Ferry Tales & Lit Bits (A Literary Magazine of DD Press)

Front Cover–

Page:

Contents & p1. Bicycle Tall Tales Paul

Bunyan poem & illustration; The Road

Less Traveled [by Robert Frost] word

cloud

2 & 3. Juxtapositions short story &

thoughts

4 & 5. Unicycle, Bicycle, Tricycle

tall tales

Back Cover—

*Six-Word Memoir Compilation Poems

& Multilingual Bicycle Café Print

*A special thanks to Mr. Batista’s eighth grade ELA students for their six-word memoir contributions.

Cover Credits:

Bicycle Collage by Erika Cutaia [grade 8] Crashing loudly through the brush, Causing quite a din. Apparently in a great rush, Legs bang against his chin. Paul Bunyan perched upon his throne, A unicycle grand. He speeds past eve-ry town and home, No one swifter on the land.

by Zoe Elaro [grade 7]

by Heather Starr [grade 8]

The Insane Unicyclist by Cody O’Neill [grade 8]

In a world where it was very unlikely to see a unicy-cler, One emerges from no-where, wearing a very trendy monocle and blue cape. He flew up in the sky like a majestic eagle only to land perfectly on the unicy-cle’s one wheel. This en-trance astounds the audi-ence so much that they start to throw chunks of cheese at him, calling his name—Red-Caped Monocle Fellow.

by Olivia O’Grady [grade 7]

Robert Frost Word Cloud by Olivia O’Grady [grade 7]

by Preston Yates [grades 8] Dust flew as the bicycle hit the ground, causing the near-by animals to leap back in shock. Isaac the snake slithered out of the heap of yellow-painted metal and hissed in cha-grin. “You’re lucky I don’t s-s-s-sue, Mr. Pan.” Damien Pan, the chimpanzee, sighed. “I don’t believe the law would be on your side, Mr. Isaac Nag. You looked like you were trying to strangle the thing.” “Not everyone has-s-s-s feet!” Isaac retorted. The mongoose, Ms. Suricata, shot him a look and he closed his mouth resentfully. “Ms. Suricata? Would you like to show Mr. Nag how it’s done?” “Alright,” she said. “You can call me “Tavi,” by the way.” “Very well,” Mr. Pan said. “Tavi, show us what you can do.” “I don’t pretend to be an expert on this, though,” Tavi said as she walked past Isaac, Damien, and four of the other ten animals in the clearing. “Afterall, it’s human tech. Which reminds me, nice work nicking these from that human vil-lage, Mr. and Mrs. Procyon.” The raccoons shrugged. “It was nothin’.” Tavi got onto the bike shakily and immediately fell to the ground, scattering more dust and causing Damien Pan to cough and wave away the dust. “That must’ve been thirty whole milliseconds longer than Isaac!” exclaimed Tim, the

little son of Mr. and Mrs. Leporidae, the rabbits. Isaac spat in disdain and slithered over to the bike. “Don’t get any of your nasty venom on it!” warned one of the bears. “That is-s-s just s-slanderous!” Isaac said. “Preposterous-s-s!” He held his snout high and hmph-ed. “I am not even venomous-s-s. If anyone should be careful, it is-s the s-skunks.” Mr. Musteloidea of the skunk family gasped in disbelief. “Do not get me angry! I will make a noise akin to that of a furious sloth!” “I don’t think sloths make much noise, Mr. Musteloidea,” Tavi said, picking herself up off of the ground. “Anyone else got any questions about us skunks?!” Mr. Musteloidea demanded threateningly. “Just one,” Isaac said, spitting with hatred. “Does Gene Simmons know you raid his-s makeup drawer?!” “That does it!” the skunk roared, pouncing on Isaac, who threw him off and slithered to the bike, wrapping around it in a strange attempt to shield himself. He squeezed it so tight, in fact, that he snapped it in half. “He broke a bike!” Mr. Pan gasped. “What should we do?!” Mr. Musteloidea asked. “We’ll break his legs!” Tim exclaimed, clenching his fists and looking far too excited. “No one will do any breaking of any legs!” Tavi said, dashing between Isaac and the others. “In part because Isaac hasn’t got any!” “Hey!” Isaac protested. “The point is, we’ll work it out, okay?” Tavi explained. “We can’t even ride them well anyway. Except Mr. Pan here.” “But he...he...it’s just the principle of the thing, a’ight?” Mr. Musteloidea explained. “No!” Tavi cried. “It is not a’ight! You people are getting way too worked up over this. Try to put yourselves in Isaac’s place, will you? He…” she cupped her hands around her mouth and spoke quietly, so as to prevent Isaac from hearing her next words, “He doesn’t have limbs. And I think it must really sting when he bites his tongue.” “You’re talking like he’s a lizard that had an unfortunate run-in with a lawn mower,” Mr. Pan said. “The little sneak’s getting away!” Mr. Musteloidea said, pointing at the bushes, where Isaac’s tail was just disap-pearing out of view. Several hours later, Isaac re-entered the clearing looking like Carrie White after the prom. Tavi was working on fixing the bike. “Oh, hi, Isaac,” she said kindly. “S-s-spare me your charity.” “Fine. Why are you all red?” Isaac sighed. “Musteloidea s-sprayed me and I s-s-snuck into the human village and took a bath in tomato juice-ce-ce.” Tavi barely stifled a laugh. “Laugh your heart out, why don’tcha? You’re just a Rikki-Tikki-Tavi wannabe.” “Well...you’re just a tail with a face,” Tavi shot back. Isaac closed his mouth. “Besides, that guy hated snakes. I don’t hate you, Isaac. I’m totally fine with you.” “Well...I’m going home,” Isaac said, “to wash this gunk off me. Maybe I’ll ask one of the birds-s-s for a hand.” Tavi could have made a number of limb jokes, but she held her tongue. “Bye,” she said. “Bye,” Isaac said. Tavi sighed when he disappeared and went back to working on the bike. She was thinking of some new features to make it more user-friendly. A handicap bike. Now that was something. Maybe she’d make it so that you could even ride without limbs.

