Here it is -- just for you -- the
Solution to the Case of the Mysterious Whistletypuff!
CHAPTER VI
When Ticklish Tommy woke up the next morning, he felt so good, that he thought that this must surely be the day. “Yes, indeed,” he thought to himself, “the day has finally come! I’m sure of it. I could hardly wait for the day when I would find out, and NOW it must be here.”
After breakfast, Ticklish Tommy thought of a Bible verse that says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” As he mulled that over in his mind, it occurred to him that he ought to pray about his great desire – to find out about Whistletypuff.
So he went up to his room again for a few minutes, to be alone. There he kneeled down and asked for that wisdom from the Lord that would enable him to solve the great mystery.
As he got up again, it occurred to him that he should ask his Patriarchal Papa what a Whistletypuff was. He had asked, or thought about asking, just about everybody else, except for his Magnificent Mama, who always seemed to be busy with baking cookies or bread, or sewing clothes, or cleaning up the house. He knew that she would be interested in helping him, but he really didn’t want to bother her when she was so busy.
When Ticklish Tommy was done with his school work that day, and had some time to play in the yard, he eagerly waited for his Patriarchal Papa to get home from work. Then he would be able to ask him the big question. It wasn’t long really, but to Ticklish Tommy it seemed like such a long, L-O-N-G wait!
Finally his Patriarchal Papa came home from work, parked his car in the garage, and then came into the house. He greeted Magnificent Mama with a big kiss and hug. Then he turned his attention to Ticklish Tommy, and asked him how his school work had gone that day.
Ticklish Tommy said that it had gone well, -- he had done good work, and even had time to play afterwards. “But please, Patriarchal Papa, may I ask you a special question, in our family room?” “Why, certainly,” Patriarchal Papa replied, “let’s go in there right now!”
As soon as the boy and his father entered their family room, Ticklish Tommy could wait no longer. “Patriarchal Papa, can you tell me, please, what a mysterious Whistletypuff is? I’m so eager to know, and, …and,” he repeated,” nobody else has been able to tell me!”
“Why, of course,” his Patriarchal Papa replied, laughing. But then, not wanting Ticklish Tommy to feel badly because he didn’t know before, Patriarchal Papa’s face grew long and just a little sad. And then he began to explain what the mysterious Whistletypuff really was.
“Once upon a time,” Patriarchal Papa began, “your Magnificent Mama and I were married. That was several years before you were born. And then, when that spectacular wedding day came for us, people who loved us and wanted to help us start our home, gave us gifts.”
“One of those gifts that we received on our wonderful wedding day was a tea kettle. Do you know what that tea kettle would do?” inquired Patriarchal Papa of his son Ticklish Tommy. “We still use it sometimes, on special occasions.”
“When the tea kettle got heated up on the stove, it would begin to whistle. Yes it would WHISTLE!” Then after a few seconds of whistling, it would emit a little stream of hot water vapor, or steam, from the spout, followed by a distinct puffing sound. So we began to call it our Whistletypuff!”
“There,” Patriarchal Papa said. “Isn’t that simple enough, now that you know, Ticklish Tommy?”
“Oh, yes,” Ticklish Tommy agreed. “It’s a lot simpler than I thought. I tried to make it into a cow, or a dinosaur, or even a little wiggly worm. Then I thought perhaps it was a bird on the wing, or a fox, or….whatever! But now I know.” Ticklish Tommy sighed with relief.
It was such a long road that Ticklish Tommy had come in his search for the answer to the Whistletypuff mystery. But now he was glad to know what the Whistletypuff really was. He was thankful to his Patriarchal Papa.
And he was especially thankful to the Lord in Heaven, Who helped him get this mystery solved!
-The End-
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Saga Continues!
Whistletypuff!
CHAPTER V
As Ticklish Tommy wondered, and all these perplexing questions came to his mind, he began to form a plan for finding out what a Whistletypuff is. He really, REALLY wanted to know. And as he thought about it, this plan began to take shape in his enquiring young mind.
"I know what I'll do," thought Ticklish Tommy. "I'll ask Neighbor Sing-along Smith. HE knows a WHOLE LOT, -- in fact, just about E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!"
