[electronic music]
- Norbert: Setting. - Jason: Characters.
- Problem. - Goal.
- Episodes. - And resolutions.
- All right!
Let's do it again.
This time, faster.
- Okay, I'll go first.
Setting. - Characters.
- Problem. - Goal.
- Episode. - And resolution!
- Hi. - Jason: Hi.
- Hi, Mandy.
- What are you guys doing?
- We're trying to remember the six parts of a story.
It's called a story map.
It's part of a project in reading class.
- Give us a story, any story,
and we can tell you what the six parts of it are.
- Mandy: Okay.
"The Three Little Pigs."
- Come on, Mandy.
That's a baby story.
- Mandy: You said any story.
- It's okay, Norbert.
We can do it.
- Could have picked Superman or something.
- Mandy: "The Three Little Pigs."
Okay, go, Jace.
- Setting.
- The setting of "The Three Little Pigs"
is out in the countryside a long, long time ago.
- Jason: Characters.
- The main characters are the three little pigs.
There wouldn't be a story without them.
- Jason: Problem.
- The problem is that the wolf wants to eat the pigs.
- Goal.
- Norbert: The goal of the pigs is to build their homes
and live in safety.
- Jason: Episodes.
- This would be a list of what happens in the story.
You know, building houses and being attacked by the wolf.
- Jason: And the resolution?
- The resolution of the story is that the wolf is dead
and the pigs are safe.
See?
You can do that with any story.
- Mandy: Do "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."
- Mandy!
- I've got to go, guys.
See you tomorrow. - Okay, bye, Jace.
- Bye, Jason. - Jason: Bye!
How'd you learn how to do all that stuff, anyway?
- Heard about it in reading class.
[thunder rumbles] - Do I hear thunder?
- How should I know?
[shimmer]
Holy camoley!
- Excellent!
- Lexor, what are you doing here?
- My children, there is no time to lose.
You must hasten to Mojuste at once.
Thorzuul has hatched yet another diabolical plan.
- It'll take us at least ten minutes to get home
to the magic Bike-O-Tron.
- There is no time!
Cross your hands over your hearts.
Ex libris! [shimmer]
- Where's Lexor? - Where are we?
- Thorzuul: Well, well, well.
- Holy camoley!
- Look what the wind just blew in.
Welcome to Castle Thorzuul.
I'm delighted you dropped in.
I need your help.
- Mandy: You need our help? - Oh, yes.
I'd like your opinion
on a little story I've just written.
- Norbert: "The Castle of Thorzuul."
- The one and only Thorzuul.
- Thank you, Milkbreath.
- Norbert: "Once, there was a wise and handsome Storylord
"named Zorthuul.
"He wanted to rule every planet in the universe,
"and someday, he will.
The end."
[Milkbreath applauds]
- So?
- Norbert: So, what?
- So, do you like it?
- What if we don't? [Thorzuul chuckles]
- May my sister and I have a talk in private for a moment?
- Oh, by all means.
- Mandy, he's got us right where he wants us.
If we tell him we don't like it, he'll turn us to stone.
If we say we do like it,
he'll tell everybody we're on his side.
- Well, I think his story stinks.
I mean, it doesn't even seem like a story to me.
- That's it! - What?
- You're a genius!
- Well, do you like it?
- Norbert: I'm afraid we can't answer that question.
- I beg your pardon?
- Because of these six words.
It all started in Mrs. Framish's reading class.
[gentle music]
- Yesterday, we talked about the six parts of a story
and how they help us understand and remember a story better.
Today, we're going to read a story
and try to find those six parts in it.
We call this mapping a story.
Jason, will you begin for us, please?
- "'The Fox and the Crow.'
"Once upon a time, long ago, a crow stole a piece of cheese
"and flew to the top of a tall tree.
"A fox saw him and wanted the cheese for himself.
"'If I can make that crow open his beak,
"he'll drop the cheese,' thought the fox.
So, he made a plan."
- Thank you, Jason.
Angie, will you continue, please?
- "The fox trotted to the tree where the crow was perched
"and sat beneath it.
