Tex's Tale

Texillian Armadillion

Gobbling up words—that’s why I was born…created…devised, perhaps? My origins are an anonymity even to myself.

I live in a mysterious attic filled with wondrous words, floating around the dust the way that invisible notes of a piano float through a concert hall. Marjorie was revealed to me one day when I saw a tiny toe pass through the darkness. I scrambled to slurp up all of the letters and numbers, punctuation marks and blank spaces I could before the owner of this delicious looking toe took them away from me.

I opened my mouth and inhaled.

Like a phenomenal whirlwind, words and parts of words came dancing into my mouth. And it wasn’t until I finished with the words and started nibbling on that delicious (albeit curious) toe, that Marjorie noticed me.

I am Tex.

I am keeper of the tales.

I am an eerie little creature and I prefer to stay that way. I will eat parts of you even if I love you. I will gnaw on parts of you if I am perturbed. Please do not take offense. As some would ask, “Were you raised in a barn?” Well, no. I was raised in an attic with nothing but alphabet letters and old feline skeletons to keep me company.

Do not feel sorry for me.

For I am Tex.

And I am keeper of the tales.

I hear a symphony when I read words. I see a painting when I watch the alphabet letters dance with the dust bunnies in front of my eyes.

If you must use my beloved letters on that white regurgitated wood, please make them count.

For each letter has a tale to tell, a life to live.

With slobbery toe nibbles and a tip of my bowler hat, 

Jar Party Challenge

We are no longer accepting submissions for this challenge.

This is our first weekly challenge!

A Jar Party is not unlike a Tea Party where there are sips to sup and tiny sandwiches to nibble.

Prefer toes to nibble, me.

Exactly Tex: toes instead of sandwiches. That is precisely right. A Jar Party is not a dainty, frilly thing with delicate pinkies and noses in the air. No, a Jar Party is all about What's In Your Jar.

Write us a story up to 500 words or draw a picture (or series, such as a comic strip) about What's In Your Jar, What Kind Of Jar You Have and Where Did You Acquire This Thing (and the jar)? Is it a creature that feasts on flies? Is it goo that goes moo at two? Whatever it is, let us know about it. We love adding Things Unknown to our repatiore of Beastlies.

You can submit your work to junipertreelit@gmail.com and please forgive us in advance if we don't write back to you immediately. Tex is fairly anal about reading everything we get. With your submission please tell us a little bit about yourself, your age and where abouts in the world you live. We will try our best to get back to you as soon as possible.

Deadline for submissions: Sunday, May 8, 2011.


The winners will be announced the following Monday, May 16th.

For the rest of the guidelines and what should not be submitted, go to our Submit To Us page.

Welcome to Underneath The Juniper Tree

Hello Friends. Oh my, you are looking sparkly today. Welcome to the first day of Underneath The Juniper Tree. As Geraldine McCaughrean of The White Darkness would say for Titus Oates, 'Warm, isn't it.'

Yes, darling.

Yes, thank you Tex. Introductions are always sticky, aren't they. For records and notes and Keepers of Minutes Or Things Such As That, I'm Marjorie and you can read about how I came to be The Keeper Of The Stories in the About page. Tex is my faithful companion who sleeps in The Attic with The Stories so they don't run off and get lost.

To make a long introduction short, Underneath The Juniper Tree is an online magazine dedicated with it's whole soul to children's literature and artwork; particularly the creepy, prickly, what's-that-noise kind. The pricklier and more creative the better. If you are looking for something soft like warm pudding you've come through the wrong door little poppet. Hurry back, now.

Before the wolves come out.

Quite. For the rest of you, we welcome you with open arms. You will like this place, I'm sure.

Each week we'll gather on the stairs to share some of the spine-tingling stories we've found up in The Attic and with them delicious pieces of artwork for your eyes to feast on.

Each month there will be a contest for both writers and artists. You can enter one piece of work only for each contest and if yours is selected, it will be in the next month's issue. Artists, if you work is selected it will be displayed in our lovely Featured Artists space in the right side bar as well as the monthly issue. You can see the contests and their deadlines/requirements by clicking on the Contests tab. Please read carefully for fear that you may not be chosen if you don't follow the guidelines properly. The contest beginning today is the Sinister Summer Stories contest. Please remember that anyone can enter, but all work shown on Underneath The Juniper Tree is for children nine years old up to ninety-nine years old.

I'm a centenarian.

Then to nine hundred ninety-nine, how abouts? There will always be chances to submit work beyond just the monthly contests so please come back often and see what perks your monster under the bed.

There is also an opportunity to help out Underneath The Juniper Tree by becoming one of our editors. The Attic is stacked full, my darlings, and there is much to do. We also are accepting book reviews for any children's books that you think should be lifted up and shown to the world.

So welcome. Stay for awhile. And always come back. We miss you already.

Coming soon!

To be launched May 1, 2011