Now in Ticklish Tommy Jones’s young life, he had asked Neighbor Sing-along Smith many, many perplexing questions. And he always seemed to get a good answer, too, a very good answer, indeed! So he had come to have an appreciation for the wisdom possessed by this accommodating neighbor!
But when Ticklish Tommy saw his esteemed neighbor, and asked him, "Neighbor Sing-along Smith, would you tell me, something, -- WHAT is a Whistletypuff? Please??!?!”
But Neighbor Sing-along Smith just shook his head sadly. "Tommy, I don't want to disappoint you. But I'm afraid that in all my born days, I've never even HEARD of a Whistletypuff!" Ticklish Tommy’s heart sank. He was disappointed, so-o-o-o very disappointed that he almost started to cry!
Ticklish Tommy had thought that Neighbor Sing-along Smith could tell him what he wanted to know. But now he had to think of another way! No doubt about it -- He HAD to find out what this marvelous Whistletypuff was!
Then he tried to think of some other neighbor who might help him: Neighbor Marvelous Martin, perhaps? Or could the help he needed come from Neighbor Prosperous Paul, or…or, whom? Neighbor Sharp-as-a-Tack Sawyer? Or even Neighbor Walking-Wide Williams…?
CHAPTER V
As Ticklish Tommy wondered, and all these perplexing questions came to his mind, he began to form a plan for finding out what a Whistletypuff is. He really, REALLY wanted to know. And as he thought about it, this plan began to take shape in his enquiring young mind.
"I know what I'll do," thought Ticklish Tommy. "I'll ask Neighbor Sing-along Smith. HE knows a WHOLE LOT, -- in fact, just about E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!"
Now in Ticklish Tommy Jones’s young life, he had asked Neighbor Sing-along Smith many, many perplexing questions. And he always seemed to get a good answer, too, a very good answer, indeed! So he had come to have an appreciation for the wisdom possessed by this accommodating neighbor!
But when Ticklish Tommy saw his esteemed neighbor, and asked him, "Neighbor Sing-along Smith, would you tell me, something, -- WHAT is a Whistletypuff? Please??!?!”
But Neighbor Sing-along Smith just shook his head sadly. "Tommy, I don't want to disappoint you. But I'm afraid that in all my born days, I've never even HEARD of a Whistletypuff!" Ticklish Tommy’s heart sank. He was disappointed, so-o-o-o very disappointed that he almost started to cry!
Ticklish Tommy had thought that Neighbor Sing-along Smith could tell him what he wanted to know. But now he had to think of another way! No doubt about it -- He HAD to find out what this marvelous Whistletypuff was!
Then he tried to think of some other neighbor who might help him: Neighbor Marvelous Martin, perhaps? Or could the help he needed come from Neighbor Prosperous Paul, or…or, whom? Neighbor Sharp-as-a-Tack Sawyer? Or even Neighbor Walking-Wide Williams…?
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
The Case...
...from The case of the Mysterious Whistletypuff, by Serious sandy Shortbread....
CHAPTER IV
The more Ticklish Tommy Jones mused about the Whistletypuff, the more curious he became. What was it anyway? Could it be a full-throated bird that sings a lovely, tuneful song early in the morning?
Ticklish Tommy had seen such a bird many times, and heard it sing its beautiful song to greet a new day. It loved to perch in the velvety green branches of the tall, straight pine tree out in the back yard of Ticklish Tommy’s father's barn. And it loved to sing and Sing, and SING, while it sat there on its perch.
Or perhaps it was like one of the woodpeckers that drilled holes in the stately ash tree in the front yard. Ticklish Tommy knew that the woodpeckers like to drill holes in the tree. And he knew why, too! His Patriarchal Papa had told him, and he made it a point not to forget that lesson!
“That was because they wanted to find any small insects that tried to hide in the areas of rough bark on that tree,” Ticklish Tommy said to himself. And then the woodpeckers would eat them! Imagine that!
“Do you suppose they taste good to those woodpeckers?” Ticklish Tommy asked himself. And what do YOU suppose, you who are reading this story – would a Whistletypuff taste good, really good, do you think, good at all?
