Ken Kaddiddlehopper and Kristi Kristoffersen

When Ken Kaddiddlehopper was growing up in Kaleidoscope, Kentucky, playground disagreements were always settled by wrestling. None of the kids had ever heard of karate, a means of self-defense that uses hands and feet to avoid being attacked or hurt. Because Ken never wrestled, he was considered a coward and often bullied. Kip Kittinger, a big, strong boy, never missed a chance to shove Ken to the ground and dare him to get up. These scenes were made worse when other kids called him a sissy. After a while, he skipped recess and stayed in the classroom.

A little girl, Kristi Kristoffersen, often remained in the classroom with him. She was a sweet, pretty girl who had never witnessed wrestling matches on the playground because, like Ken, she felt that differences could be settled peacefully. However, she realized that someday, Ken would be forced to stand up for himself. Karate might provide the answer, so she gave him a book entitled Karate For Beginners and offered to study it with him. Soon, both of them knew a great deal about this fascinating sport, and Kristi was just as eager as Ken to learn even more about it.

Master karate instructor Kano Kimoto had a studio in Kaleidoscope. Ken and Kristi visited him and were pleased to find that he was a kind gentleman and master teacher. He wanted to know if they were patient, warning them that the course took quite a while to complete and training sessions lasted several hours. Both wanted to take the course, no matter how much time and effort it required. After months of daily training, the youngsters’ great progress impressed Master Kano Kimoto, and in time, both were awarded the yellow belt, the fourth highest of the six possible belts.

Ken and Kristi kept their new skill a secret, but now, instead of studying during recess, they went to the playground. Sure enough, Kip Kittinger, the school’s worst bully, shoved Ken to the ground. Instead of fighting, Ken got up, dusted himself off, and walked away, but Kip shoved him down again. “Do that one more time, Kip, and you will be sorry,” Ken warned. Several other bullies gathered around, expecting to watch their pal beat up Ken. Were they ever surprised! Using lightning-fast movements, Ken attacked with hands and feet, leaving his opponent lying on the ground, groaning.

When another bully, Kurt Karsegian, threatened Ken, Kristi politely asked him to leave her friend alone. Howling in laughter, he said, “Look, everybody, this little girl is standing between Ken and me.” With that, he shoved her to the ground and turned back toward Ken. Suddenly, he was confronted by an angry girl who said, “Kurt, I warned you--now you will pay.” Immediately, she let fly with her hands and feet so swiftly that Kurt fell to the ground, crying. From then on, everyone loved the karate experts who ended bullying on the playground: Ken Kaddiddlehopper and Kristi Kristoffersen.

NOTE: Jimmy Reed is a retired college professor and author of several books. This story is from his latest, a children’s book entitled FROM A TO Z, TO YOU FROM ME. Each story in the book maximizes the use of an alphabetical letter, enhanced by alliteration and assonance. The book is available on Amazon, or can be purchased directly from the author. His email address is jimmycecilreedjr@gmail.com.