✦An original fictional family story
Grandma and the Market Map
Grandma remembers the way to a flower stall, but the market has changed. A picture map becomes the beginning of a small adventure together.
A story to read together
Grandma and the Market Map
Take your time. Let the story unfold.
Dev drew a picture map before going to the market with Grandma. It showed a blue gate, a large tree, and the flower stall where she used to buy jasmine. “You know this place so well,” he said. Grandma looked at the drawing. “I know how it was last time I came. We shall see what it is like today.” Dev put the map in his pocket beside a short shopping list.
The gate that looked wrong
When they reached the market, the blue gate was closed for repairs. A small side entrance led into a row of stalls Dev had not drawn. He turned the map upside down and back again. Grandma stopped with him in a clear space. She remembered a wider walkway, but she did not pretend that remembering made the gate open. They checked where people were entering and asked a market worker which route led towards the central tree. Dev added a small arrow to the map.
The missing flower stall
The tree was still there. The flower stall was not. In its place stood a table covered with baskets. Dev wondered whether they should go home without the jasmine. Grandma suggested asking before giving up. The basket seller knew that the flower vendor had moved to a brighter corner near the repaired fountain. She described two turns and a brown arch. Dev repeated the directions while Grandma listened. His map needed a brown arch now, even though its old blue gate was still the biggest picture on the page.
A scent around the corner
They followed the directions together and found the flower vendor arranging fresh garlands. Grandma greeted her, and Dev explained their changing map. The vendor laughed kindly. “The flowers have a new corner,” she said. “You found us by asking.” Grandma bought what they had planned. Dev drew the stall beside the brown arch, then added the fountain. He had enjoyed finding clues, but he also liked that Grandma stayed beside him and checked each turn rather than turning the visit into a race.
The map with room to change
Back at home, Dev unfolded the map on the table. Its extra arrows crossed some of his first drawings. He thought about making a perfect clean copy. Grandma suggested keeping this one too. It showed how they had found their way when the familiar route changed. Dev drew a little flower beside the basket stall to remember the helpful seller. Their adventure had involved no lost travellers or faraway mountains. It had needed attention, a few questions, and enough room on the page for a place to become new again.
The end
After the final page
There is no single right answer. Invite young readers to notice, wonder and imagine.
Why did the first map stop being enough?
How did different people help them find the flower stall?
Why might Dev keep the map with its extra arrows?
Make something: Draw a pretend market with three stalls and two entrances. Have a partner change one route, then explain a new way to reach a chosen stall.
