The Pretty Peltig

"Oh, lovies! Did I ever tell you of a pretty peltig named Livie? You say I didn't? Well! Then I must of been busy dusting or cooking! Come...follow me! Let me tell you about little Liv, the pretty peltig and her friends.

You see, lovies, little Liv is part tiger and part pelican. She has lovely stripes like a tiger and a beautiful beak like a pelican.

Why! I met little Liv in the record shop across from my garret once on the Rue du Fabulous! We had an enchanting time little Liv and I. We had tea and scones with clotted cream and jam. Liv and I loved to eat. So much so, lovies that we had about fifty-five scones in one single tea party!

And after high tea at the record store, I bought little Liv a shiny new record. Little Liv picked it out herself. It is called, "The Peltig Goes To A Tea Party." “

Interlude or Intermezzo-

Children yelling:

"Where did you go next with the pretty peltig?"

Me:

"Well eat your cookies and drink your milk, lovies and I shall tell you."

The sounds of children munching and swallowing their milk and cookies floated all around the room.

One fine, fine sunny day, little Liv came a knockin' on my garret door.

"Ahem! Madame Louise!"

"Yes?" I quietly asked from behind my tea cup.

"Madame Louise, I want to go shopping for a bathing suit with a hole in it!"

I shuffled to the door in my fuzzy slippers and pajamas.

I opened the door and little Liv stood there with a beautiful handmade bag- bejeweled and all. I grabbed her by her little paw and we shuffled off to the metro. I checked my pocket and I realized I forgot my wallet. Well! How in tarnation would I buy Liv a bathing suit?!

When we exited the metro, Liv yelled, "Look Madame!"

"Ah oui! Tres belle!"

A bazarre!

I ran to the bazarre with little Liv in tow and we were deeply enthralled by the whole place. The bazarre was filled with beautiful colors- topaz, turquoise, purple, pink, orange and red. Liv and I ran from stand to stand. There were fried oreo cookie stands and stands with beautiful silk saris from India. Liv jumped into an enormous pile of saris. I jumped on Liv and we squealed with laughter. I chucked a sari at Liv and she chucked one at me. When the chucking was done, we decided we were hungry again. So, Liv pointed to an empty stand in the corner of the bazarre. "Madame Louise! Ma chere! Der is an empty stand with just cooking utensils!"

Liv and I held hands as we walked to the empty stand. I put a vintage apron on myself and little Liv took her own apron out of her bejeweled bag and placed it around herself. We began to bake Nestle Toll House cookies. Liv rolled the dough and I cut them into little peltigs. We placed them onto cookie sheets and baked them to a golden brown perfection.

Intermezzo Again-

Children:

"We want those cookies!"

Me:

"Well, you must wait your turn, lovies. Liv and I must make dough (literally) so we can buy her a bathing suit!"

Children:

"Why does she want a bathing suit with a hole in it?"

Me:

"I think she means a bikini."

Children:

"We want that, too!"

Me:

"Well, lovies, let me carry on with my story and when we are done, I shall take us all to Bloomingdale's and we shall all have bathing suits with holes in them!"

Children:

"Yay!"

Liv placed the tray of fresh Nestle Toll House cookies neatly on the counter. I placed little purple bags in a small pile next to the cookies. Our first customer came by. He looked over the cookies carefully. He was a quiet, retiring soul with dark hair and deep brown eyes. He put his hand out for Liv and I to shake.

"How do?" he enquired.

Liv shook his hand happily.

"I'd like that cookie there, please."

I let Liv put a couple cookies in a purple bag.

"Here you go! That will be one dollar, please!" Liv squealed with joy.

The boy started crying. I took my handkerchief out of my pocket and dabbed his eyes gently.

"Why are you crying, dearie?"

"I, I only asked for one cookie. You gave me ten."

"Well, love, in my world and in little Liv's, one cookie equals ten. So take your cookies and share them with your friends!"

The boy leaned over and kissed my cheek.

"What is your name, love?"

"Sam the stagfly."

"Ah! You are the stagfly! You are part stag and part fly. Why I have been meaning to meet you, love!" I said with glee.

"Me too! It's good to meet you Sam!" Liv said cheerily.

Sam smiled brightly and munched on a cookie.

Another little customer sidled over to our Toll House counter. He had enormous blue eyes- like saucers. He peaked out at us from beneath his blonde locks.

"My name is Nick, the girpoodle. I'm part giraffe and part poodle.

"How do?" Sam shook Nick's paw.

"Can I have fifty-four cookies, please?" Nick asked.

"Why, of course, love!" I quickly placed exactly fifty-four cookies in another purple bag and Liv added ten more. I handed the pouch to Nick the girpoodle. Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred dollar bill. He gave it to Liv. Liv placed the bill into my hand.

"Well, ladies and gents! Let's count the money now, shall we?" I stated quietly. I took Sam's dollar and Nick's hundred dollar bill and exclaimed greatly, "We've got ourselves one hundred and one dollars, folks!"

"Yay! Yay! Yay!" the children exclaimed.

I congratulated and thanked each child and shook all their paws.

"Now, kiddos, let's be off to Bloomies!" I said proudly.