“But no,” Tommy thought, “if it’s like a bird, perhaps it’s more like a tiny Chickadee, flitting about on its powerful wings, swooping low, coming and going ever so quickly.” It visited Magnificent Mama and Patriarchal Papa’s bird-feeders often, and Ticklish Tommy had observed them then.
"No, I don't really think a Whistletypuff can be a singing bird," Tommy said to himself. All the birds that Ticklish Tommy saw were nice, but…Tommy didn’t think that a Whistletypuff could possibly be like one of them. He couldn’t say why, but he just didn’t think so!
“But could it be a turtle, with its hard shell, do you suppose?” Ticklish Tommy asked his shadow. For you see, it was a very bright, sunny day, and it was easy to see a shadow!
He remembered that a turtle likes to stick its neck out, and then pull it back out of sight, if it thought that danger might be near. Ticklish Tommy had seen one once, a long, long time ago. It had been about to lay its eggs in the sand near his Patriarchal Papa's farm pond.
“Or do you suppose that it could be a fox?” Tommy wondered, as his thoughts began to race more wildly now. Sometimes a fox was called Reddy the Fox, he knew, because it had a beautiful coat of red hair which it wore all the time, both summer and winter!
Now Ticklish Tommy had heard that sometimes Reddy stole chickens, too, from neighbor Sing-along Smith's barnyard. “Shame on Ridiculous Reddy,” Ticklish Tommy thought! But that was not really mysterious, now was it, not at all like the super-mysterious Whistletypuff?
CHAPTER IV
The more Ticklish Tommy Jones mused about the Whistletypuff, the more curious he became. What was it anyway? Could it be a full-throated bird that sings a lovely, tuneful song early in the morning?
Ticklish Tommy had seen such a bird many times, and heard it sing its beautiful song to greet a new day. It loved to perch in the velvety green branches of the tall, straight pine tree out in the back yard of Ticklish Tommy’s father's barn. And it loved to sing and Sing, and SING, while it sat there on its perch.
Or perhaps it was like one of the woodpeckers that drilled holes in the stately ash tree in the front yard. Ticklish Tommy knew that the woodpeckers like to drill holes in the tree. And he knew why, too! His Patriarchal Papa had told him, and he made it a point not to forget that lesson!
“That was because they wanted to find any small insects that tried to hide in the areas of rough bark on that tree,” Ticklish Tommy said to himself. And then the woodpeckers would eat them! Imagine that!
“Do you suppose they taste good to those woodpeckers?” Ticklish Tommy asked himself. And what do YOU suppose, you who are reading this story – would a Whistletypuff taste good, really good, do you think, good at all?
“But no,” Tommy thought, “if it’s like a bird, perhaps it’s more like a tiny Chickadee, flitting about on its powerful wings, swooping low, coming and going ever so quickly.” It visited Magnificent Mama and Patriarchal Papa’s bird-feeders often, and Ticklish Tommy had observed them then.
"No, I don't really think a Whistletypuff can be a singing bird," Tommy said to himself. All the birds that Ticklish Tommy saw were nice, but…Tommy didn’t think that a Whistletypuff could possibly be like one of them. He couldn’t say why, but he just didn’t think so!
“But could it be a turtle, with its hard shell, do you suppose?” Ticklish Tommy asked his shadow. For you see, it was a very bright, sunny day, and it was easy to see a shadow!
He remembered that a turtle likes to stick its neck out, and then pull it back out of sight, if it thought that danger might be near. Ticklish Tommy had seen one once, a long, long time ago. It had been about to lay its eggs in the sand near his Patriarchal Papa's farm pond.
“Or do you suppose that it could be a fox?” Tommy wondered, as his thoughts began to race more wildly now. Sometimes a fox was called Reddy the Fox, he knew, because it had a beautiful coat of red hair which it wore all the time, both summer and winter!
Now Ticklish Tommy had heard that sometimes Reddy stole chickens, too, from neighbor Sing-along Smith's barnyard. “Shame on Ridiculous Reddy,” Ticklish Tommy thought! But that was not really mysterious, now was it, not at all like the super-mysterious Whistletypuff?
