A Story of a Book

[Sid]

As a young child in the first grade, not many years ago, back in the day when teachers cared a little bit more and it wasn’t just about getting the kids through the day and home where they could be other peoples problems. Or at least that’s how it seems now.

I remember being taken to the school library with the whole class and they sat us down on the floor we were all sitting cross legged and the librarian an older lady Mrs. Salto, started reading us a book.
It was a great big red book called Mike Mulligan and his Steam shovel, some of you may know this book.

It was about a man called Mike Mulligan and his Faithful friend Mary Ann the Steam shovel.
It told of how hard they had worked together, and the things that they had done.
It goes on to say how the time of the steam shovel passed and they could no longer find work as no one wanted to hire a steam shovel any more especially since they could get the new Diesel shovels to do the work faster.

It told about how all the other steam shovels had been taken to gravel pits to rust away.

And how although they were not wanted they knew that they could do it if only given the chance

They left the city to go to the country to prove them selves.

For some reason this book had stuck in my head all these years. I remembered every detail of it the binding the illustrations…
The other day I found the book on Ebay quite by accident and I received it this morning.

The Great big red book was not so big after all, it was actually a small book for an adult, but to the eyes and hands of a 6 year old it was still a great big book.

I re read the book, its not more then 16 pages. And the story brought new meaning.

It showed hard work paid off, and that you never should give up. How no matter what everyone else was doing you should stick by your friends as Mike Mulligan did with Mary Ann and that in the end with team work anything is possible and finally even when things are darkest there can be a silver lining

Today I had a wonderful trip down memory lane


Thanks Mike Mulligan and Mary Ann

[hanabi]

What a wonderful story Sid, I enjoyed reading about it,

and some very true sentiments too...

thanks for sharing





P.S. It will be a nice story to share with your Son too,
when he is older...

[birdbrain]

my copy is in my footlocker . to patrick, christmas 1964

[dattia]

BB...you must get control of that finger!!! I know you meant to "Thank" that post!

Very nice post Sid... I love it when life gives us moments like that!

[derbyboy]

Thanks Sid, I remember Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel well.

The Curious George books were also a favorite of mine as a kid.

[mcknli7]

thanks for sharing that with us.

i love it when you get the chance to go back to your childhood

[hanabi]

thanks for sharing that with us.

i love it when you get the chance to go back to your childhood

What do you mean, go back to your childhood??

I'm still in mine!!

[new in town]

Thamk you for sharing this Sid, :applaude1:

And I will always be a "Toys R us Kid" ! !

[FTKServices]

Sounds like really good book Sid. Thanks for sharing it with all of us.

[johntofva]

That was a great story. Thanks for sharing it. I have blocked most of my childhood out, so it is good to here the stories of others.

[luckydog]

I think a lot of us are still in our "childhood"

[arbycoffee]

Sid, you should read the book out loud and record it and post it on You Tube

Cool Beans

[20sporty02]

thanks for sharing sid, i remember that book too

[Lazarus]

Thanks for that Sid. Some books stick with us. I don't ever remember having a teacher sit us down and reading to us like that. I did find the enlightenment of reading. It took till my freshmen year in high school. They forced us to do this awful thing like having to read an actual BOOK one hour a week in a rotating class.When I went into the library I had no idea what to get. Then I saw a book I could relate to. In the back of the boys Life, the closest thing to reading other than text books was a comic strip. The book was based on that strip. The book was called "The City of Gold and Lead". Now many book that reside in my heart that this is first of. Thanks again Sid for I had forgotten that as I have purchased a spacial book to keep for my oldest son to give to him on his tenth birthday I will need to find a good quality copy of this book to give to him. I will give both of my sons there own doorway, hopefully they will see the wonderment of the world that lies on the other side.