Ryers Readers - Imaginary Fred

Episode Date: March 22, 2023

Everyone needs a friend, and sometimes, when the conditions are just right; a friend just might appear!

Let's do this! Thank you so much for tuning into today's story. Don't forget to rate and follow so you never miss out on all the Ryers readers fun. Before we get into the story, do you want to know a fun fact? Did you know that the cello is the second largest bowstring instrument in the world after the double bass? It kind of looks like a super big violin. Cello is commonly played in jazz, rock, and pop music. Pretty cool, huh? Okay. Story time.

Today, we have a super special Ryers' Reader's Reader's request from 3-year-old Un-Hud in Napier, New Zealand. Un-Hud would like to hear Imaginary Fred by Owen Culfer. I hope you enjoy this story, Un-Hud. Let's do this. Headaches are a pain. A bee sting hurts even more. But there is one thing that's worse than getting stung on the head by a bee on a rainy day, and that is loneliness. Being alone is no fun.

The first five minutes are okay, but it's downhill from there. And if you're alone, you're alone. It's not as if you can wish a friend to life. Usually this is true. You can wish and wish until your hair stands on end, but no imaginary friend will appear. unless the conditions are just right. And if you add a little electricity or luck or even magic, then an imaginary friend might just appear when you need one.

An imaginary friend like Fred. Fred floated like a feather in the wind until a lonely child wished for him. Fred was always happy to be summoned, and he tried really hard to be the best imaginary friend he could be. He dressed up, he dressed down, played ball, became a ball. And did whatever else his real friend wanted to do without once complaining. But no matter how hard Fred tried, the same thing happened every time.

One day, his friend would find a real friend in the real world, a friend who did not have to be ignored when grownups were around. When this day came, as it always did, Fred would feel himself fade. Usually by lunchtime on the second day, Fred would be mostly invisible, and by bedtime on the fourth day, there would barely be a scrap of Fred left, just enough for the wind to catch and whisk him into the sky, where Fred would stay until someone knew wished for him. Fred was glad that his friends found other real friends to play with, but sometimes he wished he had a friend who would need him forever. He dreamed of a friend who liked reading, music, and drama like he did. He imagined them sitting together, reading adventure stories, and looking for shapes in the clouds.

This was Fred's dream. And one day, a lonely boy called Sam wished hard for a friend, when the conditions were perfect. Fred appeared and soon realized that Sam was the friend he had been dreaming of. Fred never had so much fun. Sam loved to read just like Fred, and was most upset if he didn't get through at least one book per day. When they weren't reading, Sam and Fred would try to understand how the toilet worked.

They'd listen to music on Sam's dad's sound system, which had 13 speakers, or they would write plays and act them out for Sam's parents. But even though every morning brought new delights, Fred couldn't help thinking that every evening brought them closer to the day when Sam wouldn't need him anymore, and that would be the saddest day of his imaginary life. So Fred decided that he would enjoy every single moment with Sam until that time came, The two friends pretended to be French and studied Mime. They made Japanese masks, practiced their classical instruments, and planned their own comic book.

They called themselves the dramatic duo. But one day, Sam came home late from a party, and Fred felt a nervous flutter in his imaginary tummy. Was this the beginning of the end? Was he headed back into the sky? Fred checked his arm and thought that maybe he had faded. a little already. When Sam came home, he had an excited look in his eyes. A look Fred had seen before. Sam told him. She's a girl called Sammy, which is funny because I'm called Sam. She loves to read and has written and illustrated her own comic book series. You're going to love her,

Fred. Fred thought he probably would love Sammy if he were able to stay around long enough to meet her. But don't worry, Sam said. Just because I met Sammy doesn't mean I don't need you. You're still my main man. In Fred's experience, there was only room in a heart for one best friend. I will always be your friend, Fred said. Just promise that you won't forget me. I promise, said Sam, and he meant it.