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Dear friend,
Here is Chapter 3 in the continuing "Whistletypuff" saga.
-- Poet Les
CHAPTER III
Ticklish Tommy was lost in reverie now as he let this mysterious Whistletypuff fill his mind. He wanted to know, oh so VERY much what a Whistletypuff was!
But no, indeed, -- until Hilarious Hank told him about it, Ticklish Tommy Jones had never even HEARD of anything called Whistletypuff! Can you imagine that? Such a fascinating creature! He certainly was curious!
But he had no picture in his mind of what a Whistletypuff was! Ticklish Tommy KNEW that he didn't know, but he knew that he WANTED to know. He wanted very much to know what a Whistletypuff was!
He REALLY got interested at the thought of learning about, and solving, this mystery. It was brand new to his thinking. He got very excited when he thought of finding out about something with such a mysterious and tantalizing name as Whistletypuff!
“And when I do find out,” he thought, “I can tell all my friends. They’ll be so pleased! Why, they’ll wonder why THEY never heard of the mysterious Whistletypuff themselves!”
Oh, a Whistletypuff must be SO wonderful! Think of it! A radiant, shimmering, mysterious Whistletypuff! A fabulous, fantastic, far-off Whistletypuff! A peculiar, eccentric, unusual Whistletypuff! An odd, curious, and uncommon Whistletypuff!
Oh, how Tommy longed to see a Whistletypuff, and find out for himself what it REALLY was. He thought about it every livelong day. And he dreamed about it every sleep-jumbled night!
"SOMEDAY soon I will certainly find it out." Ticklish Tommy told himself. And this was reassuring to him, VERY reassuring. Yes, he was far more interested than anyone could imagine!
But he didn't know HOW he would go about finding out who, or what, Whistletypuff was. How WOULD Ticklish Tommy find out what a Whistletypuff is, anyway? The people that he held in highest regard couldn’t seem to tell him. “Strange,” he thought, “very strange, indeed!”
Was there someone he could ask? Or was there a book he could read that would tell him what a Whistletypuff is? Ticklish Tommy wondered, and he wondered, and he WONDERED some more! He knew that books could tell him a lot of things, but he wasn’t really sure about this one.
Could he find out by asking Patriarchal Papa? Or would Magnificent Mama perhaps have the answer to what this mysterious Whistletypuff creature is? Big brother Hank hadn't been able to tell him, but perhaps SOMEBODY could. Surely Patriarchal Papa could, if ANYBODY could!
Here is Chapter 3 in the continuing "Whistletypuff" saga.
-- Poet Les
CHAPTER III
Ticklish Tommy was lost in reverie now as he let this mysterious Whistletypuff fill his mind. He wanted to know, oh so VERY much what a Whistletypuff was!
But no, indeed, -- until Hilarious Hank told him about it, Ticklish Tommy Jones had never even HEARD of anything called Whistletypuff! Can you imagine that? Such a fascinating creature! He certainly was curious!
But he had no picture in his mind of what a Whistletypuff was! Ticklish Tommy KNEW that he didn't know, but he knew that he WANTED to know. He wanted very much to know what a Whistletypuff was!
He REALLY got interested at the thought of learning about, and solving, this mystery. It was brand new to his thinking. He got very excited when he thought of finding out about something with such a mysterious and tantalizing name as Whistletypuff!
“And when I do find out,” he thought, “I can tell all my friends. They’ll be so pleased! Why, they’ll wonder why THEY never heard of the mysterious Whistletypuff themselves!”
Oh, a Whistletypuff must be SO wonderful! Think of it! A radiant, shimmering, mysterious Whistletypuff! A fabulous, fantastic, far-off Whistletypuff! A peculiar, eccentric, unusual Whistletypuff! An odd, curious, and uncommon Whistletypuff!
Oh, how Tommy longed to see a Whistletypuff, and find out for himself what it REALLY was. He thought about it every livelong day. And he dreamed about it every sleep-jumbled night!
"SOMEDAY soon I will certainly find it out." Ticklish Tommy told himself. And this was reassuring to him, VERY reassuring. Yes, he was far more interested than anyone could imagine!
