ot4 - 59 (food)
Title: as i was going to st ives
’Verse/characters: ot4 (nash and francis)
Prompt: 59 - food
Word Count: 543
Rating: g
Author's Notes: francis is however old you are when you start doing word problems in math class. it's all dialogue, for which i apologize. nash speaks first.
"Hello there, sweet child of mine. What are you doing?"
"Homework. Math."
"How's it going?"
"It's hard. It sucks."
"What did we tell you about using that kind of language?"
"Not in front of Mommy."
"Good boy."
"But you're not Mommy."
"And a good thing, too - I don't think the world can handle more than one of her. Now what are we doing.... Word problems? So if one train leaves the station at 5:45 going 70 mph, and another train leaves another station at 6:30 going 100 mph, how long will it be before the two trains collide in fiery screaming death?"
"Daddy!"
"I'm glad I can amuse you. Don't let your mother see that grin - she'll accuse me of wanting to raise a psychopath. Now. Word problems are not hard. You just have to think them through. Listen:
As I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wives.
And every wife had seven cats
And every cat had seven kittens.
Man, cats, kits, wives -
How many were going to St Ives?"
"Daaaaad!"
"I'm trying to help you. Do you need to hear it again? Is that a yes? Ok.
As I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wives.
And every wife had seven cats
And every cat had seven kittens.
Man, cats, kits, wives -
How many were going to St Ives?"
"Um. There's the man - he's one - and his wives, that's one and seven, that's eight.... How many cats? Can I write it down?"
"You don't have to write anything down. 'As I was going to St Ives' - repeat after me, Francis. Pay close attention to the problem and listen carefully to what you're saying. 'As I was going....'"
"'As I was going to St Ives, I met a man with seven wives.' Right?"
"Right. 'And every wife had seven cats.'"
"'And every wife had seven cats.' And every, uh...."
"'And every cat had seven kittens.'"
"'And every wife had seven cats, and every cat had seven kittens.'"
"Good. 'Man, cats, kits, wives - how many were going to St Ives?'"
"Eight. And, uh, seven wives had seven cats, um, forty-nine? Times seven?"
"Are you sure? What answer are you looking for?"
"How many were going to St Ives. Where's St Ives?"
"Don't get distracted. Remember the question and say the problem again. Listen to the words."
"'As I was going to St Ives, I met - oh. Oh! I was going to St Ives! One! That's the answer! One was going to St Ives!"
"Very good! Always read the problem carefully and pay attention to every sentence. A lot of times, the answer is already in the question. And don't let people distract you with extraneous details."
"What's 'extraneous'?"
"Extra, random, useless details. Stuff. Junk. Most of the things in the garage. Now for the real reason I came in here - do you want some ice cream?"
"Yes!"
"I thought so. You can ask Daniel where St Ives is. He probably knows."
"I'm gonna ask him if he can do that problem."
"But don't help him out. That's the other lesson - don't give anything away."
"You're so weird, Daddy."
"I know. Let's go have some ice cream."
’Verse/characters: ot4 (nash and francis)
Prompt: 59 - food
Word Count: 543
Rating: g
Author's Notes: francis is however old you are when you start doing word problems in math class. it's all dialogue, for which i apologize. nash speaks first.
"Hello there, sweet child of mine. What are you doing?"
"Homework. Math."
"How's it going?"
"It's hard. It sucks."
"What did we tell you about using that kind of language?"
"Not in front of Mommy."
"Good boy."
"But you're not Mommy."
"And a good thing, too - I don't think the world can handle more than one of her. Now what are we doing.... Word problems? So if one train leaves the station at 5:45 going 70 mph, and another train leaves another station at 6:30 going 100 mph, how long will it be before the two trains collide in fiery screaming death?"
"Daddy!"
"I'm glad I can amuse you. Don't let your mother see that grin - she'll accuse me of wanting to raise a psychopath. Now. Word problems are not hard. You just have to think them through. Listen:
As I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wives.
And every wife had seven cats
And every cat had seven kittens.
Man, cats, kits, wives -
How many were going to St Ives?"
"Daaaaad!"
"I'm trying to help you. Do you need to hear it again? Is that a yes? Ok.
As I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wives.
And every wife had seven cats
And every cat had seven kittens.
Man, cats, kits, wives -
How many were going to St Ives?"
"Um. There's the man - he's one - and his wives, that's one and seven, that's eight.... How many cats? Can I write it down?"
"You don't have to write anything down. 'As I was going to St Ives' - repeat after me, Francis. Pay close attention to the problem and listen carefully to what you're saying. 'As I was going....'"
"'As I was going to St Ives, I met a man with seven wives.' Right?"
"Right. 'And every wife had seven cats.'"
"'And every wife had seven cats.' And every, uh...."
"'And every cat had seven kittens.'"
"'And every wife had seven cats, and every cat had seven kittens.'"
"Good. 'Man, cats, kits, wives - how many were going to St Ives?'"
"Eight. And, uh, seven wives had seven cats, um, forty-nine? Times seven?"
"Are you sure? What answer are you looking for?"
"How many were going to St Ives. Where's St Ives?"
"Don't get distracted. Remember the question and say the problem again. Listen to the words."
"'As I was going to St Ives, I met - oh. Oh! I was going to St Ives! One! That's the answer! One was going to St Ives!"
"Very good! Always read the problem carefully and pay attention to every sentence. A lot of times, the answer is already in the question. And don't let people distract you with extraneous details."
"What's 'extraneous'?"
"Extra, random, useless details. Stuff. Junk. Most of the things in the garage. Now for the real reason I came in here - do you want some ice cream?"
"Yes!"
"I thought so. You can ask Daniel where St Ives is. He probably knows."
"I'm gonna ask him if he can do that problem."
"But don't help him out. That's the other lesson - don't give anything away."
"You're so weird, Daddy."
"I know. Let's go have some ice cream."