Baby Toes

“Where are your little toes? Where are they? Where are they? Ah, there they are.” Resus displayed a cutesy voice as he wiggled my little toes about. I was a baby during that time, and Resus was playing a tickly sort of game with my toes. “Your toes are the best toes in the entire world,” said Resus, exhausted from laughing, “They’re the softest toes I’ve ever touched - almost as soft as my skin. And you have the best nose around. Which reminds me: would you like to play ‘Got Your Nose’?” I squealed with delight, as if to say “Yes!” “Alright then, I’m gonna get that nose!”

I giggled as Resus pretended to pinch my nose away from my face and say, “Got your nose!” Resus couldn’t stop laughing. I tried to reach out for my nose, but Resus waved it in the air, calling “It’s mine now! I think I’ll have your nose for dinner - that is, if there isn’t any mucus in it.” “Resus!” called his mother, Bella Negative, “Be nice to your baby sister!” “Okay, mum!” called Resus, and he pretended to glue my nose back onto my face. “Glue glue glue, stick!” he said. “There. Your nose is fixed back onto your face. Now, whose turn is it next?” Resus thought for a moment. Suddenly, he had it. “Okay, I got your nose, you get my nose.”

I crawled up to Resus, a determined look on my face. “No, please, I won’t rip your nose off again, please, I’ll respect noses and not rip them off and sell them at Noses R Us! Please, back off!” But I crawled all over Resus, causing him to laugh. I then pretended to get his nose. “AAAA!! My nose!” cried Resus, “Dad! Help!” Alston came running in from the kitchen and saw me crawling away. “Oi! Give Resus his nose back!” I crawled across the living room as Alston chased after me. I was quick enough to climb onto the sofa and crawl along until I pressed the remote. A cheerful cartoon began to play. “So you like cartoons, eh?” said Alston, “Well Barney Bear says: give Resus his nose back!” I crawled across the coffee table, and Alston had to cover his eyes as I knocked over Mike’s favourite yellow coffee mug with blue flowers! As Alston uncovered his eyes, the mug wasn’t full of coffee after all. He breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly ran to the remote and turned off the TV. I began to reach out and whine, and Alston grabbed me in his arms, pulling up my T-shirt and blowing raspberries on my belly.

I couldn’t help laughing loudly, but I struggled free and continued crawling into the kitchen. “Come back!” cried Alston, and he ran in, trying to get all the sharp untouchable things out of the way. “Some of these things are too dangerous for you. Get out of there!” Alston dashed into the fridge and hid as I passed it. I noticed the cookie jar on the table and sat down on the floor, reaching out to it, wanting a delicious chocolate cookie. Resus, holding his nose as if I got it for real, opened the fridge to find Alston shivering. “Frostbite,” said Resus, and he saw me trying to reach for a cookie. Resus went up to the cookie jar and gave me a cookie, then took me back into the living room.

Once Alston warmed up a little, he and Resus gathered round me. “Now, Sybil, you’ve learnt your lesson. Give the nose back to Resus.” I shook my head. “Mmm-mmm,” I went. “Sybil, you promised.” “Mmmm-mmm,” I said. “What are we going to do with her?” asked Alston. “You used to sing me a lullaby when I was a baby, dad,” said Resus, “Why don’t you recite a rhyme to Sybil to get her to put my nose back on my face?” Upon request, Alston cleared his throat and began to recite this rhyme:

“Give a friend back his pale nose

We need to smell, everyone knows

And it’s not because we stink

There are lots of good smells, everyone thinks.”

I was motivated by Alston’s rhyme. I crawled up to Resus and booped him on the nose, giving him his nose back. “Hooray!” cried Resus, and picked me up, spun me around and hugged me. “See? I told you you could learn what good friends do. Now, how’s about you play Got Your Nose with me?” I released myself from Resus’ grip and crawled over towards Alston, who fell onto the floor and backed away. “No, please, not my nose, not my nose!” I crawled all over Alston and reached out to grab his nose. He was laughing so much, and then, he screamed!

The screaming could be heard from next door. As Bandit was playing with baby Bluey, he heard Alston screaming. “Hmmm - must mean he discovered a dirty toy in a stinky nappy,” he said, and kept on shaking a rattle at Bluey, pretending to be a fierce rattlesnake.

THE END.