2\. Two Stories About Bugs and Eggs
by Carl Sandburg · from Rootabaga pigeons
Adapted Version
Many friends lived in a happy house. Little Bugs lived in the corners. Rag Doll lived in the house. Broom Handle lived there. Hammer and Nails lived there. They were all friends. They played fun games.
Rag Doll and Broom Handle got married. They moved into the house. They were very happy.
Other friends came to visit. Hot Cookie Pan came. She brought hot cookies. All loved her visits.
Little Bugs watched from the corners. They saw new clothes. "A wedding!" they said. Jack Knife and Kindling Wood would marry.
Jack Knife and Kindling Wood married. They had a baby. Her name was Splinters. Splinters was a happy child.
Splinters grew up. She married Hot Cookie Pan. They loved each other. They had many children. These children were tiny wood pieces. You find them in hot cookies.
Little Bugs asked. Big Bugs told the story. "They are Splinters' children," they said.
Shush Shush was a hen. She was big and buff. She laid eggs. She laid them in strange places. She rang the doorbell. Cluck- One day, Shush Shush laid an egg. She laid it in a hat. It was the Mailman's hat.
The Mailman did not know. He put on his hat. He went to the hardware store. The egg fell out. It fell into a keg of nails. Clink, clank!
The Hardware Man found the egg. He picked it up. He put it in his hat. He saw the Cop. He talked to the Cop. The egg fell out again.
The Cop found the egg. He picked it up. He put it in his hat. He saw the Mailman. He talked to the Mailman. The egg fell out again.
The Mailman saw the egg. He picked it up. He put it in his hat. He forgot about the egg.
The Mailman went to the post office. He bumped his head. He bumped it on the door. SPLAT! The egg broke. It broke all over his face. It broke all over his neck.
Shush Shush was in her coop. She was very proud. She clucked with joy. Cluck-cluck-cluck! She loved laying eggs. She loved laying them in strange places. She loved ringing the doorbell. Cluck-cluck-cluck! Life in the house was full of fun. Shush Shush laid eggs in odd places. This made all smile.
Original Story
2. Two Stories About Bugs and Eggs.
People:
Little Bugs
Big Bugs
The Rag Doll
The Broom Handle
Hammer and Nails
The Hot Cookie Pan
The Ice Tongs
The Coal Bucket
The Bushel Basket
Jack Knife
Kindling Wood
Splinters
Shush Shush
The Postmaster
The Hardware Man
The Policeman
The Postmaster’s Hat
A Buff Banty Egg
Many, Many Weddings in One Corner House
There was a corner house with corners every way it looked. And up in the corners were bugs with little bug houses, bug doors to open, bug windows to look out of.
In the summer time if the evening was cool or in the winter time if the evening was warm, they played games—bugs-up, bugs-down, run-bugs-run, beans-bugs-beans.
This corner house was the place the Rag 20Doll and the Broom Handle came to after their wedding. This was the same time those old people, Hammer and Nails, moved into the corner house with all the little Hammers and all the little Nails.
So there they were, the young couple, the Rag Doll and the Broom Handle, and that old family, Hammer and Nails, and up in the corners among the eave troughs and the roof shingles, the bugs with little bug houses, bug doors to open, bug windows to look out of, and bug games—bugs-up, bugs-down, run-bugs-run, or beans-bugs-beans.
Around the corner of the house every Saturday morning came the Hot Cookie Pan with a pan of hot cookies for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and the rest of the week.
The Ice Tongs came with ice, the Coal Bucket came with coal, the Potato Sack came with potatoes. And the Bushel Basket was always going or coming and saying under his breath, “Bushels, bushels, bushels.”
21 The Hot Cookie Pan came with a pan of hot cookies and the Coal Bucket with coal
23One day the bugs in the little bug houses opened the bug doors and looked out of the bug windows and said to each other, “They are washing their shirts and sewing on buttons—there is going to be a wedding.”
And the next day the bugs said, “They are going to have a wedding and a wedding breakfast for Jack Knife and Kindling Wood. They are asking everybody in the kitchen, the cellar, and the back yard, to come.”
The wedding day came. The people came. From all over the kitchen, the cellar, the back yard, they came. The Rag Doll and the Broom Handle were there. Hammer and Nails and all the little Hammers and all the little Nails were there. The Ice Tongs, the Coal Bucket, the Potato Sack, were all there—and the Bushel Basket going and coming and saying under his breath, “Bushels, bushels, bushels.” And, of course, the Hot Cookie Pan was there hopping up and down with hot cookies.
