Once upon a Fold How Stocky became Magic Lynne H. Hehr Center for Math and Science Education University of Arkansas

Materials you will need while reading this magic book story: one 8 ½” X 11” piece of cardstock – any color one ¼ page piece of cardstock – different color than the full page one ¼ page piece of cardstock – different color than the other pieces scissors

Once upon a time, there was a piece of cardstock named Stocky. He was larger than all his friends and wished he could be different. Hi, my name is Stocky!

Stocky was not happy just being a piece of paper. He yearned to be something much more! To be precise, he wanted to be something magic! So, he talked with friends to see what he could do!

So, Stocky sat down to think….. Having never seen magic and having no imagination, they couldn’t think of anything! So, Stocky sat down to think….. Let’s see if we can help Stocky become something magical! Take one piece of cardstock and fold it in half – Have it look just as Stocky did when he sat down.

The more Stocky thought, the more he fidgeted! The more he fidgeted, the more he doubled over! The more he doubled over, the more he changed shape! Still, he knew he was not becoming magic. Now, fold one half, in half – Have it look just as Stocky did when he fidgeted.

And, the more Stocky thought, the more he fidgeted! The more he fidgeted, the more he doubled over! The more he doubled over, the more he changed shape! Until, Stocky now looked like a “W”! This definitely wasn’t magic! Fold the other half, in half – Have it look just as Stocky did when he fidgeted some more.

However, when he tried to move, he found that he was stuck! Stocky got tired of thinking so, he decided to go play with his friends. (They had been watching him think all this time.) However, when he tried to move, he found that he was stuck! So, Stocky again called to his friends to help. (Remember, they do not have much imagination.)

…and anything had to be better than being a “W”! They thought and they thought. The idea they suggested, made him turn very pale! They suggested that he use scissors to cut his way out! He wasn’t sure it would work, but he still was not magic… …and anything had to be better than being a “W”! Hold your piece of paper by the middle fold. Make 4 equal distanced cuts from the fold in the middle of the ‘W’ to the fold lines.

Well, maybe NOT! Now, Stocky was just a cut up “W” and was NOTHING like what he thought it would mean to be magic! His friends were very sorry.

They wanted to make him feel better… …so, they squirmed in close to give him a hug. But as they squirmed, they tickled. And as they tickled, they wiggled. And as they wiggled, they tangled! Tangled was definitely not magic! WHAT A MESS! Weave the strips into the cuts. Weave from over the top with one. Weave from under with the other.

When all the squirming and tickling and wiggling was finished, Stocky and his friends couldn’t tell where one of them began and the other one ended! Now what were they going to do? It seemed as if Stocky was just not going to find magic anywhere!

The three friends decided to try to get out of their tangle. Stocky wasn’t sure how to do this so he stayed very still. His friends decided to pull apart as best they could. One pulled to the right. The other one pulled to the left. Place the woven paper in front of you, with the middle section folded up. At the same time, pull the colored strips (shown above) away from each other.

When the pulling stopped, Stocky and his friends were surprised! They had become something none of them had ever thought possible. The three together HAD found the magic! Together they had become a Magic Book!

The moral of this story is : Magic can be found everywhere but, sometimes you just have to change your perspective and get a little help from friends to see it! Now you can help Stocky and his friends continue the magic. Use this book to show all kinds of magical and ‘wonder’ful things!