Not ready for alligators yet

As those of you who had their houses dismantled over Christmas will know, Nathaniel is rather fond of making obstacle courses across the living room. He likes tunnels, bridges, chairs to climb over and cushions to bounce on.

Today we made a fine offering with a bridge.



Nathaniel was enjoying it until I, thinking I'd add some excitement to the occasion, picked up the Spaniel and the Beagle, placed them on the floor, and told Nathaniel that they were fierce alligators, waiting to eat up anything that fell into their swamp. Nathaniel gave me a slightly perplexed look. So I elaborated. "They are very hungry alligators, and will gobble up anything that falls off the bridge".

I realised too late that this wasn't the perplexed look, it was the "I am totally unsure about this look".

"Would you like to do the obstacle course?"

Silence.

In an over enthusiastic voice: "Ready, steady, go!"

Silence. And no movemnet.

"Shall I take the alligators away?"

Nodding.

I picked up the unwanted creatures, and Nathaniel hurredly took them from me (they had obviously morphed back into something that could be safely touched), and placed them face down on the table. They couldn't cause any trouble from there.



And then we were free to have lots of obstacle fun.