Same Story, Two Age Groups

(In one of my college writing classes, the teacher tasked us to write the same story for two different audiences. I chose elementary aged children and educated, adult outdoors-folk as my targets. These two snippets are the result.)

 

For the children:

I read somewhere thistle-down is a good beginning fuel for fire. Down is the fuzzy seeds that fly away. I thought I'd see for myself if it really was good for starting fires. I was out in the woods and saw a bunch of thistles standing there, all brown and dried up. I picked the down from the center of a sticky flower, placed it on a bare spot on the ground and flicked my lighter in it. The down lit and burned in a flash! It happened so fast, I had to do it again to be sure I saw right. It really worked! I was so impressed that I ended up spending hours picking and bagging more down to take home with me.

 

For the adults:

I was scouting in the forest one sunny, warm, fall day and took a break during a lull of elk movement. I read somewhere how thistle-down can be used for tinder and, having pyromaniacal tendencies, decided to try it. Nearby were stands of thistle, clustered together tooth by jowl, past their prime, offering their progeny to the whims of the wind. I whisked a handful of down from the heart of a nodding flower, swept a spot on the ground bare and dropped the experiment in the middle. Wielding my lighter near the center of the pile, I flicked the flint, getting sparks only. In that split second, it caught and burned - an explosive flash so fast the down was spent before I could gasp in surprise. I blinked repeatedly, not sure of what I'd seen. I would have to do this again to be sure. I snatched more down and repeated the process, getting the same results. It was awesome! I spent the entire lull-time moving, like some hulking, hungry, determined beast, from clump to clump of thistle, emptying flower after flower of their burden of seeds; harvesting the down to take home and incorporate into my crafts.

 

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Copyright Colleen D. Bergeron.
Last revised: May 08, 2004.