The Adventures of Josie Appleseed
By Mariah, age 15, Minnesota
One day, a shoeless young girl was walking alone in the wilderness without a map. She was lost and could only pay attention to where she was heading. The girl was uncertain of her current location, and she did not want lose her current pace. As a result, she did not turn around to ask for directions.
The girl continued along a rocky pathway through a grove of apple trees. She gazed upon the bushels of apples, and wondered why they were left unpicked. The apples' luster amazed and intrigued her, as the translucent sheen they emitted stood out from the rest of the natural terrain.
Expecting a truly mesmerizing taste, she grabbed one of the apples from the tree and took a bite. She soon spat out the apple, as she realized they were worm-infested crab apples. She tossed the apple on the ground, hoping in time a new apple tree with brilliant crimson apples would sprout from the recalled apple she had attempted to eat. Without thinking, she took another apple from the tree, and bit into it. Her taste buds, already numb from the sourness of the previously discarded apple, withstood the taste.
She continued walking along the rubble as the soles of her feet reacted to the rough road with their generous donations of blood. A sticker they did not receive, nor a pat on the back, nor a merit of honor. The girl knew her feet would callous eventually, so she continued advancing further toward her unknown destination with the apple still in hand.
