The Day the Crayons Quit

In der letzten Woche beschäftigte sich die Klasse 10c im Englischunterricht mit dem Kinderbuch „The day the crayons quit“. In diesem Buch beschweren sich verschiedene Farbstifte darüber, dass sie von ihrem Besitzer Duncan entweder zu viel benutzt werden und total überarbeitet sind oder zu wenig Beachtung finden.

Im Anschluss schrieben die Schüler*innen eigene kleine Beschwerdebriefe aus Sicht von selbstgewählten Gegenständen. Viel Spaß beim Lesen.

Dear Maartje,
Here is the right shoe of your favourite pair of shoes. I have something to complain
about... Every single day I carry you from one place to another. Of course my sister does it as well but it kind of feels like you care about her more than me. I remember the day you got me and my sister as a pair of shoes. I felt clean and shiny. Now I feel dirty. I’m sure my sister feels the same way but she doesn't have to kick a football and so on... I have spots all over my tip. I wouldn’t complain about it if you just cleaned me, but you don’t even do that. And of course my sister is not affected because she’s the left one, it’s so unfair. I just wish you would care a bit more about me. I don’t want to die! It would also be nice if my sister and I get some rest from time to time. I mean you have so many shoes. Why don’t you put on others?

Yours the right one of your favourite pair of shoes

Dear Caro,
I want to complain. It's okay if you want to glue papers together
with me, but gluing other things together is very difficult for me,
cardboard is very hard for me to hold together but even harder
are things that are not made out of paper like metal or big pieces of
wood, for that you have to use my colleagues, like hot glue or
superglue but not me!
Also, it's quite dark and uncomfortable in your pencil case, I can
always feel the scissors on my back or some stupid pencil
tickling me.
I would like to have a place of my own and I wish you wouldn't
be angry with me if I can't glue everything you want! Besides, it
is not my fault that I dry so slowly, so be patient with me!
Kind regards, your glue

Hey Lena,
it ́s me your pair of scissors. I want to thank you for using me this often. I ́m grateful that you let me help in every situation. If you wanted to cut out birthdaycards, pictures and drawings, even if you needed to cut yarn and this thick cardboard, I was there for you. And of course I liked my job! The reason I write this letter is the fact that you try to cut things with me which are way too hard for me. I mean I ́m a craft scissors!

I was made to cut paper!

You can ́t use me to cut materials like fabric, hard plastic, or even worse, food.

I ́m not a kitchen knife.

I can ́t do this anymore.

I ́m tired,

I have to quit.

I ́m sorry.

I think you need to get new scissors, my time is over.

Good bye!

Your tired best friend craft scissors

Dear Mathilda, 

it’s me, your tennis racket. I have some complaints that I need to discuss with you.

My whole racket-body hurts and I have many scratches. You don’t value me enough.

I always hit the tennis ball very hard, which hurts. You also put me onto the scratchy red sand and I am very dirty afterwards. After my exhausting work while playing tennis, you put me into your dark gym bag, where I almost can’t breathe. At home you throw me into a corner of your room and I need to stand upside down till the next time you use me.

I want to be treated more carefully by you and I want to be cleaned and valued!

Your hurt and dirty friend, the tennis racket.

Dear Robin,

I hate you. Over years you tortured me. You rubbed me over the paper and not even in a gentle way. It seems like you tried to peel off my skin until I stop existing.

I’m only half of my size now!!! You are a creepy monster because that’s not the only thing you did to me.

Do you remember when you tried to put your pencil so deep inside of me that it barely came out at the other side?

Have you got an idea how painful that was? It nearly killed me! It was awful. And now you simply ignore me after all the pain you caused me. You haven’t looked at me for ages. I don’t want your attention but I feel a little bit lonely so maybe you could get me a friend. I think this is the least you could do.

Your misstreated rubber

(Gr, 27.06.2023)