Goose on a Bike by Heather Starr [grade 8]

written & illustrated by Olivia O’Grady [grade 7]

Ballet dancers dressed as gangsters A library with a rock band

A motorcyclist as a preschool teacher Glass fingernails Glass paper Silent crows A desert with a lake A child going to war

Orchestra members playing at a Fall Out Boy concert

A flashlight that makes it darker Metal baseballs

Bigfoot as a spider Goats with tuxedos Books with flammable words

My Life as a Unicycle by Andre Phillips [grade 6]

Hello, my name is Wheels, but all every unicycle around here calls me is Wheel due to the fact that I’m a unicycle. I just hate being called Wheel. I am always telling the other unicycles that my name is Wheels not Wheel. Hello, my name has an S at the end not an L. But I don’t let that get to me all too much, because I have a job. My job is to be the best unicycle in the world. At least, that’s what my owner tells me. I was made in 1999. I was stuck in The One-Wheeled Bike Shop for over a year, until an 11 year old boy bought me. After a week of falling down, the kid finally got the swing of things, and so did I. My master never forgets that my name is Wheels, because he gave it to me. He’s always telling me how alone he would be without me. Ever since Fabian came along, life’s been good. It’s 2011, Fabian graduated circus school and then we’re trying to find a circus to work at. Finally, we found a circus called “The Unicircus.” We tried out and hardly had to start moving to make it in. Our show got more and more popular each year. Soon it was the biggest circus there ever was. We started going world-wide and got bigger everywhere we went. Now, today is the biggest day of my life! Today is April, 10th, 2016. We are competing in the Interna-tional Unicycle Competition. There are unicycle teams from all around the world! This year it takes place on the Great Wall of China. Fabian and I are so nervous. “ON YOUR MARKS! GET SET! GOOOOO!” The announcer bellows. And it begins, hundreds upon hundreds of unicycles whizzing everywhere. Fabian and I speed into first for the entire race. But we have no idea what we’re in for. We can see the finish line right in front of us. The race is com-ing to a close! But unicycles behind me are saying, “There’s no way you can win Wheel,” or “ Why is your name Wheels when you only have one wheel?” When I hear these words I get so mad that I stop. Fabian keeps telling me, “Come on, we can do it!” But the other unicycles keep saying those mean words. All of a sud-den, unicycles from our team say, “Go, Wheels, you can do it! Don’t listen to the other teams, your name is Wheels and that’s something special.” That makes me so happy that Fabian and I burst across the finish line! Then the rest of our team speeds across the in front of every other team in the world! And so this continues for the rest of the time Fabian and I are in “The Unicir-cus.” We’re the most famous person, unicycle and circus in the world. And that’s something special, just like my name.

Illustration by

Peter Wilson

[grade 8]

The Boy With the Red Bicycle by Preston Yates [grade 8]

