Tuesday 31 January 2012

The Puppet Show

On our daughter's sixth birthday (many years ago now) we decided to do something different for her party. As she had a few hand puppets at the time, we thought it would be fun to put on a puppet show. We all had a great time making a Punch and Judy style box from cardboard and her Dad enthusiastically volunteered to be the 'puppeteer'. To add to it, we also made the party fancy dress.

When the day arrived, our daughter, dressed as a cat, opened the door to 3 ninja turtles, a ballerina, a vampire, a fairy, another cat and lastly a very convincing looking cowboy equipped with Sheriffs badge, stetson, holster and shiny gun with firing paper blanks.

The party got off to a great start, and when they'd finished playing musical statues and disappeared with some new toys into the garden, Dad squeezed himself into the box with bunny, fox, yellow bird, badger, Mr. Beaver and a bag of boiled sweets to throw to the children for the Grand Finale. When he was completely ready, I called them in. 

Their faces lit up at the red and white crepe covered box and they all sat in a row, cross-legged, like little angels about 2 feet away. Dad began and was doing a fantastic job, quick puppet changes, different voices, the lot. It was all going just brilliantly ... until ... the convincing cowboy (whom I think may have had a shorter than average attention span) decided to use the animals as target practise with his gun. And as he grew more and more rowdy, you could actually feel the mood of the room change.

Well, it wasn't long before he'd mustered up his own full blown posse.

At this point, no-one was listening to the fox, who had lost the rather endearing squeaky voice he'd begun with, and was now shouting at the top of his lungs to be heard over the 'angels' who were rapidly displaying early signs of mob mentality. And from my viewing point in the kitchen, I could hear one of the ninja turtles agreeing with the cowboy to 'pull the box down'

This was when it turned nasty.

Like a Disney scene gone wrong, they all advanced toward the box as one.

Dad, who had been really looking forward to this (bless him, and had practised and practised his script) started tossing out the Grand Finale sweets in an attempt to placate the ensuing mass, but to no avail, and as they gained momentum ... he LOST IT!

He hurled all the sweets out the box via Mr. Beaver in a final and desperate bid to stop them, but it was too late.

I watched, mouth agape as they 'tore' the box apart ... leaving Dad frantic, surrounded by animals, fox limp on one hand and Mr. Beaver on the other still clutching a fist full of sweets.

I quickly took charge, telling the little darlings that the party bags were in the kitchen, and as if by magic they returned to their angelic former selves and skipped from the room full of smiles ... leaving behind what I can only describe as a shell of a man, staring wild eyed on his knees in the middle of the room surrounded by torn up cardboard, puppets and boiled sweets!

Whenever we think of that day we can't help but laugh, but without fail, Dad always finishes with a frustrated look in his eye and ... it would've been fine if you hadn't invited that bloody cowboy!

29 comments:

Elizabeth Grimes said...

Lol! That is a scene from a movie! It's a great idea for a party, what a lucky daughter. :)

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

Oh, Deborah, this is hilarious. If only there were photos to go with it. :)

Deborah said...

Thank you Elizabeth :o) x

Thank you Linda ... I agree, it was sight to see! :o) x

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Ya gotta watch those bloody cowboys...there trouble I tell ya. Especially when they come armed!

Heehehehehe, great post sweetie!!!

Poor daddy!

God bless and have a fantastic day!!! :o)

mamahasspoken said...

Cowboys in England, who would have thought! But then we do have knights in the USA.....
It does sound like a fun time and great memories. I don't think you would have remembered it as much if it all went perfect.

Anonymous said...

So funny. Bet the kids thought it was a great party. Some cowboys.....LOL.

Deborah said...

:o) Thanks for stopping by Nezzy, and you have a fantastic day too x

You're so right Mamma :o) x

Indeed! ... thanks Selma x :o)

Other Mary said...

Hahaha - oh those 6 yr. old mobs are the worst. Hilarious, and so well told. :o)

That gentleman's lady said...

I am torn between laughing my [insert random body part] off and feeling bad for Dad. Can't believe they all planned this!

Helena said...

lol.......oh, my! These are the memories that really do last forever! So much thought and arrangement that went into it, too!

Deborah said...

Aren't the just! lol ... Thanks for stopping by Mary :o) x

More a moment of mob madness than a plan, TGL! :o) x

They certainly are Helena :o) x

W.C.Camp said...

Thank goodness you did not put on a puppet play about Frankenstein - that cowboy would have REALLY been dangerous with fire! Fun Memory! W.C.C.

Deborah said...

LOL ... thanks W.C.C :O) X

Cad said...

There always has to be one, doesn't there? LOL Glad you survived to tell the tale...

Lydia said...

Good Heavens! What did that cowboy grow up to become, an axe murderer?!

Really, when I read this I thought thank god I did not have children! It is so funny, but I don't think I'd have handled it beautifully the way you and your husband did!

Deborah said...

There certainly does Cad!
Thanks for stopping by ... and for folowing! :o) x

Axe murderer ... now that is a scary thought Lydia lol :o) x

Tracy said...

hah, it sounds like the stuff that comedies are made of...very funny! But then again, I wasn't the one doing the crowd control!

Deborah said...

Thanks Tracy x ... lucky they were only waist high! :o)

jabblog said...

I giggled all the way through this - little children can be monsters at times. Poor Dad!! I'm sure he was right about the cowboy;-)

Deborah said...

:o) Thanks Jabblog x

Catherine said...

Too funny! Sounds like it is a good thing your dad has a sence of humor! Very cute!
xo Catherine

Deborah said...

Thanks Catherine :o) x

Vanessa Victoria Kilmer said...

OMG! I love it. Poor, poor Daddy. But a great story.

Deborah said...

Thanks Nessa :o) and thanks for stopping by x

Hilary said...

Oh that's hilarious. This would have made one amazing video.. one I feel I've seen because you described it so well. Poor Dad!

Jenny Woolf said...

One of our kids got so over excited on her 5th birthday that she spent her time arguing with the magician we had hired to entertain the kids "You're using a thumb tip, yes you are, I can see it..." etc. She had to be removed in tears for a while. It takes some of them that way.Just as well she didn't have a gun!

Deborah said...

Thank you so much Hillary :o) x

LOL ... that did make me laugh Jenny, just as well she didn't! :o) x

Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

Such a well-deserved POTW!
You describe this so perfectly that I can see it playing out in my mind... right down to the still-frustrated dad today.

Deborah said...

Thank you everso much Karen, and thanks for visiting :o) x