"'Greetings, Mr. Crow,' he said in his politest voice.
'"Lovely day, don't you agree?'
"The crow nodded, but he didn't open his beak to reply.
"The fox continued.
"'You're looking very well.
"'Why, for a moment, I thought you were a handsome eagle
"sitting up there.'
"The crow puffed out his chest
"and ruffled his feathers proudly,
but he didn't open his beak to reply."
- Thank you, Angie.
Norbert, will you finish the story for us, please?
- "The fox didn't give up, but continued talking.
"'I can't understand those other birds.
"'They said you look so plain,
"'and they said you had an awful screeching voice.
"'It seems to me that one as noble in appearance as you
"'must have the most beautiful song in the forest.
"'I only wish I could hear it.
"Then I'd set those other birds straight.'
"The crow, flattered by such praise,
"couldn't resist singing a few notes for the fox.
"But as soon as he opened his beak, the cheese fell out.
"The fox caught it before it touched the ground.
"Off he ran, leaving the crow with nothing but an empty beak
and his empty words of flattery."
- Thank you, Norbert.
You each did a very good job.
Now, let's look at our story map
and use it to help us remember what the story is about.
First, the setting.
Where and when does the story happen?
Jason. - In the forest, long ago.
- Mrs. Framish: Good.
And the characters who are in the story.
Angie? - A crow and a fox?
- Mrs. Framish: That's right.
That was an easy one, wasn't it?
The third part of our story map is called the problem.
Which character in the story has a problem?
Norbert? - The fox.
- Mrs. Framish: And what problem does he have to solve?
- The crow has the cheese and the fox wants it.
- Mrs. Framish: Do you all agree with that?
Good.
What is the fox's goal?
What does he want to do?
Norbert.
- He wants the cheese for himself.
- Very good.
Now, who can remember what the events of the story are?
What happens in it?
Eve?
- The fox tries to trick the crow into dropping the cheese.
- That's true.
But let's go back to the very beginning of the story.
What is the first episode in the story?
Jason.
- The crow steals some cheese
and the fox sees it and wants it.
- Good, Jason.
Who can tell us what happens next?
Travis.
- He tries to get the crow to open his beak.
- Yes.
How does he do that?
Angie? - He said it was a lovely day.
But the crow wouldn't talk.
Then he said he looked as handsome as an eagle.
But the crow still didn't talk.
- Very good, Angie.
Who can continue?
Norbert.
- He said he wanted to hear the crow sing.
The crow opened his beak and the cheese fell out,
and the fox caught it.
- Very good, all of you.
The last part of our story map is called the resolution.
How is the fox's problem solved?
Angie.
- The fox reached his goal
of getting the cheese from the crow.
- That's right.
Very good, all of you.
And if you use a story map like this one for any story you read,
it will help you to remember and understand the story better.
Let's practice using a story map like this.
Open your books to page 94.
We're going to read the story that starts on page 94.
Who would like to begin?
- But what does all that have to do with my story?
- Read it and you'll see.
- "Once there was a wise and handsome Storylord
"named Zorthuul.
"He wanted to rule every planet in the universe.
And someday, he will."
- Now, if you will just allow us to use our story map,
we'll talk about what you've written.
Ready, Mandy? - Ready.
- Setting.
Well, hmm... There really isn't one.
- Characters.
- A Storylord named Zorthuul.
- Norbert: Problem?
- Mandy: Well, there really isn't one.
- Goal.
- Hmm, to rule all the planets in the universe.
- Norbert: Episodes?
- Mandy: There aren't any.
Nothing happens.
- And is there a resolution?
- No. - So, you see,
when we talk about your so-called story,
we find it isn't a story at all.
- Mandy: So, how can we have any opinion of it?
- [sighs in frustration] My best-laid plan ever.
If it had worked on you two, I planned to use it on everybody.
I think I'll turn you to stone anyway.
- Sorry, got to go.
- Better luck next time.
- In unison: Home. [shimmer]
[grunts] - Milkbreath, take me home.
- This is your home.
- Oh, I'll get even with those two.
Just you wait!
[electronic music]