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Applejack's got a secret she'd kept hidden for many years. Nopony would ever have guessed what she and Twilight were up to in the library late at night, once Spike had gone to sleep. That is, until a jealous Rainbow Dash decided it was her business to find out just what in the hay was going on.
Edited by: FanNotANerd, And I'm pretty sure RazedRainbow had something to do with this, so him too.
Interesting, so i guess applejack was reading bloomburg a picture book? so we got Twilight giving AJ reading lessons (or try to convince her to) and possible TwiMac...thumbs up! I'm guessing Mac is self-taught or something because he needed to learn to run the farm
Just Don't Forget About Breaking Barriers!!!
Edit: Let's get this featured!
After being drawn to this site by some of the darker stories, It's nice to find a good "slice of life" story, without any of the romance or drama strings attached.
It's well written, and the concept is great. I am pleased by the evidence that this will be a story spanning several chapters, when the concept could easily play out in a single chapter.
With Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and Big Mac (I'm assuming, since he asked for a book) all capable of reading, I'm guessing Applejack being illiterate has nothing, or little, to do with their family or the fact that they are farmers. I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out she has some form of dyslexia which would have made it difficult for her to learn, and easy to choose to live a life where the need to read wasn't really necessary.
just because Applejack is a redneck doesnt mean she's illiterate besides didnt Applejack mention in read it and weep that she liked to read? ok AJ make up your mind can you read or not
edit; i hope there is no shipping in this its nice to read a story for once without romance too many AJ stories have her shipped 
A.J is not stupid !!!!!
It's canon that she can read!! Aggh!!! First the fic. about how she can't do simple math, now this!!! Come on people.
Also, why is there shipping in this story when there's no tags!!!! 
*sigh* Well . . . regardless, the first chapter is written well and I'm curious as to how Twilight is going to approach things, so I'll keep an eye on this. However, if A.J is written like a complete idiot and ends up being treated like dung just like that other fic. then I will have to down vote this.
Very interesting setup for AJ centric story. Approved
TwiMac, even if it's just her blushing doesn't gel that good with me... meh I'm a sucker for FlutterMac
Well Chilly and other Spicy fruits that contain capsaicin ARE technically poisonous and we still eat them... perhaps they are a manner of enjoyable taste that many ponies indulge into, even if they are not the most healthy of foods... like we do with the spicy ones... We already know Pinkie likes her spicy sauce...
Point taken, but daffodils are not simply spicy, they induce a paralysis that can stop a grown man's heart in minutes. Also, as I mentioned in another fic, I am trying to reduce the spread of potentially dangerous misinformation. Imagine if a child tried to eat a daffodil and daisy sandwich...
>>1270395 Why? That's like asking how can I think there's a fire when I see a bunch of smoke.
As for the shipping; doesn't matter if it's not the main plot. You've got an awful strong hint of TwiMac (a non-canon, fan base pairing) and it's possible that Big Mac may return later and Twilight will do her little emotional dance again, so it needs a ship tag. 
Hey easy, I'm giving it a chance. It's just this kind of treatment of A.J is a pet peeve of mine.
Oh please, by all means do!
I still don't think kids will start eating flowers over one small scene (daffodil sandwiches only appeared on the show a couple of times) It's stories that made them so prevalent. And we know not many small kids read these stories alltogether, the ones old enough to read them, won't be eating daffodil sandwiches anytime soon... Tulips, maybe.
(Why do I see a Darwin award for an adult brony couple that ate daffodil sandwiches in the future)
I didn't mean that they were spicy, the fact that they are lethal to us, might not translate to ponies, were it might be simply slightly irritant to their digestive tracts but tasty to to eat. I was simply drawing a comparison with spicy food, that is letal to some species, only irritating to us, but many of us eat it still...
And when you refer to ponies, I of course assume you mean those of the magical, colorful variety. While I do not often have ponies of any type running around in my woods, we do have countless types of animals (deer, rabbits, groundhogs, mine, packrats, opossums, raccoons, that one antelope (I swear I have no clue where it came from...)) and our (literally) thousands of daffodils each year remain untouched. while the (edible) mushrooms around them get gobbled up quite quickly. I could see the ponies breeding or magically altering daffodils in their world to be non poisonous.
Of course, no matter how many pictures they show me. There are no other ponies than those in Equestriaa 
Ok?
1: There's a difference between having a gap in your education and stupidity. The notion that Applejack can't read makes no statement on her intellect; it means she never learned. Maybe that means she tried and failed to learn or maybe it means she never had the time what with running a whole farm, or maybe it means something else entirely. Remember: To assume makes an ass out of u and me.
2: I don't agree that every story which hints at a possible romantic pairing among characters who aren't the focus needs a shipping tag.
Oh for shame and pride AJ!