The next morning, Sam was gone when Fred woke up and there was a note on his pillow. I am meeting Sammy to brainstorm our comic book. Back later, your pal, Sam. Comic book? Thought Fred. That was our idea, me and Sam. Fred checked his arm again. Definite fading this time.

When Sam came home several hours later, Fred called an emergency meeting of the dramatic duo. Okay, Sam, he said. I want to prepare you for what's a moment. going to happen. In a day or two, I will disappear. It's not your fault. It's just that now that you have a real friend, you don't need me anymore. The best thing you can do is let me go without making a scene. Sam did make a scene. He swore he would never let Fred go. But the next day, Sam left the house early again to meet with Sammy, and Fred was left behind. I can see the threw my hand now, thought Fred. When Sam returned home that day, he brought Sammy with him.

Sammy wore round glasses that made her eyes seem huge. She pulled a cello case behind her on a cart and carried an art bag so she can work on her comic book whenever an idea struck. Sam introduced them. Sammy, meet Fred. Fred, meet Sammy. This is a waste of time, thought Fred. Only people with an imaginary friend can see an imaginary friend. But Sammy stuck her hand out in exactly the right direction and said, please to meet you, Fred. Fred was surprised. He had never been visible to two people before.

He shook Sammy's hand. I know you're worried I don't need you anymore, said Sam. But you're wrong. I need you more than ever. Why? asked Fred. Why do you need me now? You've got Sammy. Two reasons, said Sam.

First, I never want to let you go. Fred thought he would cry, and that was only reason number one. And reason number two, he asked. Tell him, said Sammy, elbowing his friend the way friends do. Okay, said Sam. reason number two is that we need you to be in our quartet fred was confused quartet quartet means four he said there are only three of us aha said Sam like a great detective that's where you're wrong yes said Sammy clapping her hands

you're wrong because there are four of us Sammy stepped aside to one side and Fred saw a small girl with a violin case and a smile that made him want to smile too. This is Frida, said Sammy. Hi Fred, said Frida, waving her hand. Sam's told us all about you. I hope we can be friends. Sammy has an imaginary friend, Fred realized, and he waved back and he noticed that his hands seemed absolutely solid, not see-through at all. Frida set her violin case on the floor and opened it.

We need to practice, she said, or we'll never get to Carnegie Hall. Sammy rolled her eyes. Frida is so strict, she said. But you'll get used to her in a couple of years. Fred did get used to it. He quite enjoyed being told what to do by Frida with her dazzling smile. The four friends spent all their spare time together, having violin battles, reading comic books, practicing plumbing, pretending to be French, and arguing over what they would call their quartet. They eventually settled on the quarreling quartet, which they all agreed was the perfect name.

The quartets made their debut at the school Christmas concert, much to the confusion of the audience. Something interesting happened. The older they grew, the less time the four friends spent together. Sam and Sammy, it seemed, preferred graphic novels to music, and they left the quartet to concentrate on their comic book series. Carnegie Hall was eventually played, not as a quartet, however, but as a duo. Again, much to the confusion of the audience. And this, dear friends, is the interesting thing that happened.

Even though they didn't see their human friends anymore, Fred and Frida did not begin to fade, nor get swept backed up into the sky like they had so many times before. Instead, they stuck around being imaginary friends to each other. They became quite famous in the imaginary community, and a statue was commissioned to be erected in the sky above their imaginary house. As this was the first case of its kind, imaginary scientists spent years trying to figure out how it all happened. Eventually, they concluded that friendship is friendship. Imaginary or not, the same laws apply.

The statues should have disappeared every time a gust of wind came along, but it never did. The end. Don't forget to stick around to see if you can answer to... today's paying attention question. Before you go, do you think you can answer today's paying attention question? Where was the statue of Fred and Frida? If your answer was, in the sky above their imaginary house, you did it! Great job! You sure were paying attention! I hope you enjoyed that story. I wonder what we're going to read next. Bye on HUD!