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| Elf, of course |
It was Elf doing, of course. I never spread ideas on the floor of my mind. Always try to keep them in order and filed.
When I approached the mess, I could see his little head sprouting from the middle of the heap.
What are you doing? I asked bewildered as I always am when faced to my Elf's deeds.
Once upon a time... he said venomously.
What!? I was not too original in the question but it took me by surprise.
Where do these words come from?: "Once upon a time". Does it never happens once upon NOW? Why is it? - Do you know? he blurted all these sentences together as if they were just one.
My Elf was in one of his tantrums against... nothing!
I tried to ignore his taunting, but as always I couldn't, putting his mind-nose against mine he asked again, remarking his words:
Do YOU know!?
No, I don't, I said and kept looking for a good idea about the toast or the brownie (no pun intended, besides he is no brownie) even knowing it won't deter this mini-devil to pursue once he started a skirmish.
Well then, he said putting his mind-arms akimbo, what do you think of it? Where do you think it originated?
Oh, goodness I thought, "originated..." but trying to keep a low profile I answered:
Don't know!
Don't know, don't know, he aped me as usual. Can't you show a little less idiocy and give an educated answer? What do you have all this brain for? eh?! eh!?
I gave up, it is impossible to ignore a thorn in your eye!
Look, I said, these words were used in tales for children, as in nursery rhymes and fairy tales from Mother Goose's!
Bah, Mother Goose was just a Gander! (sic), meaning nonsense, I guess, even if I do not know what slang he was using.
Not a Gander, maybe his hubby was a gander! I tried to jump over the pun but...
Who you mean?!! (he forgets grammar when in anger), I never heard of Father Gander!
I had to reckon he was right, 'neither I has ever heard of Father Gander', I could not explain him the crusade of Doug Larche trying to make nursery rhymes to be an Equal Rights Rhymes for both sexes. Father Gander Nursery Rhymes was a book way out of the scope of Elf's current subject.
Ok, ok, I granted, just let's forget all about this. Yes?
Forget? forget?, it is people like you that forgetting everything are guilty of the major evils in the world! Elf was furious!
I was stunned, major evils?
But what are you talking about?, Himmeldonnerwetter! - when I start to get angry my German cassette pushes out some of those neverending words - major evils?! we were talking about Mother Goose here, not major evils!
You were talking about Mother Goose, I am not. I am concerned with all that things that happened once upon a time and not now! He countered!
Gosh! I said, where is my mind-hammer!!
Elf put his best scornful face and giving me the cold shoulder lost himself into the archive.
I knew he was fleeing and scared enough about my mind-hammer, he does not know what it is (neither I do) anyway it sound impressive enough to make him run away, but he always makes his departures look like he has defeated me!
Himmeldonnerwetter, again!!
The music is a large fragment of "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" by Sergei Rachmaninov, performed by Stephen Hough.
© 2013 Od Liam.
hmm interesting thought..I never seem to be around to see anything exciting happening..its always once up on a time...
ReplyDeletebtw, what's Himmeldonnerwetter?
You are right! but do not lose hope! Maybe you can find a once upon now, any time now! Elf can be very awkward in his thinking sometimes! :) You'll find out, I am sure!! :)
DeleteHimmel = heaven or sky
Donner = Thunder
Wetter= Weather
Altogether:
Himmeldonnerwetter noch (ein)mal! = Darn it all and blast it! or worse!!
But in German is more melodious!! ;)))
I think the words ' Once upon a time' attract the children more than any other sentence, hence it is often used in the stories for children and rhymes.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post OD;)
There you are! But Elf is not satisfied by that, he wants to know why tales occurred upon a time, and not upon now!
DeleteWho can understand a sprite's mind?!
Thank you, Auntie!
This must be a coincidence. Was thinking of Elf and here he is NOW! It's been awhile, so I missed him. Yesterday, I dropped by and "witnessed the incident" on how he wanted to leave you and visit his relatives. He must be irritated. I didn't want to interfere in the argument, so I left quietly. I think it's not easy to let him go. :)
ReplyDeleteHimmeldonnerwetter....awww! That mind-hammer of yours is a powerful tool effective enough to scare him. Without him, it would be so quiet, but when he's around, he could make a mess of anything and everything.
This time he wants an educated answer. "Once upon a time" was the phrase I read, when I was a child, in most of the stories. It never crossed my mind then where its origin was and I never questioned when was the time in once upon a time. :)
I don't know whether I'm on Elf's side or not. Now, I'm thinking of the question he asked. Hehehe
You make my brain reeling! :)
C'mon Elf, get out of your hiding place! :))
P.S. Pssst...the bee loves this post.
I am sorry to tell you I lost many tales of the deeds of this ill-fated imp, I still remember some of them and I write them back from memory. They may be not as good as the first time (never second parts were good), but at least, they are not sunk in oblivion.
ReplyDeleteI got the idea of the mind-hammer from Thor, Odin's son in Norse Mythology, that is why Elf take it seriously, never forget he IS a fairy, so he believe all things fairy!! :)
We human never question idioms, or made up sentences, but never forget Elf is coming from a different trait!
If you start to follow Elf's reasoning you'll end topsy-turvy. Just forget him!
Humm, he is surely under an adjective, they are his favourite, or under a long adverb if he is scared enough. You must wait he gather courage and he will be back with a vengeance! :)
P.S. Thank you BB, you are my third leg!!! ;)))))
I love the stories about Elf, he always gets me thinking! :)
ReplyDeleteHimmeldonnerwetter... I like that!
I think I have never used that term, the only person I remember ever having said it is my grandma. :)
P.S. I am sorry I have been absent for so long! There have been so many things to deal with that I could not think too much about blogging.
Hi K! Welcome back!!
DeleteThis is the reason I am jealous of him, and the worst is: he knows it!! :))
Of course you do not use Himmeldonnerwetter and your Grandma yes! It is a very old word, it must have been left being used many years ago. I hear about it in some of the Literature courses I had, and I liked and remember it quite often!
You must not apologize for doing your duty! We will be always waiting for you!
Thank you for your comment!