Friday, January 25, 2008

The End of the Story

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-