Bath Time

Bernice Oliver is five years old. She lives with her Mother and her Father and her cat, Leo. Bernice loves to play all day long, because she has a big imagination. 

“Bernice, your imagination is as tall as an oak tree!” Her Mother told her one afternoon not that long ago. 

Every evening, Bernice’s Mom would give her a bath. Bernice hated bath time.

“But honey,” Mother said while pushing her daughter into the bathroom. “I put all these toys out for you. Wont that be fun?”

Along the side of the bathtub were a line of bath toys, including a few plastic dolls, a mermaid, a green fish, and a small blue sail boat.

Bernice took note of these toys, but still stuck her tongue out. “No bath.”

Mother sighed, and sat down in the chair beside the bathtub. “Well, Bernice, you need to take a bath, like it or not. And if you do it now, that’s more time that you get to play.”

Bernice thought about this while twirling her brown curly hair. “Hmmm...” She hummed, and put her eyes up to the ceiling in thought. “Only if I can wear my bathing suit.”

Mother smiled. “Okay, then. Let me go get it.”

She walked out of the bathroom, and in a few seconds, Mother was back with Bernice’s favorite bathing suit. It was bright red with ruffles near the waist.

Bernice put it on right away, and climbed into the warm and soapy tub.

Mother took out the ties in Bernice’s hair, and started to wash it with grape scented shampoo. Meanwhile, Bernice took the toys from the side of the tub and started to play with them.

She made the mermaid swim underneath the heaps of bubbles and reappear again on the surface, just to catch a glimpse of the other doll which Mother had brought out, and Bernice pretended that was the Prince.

“I wish I was a mermaid...” Bernice said wishingly, as she dunk the doll back in and out of the water.

“The way you swim so well in the water, anybody would swear you are!” Mother replied, wringing the soap out of Bernice’s hair.

“Wanna see me hold my breath under water? I’m real good at it!” Bernice said, elated to show off a new talent she had learned in swimming class last week.

“Okay, honey. Just be careful, and don’t hold it too long. Just a few seconds.”

Bernice dipped her head into the water, which had become less warm during the time she’d been in the bath. She pretended to be swimming down, down, further into the tub. Soon, the water became a deep blue, and colder, but she kept swimming on. 

A school of fish rushed past her, all a pretty green color with shiny scales. 

And then Bernice saw something wonderful. First, a flash of long, blonde hair. Then another flash of pink scales. 

Right before Bernice’s very eyes was a beautiful mermaid. 

Reviews

[Forever Hidden]

Read it and loved it!

[Satori]

I think you have a very good start here indeed. Quick question were you aiming for an early reader style chapter book or going for a picture book?

[Hannah Olivia]

Thanks! Well, I was planning on having it be a chapter book, but with 1 picture per chapter.

[Jetta Zippora]

Very cute and very promising as children's book, friend. Keep writing.

[Hannah Olivia]

thank you! I'll be coming out with the next "Bernice" soon (:

[Rhea752]

Cute :P