The Magic Red String(Joy Casaus) The Magic Red String
By Joy Casaus

Joseph loved to play. He would play on the swings, he would climb high up in the trees, and he would ride his bike and jump off the dirt ramps that he and his friends built. All day long all Joseph wanted to do was play, but Joseph couldn’t, he had to go to school, he had to do his chores and he had to come in and eat supper!!

In the morning when Joseph woke up he wanted to play, but his mom would tell him to get dressed and come and eat breakfast…still Joseph wanted to play and he would forget to listen to his mom. His mom would ask him again to get ready and still Joseph would continue to play. Finally his mom would get very frustrated and finally Joseph would stop playing and get ready for school.

When Joseph was at school he would forget to listen to his teacher. Sometimes he would talk to his friends when he wasn’t suppose to, and sometimes he would continue to play on the playground when it was time to come in and do lessons, and sometimes it was hard to sit still in class. Joseph’s teacher would ask Joseph to come in from the playground, she would ask Joseph to sit down in class and not talk. She would ask Joseph to stop running, but Joseph would be so busy playing he would forget to listen to his teacher. Finally, Joseph’s teacher would get frustrated and she would call his mom. “Joseph doesn’t listen,” she would say.

His mom tried everything, sometimes he had to go to bed early, sometimes he didn’t get dessert, and sometimes he wouldn’t get to play with his friends. This made Joseph very unhappy. He tried to listen, but he just forgot when he was playing. He played so hard he would hear his mom or his teacher but he would forget to listen and start playing again. He just forgot! This bothered Joseph but he did not know what to do. He began to worry that something was wrong with him.

One day after school Joseph was outside swinging from the rope on the tree. He would climb up the tree and then he would slide down the rope and swing. He was having so much fun that when his mom called him he wasn’t listening.

“Joseph” she called, “it is time to come in! There is a storm coming!” But Joseph continued to play.

“Joseph” she called a second time, “come in now, it is starting to rain and you will catch a cold!” But Joseph continued to play.

“Joseph!” she called to him for the last time, “come in this minute!” This time Joseph finally started in the house, not because he was tired of playing, but because he was all wet and very cold.

His mom gave Joseph a warm bath and tucked him into bed, Joseph didn’t even feel like playing, he was too tired. He didn’t feel very well at all. The next day his mom stood by his bed shaking her head, "I think you caught a cold Joseph,” she said kissing him on the forehead, “Today, there will be no school and no playing, you will have to stay at home and stay in bed.” Joseph was too tired to protest, he felt yucky, he just wanted to sleep.

Joseph’s mom called his teacher, “Joseph will not be in school today.” She said, “Joseph would not listen when I called him in out of the rain and now he is sick.” Joseph’s teacher listened to his mom, “Joseph needs to start listening,” she replied.

After talking to his teacher, Joseph’s mom made another call, she called Joseph’s Grandma. “Joseph is sick today and has to stay home” she told Grandma, “can you come and sit with him? I don’t know what to do, Joseph just does not listen.” Joseph’s Grandma nodded her head, “I will come right over.”

That afternoon Joseph’s Grandma made him his favorite chicken noodle soup. “This will make you feel better Joseph,” his Grandma said kissing his cheek. Joseph began to eat his soup, “Thank you Grandma,” he said and then he sneezed. “My goodness gracious,” Grandma exclaimed, “How did you get this terrible cold?”

“I didn’t listen to mommy when she told me to come in,” Joseph said sadly. “I try Grandma, I really do, but I just forget to listen.” Hanging his head down, Joseph said almost too softly for his Grandma to hear, “I think something is wrong with me.”

Joseph’s Grandma looked at Joseph for a long time, then pressing her lips together she nodded her head, “it is a hard thing for children to do, I know,” Grandma said, “but if you do not listen when grownups ask you to do something you might get hurt, and you will never learn anything in school, and sometimes you'll catch bad colds.”

“I try Grandma, I really, really do…but it is so hard and I just forget,” Joseph said almost in tears, “maybe it is just me, maybe something is wrong with me.”

“No” said Grandma, “it is hard, sweetheart, but I have something that I think will help you.” Then Grandma walked over to her sewing basket, picking it up she came back and sat next to Joseph. Opening up her sewing basket she began looking inside, “Ahh” she said pulling out a bright red string, “here it is.” What is it?” asked Joseph curiously. “This” Grandma replied softly, “is The Magic Red String!”

“What does it do?” asked Joseph excitedly, he loved magic. “It helps you remember to listen” his Grandma replied. Joseph’s eyes got big, “How, Grandma, how will it help me to listen?” “Give me your hand, dear one, and I will show you” Grandma said.

Joseph quickly pulled his hands out of the covers and held them out for his Grandma. To his surprise Grandma took the Magic Red String and tied it around one of his fingers. When she was done, she showed Joseph,
“Now,” she said, “when you are playing or at school or just doing something with your mom, when you are asked to do something look at your hand and the Magic Red String will help you remember to listen to what you are being asked to do.”

Joseph stared at the Magic Red String. He felt so much better, there was nothing wrong with him, and with the help of the Magic Red String he would do better. He looked at his Grandma and smiled, “Thank you Grandma” he said, and then fell fast asleep.

The next day when Joseph woke up he felt much better. When his mom called to him to get ready for school and come eat breakfast, Joseph started to play with his toys, but as he bent down to pick up his toy he saw the Magic Red String and he remembered to listen to his mom. So instead of playing he got dressed and went into the kitchen to eat his breakfast. Him mom looked at him in amazement. That morning when she dropped him off at school she gave him a kiss, “Thank you for listening to me this morning,” she said. Joseph walked into the school with a big smile on his face. As a matter of fact, Joseph started smiling a lot after that. When his teacher would ask him to walk and not run on the playground Joseph would look at the Magic Red String and he would walk. When he was asked to not talk or to stay in his seat, Joseph would look at the Magic Red String and he would do as he was asked. After school when he was outside playing and his mom called for him to come in for supper Joseph started to play again but then he saw the Magic Red String he ran into the house.

His mother told Joseph how proud she was of him for listening to her and they had more fun together. Even his teacher told him what a good boy he was, she even called his mom to tell her what a good student he was. Joseph felt very good about himself. It wasn’t easy, and sometimes Joseph would still forget, as most children do, but in time Joseph became very good at listening.

Then one day his Grandma came to visit. She gave him a great big hug and then she took his hand and looked at it with a smile. The Magic Red String was gone. Joseph pulled Grandma down so he could whisper in her ear, “It came off Grandma, but I still remember.” Grandma smiled down at him and gave him another hug, “of course you do, sweetheart, you always could. You just needed a little magic to help you along the way!"

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