Things to Do before Reading the Story

Narration will be forthcoming soon.

"Mom!" yelled Emily.

"Yes, Emily?" answered Mom.

"What are you doing?" asked Emily.

"I am finishing some work and that I brought home yesterday," said Mom.

"Can we do something or go somewhere today?" sighed Emily.

"Well, why don't you take the jellybeans we bought at the store yesterday and a book and read for awhile? Remember what the sign said at the candy store, 'Our flavors will take you places you have never been.' When we have both finished, we'll decide on something to do."

"Oh, okay," said Emily. "I'll be in my room." Emily took the bag of jellybeans into her room and sat looking at some books, trying to decide which one to read.

She held up the bag of jellybeans and looked at all the different colors, trying to guess what flavors they were. I guess I will try the most unusual one first, she thought. She chose the white one with the light brown swirls. When she bit down on it, the taste of popcorn exploded in her mouth. As soon as she swallowed, something bizarre happened. Emily became dizzy, warm, confused, and felt as if she were twirling and whirling through space.

She heard a man yell, "Popcorn, peanuts, hot dogs," and opened her eyes to find herself in a large stadium at a baseball game. She looked at the popcorn in her hand and at the people all around her. Nobody seemed surprised that she was there or that she had just arrived. After she ate some popcorn, watched part of the game, and thought about her arrival for a few minutes, she decided to eat another jellybean to see what would happen.

She decided on a light pink one. Once again she became very warm and dizzy. When she opened her eyes this time, she was at a circus holding some cotton-candy. "How weird! I ate a cotton-candy jellybean and now I am in a crowd watching a circus. What is going on? Where did these jellybeans come from? Hey, as long as I'm here, I'll just watch the circus." Emily watched for a few minutes, but then she just had to eat another jellybean because she was eager to see where she would end up.

Emily tried a yellow jellybean with brown spots, and suddenly she was sitting in a tree next to a monkey with a banana in her hand. Quickly before the monkey could grab her magic candy, she hurled another one into her mouth.

This time it was jalapeno-flavored, and she was in a restaurant in Mexico making a burrito filled with peppers. Emily was beginning to worry about ever getting back home, but stayed long enough to eat a couple of burritos.

She quickly chewed a bright pink jellybean and ended up in a bubble gum factory. Then a shiny yellow one, and she was in a huge field holding a pineapple. She decided to reach into the bag without looking at the color before choosing. As she chewed she thought, Yum! fudge brownie! This time she woke up in her bedroom with the smell of brownies filling the air.

There was a knock on the door. "Honey, I think you have slept long enough. I made some brownies for us while you were napping," said her mother. Emily shook her head and laughed.

Did I fall asleep? she wondered. Was it all just a silly dream?

With her bag of candy in her hand she stumbled into the kitchen, still a little confused. "Mom, I'm not really hungry. Can I eat my brownie later?" asked Emily.

"Well, no wonder, Emily, look at your bag of jellybeans. You must have eaten half of them."

Emily smiled and thought, Plus the burritos, popcorn, and cotton- candy too!

Things to Do after Reading the Story

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