But he didn't know HOW he would go about finding out who, or what, Whistletypuff was. How WOULD Ticklish Tommy find out what a Whistletypuff is, anyway? The people that he held in highest regard couldn’t seem to tell him. “Strange,” he thought, “very strange, indeed!”
Was there someone he could ask? Or was there a book he could read that would tell him what a Whistletypuff is? Ticklish Tommy wondered, and he wondered, and he WONDERED some more! He knew that books could tell him a lot of things, but he wasn’t really sure about this one.
Could he find out by asking Patriarchal Papa? Or would Magnificent Mama perhaps have the answer to what this mysterious Whistletypuff creature is? Big brother Hank hadn't been able to tell him, but perhaps SOMEBODY could. Surely Patriarchal Papa could, if ANYBODY could!
Monday, January 14, 2008
THE STORY...
CHAPTER II
Just then an idea came to Ticklish Tommy’s mind. "Perhaps it is a special kind of cow, and maybe, just maybe, it gives milk!" he thought aloud to himself. He knew a little about cows, because his Uncle Terrific Tad had some in his barn. Ticklish Tommy had gone with his Patriarchal Papa several times, to visit Uncle Terrific Tad when he was milking his cows.
He used to go to the barn at chore time with his dairyman Uncle every chance he got. Sometimes he would stand behind a cow, off to the side a little, as his Uncle milked it. And at times like that, Uncle Terrific Tad liked to tease Ticklish Tommy, by squirting him with a stream of warm white milk, while Uncle was milking his best cow.
Now this brought out the giggles and laughs in Ticklish Tommy all over again. That’s how he got his special name. Remember?
“And do you know what?” Tommy asked, as he was telling Hilarious Hank about it later, “that milk was warm and delicious – the BEST milk I ever tasted!” And so Ticklish Tommy mused about Whistletypuff, and wondered if it could be a cow!
"Or…," he thought quizzically, as his mind began to wander away from the farm, "do you suppose it is a very old and very big dinosaur that lived long ago and far away?" Dinosaurs were especially intriguing to Ticklish Tommy. He liked to read about them and see pictures of them.
Certainly they were some of the most marvelous creatures that God had ever made. They were just amazing! And when Ticklish Tommy started thinking about dinosaurs, he would burst out giggling and laughing!
Dinosaurs were long, and had very powerful tails. Ticklish Tommy understood that they could move their tails in an amazing circular motion, and take down a whole row of big trees in one swipe! Could Whistletypuff be like them, big and fantastically powerful?
But he didn’t ask Magnificent Mama and Patriarchal Papa about that. He didn’t want them to think he was smack-dab in the middle of a dream, a day-dream, that is. So he thought, and he THOUGHT , and he T-H-O-U-G-H-T some more!
"You know,” he said to himself, “maybe Whistletypuff is a tiny little worm, a wiggly little bright green worm, living in the sand on the beach." Ticklish Tommy thought again. "Maybe, just maybe, it is very hard to see it without a magnifying glass!" “Do you suppose that Whistletypuff COULD be a worm?”
Ticklish Tommy knew that worms come in all sorts of sizes. “And they have different colors, too,” he thought. Some are long, and some are short. Some seem to glide along effortlessly, while others arch up and down, like a roller coaster. Some are a peculiar reddish brown, but others are orange, with some black on them, and some of them are even green!
“Some are used for fishing,” he said aloud to himself. “I wish I could go fishing, right now!” But no,” Ticklish Tommy said as he came back to the reality of finding out what Whistletypuff is. “That’s much too important to let the trail go cold while I go fishing!”
Just then an idea came to Ticklish Tommy’s mind. "Perhaps it is a special kind of cow, and maybe, just maybe, it gives milk!" he thought aloud to himself. He knew a little about cows, because his Uncle Terrific Tad had some in his barn. Ticklish Tommy had gone with his Patriarchal Papa several times, to visit Uncle Terrific Tad when he was milking his cows.
