"Prudy's Problem and How She Solved It"
by Carey Armstrong-Ellis

Student Edition
Unit 2, pp. 202–217

A fantasy includes make-believe events. Look for situations in this Snapshot that could not really happen.

Most kids have a collection of one thing or another. They might collect coins or stamps or toy cars or even string. That's a normal kid thing to do. Prudy and her friends each collected things.
But Prudy was different in one important way. She did not collect just one thing. She collected everything, and her collections filled her bedroom. She had hundreds of stuffed toys and butterflies and other insects. She collected cards and letters and calendars and buttons. She had hats and caps and flowers and mushrooms. She had collections of every imaginable thing!
Her collections created a problem for Prudy, but she did not realize it. Prudy's room was filled with her collections. Prudy's dad was a very tidy person. He called her collections clutter. Her mom did not mind clutter, but she called them a mess. They wanted her to clean up the clutter and mess. Even Prudy had to admit that she had collections everywhere. Her room was so crowded it was hard to get to her desk to feed her hamster. But she would not admit she had a problem.
Then one day on the way home from school she found a shiny silver gum wrapper. She ran home with it, because it would be perfect for her shiny things collection. But when she got to her room, she couldn't get the door open. She tugged and tugged, but it wouldn't budge. The door seemed to be glued shut.
Then Prudy noticed something strange. There was pressure on the walls of her room. Her room was swelling up and getting bigger and bigger. The walls began to strain against the hallway and then to crack. There was a hissing noise, and suddenly the room burst like a huge balloon.
Prudy's collections flew out in all directions! They were scattered far and wide. Now Prudy had an enormous mess on her hands and a really big problem. What could she do to solve this problem?
She couldn't bear to give up any of her collections because she liked them all too much. But where could she put them? Prudy looked around for ideas. Finally she realized what she could do.
Together she and her family and friends built a huge museum. They called it The Prudy Museum of Indescribable Wonderment. In it they gathered all of Prudy's collections and put them on display.
People came from everywhere to see her wonderful collections of just about anything, from salt and pepper shakers with faces to gym socks. Soon Prudy's museum was the most popular place in town.
Now Prudy had a place to keep her collections. Everything was neat and in order. People could see what there was and enjoy it. This was a brilliant way to solve her problem. But one thing hasn't changed. Prudy is still a collector.

(Updated) from Prudy's Problem and How She Solved It by Carey Armstrong-Ellis. Published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Reprinted by permission.

Copyright © Pearson Education.