• The Aunt

    Andersen's Fairy Tales
    Let me tell you about a very particular Auntie. This Auntie lived in a neat little house, and she always, always had an opinion about everything, especially about how to stay healthy. If you had a sniffle, she knew just the tea. If you had a bump, she knew just the bandage.

    One day, Auntie declared, "Oh, my tooth! It aches so terribly!" She thought and thought, pacing her cozy living room. "I know what it is!" she finally announced to anyone who would listen (which was usually the cat and a visiting nephew). "It's that window! Yes, that very window over there. A sneaky little draft slips through it, right onto my cheek, and that's what's making my tooth hurt!"

    She was quite sure. So, she had the window sealed. First, it was stuffed with old rags and bits of paper. Then, to be extra sure, a sturdy board was nailed right over it. "There!" said Auntie, satisfied. "No more nasty drafts from *that* window. My tooth will be better in no time." The room became a little darker, but Auntie didn't mind if it meant her toothache would go away.

    Sometime later, the nephew came to visit again. The board was still firmly fixed over the window. The room was still a bit dim.
    "And how is your tooth, Auntie?" he asked politely.

    Auntie sighed, a long, thoughtful sigh. "Well, dear," she said, tapping her cheek. "The tooth still gives me a little twinge now and then, you see."
    The nephew looked at the sealed window. "But the draft from the window is gone?"

    "Oh, completely gone!" Auntie nodded vigorously. "That window is as sealed as a drum! But I've been thinking. It's not that window at all. I've figured it out! It must be a tiny, tiny draft coming from under the door! Or perhaps," she squinted, looking around, "a little crack in the wall I haven't noticed yet. Yes, that must be it!"

    And so, Auntie started to think about how to seal the door even tighter, and how to find that mischievous little crack in the wall, while the boarded-up window stayed just as it was.

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