peeked out of their curtains wondering whose home it might target tonight—and saw Wally hold-
ing his overripe banana. They held their breath in fear.
Wally pointed his limp banana toward the monster and called out some magic words. A flash of
lightening leapt from his banana-wand straight into the air, hitting a wandering witch’s owl and
knocking off its tail feathers. It plummeted to the ground with a sad, loud thump... and the mon-
ster stomped closer to Wally.
Wally called out the formula again and another bolt of lightening erupted from his overripe
banana, striking the tower on top of the village hall, sending it crashing to the ground. “Oh, no,”
screamed people from behind their windows, “Wally is doing more damage than the monster.”
But Wally had a plan up his sleeve. He knew that he wasn’t good at magic, he knew that even
the best wizards had tried and failed, he knew that to conquer this monster of a problem he couldn’t
just hope the monster would go away. He had to do something. He had to do what he was good at
rather than relying on magic that didn’t work.
Wally peeled his magic wand. He took the ripe fruit from inside the banana skin and threw it in
the air. The monster’s jaws snapped forward to catch the banana, and it liked what it tasted. It charged
at Wally, hoping for more—and that was just what Wally was waiting for. When it was close enough
for Wally to feel the heat of its breath he threw the banana skin under its monstrous feet. In its haste,
the monster stepped on the skin, slipped and fell heavily, hit its head on the hard ground, and knocked
itself out cold.
The villagers ran from their houses, shouting triumphantly, quickly tying down the unconscious
monster and saving the village.
If you were ever to visit that village of wizards, you would probably hear the story of Wally the
Wacky Wizard. You see, he became a hero and there is a statue of him in the middle of the village
square, and parents tell their children the story of Wally the Wacky Wizard before they go to sleep at
night.
STORY 75
SOLVING A PROBLEMTherapeutic Characteristics
Problems Addressed
■ Facing a challenging problem
■ Wanting the seemingly unattainable
■ Not having others to help
■ Not having immediate answersResources Developed
■ Learning to explore options
■ Weighing up the pros and cons of a situation
■ Searching for new possibilities
■ Learning to use thought over impulse180 Healing Stories, Teaching Stories