STEPHEN'S BIG PROBLEM

Stephen was eight years old. He had red hair, blue eyes and freckles that dotted his nose and cheeks. Stephen lived in a white house on a street called Maple street. He lived there with his mother and father, a cat named, Shelly and a black dog named, Susie. He owned a bright blue, three speed bike, a computer, a basketball and hoop, hockey skates and a train set. His parents owned a cottage on a beautiful blue lake. Every year they spent the summer there sailing, water skiing and fishing.

With so many blessings, Stephen should be very happy. Right? But Stephen was not happy. Stephen had a problem. A big problem.
Stephen wet his bed. He felt so ashamed. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't wake himself up. In the morning his sheets were wet.
His friend, Jeff had asked him several times to stay overnight, but Stephen always said, "no" for fear that Jeff would find out. He remembered how embarrassed he'd felt the week he spent at Boy Scout camp. His counselor put a plastic sheet on his bunk. Whenever Stephen sat on his bed, it crunched
The other boys knew about it and teased him.
One day his mother took him to the doctor to make sure he was healthy.
"He's a very healthy boy," said the doctor." "He just sleeps too sound. His wetting problem will go away on its own."
But the doctor's answer was not good enough for Stephen. He wanted his problem to go away, now!
Stephen thought and thought, but he couldn't come up with a solution. Then one day Stephen's father asked him if he would like to go fishing the next morning.
"Oh, yes," said Stephen. Fishing with his father was one of Stephen's favorite things to do.
"Be sure and set your alarm clock for 6:00 A.M." his father reminded him.
At bedtime Stephen wound the clock as tight as it would go. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head; why couldn't I set the alarm to wake me up in time to use the bathroom? He set the alarm for 2:00 A.M. and promptly fell to sleep.
At 2:00 A.M. the alarm buzzed loudly. Stephen continued to sleep. Then gradually his eyes opened, and he remembered. He shut the alarm off and headed for the bathroom. In the morning his sheets were dry.
"Mom," Stephen ran into the kitchen where his mother was packing a lunch for Stephen and his father's fishing trip.
"What is it, Stephen?"
"My sheets are dry this morning."
"How does that make you feel?" his mother asked.
"It makes me feel like a winner!"
His mother hugged him. "I've known that all along."
The next night Stephen set his alarm for 2:00 A.M. again. This time when the alarm buzzed he woke up immediately. Stephen continued this routine for two weeks. Every morning, dry sheets. At last, Stephen no longer had to set the alarm. He woke up at 2:00 A.M. on his own.
One day on the way to school, Jeff asked Stephen if he could stay overnight and play a new computer game his parents had bought him for his birthday.
Stephen's first impulse was to say, "no," but he stopped and thought. I've kept my bed sheets dry at home. I can do it at Stephen's too. "No problem," said Stephen. "But I usually get up during the night to use the bathroom."
"You too?" said Jeff. "I've done that for years."
Stephen broke out in a wide grin. "Hey, tell me about your new computer game."

Learn more about this author, Carol Gustke.
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