Thomas and the tart treat

Thomas and the tart treat


"Now really, Thomas, you don't need to make that face. You've had plums before, and you liked them just fine!"

Yes and if you'll recall, I was very little, it came in a nice jar, it was a lot sweeter, and I didn't know any better!"

"Come on, Thomas, take another bite. It's not as if we brought an unlimited supply of snacks for you with us."

Well, who's the grownup here? Planning is your department, not mine; I'm firmly at the consumer end of this arrangement. And it's not like I can go to the store and get them myself; I can't even reach the cabinets where you "hide" them. Yet.

"Well, maybe we'll circle back to the plums. How about a couple of crackers? We have some apple juice you can wash them down with."

If they're those orange ones with the peanut butter inside, you can just keep them in that basket. They're too hard to swallow, and it's forever before I can talk again after eating them. I'll have the lightly toasted ones with the cream cheese thank you, and it's okay, if the cream cheese has those tiny bits of chives.

"Here you go, buddy!"

I hope you have plenty of paper towels, napkins or wipes in that basket, 'cuz you're getting this back.

"Thomas! There's no need to throw them or spit them out like that!"

I told you I didn't want the orange ones. It's not my fault you didn't listen. Looks like I'll need a new shirt. Don't worry about the front of my pants, though; it's the other side where all the action is.

"At least you didn't get any in your hair,–"

Yet–

"–because we'd have had to cancel the zoo part of our little outing today."

Zoo? Zoo! Nobody said anything about the zoo! Gimme the orange crackers - they're my favorite! Just make sure there's plenty of apple juice. The zoo! Let's get going, people!

"Hmm, you seem a little more interested in the crackers, Thomas. I wonder why that is?"

Come on already! The zoo's that way. Let's get moving! Oh, by the way: when we get there, let's stay away from those peacocks wandering all over the place. I don't think they like me.



Author's note ▼

Before taking keyboard in hand to upbraid me, perhaps even go so far as to remonstrate with me about how kids don't talk/think this way, may I respectfully direct your attention to the following: https://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/1975/05/09 One of my all-time favorites from Mr. Trudeau [the cartoonist, not the Prime Minister].

[WC: 433]