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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to ask if this children's short story rings a bell?

7 replies

Upsidedownfrown · 15/09/2019 23:07

Y4 ds having bad dreams and can't sleep. Says it's because of a story his teacher read at school. I will say now, Ds is an anxious child (who camhs won't see as apparently it doesn't affect him but that's another story) and also has attention difficulties and so quite possibly missed parts of the story but he explained it as this;

A boy who was great at everything was fishing and saw smoke so he took his boat to the shore to investigate. A man told him he should leave so he started to walk away but could hear footsteps following him. Couldn't hide for some reason. He could hear a low whistling sound and it turns out it was a child catching monster who whistles out of a hole in his head.

I'm in no way complaining about his teacher. She is wonderful and very experienced. The story was linked to a drawing activity (draw the beginning, middle and end) But he's wide awake and I'm trying to find out what the story is as telling him it's just a story isn't cutting it and I'd like to be armed with facts so I can figure out why he thinks his teacher is reading him something that resembles a Stephen King novel and hopefully reassure him before I have a completely exhausted breakdown! I can speak to teacher tomorrow afternoon but hoping to find something, anything! to help tonight

OP posts:
Fweakout · 15/09/2019 23:13

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=robertamckelvey71.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/the-whisltling-monster.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjC67zC7NPkAhWcQkEAHQVeDkEQFjADegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw3J3BeOMs7TRPHKL4esFkWv&cshid=1568585736410" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=robertamckelvey71.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/the-whisltling-monster.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjC67zC7NPkAhWcQkEAHQVeDkEQFjADegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw3J3BeOMs7TRPHKL4esFkWv&cshid=1568585736410

it must be this. Terrifying!!

Dairyqueen2 · 15/09/2019 23:14

Jamila Gavin - the Whistling Monster

Catzpyjamas · 15/09/2019 23:15

I've attached a link to the story:

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=robertamckelvey71.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/the-whisltling-monster.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiuvsCD7NPkAhXGTcAKHaCxBdUQFjALegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw3J3BeOMs7TRPHKL4esFkWv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Whistling Monster

Hope it helps

HennyPennyHorror · 15/09/2019 23:19

That sounds horrifying and I can't find a thing on Google. It does bear some similarities to a few traditional Australian Aboriginal tales but no child catchers in them with holes in their head!

I'd honestly speak to his teacher about this. Seems very short sighted!

Upsidedownfrown · 15/09/2019 23:19

Oh my goodness thank you all so much! That's definitely the story! He mentioned the big fish and the birds but I forgot about that.

FFS I can just about see why he's a bit scared but it's not half as dramatic as I thought it was going to be! He's missed the point of the story with the birds helping him and focused on the scary monster.

Right, wish me luck! He's still awake!

OP posts:
StinkyDora · 15/09/2019 23:19

robertamckelvey71.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/the-whisltling-monster.pdf

I reckon it's this - hope the link works

HennyPennyHorror · 15/09/2019 23:28

Well done Dora....OP I think it is something that would pique the imagination of many kids...the idea of the thing whistling like that is quite awful really.

Tell your DS these sort of tales were made up to explain the unknown sound of the wind etc to children and as a cautionary tale as kids in those environments can't wander off or they'll get eaten by wild animals! So perfectly sensible to scare the heck out of them!

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