Daddy's Daughters
Stories
PETER PULPITPOUNDER, B.D.
"WHAT ARE tummies for, daddy?" This was the question that gurgled from the lips of Helen Margaret, as she squirmed on the living room floor and tried to wiggle from her father, hoping all the while he would catch up with her and tickle her some more. It was a typical question for a two-year-old.
"What are tummies for?" repeated Peter. "Tummies are for tickling on; that's what tummies are for." And once again Peter took the stub finger of his generous hand and tickled his little daughter's round tummy to hear her gleeful giggles.
"Yes," thought Helen's daddy, "tummies are for tickling on." And for a long time he mused upon the wonder of little children, their delightful glee, and their playful spirits. For to little girls, hair is for cutting (with mommy's scissors, but without mommy), and eyes are for sparkling; noses are for blowing, and mouths are for kissing; ears are for pulling (especially daddy's ears), and hands are for getting dirty; to say nothing of the fact that fingers are for sticking in little holes, and feet are for chewing on when they are not being used to run away from mommies or daddies.
But Peter remembered that if little girls' tummies are for tickling on, they are also for filling with bread and cookies and milk and ever so many other delicacies. And he recalled that sometimes it is not so easy to get little girls' tummies filled, because many times when they should be eating their peas, they are smashing them on the table like ants; and when they are supposed to be drinking their milk, they are finger-painting the highchair with the milk they have just spilled; and when they are not getting their salad and vegetables into their tummies, it is because they are emptying their plates on the tops of their heads.
What parent has not heard the command: "Count for me, daddy." And what is expected? Ask any daddy and he will tell you such a command is an order to assist the princess with her milk.
Now the disposing of milk is a major operation in a home with little girls or boys, for the law of gravity demands that the milk shall be poured down, but the daily question becomes, "Where shall it be poured down?" Shall it be poured down the crack in the table top? Or shall it be poured down sister's half-filled tomato juice glass? In the list of possibilities, the little girl's tummy ranks dangerously low-that is, on her list. And so, if the dark horse is to win in this mad race (and let no one say that it is neither a race, nor mad), assistance must be given by daddy.
To be sure, this assistance must not be given by the hand, for such an insult will bring its protests. Rather, it is assistance rendered with the mouth that is demanded - not that daddy drinks the milk, but that he counts while sister is drinking, or pretending to.
First the counting begins in English; "one, two, three, four, five." At this point, the exercise is stopped and a recess is held. The purpose of this recess is to give the child a breath - should she have drunk some milk.
Then the count continues, but this time in Swedish. "En, tv‰, tre, fyra, fem." Then in German. "Em, zwei, drei, vier, fŸnf." Then French is called in to lend its support; then pig Latin; then counting in reverse in English. By this time, the milk is to have been consumed. If it is not, the yardstick is quietly placed beside the table, and a gentle reminder is given that words must sometimes be strengthened by action.
Once Peter thought that with clever tricks he could get his little girls to drink their milk. But after much experience, he decided that mixtures, straws, pouring into smaller glasses and all such devices for milk drinking are as deceiving as the devil himself; for they seem to work for a season, but later they cause nothing but grief and pain. As the Good Book says - "Flee from all such."
And so it is with daddy's daughters. But while little girls are for giggling and gurgling, and laughing and crying, and teasing and trying, and shouting and singing, they are also for sleeping like little cherubs in the moonlight with hallowed hair and angelic countenance, for standing by silently in the nursery at night, and for praying about to the heavenly Father who watches over them with tender care. Who can list all the things little girls are for? For like the dear Lord who made them, little girls are mostly just for loving.
"What are tummies for?" repeated Peter. "Tummies are for tickling on; that's what tummies are for." And once again Peter took the stub finger of his generous hand and tickled his little daughter's round tummy to hear her gleeful giggles.
"Yes," thought Helen's daddy, "tummies are for tickling on." And for a long time he mused upon the wonder of little children, their delightful glee, and their playful spirits. For to little girls, hair is for cutting (with mommy's scissors, but without mommy), and eyes are for sparkling; noses are for blowing, and mouths are for kissing; ears are for pulling (especially daddy's ears), and hands are for getting dirty; to say nothing of the fact that fingers are for sticking in little holes, and feet are for chewing on when they are not being used to run away from mommies or daddies.
But Peter remembered that if little girls' tummies are for tickling on, they are also for filling with bread and cookies and milk and ever so many other delicacies. And he recalled that sometimes it is not so easy to get little girls' tummies filled, because many times when they should be eating their peas, they are smashing them on the table like ants; and when they are supposed to be drinking their milk, they are finger-painting the highchair with the milk they have just spilled; and when they are not getting their salad and vegetables into their tummies, it is because they are emptying their plates on the tops of their heads.
What parent has not heard the command: "Count for me, daddy." And what is expected? Ask any daddy and he will tell you such a command is an order to assist the princess with her milk.
Now the disposing of milk is a major operation in a home with little girls or boys, for the law of gravity demands that the milk shall be poured down, but the daily question becomes, "Where shall it be poured down?" Shall it be poured down the crack in the table top? Or shall it be poured down sister's half-filled tomato juice glass? In the list of possibilities, the little girl's tummy ranks dangerously low-that is, on her list. And so, if the dark horse is to win in this mad race (and let no one say that it is neither a race, nor mad), assistance must be given by daddy.
To be sure, this assistance must not be given by the hand, for such an insult will bring its protests. Rather, it is assistance rendered with the mouth that is demanded - not that daddy drinks the milk, but that he counts while sister is drinking, or pretending to.
First the counting begins in English; "one, two, three, four, five." At this point, the exercise is stopped and a recess is held. The purpose of this recess is to give the child a breath - should she have drunk some milk.
Then the count continues, but this time in Swedish. "En, tv‰, tre, fyra, fem." Then in German. "Em, zwei, drei, vier, fŸnf." Then French is called in to lend its support; then pig Latin; then counting in reverse in English. By this time, the milk is to have been consumed. If it is not, the yardstick is quietly placed beside the table, and a gentle reminder is given that words must sometimes be strengthened by action.
Once Peter thought that with clever tricks he could get his little girls to drink their milk. But after much experience, he decided that mixtures, straws, pouring into smaller glasses and all such devices for milk drinking are as deceiving as the devil himself; for they seem to work for a season, but later they cause nothing but grief and pain. As the Good Book says - "Flee from all such."
And so it is with daddy's daughters. But while little girls are for giggling and gurgling, and laughing and crying, and teasing and trying, and shouting and singing, they are also for sleeping like little cherubs in the moonlight with hallowed hair and angelic countenance, for standing by silently in the nursery at night, and for praying about to the heavenly Father who watches over them with tender care. Who can list all the things little girls are for? For like the dear Lord who made them, little girls are mostly just for loving.
