Curiosity Killed The Cat…I was just the accomplice
Because I KNOW Misha wants me to share this….
I love my sisters. My youngest sister gets the benefit of all my love without the teasing, but the ‘Middle’ bore the brunt of all my creative torments. *cough* I mean ATTENTION. Yeah, attention. That is the word I was searching for. Suffice it to say I am surprised that she still speaks to me. A child’s curiosity is a wonderful thing. The power of suggestion, in the hands of an imaginative pre-teen is a dangerous tool.
Sharing the gift of story with a loved one
Have you ever read ‘Little Women’? Do you remember the part in the story in which the characters tell the tale of the kids who were left alone? The last thing their mother told them was to ‘Not put beans in their nose’. In any case, it was a lesson on how the power of suggestion could drive someone to do something they otherwise would have no intention of doing. I decided to put it to the test one day.
- Me: Misha, you want to hear a story?
- Misha: OK!
- Wolf in Sheeps Clothing: OK, there once was a Mommy who had to go to the store. (Work with me here. I totally ripped the idea off and retold the story using the basic idea. Of course the story is not written verbatim, that was a LONG time ago!) The Mommy had 3 kids, and told them to behave while she was gone. She told them they could watch TV, play games, and eat whatever they wanted. BUT, they were not to open the door to strangers, and NO MATTER WHAT, they were NOT allowed to put beans in their noses. ‘Why not? Asked the kids. Because if you do,’ the Mommy said,’ then a magic beanstalk will grow out of your nose.’
- Innocent kid without a clue to evil sisters motive: WHAT? Why would they want to put a bean in their NOSE anyway?
- Calculating future con-artist: SHH! Because! Don’t interrupt me, or I won’t tell you the story.
- Poor little girl, she has no idea: OK! Finish the story.
- 12 year old on the fast track to delinquincy: Anyway, she left them at home, and they did everything the Mommy said they could do. They watched TV, played tag, ate ice cream, and didn’t answer the door when the doorbell rang. All of a sudden the youngest one was crying, and picking his nose. He kept crying and saying his nose hurt. The oldest one said “OOO! You put a bean in your nose! Mom said not to. ” The kids tried and tried to get the bean out of their brothers nose but it was stuck. When the Mommy got home, she saw the older kids with tweezers and a popsicle stick, trying to get the bean out of the youngest kids nose. ‘I wanted to see a magic beanstalk!’ sobbed the youngest kid.’ ‘It was just a story!’ said the Mommy, as she grabbed a crochet hook and stuffed it up the kids nose. She hooked the bean out of his nose, gave him some aspirin and sent all the kids to bed with no dinner. All the kids were sad, and the youngest kid looked like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer for a week. The End.
- Unimpressed kid: That story was stupid.
- Liar*cough* I mean storyteller: So what? Don’t go putting beans in your nose, or you’ll get a crochet hook stuck in you nose, or a beanstalk will grow out of your nose.
At this point, I thought that my experiment failed, and went on my merry way in pursuit of some fun diversion. A few hours later Misha is screaming, and my Mom is cursing ‘Why in the hell did you put a damn bean in your nose?’ No intelligible sounds are coming from my sister, merely a screaming howl, so I venture into the kitchen to see what is going on. My sister is sitting (pinned down) in my Nana’s lap and my Mom is aiming a flashlight up her nose, while trying to fish out the bean with tweezers.
- Mom: Did you put a bean up your sisters nose?
- Me: NO! Why would I do that?
- Irritated Parent: I don’t KNOW! Did you tell her to put a bean in her nose?
- Truth-bender: No. I did NOT tell her to put a bean in her nose. (Well, I DIDN’T.)
My Mom eventually got the bean out of her nose, and Misha never did confess her reason for stuffing it up there in the first place. Only I knew better, and I also knew that I was lucky to have my hide intact.
Misha and the Nestle’s Chocolate Quik ‘Factory’
I fondly remember the time that I convinced my sister that Chocolate Quik was harvested from our garden. (Nestle’s Quik is powdered chocolate flavor for milk , just in case you weren’t familiar with the stuff.) She must have been about 4 years old, making me 12, and old enough to know better. My friend Yvonne and I were in the front yard, trying our best to ignore the pre-kindergarten bundle of pestering questions, when a devious thought popped into my head.
- Me: Hey Misha!
- Naive Little Sister(playing “Barbie” in the dirt under the Juniper): What??
- Evil Sister: I bet you didn’t know that your playing in Nestle’s Quik. You better not mess it up!
- Suspicious Child: Na’ahh! I don’t believe you. It comes from the store!
- Evil Sisters partner in crime: It does too come from the garden! My Mom buys all our Quik from your Grandpa! It tastes better.
- Lying like a rug big sister: See? I told you. *grabs a bit of dirt and pretends to eat it* You don’t know what you are missing.
At this point, Yvonne and I innocently move our attention to the lawn a few feet a way. Misha still seems unconvinced, but we noticed that she leans over to grab a sample of the ‘Quik’.
- Suckered Innocent: *Phhhhbbbtttttt! SPIT-SPIT-SPIT* EWWWWW! You LIARS! I HATE YOU! *runs into house screaming something about ‘You’re gonna get it!’
- Pair of heathens: HA HA HA HA HA!
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