This morning, Thumbelina said, "I'm not going to worry about whether things are light duty or hard for you. From today on, I'll just do my work like I usually do, and if you want to give it a try, you can figure things out and do them. If not, you can watch, or just rest nearby. How's that for a deal?"
Other than the phrase, "How's that for a deal?" which sounds like a game show host in a cheesy tie, it sounded pretty good to me.
We did the usual flower blooming synchronization (which I'm getting pretty good at, I'm happy to report.) Then, we moved on to something more complex: the ant census.
I wandered through the tunnels, as Thumbelina made her way to the queen's chamber. Even if I had a trail of bread crumbs to help me get out of there, what good would it have done? Ants love bread crumbs, right? I just toddled behind Thumbelina making ant jokes.
"What's black and white and red all over?" -- a skunk taking a nap on the trail of a red ant colony.
"Teacher! Teacher! Pick me! I know the ANTswer."
"Why do ants never get a divorce?" -- they don't want to be ANTagonistic.
Ok. I know. Don't quit the day job. It kept me busy. What can I say? Plus, Thumbelina would chuckle. sometimes when she laughs, it sounds like a hiccup, and that kind of cracks me up.
So, Thumbelina had finished her count of the eggs and larvae. The numbers were good. It looked like the ants were just fine on food, too. Really, there was no need for the fairies to step in with extra support in the near future, and Thumbelina actually expected to find things just this way. On the way out, I told a few more jokes.
Just when we were getting to the entrance hole, and looking forward to growing back to fun-size again, I told one I though was pretty stupid.
"What did the fire ant say to the leaf cutter ant?" -- I can't LEAF my post. They'd FIRE me.
Thumbelina started to shake. Then, her laughing turned into a full blown case of the hiccups. As she grew to fun size, she'd hiccup, and her entire body, wings included, would make a spastic jolt. Sort of like she had been electrocuted. She laughed like that for the next hour. After just a few minutes, we got a following of other fairies. They were all grinning.
One of them asked me, "What did you say to her?"
I repeated my lame ant joke.
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| The tunnel into the ant hole is just on the other side of these roots. Thumbelina had her ROTFFL moment in the patch of grass. |
"Are you ok?" I shouted to the group of them.
Thumbelina answered, "That's the funniest joke I've heard in years."
She zipped up into the air and turned some pretty impressive loops.
"So, you're ok?"
"Oh, yes. Thanks for the recharge. I can work for weeks on a good laugh like that."
"Um. . . you're welcome?"
By that time, most of the fairies were either air born and acrobatic or crowding around me to say thanks.
Apparently spasmodic laughter isn't that common, but it's really valuable around here. Go figure. Just when you think you're useless and a little pathetic, someone comes along to change your mind. Sometimes even fifty people come along to change your mind. The fairies think I'm funnier than frog spit (which, as we all know, is one of the funniest things in the natural world.) So, for the midsummer festival practices, I'll be telling a few lame ant jokes to the gals psyched. Thumbelina says it's too bad I won't be here for the big celebration..
Nobody was able to explain what was so funny about that joke because it has to do with a cross-over connection between languages. Since I can hear all the fairy sounds in their language, and can't really even pronounce most of the words I've tried, I'll have to just sit and wonder what made me so brilliant today.
My other ant jokes caused normal giggles, and the fairies liked them at practice this evening, but the said to save that extra funny one to tell again in a few days.
You can only handle so much hilarity.
-- Sabrina
A good laugh like that helps flowers bloom fifty percent more freshly. It makes dew form in bigger drops, and sunlight stream more brightly through the tree canopy. When fairies are refreshed with a truly funny joke, you'll see the results in nature within minutes. So, Sabrina's quite the celebrity today. We can't wait to listen to her at more midsummer practices.
May your dandelion dip delightedly.
--Fresh