He used to go to the barn at chore time with his dairyman Uncle every chance he got. Sometimes he would stand behind a cow, off to the side a little, as his Uncle milked it. And at times like that, Uncle Terrific Tad liked to tease Ticklish Tommy, by squirting him with a stream of warm white milk, while Uncle was milking his best cow.
Now this brought out the giggles and laughs in Ticklish Tommy all over again. That’s how he got his special name. Remember?
“And do you know what?” Tommy asked, as he was telling Hilarious Hank about it later, “that milk was warm and delicious – the BEST milk I ever tasted!” And so Ticklish Tommy mused about Whistletypuff, and wondered if it could be a cow!
"Or…," he thought quizzically, as his mind began to wander away from the farm, "do you suppose it is a very old and very big dinosaur that lived long ago and far away?" Dinosaurs were especially intriguing to Ticklish Tommy. He liked to read about them and see pictures of them.
Certainly they were some of the most marvelous creatures that God had ever made. They were just amazing! And when Ticklish Tommy started thinking about dinosaurs, he would burst out giggling and laughing!
Dinosaurs were long, and had very powerful tails. Ticklish Tommy understood that they could move their tails in an amazing circular motion, and take down a whole row of big trees in one swipe! Could Whistletypuff be like them, big and fantastically powerful?
But he didn’t ask Magnificent Mama and Patriarchal Papa about that. He didn’t want them to think he was smack-dab in the middle of a dream, a day-dream, that is. So he thought, and he THOUGHT , and he T-H-O-U-G-H-T some more!
"You know,” he said to himself, “maybe Whistletypuff is a tiny little worm, a wiggly little bright green worm, living in the sand on the beach." Ticklish Tommy thought again. "Maybe, just maybe, it is very hard to see it without a magnifying glass!" “Do you suppose that Whistletypuff COULD be a worm?”
Ticklish Tommy knew that worms come in all sorts of sizes. “And they have different colors, too,” he thought. Some are long, and some are short. Some seem to glide along effortlessly, while others arch up and down, like a roller coaster. Some are a peculiar reddish brown, but others are orange, with some black on them, and some of them are even green!
“Some are used for fishing,” he said aloud to himself. “I wish I could go fishing, right now!” But no,” Ticklish Tommy said as he came back to the reality of finding out what Whistletypuff is. “That’s much too important to let the trail go cold while I go fishing!”
Friday, January 11, 2008
A Story for You....
Hello, Art,
We’ve been considering some “heavy-duty” stuff in our exchange of letters, and now I think it’s time to lighten up a little. We’ll get back to the serious and sublime later, I’m sure.
But for now, Art, we all know how children are curious and like to laugh (sometimes giggle). I came across an interesting story that’s a little mysterious, that you might enjoy reading.
Here’s the first chapter:
THE CASE OF THE
MYSTERIOUS
WHISTLETYPUFF
By
Serious Sandy Shortbread
We’ve been considering some “heavy-duty” stuff in our exchange of letters, and now I think it’s time to lighten up a little. We’ll get back to the serious and sublime later, I’m sure.
But for now, Art, we all know how children are curious and like to laugh (sometimes giggle). I came across an interesting story that’s a little mysterious, that you might enjoy reading.
Here’s the first chapter:
THE CASE OF THE
MYSTERIOUS
WHISTLETYPUFF
By
Serious Sandy Shortbread
DEDICATION
To all my young friends
Where'er they may be,
Who wonder and smile
And giggle with glee.
Now read to your wonder,
With smiles and with laughs;
For people you’ll see,
And maybe giraffes!
For you now today,
I write this fine tome,
And hope that our story
Will delight you at home!
At home, yes, at home!
The one place to be
When Whistletypuff whistles,
And doggy makes three!
To all my young friends
Where'er they may be,
Who wonder and smile
And giggle with glee.
Now read to your wonder,
With smiles and with laughs;
For people you’ll see,
And maybe giraffes!
For you now today,
I write this fine tome,
And hope that our story
Will delight you at home!
At home, yes, at home!
The one place to be
When Whistletypuff whistles,
And doggy makes three!
CHAPTER 1
Did YOU ever hear of a Whistletypuff? No, you haven’t?!?!?? Well, neither had Ticklish Tommy Jones. But he was about to have the surprise of his life!
