A Quiet Wood

A Quiet Wood

Monday, November 24, 2008

A Cautionary Tale

This is Sonja.


She is nice. Some people really like her. But Sonja has a flaw. Sometimes she forgets to listen to her mother.

When Sonja was little her mother said, "Sonja, don't ever leave the water running in the sink. You might forget about it, and you could have a flood!!" Sonja listened. She knew her mother was right because her mother was Wise.

But Sonja thought, "I can do more than one thing at once." And so she did. For many years Sonja let the water run in the sink while she did other chores, and nothing ever happened until...

Saturday morning Sonja was getting ready to meet her friends. She combed her hair and brushed her teeth. Then Sonja walked into the kitchen. Sonja wondered, "Why is that puddle on the floor?" "Why is that lake on the floor?" Then Sonja saw the water pouring out of her sink and onto the floor. The bubbles were piled high!

Oh, no! What was she going to do? First, she turned off the water because she is a smart girl. Then she pulled the plug in the sink. Then she began to clean up the water. (Later she remembered to get her camera - after she had already cleaned up a lot.) The cabinet under her sink was flooded.


The floor was flooded.


Sonja cleaned 2 and 1/2 basins of water off her floor. Sonja was sad.


But her floor and cabinet were clean! *Woo Hoo!*

Sonja should have listed to her mother. She also should have read this poem BEFORE the disaster. Because it is a good poem and says Wise things.


TURNING OFF THE FAUCET

If you don't turn the faucet off tight

When you're done in the bathroom,

You'll be wasting water.

Also, the sink might fill up

And overflow and flood the bathroom,

And then the bathroom would fill up

And overflow and flood the bedroom,

And all your clothes would get soaking wet,

And when you wore them, you'd catch a horrible cold

And have to stay home from school

And you couldn't learn anything

Or see your friends.

And after you'd missed school long enough,

All your friends would forget you

And you would be so sad and wet

You'd probably just stay in bed

Wearing your sad, wet clothes

With your sad, wet head

On your sad, wet pillow

Until you just shrivelled up and wasted away.

And nobody would care.

Except your parents

And they'd be all sad and wet

And shrivelling and wasting away, too,

Because you didn't turn the faucet off.

- Jeff Moss



Sonja should have read that poem. But she didn't. She should have listened to her mother. But she didn't.

And she flooded her kitchen.

Fortunately, my dears, the story doesn't end there. Later that night, after the coldness and wetness were done, Sonja went to see her BROTHER! Whom she LOVES! He sang in a concert. It was pretty. Sonja loved it. She smiled...and so did he.


They both smiled. Because they were happy. But it almost didn't happen. Because Sonja didn't listen.

So, my dears, always listen to your mothers. They are Wise. And never, never leave the water running.

32 comments:

Nancy said...

I LOVE it! Too cute!

lauralavon said...

: )

Kim M. said...

LOL!!!!!!! You need to write this in a book and let Brent do cartoons! Wouldn't that be great?!
Then we moms could read it to our kids so that they will know to LISTEN to their mothers! :-D Seriously! I'd buy it!

TKB said...

For you the poem should be adapted. It should probably include how:

"...the guest rooms would flood, and the elevator too!

We would all catch pneumonia- thanks only to you."

Julie Schultz said...

Dearest Ms. V:

You are priceless.

Truly.

There is no one in the world quite like you!

Kimberly said...

I am laughing....but this is NOT a funny thing....oh my goodness!!!
I am glad that you are OK and did not have to call FEMA to the rescue! I agree....a book is in order, oh you oh so witty writer!

(btw, i do not recall this running of the water thing having been a problem in the past...perhaps it was my oh so put together presence....)

Unknown said...

Very funny! It would make a great book. Seriously! We've been getting a lot of kids books at the library and sometimes when I'm done I wonder how it ever got in print. You could do a whole series on "listening to your mother". Your positive attitude at now having a clean cupboard and floor cracks me up. Blake lost his cookies on the kitchen floor recently and even though it was gross to clean up, I too thought, "at least now the floor is clean". Maybe he needs to do that more often! LOL

trakylynn said...

Very funny... I love it! YOu should write a book,...... Glad to hear things worked out for you and you got it ALL cleaned up! Take care and ermember to listen to your mother from now on.. HAHAHAHAHAHA

Kim M. said...

Dorcas,

LOL,

I can relate (Justin lost his cookies yesterday and I was scrubbing the floor and really... when was the last time I scrubbed like that?)

Brenda said...

Love this tale! Thanks for the word of caution. :-)

Shaun said...

Hilarious Sonja! I have a friend who has a similar story only it involves a bathtub and a nap:-0! LOL I think the "listening to your mother" is excellent! Do you hire out for speaking engagements? I have a specific audience in mind - ages 8, 5, and 3? ha

Tara said...

Indeed, you are an oh-so-witty-writer! Proof again why you'll always be a fave of mine. I enjoyed getting this laugh today more than I can say! :)

A book is a marvelous idea...I'd buy it and promote it gladly!

skier1998 said...