24So Jack Knife and Kindling Wood began living in the corner house. A child came. They named her Splinters. And the Hot Cookie Pan and Splinters met and kissed each other and sat together in cozy corners close to each other.
And the bugs high up in the corners in the little bug houses, they opened the bug doors, looked out of the bug windows and said, “They are washing their shirts and sewing on buttons, there is a wedding again—the Hot Cookie Pan and Splinters.”
And now they have many, many children, the Hot Cookie Pan and Splinters. Their children have gone all over the world and everybody knows them.
“Whenever you find a splinter or a sliver or a shiny little shaving of wood in a hot cookie,” the bugs in the little bug houses say, “whenever you find a splinter or a sliver or a shiny little shaving of wood in a hot cookie, it is the child of the Hot Cookie Pan and the girl 25named Splinters, the daughter of Jack Knife and Kindling Wood, who grew up and married the Hot Cookie Pan.”
And sometimes if a little bug asks a big bug a queer, quivvical, quizzical question hard to answer, the big bug opens a bug door, looks out of a bug window and says to the little bug, “If you don’t believe what we tell you, go and ask Hammer and Nails or any of the little Hammers and Nails. Then run and listen to the Bushel Basket going and coming and saying under his breath, ‘Bushels, bushels, bushels.’”
Shush Shush, the Big Buff Banty Hen Who Laid an Egg in the Postmaster’s Hat
Shush Shush was a big buff banty hen. She lived in a coop. Sometimes she marched out of the coop and went away and laid eggs. But always she came back to the coop.
And whenever she went to the front door and laid an egg in the door-bell, she rang the bell once for one egg, twice for 28two eggs, and a dozen rings for a dozen eggs.
Once Shush Shush went into the house of the Sniggers family and laid an egg in the piano. Another time she climbed up in the clock and laid an egg in the clock. But always she came back to the coop.
One summer morning Shush Shush marched out through the front gate, up to the next corner and the next, till she came to the postoffice. There she walked into the office of the postmaster and laid an egg in the postmaster’s hat.
The postmaster put on his hat, went to the hardware store and bought a keg of nails. He took off his hat and the egg dropped into the keg of nails.
The hardware man picked up the egg, put it in his hat, and went out to speak to a policeman. He took off his hat, speaking to the policeman, and the egg dropped on the sidewalk.
The policeman picked up the egg and put 29it in his police hat. The postmaster came past; the policeman took off his police hat and the egg dropped down on the sidewalk.
The postmaster said, “I lost that egg, it is my egg,” picked it up, put it in his postmaster’s hat, and forgot all about having an egg in his hat.
Then the postmaster, a long tall man, came to the door of the postoffice, a short small door. And the postmaster didn’t stoop low, didn’t bend under, so he bumped his hat and his head on the top of the doorway. And the egg broke and ran down over his face and neck.
And long before that happened, Shush Shush was home in her coop, standing in the door saying, “It is a big day for me because I laid one of my big buff banty eggs in the postmaster’s hat.”
There Shush Shush stays, living in a coop. Sometimes she marches out of the coop and goes away and lays eggs in pianos, clocks, 30hats. But she always comes back to the coop.
And whenever she goes to the front door and lays an egg in the door-bell, she rings the bell once for one egg, twice for two eggs, and a dozen rings for a dozen eggs.
Story DNA
Plot Summary
This story consists of two whimsical tales. The first describes a corner house where personified objects like the Rag Doll, Broom Handle, Hammer and Nails, and various kitchen items live and marry, with bugs observing from the corners. It culminates in the explanation that splinters found in hot cookies are the children of the Hot Cookie Pan and Splinters, the daughter of Jack Knife and Kindling Wood. The second tale follows Shush Shush, a banty hen, who lays an egg in the Postmaster's hat, leading to a comical series of events where the egg is passed between the Postmaster, a Hardware Man, and a Policeman, before finally breaking on the Postmaster's head, all while Shush Shush proudly returns to her coop.
Themes
Emotional Arc
amusement to amusement
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Carl Sandburg's Rootabaga Stories are known for their unique American folk-tale style, creating a whimsical, almost surreal world out of everyday objects and concepts, distinct from traditional European fairy tales.
Plot Beats (15)
- A corner house is home to bugs, the Rag Doll, Broom Handle, and Hammer and Nails, all living their lives.
- The Rag Doll and Broom Handle marry and move into the corner house.