Continues? 
100% percent behind this... By all that's been hinted in the story, AJ, has a basic level of understanding, she probably had to cut short her education, getting only the most basic learning of writting. She struggles to remember the alphabet, but she knows it, that speaks of someone who had to stop attending school at a very young age, because her parent's died and she and her brother had to take over the farm work... Not because she is stupid...
Eeeeyup.
See, BigMac agrees.
As for the shipping, the joking around was fine, right Mac?
Nnnnope.Ooook... moving on...
(Also a typo made me realize of a changeling imponynating (!) Big Mac, being called "Bug Mac"... god I'm hideous
)>>1270788 Oh boy, you haven't read some of the other fics have you?
Look, you don't need to get technical to figure out how fics. involving A.J: not being able to read, to do math (as simple as 2+2) or not being able to talk properly "kida hike this tier" makes her look. A.J runs a stand where she has to deal with and count money, and she has mentioned the kind of books she likes reading. There is nothing canon that supports this!! It's the type of writing that plays off the dumb hick sterotype. That frankly is not cool.
As for the tags. They're there for curtsey sake. Some people don't want to read shipping period in a story they weren't expecting it in. Also since the writer is using a fandom pairing, he would be better place to put the tag on. Without one, it's a TwiMac from nowhere in another story. If it was just a small bit about Spike's love of Rarity, I doubt anyone would require a ship tag to mention canon material (as long as that wasn't the focus and it stayed canon).
As for assuming, if I had done that, I would have down voted this piece already. The fact that I'm tracking means I think it could become a good story.
1: I have read the other fics. I just choose to attribute it to coincidence rather than some sinister pattern. Bring it up again when there's a dozen such fics, 'mmkay?
2: You're talking about people who would be offended by the incidental mention of possible romance among a stories background characters. No, I'm sorry, but there's a limit to how much we should expect authors to bend over backwards to summarize every aspect of their stories for our benefit. This is well past it.
I like it mostly because of one thing. In other fics in which Applejack is less educated and needs help from Twilight/Cheerlie she is full of shame and acts stupid. Here she acts quite clever, despite her shortcomings in education. And since TS and AJ are my favorite ponies I have high hopes for this fic.
Not being able to read does not mean you are dumb. In AJ's case I would bet it's just as she said. She had to spend all her time working the farm and never had the time to learn. Macs older then AJ, so whatever happened that took their parents away most likely happened after he had learned the basics of reading, but before she did. At that point it most likely didn't seem that important to her. By the time she cared about it again her pride jumped in the way. My opinion.Good story. On to the track list.
Not to throw a monkey wrench in your story and all, but AJ did mention she enjoys reading a "bang up tale from time to time" in Read It And Weep. Also, Twilight was right there when she said it, so the idea that she just didn't know is kinda thrown out the window, if you do end up making it a misunderstanding in this. Again, I don't mind the story, but you might want to throw in an addendum saying that this ignores canon for sake of plot. Sorry if I come off as a jerk for pointing this out, I really don't mean to, and I may continue reading this, but I have a habit of calling attention to plot holes, at least for the author's sake.
I have to admit I laughed pretty stupidly at that one line of Sweetie Belle's. (That means you did good 
)
Also, this may be the most normal story I've ever read. 
I mean, nothing majorly important is going on. No huge stakes, no unbelievable extremes, just ponies doing what they do. I am greatly interested by this concept. Proceed...
Teasing=/=Romance
Also, where the hell is the fluttermac that you mentioned earlier? I didn't see it.
Genre tags are for the main genre of a story, subplots are just that, subplots. If anything it makes it more inconvenient for readers when multiple genre tags are used when the story isn't truly multiple genres.
Well done so far. It's probably the third "Apple family member never learned to read" story I've read this week; still, I like the setup so far. There's no shipping (because noting that Twilight blushes at the mention of Big Mac thanking her does not count as shipping!), there's no clop, there are no OCs - all pluses in my book for a slice of life story like this one.
Hmm, yes. This is a really good story. Very well written, well paced, well characterized, etc.
However, I do agree with the others that it's rather unlikely that Applejack can't read. Firstly, Over a Barrel, where she reads to Bloomberg. She probably prints the Sisterhood Social signs. And she specifically says, "Who doesn't like to read a good book now and then?" in Read it and Weep. Those are all the examples I can think of off-hand, since there actually isn't actually a lot of reading/writing in the show.
And why would Granny Smith know how to read, but AJ can't? Wouldn't it be more likely that the older members of the family would never bother to learn?
>>1271251 On 1.) So it's a coincidence that it only happens to A.J out of everyone? You can "choose to attribute" it anyway you want. Doesn't change that there "are" a dozen of these type of fics. out there.