Ticklish Tommy was an inquisitive little boy who enjoyed learning all sorts of things. Do you????? Do YOU like to learn new things? Ticklish Tommy always seemed eager to meet new folks, and explore new places.
Sometimes, when Ticklish Tommy saw something he couldn't understand, he would ask his Magnificent Mama or his Patriarchal Papa for an explanation. And sometimes his older brother Hilarious Hank would help him with the knowledge he that wanted, too.
"WHAT is a Whistletypuff?" wondered ticklish Tommy. He had NO IDEA what it was. But … he had heard about this mysterious something which had the very odd name of Whistletypuff! Hilarious Hank had told Tommy about it, and said that Whistletypuff was most wonderful and marvelous!
And then he started to giggle and laugh right out loud, just as if someone were tickling him on his funny-bone! And do you know something? Ticklish Tommy did this quite often, as his name implies.
"And it's REALLY mysterious!" Hilarious Hank added. "But I can't explain it, -- you'll just HAVE to see it for yourself, Ticklish Tommy! Yes, you’ll just have to see Whistletypuff for yourself,” he added under his breath.
This caused Ticklish Tommy to feel curious, oh, so curious, yes, very, V-E-R-R-Y curious! Now just WHAT did Hilarious Hank see? And WHY couldn't he explain it? “What made Whistletypuff so mysterious?” Tommy wondered.
Ticklish Tommy just COULDN’T get this brand new creature called Whistletypuff out of his mind. He thought, and he Thought, and he THOUGHT, and then he T-H-O-U-G-H-T some more! What could Whistletypuff possibly be?
Did YOU ever hear of a Whistletypuff? No, you haven’t?!?!?? Well, neither had Ticklish Tommy Jones. But he was about to have the surprise of his life!
Ticklish Tommy was an inquisitive little boy who enjoyed learning all sorts of things. Do you????? Do YOU like to learn new things? Ticklish Tommy always seemed eager to meet new folks, and explore new places.
Sometimes, when Ticklish Tommy saw something he couldn't understand, he would ask his Magnificent Mama or his Patriarchal Papa for an explanation. And sometimes his older brother Hilarious Hank would help him with the knowledge he that wanted, too.
"WHAT is a Whistletypuff?" wondered ticklish Tommy. He had NO IDEA what it was. But … he had heard about this mysterious something which had the very odd name of Whistletypuff! Hilarious Hank had told Tommy about it, and said that Whistletypuff was most wonderful and marvelous!
And then he started to giggle and laugh right out loud, just as if someone were tickling him on his funny-bone! And do you know something? Ticklish Tommy did this quite often, as his name implies.
"And it's REALLY mysterious!" Hilarious Hank added. "But I can't explain it, -- you'll just HAVE to see it for yourself, Ticklish Tommy! Yes, you’ll just have to see Whistletypuff for yourself,” he added under his breath.
This caused Ticklish Tommy to feel curious, oh, so curious, yes, very, V-E-R-R-Y curious! Now just WHAT did Hilarious Hank see? And WHY couldn't he explain it? “What made Whistletypuff so mysterious?” Tommy wondered.
Ticklish Tommy just COULDN’T get this brand new creature called Whistletypuff out of his mind. He thought, and he Thought, and he THOUGHT, and then he T-H-O-U-G-H-T some more! What could Whistletypuff possibly be?
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
My New Year's wish from Art Zee....
1-02-08
To PapaPops,
This has been a very busy few weeks for my wife and me. At Thanksgiving we welcomed guests from several States. Then we began to prepare for Christmas, with another family gathering at that time. I’m sure you know what that’s all about – gifts to buy and wrap, a tree to bring in and decorate, a cantata to prepare for, and present, in the Church Choir, and…!
Here’s something that’s a bit unusual for me, -- I sat down to write a few lines of poetry for one of our dear friends that came to see us. What do you think of this? –
Friend, it’s so great to welcome you today,
Where you live is to us, so very far away;
But now we can meet and catch up on “old times,”
Sing a few songs, and make a few rhymes!
