829. Baby talkie walkie
© Bruce Goodman 17 January 2016






(This story is best “experienced” by following the written words while listening to the audio!)

The mother’s three daughters had all grown up and fled the nest. Once a year, they’d return at the same time and jolly their mother along for a few days and have a few rollicking laughs. Whenever they got together like that, they reverted to baby talk – not just in names (mother was Mumsy-Wumsy, Jennifer was Jenny-Henny-Penny, Sally was Sally-Wally-Bugsie-Pie, and April was Apie-Dopey-Dapey – but in the names for things as well. For example, a cabbage was a cabby-waggy, and a carrot was a yummy-yummy.

Anyway, they would go for walks...

“Look!” said Jennifer. “What an amazing butterfly!”

“Oh! It’s so pretty!” said Sally. April cupped the butterfly in her hands.

“You shouldn’t touch it,” said their Mum. “You might damage it wings. They’re so delicate.”

April opened her hands and tossed the butterfly into the air.

“There you go!” said April. “Free as a bird!”

“A butterfly is not a bird, you silly idiot,” giggled Jennifer.

How they enjoyed their little walks on such sunny afternoons; the four of them: Mum, Jennifer, Sally and April. It wasn’t much, but such walks were filled with moments that will be remembered forever.






(The mother’s three daughters had all grown up and fled the nest. Once a year, they’d return at the same time and jolly their mother along for a few days and have a few rollicking laughs. Whenever they got together like that, they reverted to baby talk – not just in names (mother was Mumsy-Wumsy, Jennifer was Jenny-Henny-Penny, Sally was Sally-Wally-Bugsie-Pie, and April was Apie-Dopey-Dapey – but in the names for things as well. For example, a cabbage was a cabby-waggy, and a carrot was a yummy-yummy.

Anyway, they would go for walks...

“Lookie-bookie!” said Jenny-Henny-Penny. “What a may-zing-cray-zing butter-flutter-fliesy-waysie!”

“Oh ho ho! It’s so litty-mitty-ditty-pretty!” said Sally-Wally-Bugsie-Pie. Apie-Dopey-Dapey dupper-dupper-dupper-cupped the butter-flutter-fliesy-waysie in her handsie-wansies.

“You should notty notty notty touchy-wutchy bitty-itty,” said Mumsy-Wumsy. “You mighty-wighty manage-damage it clingy-wingies. They’re so meli-smellie-tele-deli-cate.”

Apie-Dopey-Dapey op-op-op-pened her handsie-wansies and cross-ed-dross-ed-toss-ed the butter-flutter-fliesy-waysie into the airsy-waresy.

“There you goesy-woesy!” said Apie-Dopey-Dapey. “Freesy-peasy as a birdie-wordy!”

“A butter-flutter-fliesy-waysie is not a birdie-wordy, you silly-billy-dilly-tilly idi-midi-pridi-ot,” miggle-giggled Jenny-Henny-Penny.

How they enjoyed their little walks on such sunny afternoons; the four of them: Mumsy-Wumsy, Jenny-Henny-Penny, Sally-Wally-Bugsie-Pie and Apie-Dopey-Dapey. It wasn’t much, but such walks were filled with moments that will be remembered forever... whever.)


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