On 2.) Actually I'm refering to ones that prefer show episode style/ G4 storytelling. The type of writing that give birth to sites like this. I assure you there are way more than just a "dozen" people who think like this (and no, sadly I'm not one). Also maybe there are those who don't want to read shipping, just for that moment, when they pick this up. Having a story take a different tone than what you were promise is like reading a comedy fic. scrolling down and finding out that suddenly Derpy had her head smashed in and is laying blood on the floor. The scene is brief and it's all part the comedy, but with no "dark" or "gore" tag, it's out of nowhere and you're not laughing.
Also, I'm sorry but simply putting the right label on your story is not "bending over backwards", it's called consideration, for the people who take the time to read your story and review it. Asking the person to rewrite everything fits that bill, 'mmkay?
>>1271835 Heh, heh you're right. 
Since there's no indication of actual romance, merely Twilight being embarrassed by what I assume is Applejack's "winkwinknudgenudgesaynomoresaynomore" mention of Big Mac, I don't think this needs a shipping tag. Now, were Big Mac to actually contemplate a romance with somepony, or if Twilight spent much time thinking about him romantically when he wasn't present and when she wasn't being prompted by Applejack, a Shipping tag and packing label would be appropriate.
Until proven otherwise, Applejack either has a vision problem or reads at about a 3rd -5th grade level.
>>1272259 I brought it up cause it seems possible that Twilight's feelings or Big Mac appearing around Twilight again is likely, adding more fuel to the fire. A non-canon, fan pairing that's more than just a subtle hint deserves a shipping tag. Since it's not part of the main or a side plot (for now) it doesn't need a romance tag.
^ I'm going to drop this issue anyway. It wasn't what drove me to comment in the first place.
Hm... It's either that Applejack struggles to read (in this), or that she's simply too busy to concentrate on things.
The scene where she places the list on Granny Smith's rocking chair sounds of the first, while other scenes (like where she goes to get the book) seem to say the second.
Either way, I'm gonna read this.
Oh, poor AJ! I too know the pain of trying to rerember how to albetize things when you've got a whole bunch of things to do. And trying to rerember the name of a long and complicated book from memory.
If this ends in one long complicated misunderstanding, I called it!
Canon don't mean shit when it comes to fanfics. It's a guideline, not a law. I can write a story about the mane six being carp in a town full of rhinos inhabiting Platypusville.
In this story's canon, Applejack did not get to go to school based on what she said to Applebloom. She's not stupid, she just never learned how to read. The ability to read and write does not make someone intelligent... you'll have to take my vast amount of experience dealing with idiots on that one. The opposite is also true... just because someone cannot read and write does not make them stupid. She's practical, rather than 'learned'.
>>1272697 I disagree with this. I see the canon as a foundation for the personalities, strengths, flaws, relationships, etc of an over-arching storyline. A fixed point that should not be altered. Fanon should fill in the details of the canon, not make it's own foundation.
That's not to say I don't enjoy the stories that deviate from canon (humanized or perhaps pastel coloured Rhinos, for example). They, however, are up front about what they are. You know what you're getting into. This story does not do that.
>>1272936 Hmmm. You know. I think you might be onto something.
I started suspecting Applejack's inability to read when she and Rainbow were at the restaurant. Then things from before started to click for me. (Although for some reason, I thought Twilight was going to help Applebloom with math homework. Maybe I read something wrong.) Although I may have figured it out so quickly because I volunteered for a time with an adult literacy program. One of the first things we learned were signs of someone who can't read. It doesn't have anything to do with a person's intelligence. It's just a skill they never learned, maybe because they weren't able to grasp it during that short window where you learn the basics and then were thrust into application situations. And there are many things that can cause difficulty reading. I hope you treat this subject fairly and with respect, but you seem to have done so thus far.
Also, I have something to say about all the people remarking that she can read in canon, earliest established in Over a Barrel. Based on her conversation with Rainbow, such as
“Ah don’t know how many times ya want me ta apologize for flingin’ ya into Twilight’s house,” she grumbled,“Well, since my concussion took a few weeks to heal, I’d say I’ve still got at least another week of teasing ahead of me.”
This story takes place several weeks after Applebuck Season (I'd say about 6-8). Based on airing time in the real world, Applebuck Season is nearly 5 months before Over a Barrel. This would give Applejack about 3 months to learn to read, certainly enough to get her to the level of the book she reads to Bloomberg. So this story could fit into canon.
Good start so far, and since many have given their opinions on whether or not she can read and at what level, i would say based on her remarks to applebloom about being lucky to attend school, its a first or second grade level and probably weak in even that grade level. I think you should change the description though, it gives too much away for things that happen much later in the story. I was able to guess what was happening almost immediately, so maybe shortening it so it doesn't even mention twilight teaching AJ since we're not even that far in.
