An Urban Fable
Slow and Steady Wins the Race and Other Short Stories
by
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Larry is sitting in a nice car by the bus stop when Shawn gets off the bus. Larry rolls down the window. “Hey Shawn, my man, what’s going on? You want to go for a ride?” He calls out. Shawn is distracted. He doesn’t hear Larry at first. He is thinking about his homework waiting for him at home. Larry calls Shawn again. “Shawn!” Shawn realizes that Larry is calling him, “I’ll talk to you later Larry. Right now, I have to get home and finish my homework and study for my chemistry test.” Shawn shouts back. “Man, you never have any fun!” exclaims Larry. Shawn shrugs his shoulders and continues to walk home. “I don’t know if the car is stolen. I’m not getting in trouble for stealing someone else’s car.” Shawn mutters under his breath. Shawn goes home and does his homework. Then, he plays video games and hangs out with his friends.
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About the Book
Shawn and Larry grow up in the same neighborhood, but they are very different! Shawn gets up early every day to deliver newspapers and save money. Larry steals cars and stands on the corner. Larry thinks Shawn works much too hard, but Shawn knows that dedicated, hard work will get him far in life. As they grow, their lives change … Shawn goes off to college to become a lawyer, and Larry still makes fun of him for spending too much time working. Whereas Larry has gold chains, fancy haircuts, and lots of girlfriends, Shawn has books and school. Larry’s life does look very glamorous, but Shawn worries that Larry will one day get into big trouble. Eventually, thanks to all his hard work, Shawn graduates college and becomes a successful lawyer. What do you suppose happened to Larry? Well, nothing good! It goes to show that being responsible can get a person far in life but looking for shortcuts causes nothing but disappointment. Also included in An Urban Fable is the short story “I Don’t Have Any Ugly Children” about a young girl who feels different, but her mother says she’s beautiful in every way. Finally, “Who Will Help Me?” tells the tale of how making excuses has negative effects.
About the Author
Marie Lawson currently divides her time between being a part-time stay at home mom and sales associate. She has a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management from Middle Georgia State University. She is married with four children and lives in Dayton, Ohio.