- Other personified household items like the Hot Cookie Pan, Ice Tongs, and Coal Bucket are regular presences.
- The bugs observe preparations for another wedding, that of Jack Knife and Kindling Wood.
- Jack Knife and Kindling Wood marry and have a child named Splinters.
- Splinters grows up and marries the Hot Cookie Pan, and they have many children who are found as splinters in hot cookies.
- The bugs explain the lineage of splinters in cookies to younger bugs.
- Shush Shush, a banty hen, is introduced, known for laying eggs in unusual places and announcing them by ringing the doorbell.
- Shush Shush lays an egg in the Postmaster's hat.
- The Postmaster, unaware, wears the hat to the hardware store, where the egg falls into a keg of nails.
- The Hardware Man picks up the egg, puts it in his hat, and it falls out when he speaks to the Policeman.
- The Policeman puts the egg in his hat, and it falls out again when he speaks to the Postmaster.
- The Postmaster reclaims the egg, puts it back in his hat, and forgets about it.
- The Postmaster bumps his head on the post office door, breaking the egg all over his face.
- Shush Shush is back in her coop, proud of her accomplishment, continuing her routine of laying eggs in odd places and ringing the doorbell.
Characters
Little Bugs ○ minor
Tiny, indistinct insect forms, living in the corners of a house. They are small enough to have 'little bug houses' and 'bug doors' and 'bug windows'.
Attire: None, as they are insects.
Wants: To observe and understand the happenings in the corner house.
Flaw: Small size and limited influence on the larger world.
They remain observers throughout the story, their perspective providing a unique narrative frame.
Curious, observant, gossipy (they comment on the human-like activities in the house).
Image Prompt & Upload
A tiny, indistinct insect with six legs and small antennae, peeking out of a miniature, crudely constructed window frame made of wood splinters, set into a corner of a room. Curious expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Big Bugs ◆ supporting
Larger, more distinct insect forms than the Little Bugs, also living in the corners of a house. They are old enough to be considered 'wise' by the Little Bugs.
Attire: None, as they are insects.
Wants: To maintain order and pass on established 'truths' to the younger bugs.
Flaw: Can be dogmatic in their beliefs, unwilling to question established narratives.
They remain static, serving as the keepers of the house's lore.
Knowledgeable, authoritative, slightly dismissive of 'queer, quivvical, quizzical questions'.
Image Prompt & Upload
A slightly larger, more imposing insect with six legs and prominent antennae, looking out from a miniature, crudely constructed window frame made of wood splinters, set into a corner of a room. Wise, knowing expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Rag Doll ◆ supporting
A soft, fabric doll, likely made of various scraps of cloth, with a simple, stitched face. Her form would be pliable and somewhat floppy, suggesting a well-loved toy.
Attire: A simple, patched fabric dress, perhaps with mismatched buttons or patterns, reflecting her 'rag' nature.
Wants: To build a home and family with the Broom Handle.
Flaw: Her softness and vulnerability as a fabric object.
Establishes a family with the Broom Handle.
Loving, domestic, a good partner.
Image Prompt & Upload
A soft, fabric rag doll, female, with stitched black eyes and a simple red stitched smile. Her 'skin' is made of cream-colored linen, and her 'hair' is brown yarn in two simple braids. She wears a patched, faded blue calico dress with a white lace collar. Her body is slightly floppy. Gentle, kind expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Broom Handle ◆ supporting
A sturdy, smooth wooden handle, likely light brown or natural wood color, with a cylindrical shape. It would be tall and straight, implying its original purpose.
Attire: None, as he is a broom handle, but could be imagined with a simple 'collar' or 'tie' made of string or ribbon for his wedding.
Wants: To build a home and family with the Rag Doll.
Flaw: His rigidity and inability to bend.
Establishes a family with the Rag Doll.
Reliable, steadfast, a good partner.
Image Prompt & Upload
A tall, smooth, light brown wooden broom handle, cylindrical and unadorned, standing perfectly upright. A small, simple white ribbon is tied around its upper 'neck' area. Sturdy, reliable appearance. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Hammer and Nails ◆ supporting
Hammer: A sturdy, heavy tool with a wooden handle and a metal head, showing signs of age and use (dents, scratches). Nails: Numerous small, sharp metal fasteners, varying in size, perhaps slightly rusted or tarnished.
Attire: None, as they are tools.
Wants: To provide stability and structure, to offer advice based on their long experience.
Flaw: Their age and perhaps a resistance to new ideas.
