Appropriate!

By Rhiannonw

Tue, 16 Sep 2025
  • 249 reads
8 comments
 

The gas fire wasn’t working properly in the annex,
weather cooling, guest expected.
On lifting its cover off, what was discovered inside?
‘Little Miss Naughty’ tiny book!
No, it wasn’t the culprit!
– a clean-out was needed.
But there on the front of the fire
was the tempting slit
that a child would delight
in finding something that would fit
to post through!

A good job it wasn’t followed up
with many others –
I think she must have realised she’d been
Little Miss Naughty herself,
but still didn’t inform her Mum!

A memory stirred;
some thirty and more years ago,
living in a tied cottage
a steep stairs up from the front door
seeing it strewn with a cascade of little
thin books –
near the top of the stairs 
was a tunnel-and-groove old door on the left
with a gap at its base;
inside was our young child,
under two I think,
had just discovered 
his books would fit under:
what a nice posting game!

 

Certificate U
Poem
Families
Children's
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by Nolan on

Gremlins. Told you so.

 

Submitted by marandina on

Ah yes...children will make games out of anything.

That's a lovely, warm story told in poetic form.

Charming and engaging, Rhiannon. 

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Paul. Glad you appreciated. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Children love exploring don't they? I remember my son used to love posting small bits pf paper into the video recorder like he was posting letters, he loved tearing the paper up, especially at christmas, but he always did it when we weren't in the room, so I wonder! If he knew it was wrong, but was satisfied at getting away with it, of course that was until we caught him. Now a man, he has no recollection of this episode.

That tied cottage sounds very interesting. I can understand why a child would want to explore all the nooks and crannies.

Such a memory is thought of with fondness I'm sure. I enjoyed reading.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Jenny. Yes, children are intrigued by posting things, and it can be a nuisance or even dangerous!

Tied cottage, means it was linked to his job, but it was a very old and unusually shaped cottage, and out in the country at the boarding school, so a lovely place to spend a few years. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Funny that it was Little Miss Naughty :0)

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Yes! It must have been in there for nearly two yearsr, so not doing any real harm. since the grandchildren were living here! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Sometimes kids discover things better left alone, curiousity and the cat.

To sin is human but it feels divine.

Tomm