Dear reader, for some time we've enjoyed the capture of a little gingerbread man. He comes out each year at Christmas and attempts all sorts of antics to trick us into releasing him from his frosty world of sugar crystals and evergreens.
But the girls and I have been very careful not to listen to a word he said.
Until the other day, when he finally convinced me to dust.
{Which begs the question: what is a Christmas tableau doing in one's house during the month of March? My answer: the same thing as a Christmas terrarium which was made in the month of January.
In other words, you are welcome to a logical conclusion if you can rustle one up yourself.}
At any rate, no sooner had I lifted the glass bell from its setting then the scallywag hopped down from his perch and was off! He dashed past Mr. Darcy with no more than an "'Allo, guv'nor!"
One can only imagine how the gentleman fairly bristled!
After that, it was on to the dancing lady. The gingerbread man took a moment to spin her around the room.
There was a bit of a close call with the horse from the riderless carriage, but the lucky blighter came away with all limbs intact.
He then came across two lovers in the park. To be sure, the girl was distracted and would have given chase, but the young man promised her a cupcake if she would stay awhile longer. So she did.
Finally, he made the acquaintance of a fabulous lady with bee sting lips. "Hello, sailor," she said in a low, mesmerizing voice, "Are you headed my way?"
The gingerbread man hesitated. No one had ever called him sailor like that before.
I am sorry to report it was more than he could do to resist her.
All of which left me in quite a pickle, as you may imagine. For there I was, with nothing to show for it but my empty bell jar and faded memories of the aromatic fellow who once lived there.
To console myself, I decided to make a new tableau. Something more suitable for the season.
Something that would cause to me linger with pleasure and delight, remembering one of my favorite childhood books and the idea of robins and keys and hidden doors and the ancient magic which makes things grow and brings happiness to people who have once been sad.
