Kitreena and I had a little discussion on children literature after lunch today. Well, a nursery rhyme, to say the obvious – if it is not too obvious from my title. Apparently it was playing in and getting through her head as she was trying to make sense of that one little famous egg story of Humpty Dumpty.
She was peeling her dessert, a mandarin orange, ever so slowly when she, seemed like out of nowhere, started to ask :
Kitreena: Mom, do you know why Humpty Dumpty broke?
Yeah, really. Why did Humpty Dumpty break? And why have I never asked myself that question?
Mom: No, I don’t. Why, monch?
Kitreena: Because he was an egg. Eggs can’t sit. They would break.
Silently thinking, “Oh you smartie pants you!”
Mom: Oh ok! I see. If so, what was an egg doing on the wall then?
Kitreena: Because he wanted to enjoy a good view.
I should go find me a wall this weekend, then.
Mom: Why do you think he was called Humpty Dumpty? He was just an egg.
Kitreena: Because that’s his name. Somebody’s got to give him a name to make him a story.
Aaahh good logic! My questions are starting to sound silly by now. Well, takpe-takpe.
Mom: Why couldn’t all the King’s horses and all the King’s men put him together again, you think?
Kitreena: Because there were just too many broken pieces of eggshell, Mom. It was a very high wall. And the King’s men were busy, they didn’t have time to fix a broken egg. And horses don’t fix broken eggs, Mom.
Silly me! That is why you don’t discuss children literature with children using adult logic.
Questa è Enida 