Great literature

Last Thursday, Drew and were talking about something and he said, "After YOU, my dear Alphonse." That led me to our collection of Shirley Jackson stories, where that refrain figures prominently in one of the tales.

Then I noticed a short story called "Charles," about a boy who tells his parents stories about the terrible kid named Charles in his kindergarten, and his parents completely believe him until the last line in the story, when the boy's teacher tells Charles's mother, "We don't have any Charles in the kindergarten," and it turns out that it was the little boy himself who was doing all the terrible things lovingly outlined in the story.

I had an idea: Why not have Rachel read the story and see if she gets the point? So, on Friday, I plunked it down in front of her. She laughed at the stories of Charles's antics, and then, all of a sudden (I was in the study), I heard her exclaim, "WHAT?!?!"

I rushed back to the dining room. "Do you understand what was going on?" I said.

"The kid was doing all the bad stuff but blaming it on Charles?" she said doubtfully.

"YES!" I exclaimed, hugging her. "Did you like the story?" she said she did.

That is a story meant for adults, and my 7-year-old got it. I'm very proud.