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When J was 4 years old, he enjoyed dramatic play situations where the story gave him a chance to be a puppy, a baby or someone who was stuck in the mud. He seemed to seek out opportunities for his classmates (most often girls, but also boys, if they were willing) to take care of him.

When he told this story, a 4-year-old girl (B) with whom he frequently played, was also at the story table.
J: “I’m scared. I’m scared. I wanna go to bed. I’m gonna get hurt by the sun and then I be dead.
Doggie kill the monster.”
B felt compelled to help tell the story.
“I’ll save you. The monster won’t get you.”
J: “I wanna go home. My daddy and my mommy are dead. Down there.”
B: “Your mommy and your daddy died?”

At this point both children went off to play. Someone else was waiting to tell me a story, so I was unable to follow up with more questions for J.

When an issue is troubling a child (and separation anxiety is a recurring theme for young children), they use story to revisit the topic. If a child cannot find a classmate to nurture him or her during dramatic play, story dictation with an adult can provide an outlet for fears and anxieties.

J is trying to understand a variety of topics:
Why can’t I stay home every day?
What are adults saying when they tell me they need to put sunscreen on my face before I go outside?

He uses his story to comfort himself (“Doggie kill the monster”) with a thought that seems unrelated to the rest of his ideas. Thoughts that appear out of the blue are common when children tell stories.

B, his friend, does her part by choosing one of his fears, the monster, and offering to save him.