ROFLOL!!!! Too funny. As I stated on Dixie's blog... I am more than a little concerned about the welfare of the girls in the dorm.....

Dixie said...

This gives me an idea. maybe if I try a controled flood it could help me with the little problem, or several little problems I have been having. Oh well, the "whap,whap" stomp, stomp squash, squash method also works.

Kimberly said...

As I sit typing, I laugh! I have the funniest friends in the world!

jenny said...

too funny! so happy that under the sink is clean, now...i'm sure everyone will notice (it would make me feel good, though).

happy thanksgiving!!

Nichole said...

Ms V, I know you want to listen to your mother, but I really think the temptation to multi-task will prove too great. A word of advice:

I once knew a lady whose wish was
To brush her teeth while rinsing her dishes.
Very soon she oh no'd.
Her sink'd overflowed.
Her floor was a playground for fishes

The moral to this quaint little zinger
Is, if with your toothbrush you linger,
Keep track of the time
By singing this rhyme
Or tie a string on your right index finger.

Cindy said...

Sonja Joy,

You are too much! I loved your story, and I rejoice with you that your floor is now clean. I also enjoyed Dixie's comment :) Miss you girls so much...

Anonymous said...

I so enjoy reading your witty posts! One of the funniest parts is that you had the presence of mind to take pictures during this!

Andy said...

where in the world did you find that poem?
you cheer my heart.
love you!

Anonymous said...

Thanks to all for the comments. Some of them were funnier than the blog itself!! And kudos to the aspiring poets out there. =)

Hope everyone had a blessed thanksgiving!!

TheMan said...

Okay, so I'm a late commentator, but I loved your story! :) I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful!

Arthur and Jessica said...

Hehehe, I left the sink running one day. I was running a sink of water for dishes and got distracted. I thought suddenly, hmmm, what was it I was going to do? I was going to shower! That was it! (well, they both involve hot water, anyways). So I got in the nice warm shower.
I got my hair shampooed up, but the water started to get less nice and warm. Hmmm, that had never happened to me in this house. I puzzled. I puzzled long and hard neath the chilly water. I had not done laundry. I had not let the water run long at all before I got in. I would blame my dear hubby, but my dear hubby had taken his shower and left for work many hours before the water had turned cold so suddenly and rudely. (No, I did not laze around in bed that long! He left for work at 3-ish in the morning). Suddenly, I got a burst of adrenaline! I bolted, quite immodestly, from the shower and quickly turned off the water, which was flowing from the very very full sink into the other sink, which, fortunately, was unstopped. (Another thing to be thankful for: there was no one to see this disgraceful episode). There is a small lip around the two sinks, which kept most of the water off the counter and floor, although some did spill over when I stuck my arm in to unplug the sink. I also got a great deal of water on the bathroom floor since I bolted so suddenly, but no major harm was done.
Someday, I fear, I will move to a house with no wonderful lip thingy around the sink, or one with large windows in the kitchen. Then I will learn. I will learn the hard way, like I did with the superglue and the toilet tank repair work. Perhaps I should be Amish, because I do not seem to mesh well with indoor plumbing.

Sharlyn said...

Once upon a time...I was but a child and our pipes were frozen. My bedroom a half bath were upstairs. For some reason I decided to put the plug in the sink and try to run water. Of course the water didn't run because it was frozen. I ran of to play with my friends who were visiting for New Year's Eve. Somebody said, "Gary, does your ceiling always look like that?" We looked up to see a soggy, bulging ceiling. About that time plaster and water came crashing onto my parents' dining room floor. It was quite a mess. I had left the water turned on AND the plug in the sink. Thankfully insurance came through and Mom got a completely re-decorated living room and dining room. I liked the new one better anyway.

Have a Merry Christmas!! Even with the ocasional drawbacks, I"m in favor of keeping indoor plumbing!

Eric and Hannah Avery said...

Hi Ms. V, Your blog is so cool. I was at GBS spring of 2007. Glad to see you are doing great and having tons of fun! My name is Hannah Ardoin by the way, I don't know if you remember me or not. Have an amazing Christmas!Blessings to you!

sarahmfry said...

Thank you ever and ever so much for that funny laugh.

I totally love the idea of you and Brent collaborating on a "Listen to Your Mother, who is Wise" book series. I'd like to pre-order a set now.

The Dickinsons said...

This post cracked me up. Too cute. Sorry about the flood, but glad you are OK.

Thanks for your sweet comment on our Christmas picture here in Colombia.

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

That Girl In Switzerland said...

I laughed so hard at your post! *Heather misses hanging out with her fav DOW.* Have a fantastic Christmas!!

Judith Atnip said...

You and Brent are just two of a kind, aren't ya! Love you guys.

Judith Atnip said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Andy said...

i keep checking your blog looking for a funny christmas story that will make me laugh and laugh. i am becoming impatient. i know you have it in you.

Andy said...

well . . i know you're still alive cuz i saw you on your brother's video. however brief that may have been. still miss you.