Monster repellent

Knecht Ruprecht recounts:

We just had an amusing outing to the drug store. Our children have been troubled lately by fear of the dark. Fleur and I convinced them that we could buy monster repellant at the drug store, and this would ensure that no monster would come near their room. Fleur made up a nice self-adhesive label for "Monster-Away" ("For use under beds and in inside closets"). We all went to the store together, and, while she distracted the girls, I took a can of air freshener from the shelf and gave it to the pharmacist and asked her to afix the label. After a few minutes, we all walked up to the pharmacy counter and waited in line. I asked the pharmacist, "Do you have monster repellant?"

The other customers were at first perplexed, and then totally flabbergasted when the pharmacist cheerfully answered, "Yes we do, let me go get some."

"Maximum strength, please" I called after her. She came back holding the Monster-Away and played along cooly, saying "I use this brand in my house and I have never had a problem with monsters." The looks on the faces of the other customers were priceless. One lady caught on and played along with us. Our daughters were pleased as could be, and couldn't wait to go home and spray under their bed.

This is the kind of thing that makes me want children. Dialogues (dialectics!) with naivety seems a sure way to maintain it in yourself to a degree.