A Grandmother’s Tale Term Paper Sample

Ann suddenly woke up from the ring of the alarm-clock. It was her 16-th birthday but Ann was not happy at all. The girl started to hate the 5-th of April, the day of her birthday, since the time when she lost her grandmother. Strange things can happen in the world. The same date may bring death and birth, the same date may bring holiday and sorrow. Ann was inconsolable for her grandmother’s loss as her granny was the only person with whom she could talk to and who can understand her. Her dream was to become a poet and travel around the world by sea, but being born in a family of scientists who could not accept such word as poetry she felt herself as an outcast. That is why she always preferred to stay in a company of her grandmother Lily. Most of all Ann loved to listen to her grandmother’s myths and tales about the sea. The young girl was so fascinated by the world of mermaids and goldfishes that she believed in each of her grandmother’s words. Soon her thoughts were interrupted. It was her mother.
“Honey, did you get up? Today is a special day for you and your dad is going to take you to his laboratory”, she said.
“I cannot go. You know that today we are having a meeting of our literary class and are going to discuss the tales about goldfish”, Ann replied.
“Oh, Ann. When are you going to grow up! The myths about goldfish! How old do you think you are?! It’s nonsense. No more literature, young lady. You are going to become a scientists as I, your father and your brother” – Her mom sounded annoyed.
“You never listen to me, mom”, cried Ann, “I don’t want to become a scientist. I want to study literature and myths as granny did”
“She is not here any longer, Ann. Oh, I wish I hadn’t left you with her for such a long time so that you wouldn’t hear those silly tales”
“How could you say such things?” The girl was so shocked with her mom’s words that she didn’t find the best way but to go out of the house. Thus, as usually she went to the sea – to the place where she felt herself as at home. She usually went there in order to calm down. Ann loved to look at the water which was constantly in the move. She loved to imagine herself as a fish that could sail far away. Ann believed in magic, she believed in myths with the help of which she could forget about the reality. Yes, she loved tales more than reality. On her way to towards the sea she suddenly remembered a story her granny used to tell her a lot. In fact, it was her favorite story – a story about goldfish. Thus, once Lily told her that there is a goldfish which lives in the sea and if someone catches the fish it would implement any person’s wish. Ann loved this tale and hoped that one day she would catch such fish and ask it to turn herself into a beautiful fish so that she could sail away from her home where no one understands her. She didn’t like science, she loved myths and believed that it is impossible to live in the world without a little bit of tale, a little bit of fantasy in it. In her thoughts she quickly reached her destination and sat in front of the sea. Suddenly, she saw something which was sparkling. Ann came closer and saw a goldfish. She couldn’t believe her own eyes and to her own surprise asked, “Could you turn me into the fish and allow me to live in the world where myths turn into reality?”
“Yes, dear, I can do it for you. But you have to remember that there should be some fantasy and imagination in the world, but escape from the reality is also not right ”
Suddenly, Ann noticed another goldfish that joined their conversation. “You want to become the part of our world, young lady, aren’t you?” asked the second goldfish.
“No one understands me, except from my granny who is dead now. I often quarrel with my parents and feel myself so lonely. That is why I don’t want to be the part of my world – the world full of problems and without any magic”, replied Ann.
“We may make your wish true, Ann”, said the second goldfish, “but before you make up your mind, I would like to tell you something about our world. Believe me, though being very beautiful our world is still full of imperfections. And the magic that we possess does not make us special as well. Our world has not so many differences from the human’s world, dear. We also quarrel and misunderstand each other, suffer from loneliness and the losses of our close people, want to escape from problems and the existing reality”
“That is why we are giving you two days to think it over and to make your final decision. Remember, there will no way back” – added the first goldfish, and both returned to the sea.
Thus, Ann was left alone, shocked by the news she learnt and full of different thoughts. She had two days in order to understand herself and make up her mind. She had to decide what she really wanted: to stay or to go