Last night

Normally, Wednesday nights are set aside for "Warped Wednesday" - an evening of talking and fiber arts - originally weaving (hence the name) but now also a wide variety of arts involving string and cloth. I didn't get a bit of work accomplished. No sewing, no crochet, no knitting, no naalbinding. I talked with friends, with the visiting parents of friends, and read stories to a kindergartener. And discovered something cool: I've passed on one of the stories my dad used to tell me at that age. When I got down the storybook to read A.A. Milne's inspired poem about a king who simply wanted a bit of butter for his bread, she shook her head. "No, I want to hear the story about the fox and the rabbit." (No one ever accused this child of not knowing what she wants.)

Fox and rabbit, fox and rabbit... which story did she mean? I know a few stories about old Mr. Fox and Mr. Rabbit. Which one? When it became obvious that I was not clever enough to figure out which story she wanted, she told me a simplifed version of it. "The fox wants to eat the rabbit, but puts him in the briar patch. Tell me that one."

Oh, that one. How old Mr. Fox loses his temper, so Mr. Rabbit tricks him. Dad used to tell me that one when I'd lose my temper or get impatient. I think I told her that one a few weeks ago when she was getting upset that everything was not going the way she wanted it to. Wow. I wonder if someday she'll find herself telling that same story.