"Au revoir , mon cheries!" Little Liv exclaimed happily to the bazaar.

The kids watched excitedly as I pulled my magic carpet out of my apron pocket.

"All aboard!" I hollered.

Sam stepped lightly onto the carpet first. Nick jumped like a grasshopper next. Liv placed her bottom onto the Persian carpet next to me.

"Abra abra cadabra, I just gotta have ya!" I patted the carpet and off we flew!

"Ahhh! Go love go!" we all yelled.

"Take us to Bloomies!"

The carpet is quite good with directions. He happily flew us in the direction of Bloomies. He hovered just over Bloomingdale's. "Where do ya wanna land, granny?" the carpet asked me. "Just there, love." I pointed at the door to the children's department. The carpet landed softly at the door. "Excellent job, my love!" I pet the carpet lovingly. We all jumped off. I folded the carpet into my pocket and whispered, "There is a treat for you in my pocket, love." "Thank you, granny. I love you." "I love you, too." "I miss you, grandma." "I miss you more, love." I patted him gently in my pocket.

A kindly barn owl opened the door for us. He kissed me suddenly and hugged me tight. "Where have you been, Louisa darling?"

"With the kids, where else?"

"What do you need today?" the handsome owl enquired.

"I need a bathing suit with a hole for little Liv here, " I replied.

"Follow me," the owl said graciously.

We followed the kind owl through the hallowed halls of Bloomingdale's until we reached a special department that I was familiar with. The boys began to run amok. Liv and I held hands as we perused the room. It was a sewing room. There were tables with sewing machines everywhere. Liv yelled suddenly, "Madama Louisa! Over there!" This peltig had such an eye for detail. She knew where all the best items were, she really did.

The kindly owl walked to the French double doors that Liv pointed at and opened them. It was a room full of fabrics- silks, cotton, calico, velvets- you name it, the room had it all.

"Ah, voila!" I exclaimed passionately. "Children, follow me!'

I ran into the room like a wild-eyed child and started to touch each fabric hungrily.

"Madama! I can sew my own bathing suit!" Liv cried happily.

"Oui, cherie! Let us all sew our own suits!" I sang cheerfully.

I picked a lovely irridescent tulle for my own suit. Liv chose a waterproof velvet. Sam chose purple calico and Nicky chose a shade of deep blue silk to match his beautiful eyes.

The owl pulled chairs up to a giant table in the center of the room. We all took our seats in front of our chosen sewing machines. The stagfly began sewing his suit with such dexterity, I was in awe of him. The girpoodle combined his silks with chantilly lace and sewed up several suits for himself. The pretty peltig sewed her little suit carefully and with great precision. I placed my weathered, weary hands on my own fabric- a combination of tulle and cross-hatched calico. I sewed quickly and efficiently.

The wise barn owl played music for us as we happily sewed. We sang and laughed and sang some more. Little flowers in their pretty pots entered the room with cups of hot chocolate for each of us. When we finished our suits we drank our chocolate. The owl sat next to me.

"Well, my little menagerie, how did we do?" I queried.

Everyone looked at each other's suits and we exclaimed, "Beautiful! The bathing suits are beautiful!"

The owl turned to look at me and he said with great love in his sad, blue eyes, "When will you be back, cherie?"

"On the next full moon. Two fortnights from today. I must bring the children safely to their homes. I am tired and I must sleep now."

"I have a carriage with two horses, my dear. Let me take all of you home," the owl offered.

"That would be lovely, my dear," I thanked him profusely.

"Shall we?" the owl pulled the chairs out for us.

"We shall!" Sam yelled with glee.

The owl ushered us to a secret bookcase. He opened the bookcase by pulling a book out. The book was "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." The bookcase twirled around a few times and turned into a carriage with four horses.

"Mon ami," the wise owl pulled me up next to him. My little menagerie jumped into the carriage and pulled the doors tight.

"Be off!" exclaimed the owl to his horses.

We flew into the crisp evening air.

"Liv! Look!" Sam yelped.

"What, cherie?" Liv asked.

"The stars look like fairies!" Sam exclaimed gleefully.

"Oui! Oui!" Liv replied.

"Where to first?" the kind owl asked.

"Please deposit me at 3332 Stagfly Lane," Sam said softly.

"And me at 44 Girpoodle Boulevard," Nick exclaimed with joy.

"And me at Madama's!" Liv squealed.

"And you, Louisa? Where do I leave you, my dear?" the loving owl asked kindly.

"Where else, cherie? My garret."

The carriage flew and flew and flew and the menagerie was quite enthused and very happy.

All except the kind owl.

Intermission and End-

Children:

"Why isn't the owl happy?"

Me:

"Because he has to leave Madame Louisa at her garret. He has to go home, too and yet he would much prefer to be with her.

Children:

"Well, why can't he make his home with Madame Louisa?"

Me:

"Madame Louisa needs her own home, lovies."

Children:

"But why? Why does she need her own home?"

Me:

"Because Louisa is a very peculiar and independent woman."

Children:

An enormous yawn.

The children fell asleep. I guess they became bored with my argument of Louisa's independence.

The End