The Treehouse Rules
Three friends build a treehouse together, then fall out over the rules. Can they write rules that are fair to everyone?
It took Ellie, Marcus and Jun the whole summer holiday to build the treehouse, with a lot of help from Marcus's mum and her toolbox. It had four walls, a little window and a rope ladder. It was the best place in the world.
On the first day it was finished, Ellie climbed up with a piece of paper. "We need rules," she said. She had already written them.
Rule one: No boys. Rule two: Only Ellie can choose the games. Rule three: Password is Ellie Is Great.
Marcus and Jun stared at her. "Ellie," said Marcus, "we're boys."
"Oh," said Ellie. "Well, you can come up on Tuesdays."
Jun folded his arms. "Then I'm making my own rules." He scribbled on the back of a comic: Rule one: Jun gets the window spot. Rule two: Ellie has to bring snacks.
Within ten minutes, all three were shouting. Marcus climbed down the ladder and went home. Jun followed him. Ellie sat in the treehouse alone, holding her list.
It was very quiet up there. The leaves rustled. Ellie realized that a treehouse with only one person in it wasn't much fun at all.
The next morning, Ellie knocked on Marcus's door. Jun was already there. They were sitting on the steps not talking.
"I made unfair rules," said Ellie. "I'm sorry. It's all of ours."
"Mine were unfair too," said Jun. "You don't have to bring snacks."
Marcus's mum came out with three glasses of lemonade. "When grown-ups make rules for a group," she said, "a good way is that everyone gets a say, and every rule has to be fair to every person. Why don't you try that?"
They sat on the steps with a fresh sheet of paper. Every time someone suggested a rule, the others had to agree it was fair. If anyone said no, they talked about it until they found a version that worked.
Rule one: Everyone who helped build it is a member. Rule two: We take turns choosing the game. Rule three: We take turns at the window spot, one day each. Rule four: Visitors are welcome if all three members say yes. Rule five: If we argue, we climb down, take five breaths, and try again.
"What about the password?" asked Jun.
They argued about the password for twenty minutes, but it was a friendly argument, mostly laughing. In the end, they made it a mix of all their ideas: Ellie, Marcus and Jun Are Great.
They nailed the new rules to the treehouse wall. Over the years, the paper got rained on, curled up and faded. But the rules never changed, because they worked.
Well, almost never. Years later, they added Rule six: Marcus's little sister is allowed up, as long as she doesn't bring her drum.
⭐ The End ⭐
💬 Talk about it
- How many friends built the treehouse?
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Three. - Why were Ellie's first rules unfair?
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They only worked for Ellie. - What did they have to do before adding a new rule?
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Everyone had to agree it was fair. - What did Ellie notice when she was alone in the treehouse?
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It was not much fun with only one person.
