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Shapestown

ShapestownStory written as part of a Fighting Words workshop with preservice primary teacher in Dublin City University 2023 Authors:Catherine CarolanLaura DurkanBronagh GallagherMichaela HowellKevin KinsellaKatya LawlorNiamh Rooney Saja Shaeib Marie WeldonGuest Lecturer:Lynn BowieFighting Words Facilitator:Nora Nic Con UltaighIllustrator:Philip ElliotEditors:Lorraine HarbisonRejane Stratton

There was once a town where all the shapes lived. It was called Shapestown. Many 2D shapes lived there, eachhaving their own street. The triangles lived on Triangle Street, the squares lived on Square Street, and the circleslived on Circle Street. But Poly didn’t have anywhere to live. Poly is a purple kite. Her mum was a square and her dad was a triangle and so Poly ended up as a kite. Havinggrown up with squares, she has always felt that she stuck out. Everyday Poly wakes up and begins her regular workout in the hope of making her shape regular. She does tenjumping jacks, ten squats, and ten minutes of dance. Despite all this, her shape remains the same. One day, during her dance routine, everything was going to plan until she fell over her dancing Lego Robot, and oneof her long sides got pushed in. In desperation she exclaimed, “I am even more irregular now”. She hopped on onecorner to her best friend’s Bobby’s house, who lived on Circle Street, to see if he could help. Bobby understood howPoly felt as he was an oval. Bobby exclaimed when he saw her. “Poly, is that you? You look kind of weird and more irregular than usual.”Poly burst out crying. Straight tears ran in parallel lines down her face. “I fell on my dancing Lego robot that I haddesigned to help me with regular exercise in the hope that it would make me more regular. Please help. Can you tryto push me back into shape?”Bobby agreed to help. First, he pulled and pulled, but her angles were either too acute or too obtuse, they justweren’t RIGHT! Then he pushed and pushed but her sides were too short or too long, they just weren’t EQUAL! Theywere about to give up, when Bobby thought, “Don’t worry I know a shapeshifter who lives on Dodgy Lane!” We’llhead over there.”

They turned a corner and went around a bend and arrived at the shapeshifter’s lab. Poly was hesitant.“This all seems a bit irregular to me,” she said. However, Poly was curious so she did jumping-jacks in. Dr Transformation appeared at the door. “Welcome to my lab, how can I help you?”“I heard you can help me to become a regular shape. I am sick of being misidentified.” Dr Transformation obliged and cast the magic spell “Irregularis circumferenco, perpendicularo,rotationlatis.” “Success' 'Dr. Transformation beamed. “You are a regular shape now.” Poly was thrilled. Poly and Bobby made their way back to Square Street. On the way she saw her reflection in the windowof a shop on Dodgyville. She started crying straight, parallel tears again. “I am not a regular shape,Bobby, look at me!” Poly saw a purple rhombus in the window and she could not believe the Doctor hadlied to her. As she was looking in the window’s reflection, she saw a square in the distance. The square was rotatedand balancing on one of his corners. Suddenly, she saw how herself and the square were related.“I know,” said Poly. “Let’s make a new street and we’ll call it Quadrilateral Street, where all thequadrilaterals can live together, regular and irregular.” For the first time ever, Poly finally felt like she fitted in and she lived happily ever.