Stephanie’s Ponytail, a Calendar of Events
Robert Munsch is a treasure and an icon and I’m thankful for his assembled works. At home here, we have a hardcover copy of The Munschworks Grand Treasury that gets read a lot. A lot.
In a collection that includes absolute classics like The Paper Bag Princess, Mortimer, and I Have To Go!, there’s also Stephanie’s Ponytail.
Originally published in 1996, Stephanie’s Ponytail is the story of a little girl who doesn’t care what people think of her hairstyle (“it’s my ponytail, and I like it”), but also has an issue with other people taking direction from her style and making it their own.
I have some mixed feelings about the story and Stephanie’s handling of things, as well as the teacher and parents involved. But more than anything, the calendar of events has crossed my mind over and over and over as I’ve read the story to Oliver at nap time and bed time.
It was in my head so much that I broke it down. I had to make a couple of assumptions to start things off. 1) I assumed that Stephanie asked for her back ponytail (starting the story) on a Monday to start off a fresh week. 2) I added weekends to the story, which puts a bump in the “next day” piece between Stephanie’s top pony and her classmates copying her look on Monday.
What never clicked in my head was the next day, next day, next day thing. And I know that it’s a children’s story and it shouldn’t matter – and I’m sorry to Mr. Munsch for making a big deal out of this. But it was just rattling around in my head and I had to get it out!
So, here’s the calendar of Stephanie’s ponytails, and her classmates’ copying over two weeks in the school year.
If you don’t know the story, hopefully the calendar helps explain it a little bit. Here’s the simple version… It’s a ‘one day Stephanie’s an original and the next day everyone’s on her corner’, story. Stephanie asks for a ponytail, shows up at school where she’s told that it looks “ugly, ugly, very ugly” but she keeps her chin up and replies, “it’s my ponytail and I like it”.
In very childlike fashion though, those same kids that call her ponytail ugly, show up with the exact same ponytail the next day. They do it with a ponytail at the back, a ponytail at the side, a ponytail coming out the top like a tree, and even a ponytail at the front, hanging down in front of their noses and causing three girls to accidentally go into the boys’ bathroom.
This makes Stephanie very unhappy. She sees the kids as copycats (which they are) and at the end, finally has had enough and gets one over on them. I can appreciate her anger, these kids tell her that her hair is ugly and then show up the very next day ripping her off.
What I’ve found myself wondering though, 15 years later in a world of influencers, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, etc., would Stephanie have found a way to harness her trendsetting ways instead of getting upset? Would Stephanie be the most popular girl in school and online because she wasn’t afraid to take a chance with her hair, she liked what she liked and went for it? Would someone have been able to better prepare her for haters that were actually followers?
I admire Stephanie for her braveness and commitment to finding styles that make her happy. Get it girl!
I also understand being upset with those mean girl copycats. And I get the petty revenge that wraps things up.
BUT my biggest question left after all of this is – WHAT HAPPENS ON THAT FRIDAY AFTER ALL OF THOSE KIDS (AND THE TEACHER) SHOW UP TO SCHOOL BALD ON THURSDAY?!
How is everyone getting past that? Does Stephanie’s entire class take Friday off as a sick day and try to regroup? Is anyone showing up in a wig? Stephanie played them all, they all took a big L, and now I just want to know what happened on Friday!
Talking about it at home with Jess we came up with ideas like a PA Day, or maybe I’ve got the calendar all wrong and this started on a Tuesday after a Thanksgiving or Easter long weekend?
Without knowing those details though, I’m left to imagine that school’s still in session on Friday and those kids are expected to be there.
Yikes!
Before we go, I’d also like to give Stephanie’s mom some love here. Every day she gives some guidance (there’s no where else to put a ponytail) but never tells her little girl that she can’t have the hairstyle she wants. She asks to make sure that’s what she really wants, and then helps her out and sends her off to school.
Atta be, mom!
