popped out of the clouds and everything started shining.
"Oh my word," the boy said.
Everybody looked up in the sky. Margot just walked off smiling with a glint in her eye. From then on, everybody treated her with the respect she deserved.
Age: 10+
City: Kent
State or Province: Washington
Country: USA
Email: l v a n d e r w @ k e n t . w e b n e t . e d u