The Talking Toys
It’s absolutely fun to recall some days when your kids were youngsters and laugh as you share them with your children’s children. I hope you have had that happy experience too.
This came from my newspaper column, “Quin’s Quotes ‘N Notes” in the mid-1960s:
When the wee one in our household joined the pre-school set, it gave me Tuesday and Thursday mornings free for house cleaning and desk work.
While the three-year old wanted to go to school very much, the first day she acted apprehensive. “Who will take care of you while I’m gone, Mother?” she asked. “Won’t you get lonesome?”
I didn’t have an answer not until I had cleaned house. Then I found out that in this house I would never get lonely.
I started in her room first, hoping to discard some very tattered junk. The vacuum bumped the toy box and out walked Pinocchio. He walked swiftly just like a wooden boy carved in Geppetto’s workshop should walk. He had been left wound up tight, so he walked right over to me.
I almost laughed aloud until the vacuum knocked into the doll cradle. I was not prepared for this surprise. Terry, the talking doll, said loud and clear, “Let’s play school.” Terry is like that. She will talk at the least bump. It doesn’t need someone to push her button to start her talking. Just like her owner. Those chatty ones deserve each other.
In the boy-child’s room I met an animal who said, “Isn’t it silly talking to a horse?” And while it was, I said “hello” to Mr. Ed. He replied to me, “The phone is ringing. Shall I answer it?” That was too much.
I would’ve gone batty with only the company of Mr. Ed in the son’s room, so while I dusted I half-listened to Jack and the Beanstalk on the Show-and-Tell machine. Better plot than Dragnet.
The other daughter’s room was last. Chatty Cathy eyed me suspiciously from her bed. It takes a lot of coaxing to make that doll talk, but just for kicks, I pulled her string. “Will you play with me?” she begged. Sounded familiar.
By now I was glad Penny, Heidi, Jan and the others did not have voice boxes. I’d never get my work done.
When the nursery school girl returned home, I told her about my morning’s adventure in Toyland.
“I will never get lonesome with so many little people hiding in corners and cradles and toy boxes,” I assured her.
No, I will do just fine as long as I can remember not to answer them back or tell them to catch the phone.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for days when we can laugh at things that happened in our home–even years later. I am grateful for the family You gave me. And I am also glad we are part of Your family! Amen.
Scripture: Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing; then they said among the heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them. (Psalm 126: 2 KJV)
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