The boy with the red bicycle pedaled slowly on--though you would think he were speeding by if you only saw the scarlet streak he left in his wake. Onlookers marveled at the boy and his bike, pondering over the streak it left. As he pedaled along, it seemed that music filled the air. Dogs barked playfully at him as he passed, and their owners held them back. Every day at noon, the boy would pedal through town and bring with him music and light. Many of the villagers loved his visits, yet some were not so appreciative. Hecklers would point and laugh and chuckle. Sticks and pinecones they would throw, but the boy would take no notice. He simply kept his head held high and passed them by. The red streak would fade from the sky and stay gone for the rest of the day. One day, a water-hose lie over the road, and when the boy came along he saw the townsfolk cluttered along the curb, watching and waiting and staring. His wheels stopped short upon reaching the hose, and he fell off of the bike. The boy faded like a rainbow in the sky. The red streak was gone, the bike in the street did lie. Great clouds blocked out the sun and rain came pouring down. Water flooded in the streets and all throughout the town. The villagers retreated into their homes and made for higher floors. The rain continued to pour. Soon, the water swallowed up every house’s lowest floor. And then the boy’s little red bike floated past the windows of the houses, and those who had teased him felt remorse building up in their chests. “We’re sorry!” they chorused, their voices resonating throughout the town. “If we don’t get out of this, we’re sorry!” And then the boy did reappear, floated down from the sun. The water vanished, inch by inch, until the town was dry. Then he mounted his bicycle and did begin to fly. “Farewell!” He cried, and then they knew the purpose he had served. The little boy was not a nuisance at all. He meant only to bring them music and to bring them light. Never again did they tease him or tell him he should leave. The townsfolk apologized as he flew away, listening to him cry: “I’ll be back again next day!” When he returned, he was shocked to see that every little child now rode a bike that was just like his in shape and size and style. The boy smiled wide as he pedaled through the town, and sticks and pinecones were replaced by flowers and ribbons. And never again did the clouds block out the sun.

“I’m not a big morning person.” Learning’s important, sometimes I’d rather forget.

Seven. Fire. Disaster—life get’s better.

Thousand miles apart, but best friends. Get your head in the game.

You can finish what you started.

Crazy creative, live to share happiness. If you see it, text back.

Don’t say what you don’t mean.

Live life to express not impress.

Six-Word Memoir Authors: Zachary Zazzi, Jarrett Palmadessa, Madison Jauch, Ashley Pallotta, Zack Scillia, Bryce Harrigan, Eric Lefsyk, Justin Hunter, Zachary Salmonowitz, Vincent Scordato

Six-Word Memoir Poem

by Jarrett Palmadessa [grade 8]

The Tricycle by Andre Phillips [grade 6]

Once upon a time, there was an ordinary tricycle, ridden by a three-year old boy who loved it so much. By the time the boy was five, he learned how to ride a bi-cycle. The tricycle was in the garage for thirteen years. When the boy was eighteen, he moved out for college. When he was about to leave, he noticed the tricycle sitting there in tip-top shape. So he got out of the car and sat atop the tricycle. The tricycle got so happy that it immediately went faster than the speed of light. First, it went around the world a couple trillion times. Then it decided to fly around the planets a couple trillion times. After that it wanted to fly around the Milky Way, a cou-ple trillion times. So, it did so. Finally, it went back to Earth and put the boy back into his car. But the boy got out of his car and ran into his house as fast as the speed of sound. The sonic boom rattled the entire house and everyone came rushing down. When he told his family what happened, no one believed him. But when the tricycle heard this, it looked like a lightning bolt coming into the living room. Instantly, everyone believed the boy. And so, the boy never rode any other object again. He really didn’t need to, because of the tricycle.

by Andre Phillips [grade 6]

Bicycle

Bicicleta

Row

er

Bisiklet

Birota

Ποδήλατο

Bicicletă

Fahrrad

Velosipē

ds

Bicykel

Baiskeli

Kerék

pá

r

F

ie

ts

Biçikletë

Velosiped

Bizikleta

Bicikl

Njinga Bicicletta

dviratis rothar

beic

kolo

baaskiilka

paikikala

Polkupyörä

Bic

ycle

Ca

fé P

rin

t b

y Li

ly W

illia

ms

[gra

de

6]

compiled by Zoe Elaro [grade 7]

Veni, vidi, vici fits my personality,

but laziness explains my whole life.

That is not supposed to happen.

“When love comes, go with it.”

“Sister, I loved, died in an instant.”

Prepare, train, focus, train harder, rest. Try hardest, better than the best.

Opened eyes, but could hardly move, Trouble seeing in front of me.

Be a good person in defeat, Life gets better.

Life is like a bag of popcorn,

You kill it you eat it. Prepare, train, focus, train harder, rest, Determination is the key to success.

Life is like a bag of popcorn,

Never know till you try it.

Six-Word Memoir Authors: Andrew Aiel-lo, Gabriella DiLullo, Chris Velez, Aiden Duesel, William Caldwell, Nick T., Dan Good, Justin Solis, Dominic Palmer, Mad-die Jauch, Josie Cochran, Jonathan Schweitzer, Matthew Budd, Scott Vollmer, Jibwhee Jin, Jasmine Johnson

compiled by Lily Williams

[grade 6]

Sister I loved, died in instant.

Trouble seeing in front of me,

Opened eyes, but could barely move. It’s coming, it’s here, I missed.

That is not supposed to happen.

One person can ruin the team. If one falls, we all fall.

Life isn’t hard, but not easy.

Turn knobs and make them dance. New friends, new faces, new places.

I never think some things through.

Six-Word Memoir Poems