He was obsessed with catching things – spiders, beetles, frogs, bees – if it crawled, buzzed, hopped, or slid on its belly, he wanted it in one of his critter jars his mom would save for him.
His dad, on the other hand, felt he needed to stop filling the back porch with endless jars of everything that tried to move through the back yard. As a chef for the local country club, he now had the opportunity to finally “scare” his son into giving up his hobby.
He was preparing a banquet for a group and the main course was to be lobsters flown in from Maine. One was a monster – almost twenty pounds. So, he called his wife and told her to expect him home in just a little while. He told her to make sure Junior stayed in the back yard.
Once home, he pulled a bushel basket out of the trunk with the lobster king and carefully placed it in the front yard. Chuckling, he said, “Now, get Junior.”
She shook her head as she walked through the house to get him.
As Junior came out the front door, he stopped in his tracks as he caught a glimpse of the beast in the grass.
“Junior, isn’t that the biggest bug you have ever seen?” His dad was trying not to laugh. Suddenly, Junior turned and ran into the house. His dad laughed knowing he had solved his problem.
Then, Junior reappeared. “Mom, help me find a bigger jar – quick – before it gets away!”
Excellent. So much for cure!
Johnny – I hope parents who read this story come to the understanding that the best thing they can do in a situation like this is show support. Just think of what they could have triggered in his young brain if they would have bought him a book about bugs so he could have learned about his collection. Thanks for reading.
Excellent point
Thanks, Johnny. Sometimes I even surprise myself. 🙂
Len I love that you walk the path of a storyteller, the world needs you to be one. I am honored to call you my friend. Strong Ink
Larry,
Thank you, my friend. Strong encouragement from a master storyteller, himself.
No wonder they say ‘Habits die hard!’ Challenging a child to mend his ways is one thing, but it needs a creative bent of mind to redirect their energy into something different. Dad’s simple logic, in this case, gave more food to the same habit, in a bigger way though.
I love the plot of the story that carries a clear impression of a master story-teller, Len Sir.
Thanks, with Warm Regards!
Thank you for your kind words, Bharat. So glad you enjoyed this story.