Up to you to disagree and have your own ideas, but it doesn't change facts, regardless of your views on the matter. Canon can be adhered to as strictly or loosely as any author wishes, or just thrown out the window. Look at some of the most popular fics in the fandom, they're not set in canon-Ponyville sounding like someone copy-pasted an episode's script for you to read. There's wars, adventure, romance, they might be anthro, they might not be ponies at all.
Saying someone -must- adhere to anything when it comes to fanfiction is just limiting creativity. Canon is a guideline, plain and simple. Use what you want from it, don't use what you don't. That's how it's done, you see.
If this story is set up early in the season one, say soon after "Applebuck Season", it doesn't really conflict with anything. Start off with AJ being functionally illiterate - she does know the alphabet, and can probably handle simple, familiar stuff if not under pressure - and progress to full literacy with some coaching from Twilight. After all, as people have been saying, it's not that she's stupid.
>>1273681 As I said previously, I do enjoy the stories that step out of the canon, but they make no secret of them doing that.
The one thing that remains the same in other stories (that involve canon characters), even the one's that deal with darker or more confronting issues, is that the character's personalities, traits, intelligence, etc. What the author has changed is the circumstance the characters find themselves in, not the characters themselves.
A lot of the time writers will fill in the gaps missing from the canon by adding personality to a background character or whatever. Taking away an ability a character has already has is something that, well, irks me.
You're right. An author can write the story as they like. That doesn't mean I have to like it or dislike it.
Both you and I are expressing our own differing opinions, nothing more.
I was going to bring up the same point. As for canon concerns, this seems to be set shortly after S1E4, at which point there was no canon to contradict the possibility. Furthermore, an inability to read wouldn't interfere at all with an ability to do basic math. If the problem was related to being dyslexic this would be especially true, but there's also a difference in the stigma - and the importance of the skill to her life.
MLP being a cartoon actually helps the argument. It's canon that a lot of things (like bags of feed and ads) are labelled with pictures instead of words. This is actually pretty common in a society where literacy isn't the most common skill, and would help AJ immensely at faking it. Math isn't as easy to fake, especially when you're handling sales, and if she'd figured out adding and subtracting by (say) first grade when her parents died, Mac would EXPECT to have to teach her the rest himself.
By contrast, he might already expect her to know how to read the basics, and if AJ already felt like a 'dumb hick' for being behind in that field? She ain't asking for help, she's just faking it when she has to.
Uhm... as for your first point, legal mandates to be in school until X age are fairly recent innovations in the big scheme of things. Most of history (and in MASSIVE parts of the world even today) the need to work to EAT trumps the need to go to school. AJs story isn't an uncommon one up until pretty recently.
Applejack being Illiterate : Not Very Plausible
Applejack being Dyslexic: Plausible
(She has been shown reading in the show, but this is a fanfic so no cannon need apply)
Based on the fact that she found the "C" section but just got the wrong book
and
Why would mac leave a note for his sister if she can't read?
unless she hid it from her Brother and Granny and Applebloom............. I don't see that being possible.
>>1269065 - It's still pretty close to a 'pioneer' town. I mean, the town's probably not even 100 years old. Granny Smith was one of the founding members and they do live right outside the Everfree Forest. I could easily see Applejack not being able to read. Though the Manehattan stay does seem to detract from that.
My guess is that AJ had just started school, and Applebloom was just born, when her parents die in some kind of accident. Granny Smith can't manage the farm on her own, leaving her with a nasty choice: lose the farm, or take one of the kids out of school. Since Big Mac has been in school for a couple years, he gets to stay in school, while AJ has to drop out to work the farm. AJ learned the very basics of the alphabet, but can't read properly. She might be able to sound things out, but that's a very slow process, so she just lets Big Mac and Granny handle it. This is also why she is strict regarding Applebloom's education, she knows full well that being an adult who can't read isn't a good thing (she isn't stupid after all) and wants AB to avoid it. And she is probably incredibly embarrassed by this, especially with regards to a certain well read, intelligent, librarian, unicorn friend of hers.
True, but that is probably why this story is set so early. (Seems to be just a couple weeks after Applebuck Season.)
Anyone who thinks a farmer with a poor formal education is farfetched, yeah, you've been living in a "civilized" area too long. Of my four grandparents, only one finished high school. One didn't even finish elementary school. When work needed to be done, formal education was cast aside. People learned what they needed to, and little else. And that was plenty. That grandfather who didn't finish elementary school knew more about the practical side of weather, animals, engines, construction, and first aid than anyone else I've ever met. He just didn't know how to find the area of a triangle, or what a coordinating conjunction is.
There's a big difference between ignorance, and stupidity.
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awww, poor AJ
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