We can eat here today, with family and friends,
Enjoying old favorites, establishing new trends,
Knowing the value of direct communication,
Whether home every day, or on a vacation!
-- yours truly, Art Zee
What do you think of that? Did I do Ok for a “beginner?”
Although the time has been busy, it’s been good. Isn’t that the way with you? For us, it’s especially great to get together with some of the family members that we don’t see often, and even some old friends. We never know, at our ages, just how many more times we have, do we?!?
Speaking of that, I do apologize to you for getting a little testy, my friend, when I wrote you over a month ago. It’s really quite unsettling to consider the shortness of life, isn’t it, especially after retiring, and realizing that we’re “winding down,” in our lives now. There are so many interesting things to do, and places to go, that I can’t imagine how anyone deals with the aging that seems to come to people in their last years, with illness and even severe limitations…. “Last years” makes me shudder! Doesn’t it do that to you?
I think you really meant it when you said, “I certainly do not pretend to be better than others, nor to have any special ‘in’ with God….” Perhaps I was a little hasty, -- didn’t mean to accuse you, really. Please accept my apology.
You also wrote, “I know that when I complete my earthly journey, I will be at home with the Lord. …I have NOT worked for it, because I couldn’t succeed in a million years, and neither can anyone else.” I do admire you and appreciate your work, PapaPops, and would think that if anyone can earn a heavenly home in the “great beyond,” it would be you.
How can you say that you couldn’t do that “in a million years?” Haven’t you given you life to serve God? Then shouldn’t you expect Him to give you some reward for that? When I had a very devoted employee in my business in the past, one who had been with me for a long time and did good work, I made it a point to give that person some special recognition. Is God like that, with those that work for Him?
And now I wish you a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!
-- Art
To PapaPops,
This has been a very busy few weeks for my wife and me. At Thanksgiving we welcomed guests from several States. Then we began to prepare for Christmas, with another family gathering at that time. I’m sure you know what that’s all about – gifts to buy and wrap, a tree to bring in and decorate, a cantata to prepare for, and present, in the Church Choir, and…!
Here’s something that’s a bit unusual for me, -- I sat down to write a few lines of poetry for one of our dear friends that came to see us. What do you think of this? –
Friend, it’s so great to welcome you today,
Where you live is to us, so very far away;
But now we can meet and catch up on “old times,”
Sing a few songs, and make a few rhymes!
We can eat here today, with family and friends,
Enjoying old favorites, establishing new trends,
Knowing the value of direct communication,
Whether home every day, or on a vacation!
-- yours truly, Art Zee
What do you think of that? Did I do Ok for a “beginner?”
Although the time has been busy, it’s been good. Isn’t that the way with you? For us, it’s especially great to get together with some of the family members that we don’t see often, and even some old friends. We never know, at our ages, just how many more times we have, do we?!?
Speaking of that, I do apologize to you for getting a little testy, my friend, when I wrote you over a month ago. It’s really quite unsettling to consider the shortness of life, isn’t it, especially after retiring, and realizing that we’re “winding down,” in our lives now. There are so many interesting things to do, and places to go, that I can’t imagine how anyone deals with the aging that seems to come to people in their last years, with illness and even severe limitations…. “Last years” makes me shudder! Doesn’t it do that to you?
I think you really meant it when you said, “I certainly do not pretend to be better than others, nor to have any special ‘in’ with God….” Perhaps I was a little hasty, -- didn’t mean to accuse you, really. Please accept my apology.
You also wrote, “I know that when I complete my earthly journey, I will be at home with the Lord. …I have NOT worked for it, because I couldn’t succeed in a million years, and neither can anyone else.” I do admire you and appreciate your work, PapaPops, and would think that if anyone can earn a heavenly home in the “great beyond,” it would be you.
How can you say that you couldn’t do that “in a million years?” Haven’t you given you life to serve God? Then shouldn’t you expect Him to give you some reward for that? When I had a very devoted employee in my business in the past, one who had been with me for a long time and did good work, I made it a point to give that person some special recognition. Is God like that, with those that work for Him?
And now I wish you a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!
-- Art
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