They remain static, serving as a source of wisdom and confirmation.
Wise, experienced, traditional, perhaps a bit gruff but ultimately helpful.
Image Prompt & Upload
An old, well-used claw hammer with a dark, worn wooden handle and a slightly dented, tarnished metal head, standing upright. Next to it is a small, scattered pile of various metal nails, some slightly rusted, of different sizes. Stern, experienced appearance. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Hot Cookie Pan ◆ supporting
A flat, rectangular metal baking pan, likely dark from use, with slightly raised edges. It would be warm to the touch, often emitting the scent of fresh cookies.
Attire: None, as it is a pan.
Wants: To bring joy and sustenance (cookies) to others, and later, to form a family.
Flaw: Perhaps a bit too eager or excitable.
Marries Splinters and has many children, becoming a symbol of comfort and family.
Generous, cheerful, energetic, loving.
Image Prompt & Upload
A dark, rectangular metal baking pan, slightly worn from use, with a few golden-brown, freshly baked cookies still resting on its surface. It appears to be 'hopping' slightly, conveying a cheerful, energetic demeanor. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Splinters ◆ supporting
Initially a small, sharp piece of wood, delicate and perhaps a bit fragile. As she grows, she becomes a 'shiny little shaving of wood', still small but with a distinct form.
Attire: None, as she is a splinter.
Wants: To grow and find her place, eventually forming a family.
Flaw: Her small size and fragility.
Grows up, marries the Hot Cookie Pan, and has many children, becoming a symbol of unexpected connections.
Delicate, beloved, grows into a loving partner.
Image Prompt & Upload
A delicate, shiny, light brown wood splinter, shaped like a tiny, elegant curl or shard, with a smooth surface. It has a gentle, beloved appearance. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Shush Shush ★ protagonist
A big buff banty hen. 'Buff' suggests a yellowish-brown or tan feather color. 'Banty' means she is a bantam, a miniature chicken breed, but the story specifies 'big buff banty hen', implying she is large for a bantam, but still a bantam. She would have a plump body, small head, and a proud, marching gait.
Attire: Her natural plumage: soft, dense buff-colored feathers, perhaps with some darker accents on her wingtips or tail.
Wants: To lay her eggs in unusual and memorable places, and to return to her coop.
Flaw: Her single-minded focus on laying eggs can lead to comical mishaps for others.
Remains consistent in her adventurous egg-laying habits, finding new and amusing places for her eggs.
Determined, adventurous, mischievous, proud of her egg-laying abilities, independent.
Image Prompt & Upload
A plump, proud buff bantam hen, with soft yellowish-brown feathers covering her body. She has a small head with beady black eyes, a short yellow beak, and a bright red comb and wattles. She stands upright, marching forward with a determined, confident posture. Mischievous expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
The Corner House
A house with many corners, where bugs live in little bug houses in the eaves and roof shingles. It serves as a home for various personified household objects.
Mood: Cozy, bustling, domestic, full of activity and community.
The primary setting for multiple weddings and the growth of families among the household objects, observed by the bugs.
Image Prompt & Upload
A whimsical, slightly anthropomorphic American folk-style corner house, with exaggerated, numerous corners and visible roof shingles. Tiny, intricate bug houses with miniature doors and windows are nestled among the eaves. Sunlight filters down, highlighting textures of weathered wood and painted siding. The overall impression is one of a busy, lived-in home. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Shush Shush's Coop
The home of Shush Shush, the big buff banty hen, from which she ventures out to lay eggs in unusual places and to which she always returns.
Mood: Safe, familiar, a base for adventure.
The starting and ending point for Shush Shush's egg-laying escapades.
Image Prompt & Upload
A rustic, well-maintained chicken coop, made of simple wooden planks, with a small, functional front door. A vintage doorbell is prominently featured next to the door. The ground around the coop is a mix of packed dirt and scattered straw. Soft, natural light illuminates the scene, suggesting a peaceful farmyard. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Post Office
The office of the postmaster, described as having a 'short small door' that the tall postmaster bumps his head on.
Mood: Functional, slightly chaotic due to the egg incident.
Shush Shush lays an egg in the postmaster's hat, initiating a chain of events.
Image Prompt & Upload
An interior view of a quaint, early 20th-century American post office. A tall, narrow doorway with a low lintel is visible, suggesting an older building. The postmaster's desk is simple, perhaps with an inkwell and paper. Sunlight streams through a window, highlighting dust motes in the air. The overall impression is one of a quiet, official space. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
