Over and over again. Up. Down. All in rhythm. All identical.
“Look!” Charles Wallace said suddenly. “They’re skipping and bouncing in rhythm! Everyone’s doing it at exactly the same moment.”
This was so. As the skipping rope hit the pavement, so did the ball. As the rope curved over the head of the jumping child, the child with the ball caught the ball. Down came the ropes. Down came the balls. Over and over again. Up. Down. All in rhythm. All identical. Like the houses. Like the paths. Like the flowers.
Then the doors of all the houses opened simultaneously, and out came women like a row of paper dolls. The print of their dresses was different, but they all gave the appearance of being the same. Each of the women stood on the steps of her house. Each clapped. Each child with the ball caught the ball. Each child with the skipping rope folded the rope. Each child turned and walked into the house. The doors clicked shut behind them.
Extract from the book A Wrinkle in Time
By Madeleine L’Engle
All Rights Reserved.
New York: Dell, c1962.
Call Number: J English LEN
Extract contributed by Tay Shu Hui, Desiree
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Would you rather stand alone or follow the crowd? Why?
January 11th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
I will go with ’stand alone’. It’s part of who I am. Unique in my own way. Standing out from others. It’s one of the codes I live by.
January 31st, 2009 at 11:59 pm
I rather stand alone then folling the crowd.I don’t like to follow the crowd.
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Follow the crowd. It gives me a sense of security.
February 24th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Even the vast majority of people cannot always be right, so I would keep my eyes and mind open always. Sometimes it is better to do something alone then to blindly follow the crowd.
March 3rd, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Wow, there are quite a variety of different kinds of interesting books and stories! I am impressed! I think it is exellent and it is a very good idea to come with such an amazing thing. I must say that you guys must must keep up the good work! It would be unimaginanable if I can come up with stories like that! Read and Reap has good stories to fill up my brain with some good knowledge and ideas. I am sure that I will borrow a lot of your books in the library. You guys must be pretty famous as I could even see some of your stories in my school’s canteen! I saw it and pick one of pieces of paper with your story on it. I brought it home and read it. Then I went to your website to give some comments. I want to thank Read and Reap to come up with stories for childen like me!:)
March 3rd, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Hi Marcus,
thank you for your kind comments! Can you drop us an email at readandreap@nlb.gov.sg with your contact details. We would like to send you a token of appreciation.
Thank you for supporting Read and Reap!
Regards, Galvin (blog administrator)
March 5th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I would follow the crowd as there are more good people then bad people. By the way, who is this galvin?
April 4th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
I am also impressed!!!! well done…..