Baby Talk

         News, news, news.  Always bad news. I folded the newspaper and laid it on the bench beside me, letting my head drop back so I could feel the sun on my face.  I had chosen this location because no one else was around so I was surprised to hear voices--children’s voices--coming from the bench behind mine.  Not wanting to interrupt, I just listened, surprised by the conversation that ensued.

         “Ith nod faiw fo da gwowed ups to keep da aminals wocked up,” one voice babbled.

         “Dey wouldn’t wike if dey was wocked up,” the second agreed.

         “I sink ith time fo uth ta do thumfin 'boud it.  T'night, when da gwowed ups are all afweep, we can make da aminals fwee.”

         “How we can do dat?  Dey wock uth in cages at night, too.”

         “I can wet you fwee fiwth, den we can go down da thtepth and wet da puppieth out.”

         “Do you sink we get in twouble?”

         “Nah.  De gwowed ups won' knowed we pwanded it.  Dey sink we don’ know anysing yet.  ‘Sides, if we smile and coo, dey’w fowged all 'boud it.”

         “I’ll wait fo you in my cage.”

         As suddenly as my ability to understand the toddler babble came to me, it vanished.  I turned around in time to see a mother walk away pushing a twin carriage.  I can’t help but wonder what mayhem will be going on in their house tonight.  At the same time, it makes me wonder how much diabolical planning my own children did when they were toddlers.  Perhaps they knew more than I thought!

Translation of Baby Talk Dialogue:

         “It's not fair for the grown ups to keep the animals locked up," one voice babbled.

         “They wouldn’t like it if they were locked up,” the second agreed.

         “I think its time for us to do smething about it.  Tonight, when the grown ups are all asleep, we can make (set) the animals free.”

         “How can we do that?  They lock us in cages at night, too.”

         “I can let you free first, then we can go down the steps and let the puppies out.”

         “Do you think we('ll) get in trouble?”

         “Nah.  The grown ups won' t know we planned it.  They think we don’t know anything yet.  Besides, if we smile and coo, they'll forget all about it.”

         “I’ll wait for you in my cage.”