Penelope was persnickety about the letter P.
When Penelope first discovered the letter P she giggled. She loved the popping sound it could make after pressing her lips together. She would go around, perpetually pressing her lips and popping out P sounds.
As she learned about words, she would peruse the P section so much the Big Book would fall open to it. She would pontificate on the purpose of words starting with P. The words started to permeate her speech.
Penelope would often use her prose in P-words to make, Peter, her brother go away. Who could listen to pedantic prattle about the letter P?
Often her parents would try to persuade her to stop with pistachio ice cream or threats of peas for dinner.
Her classmates tried to not to get her started as the profusion of p-words would create a percussion of popping noise that could be quite hypnotizing.
They learned this the hard way.
One day the teacher asked Penelope “What is your favorite color and flower?” Belinda blurted out “puce” to which Penelope proclaimed that puce looked like a bruise, and does not pop.
Belinda blushed.
Penelope proceeded to explain her favorites are purple and poppies, preferably purple poppies. But they are hard to find. My mother is going to phone a propagator of poppies in Pennsylvania to inquire about purple poppy seeds. Hopefully I will have purple poppies blooming in perpetuity.”
Having performed her perfunctory duty Penelope settled back into her chair, patiently waiting for the next person.
The classroom was quiet.
The teacher, peered at the students. The profusion of p words had some faces paralyzed while others were trying to make their mouth form the words “in perpetuity.” They all seemed dazed.
The bell rang. The spell had been broken.
A conference was convened.
The parents were perplexed by the call. Penelope was a precocious child and perpetual learner who did not get in trouble.
The teacher recounted what happened that day. The parents shifted in their seats and their puzzled looks grew deeper.
The Principal trying to give perspective, explained how all her popping P’s were having a peculiar effect on the children similar to the Pied Piper.
The Parents stared at the Principal. Then pensive looks replaced the puzzled ones for a number of minutes. The teacher and principal exchanged glances but stayed quiet.
When the parents finally spoke they both said pistachio ice cream. Realizing the problem, they profusely apologized and left. Leaving the principal and the teacher utterly perplexed.
The parents stopped at the store and then flew home.
When Penelope came down for dinner expecting pistachio ice cream, she panicked. In front of her was a bowl of peas and quinoa.Sorry dear we forgot about the Q’s.
There will be no more pistachio ice cream or using the P spell.
In fact, we have taken the big book away until you remember your Ps and Qs.
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That was so clever!!! I’m very impressed!
Thank you for commenting and letting me know you liked it. It feels so good so to hear!
This is brilliantly written! The story really shows the emotional pull of words. It made me think of something that happened just yesterday. We got a call from my oldest’s teacher because she teased a friend with ‘what the…’ until the shock word landed. Definitely a real-life echo of Penelope’s P spell.
Thank you so much for you kind words. Oh no! Sounds like some language experimentation that went sideways. LOL! Thank you Zebra Puzzle for all your comments.
The best part is my oldest was the one who reported her friend for saying the forbidden word. Then the teacher discovered she had actually started the whole thing and got them both in trouble. 😂 They are barely five and already experimenting with everything, language and beyond. Makes us wonder what exactly we are paying for! 😂