It was a warm, dry, sunny day. A slight breeze helped cool the air as it stirred up dust devils. The two young boys, Ray and Chuck, were playing in Grandma's back yard. They were such curious, adventuresome, creative little boys, they were not allowed to play in the fenced front yard where there was lawn . . . and flowers. The back yard was dry and dusty, the boys were dusty and dirty, and not allowed to come into Grandma's clean house each time they wanted a drink of water. So, she provided a tin cup, which hung on the water spigot under the tree in the back yard to satisfy their thirst.
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They spent hours building roads, and driving their toy cars to the sound of "Vrooom, vroooom, screeeech, vrooom!", making frequent trips to the water spigot . . .and the tin cup. Old Blue, Grandpa's huge Australian Shepherd, lay in the shade of the big old maple tree, watching, occasionally meandering over to check out the construction of their roads, "No! Blue, go on! You wrecked my road! Now I have to start all over!" Blue would amble off to the tree, and drop heavily to the shady ground, with an "uummph" of air being forced from his lungs.
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As boys of that age 5 and 6, do, they soon tired of the game and began playing with the tin cup, throwing water on each other, running, laughing and turning their dusty overalls to mud. Chuck took a bathroom break, running to the outhouse, back by the combination tool shop and garage.
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When he emerged, the tin cup did not emerge with him. "Where's my Grandma's tin cup?" demanded Ray. "I dropped it down the hole." Chuck responded casually.
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"That's my Grandma's tin cup!" Ray yelled "You gotta get it back!" Thus saying, he dragged Chuck (who was a chunky little 5 year old, Ray was a bit taller and slimmer), back into the outhouse, put him headfirst into the hole, holding him by the feet, while Chuck fished around in the smelly contents of the hole for Grandma's tin cup.
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"Don't you drop me! It stinks down here! It's dark, and there are spiders! I can't find the darned old cup! Pull me out!"
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"Not until you get my Grandma's tin cup!"
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"It's not here. I can't see. It's dark down here! It sunk! Pull me up!"
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"No! We have to find Grandma's tin cup! She'll kill us!
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'If you don't pull me out right now, I'm gonna tell!" Chuck whined. "My head is starting to hurt! I'm dizzy!"
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"Don't be a baby! You dropped it, you gotta get it back!"
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"I'm gonna tell my Mama on you You'll be in big trouble! Get meee out of heeere! Wait! Oh my gosh! Here it is! I foouund it!"
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Ray pulled him out, with some difficulty, and when they exited the outhouse, they were both covered with slime from head to toe. Ooze dripped from their hair, it was in their eyes, noses. and ears, causing them to resemble something from the black lagoon. Just then, Grandpa arrived in his old green Essex. Seeing the boys, he began to laugh, "What in the world have you kids been up to? . . . don't move! Stay put!" . . . he connected the hose to the spigot and attempted to wash the worst of it off. Blue thought this looked like great fun and tried to join the party. He jumped and dodged and cavorted through the spray from the hose. He bounced and rubbed against the boys, and was soon wet and shaggy, and smelly too.
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Grandma, hearing the squealing boys, the barking dog, and her husband roaring with laughter, came out to see what was going on. "Chuckie lost your tin cup in the toilet, Grandma, and I made him get it back!"
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"Why child, you could have drowned your cousin! - - -For an old tin cup! George, put down the hose and go get the wash tub. Boys, take off your clothes and put them in the wash tub when Grandpa gets back with it. I'll go get some towels. You're not coming into my house till you get that smelly stuff off you!" Grandpa arrived with the tub, the boys put their clothes into the tub. They hosed off some more, then dried off with the towels handed to them by Grandma.
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"Thank you, boys, for the responsible way you took care of my property, but don't you ever do that again! George, go get Rose and tell her what these boys have been up to. Have her bring over some clean clothes. I'll take the boys in and get them bathed properly."
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Grandpa walked next door to his daughter-in-law's house, and laughingly, told of the boy's heroic efforts on behalf of Libby's tin cup."That's terrible, Pop. Chuck could have been suffocated! Ugh! They must smell awful! Are you sure they aren't hurt?"
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"No, Rosie, they're fine. A bit excited is all. Libby is giving them a bath, they'll need some clean clothes. That Raymond of yours is pretty conscientious with other peoples property for just 6 years old. Not too concerned with his cousin's welfare, though."
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As they walked next door, to the scene of the crime, Rose got a mental picture of the events and started to giggle. "I'm sorry for laughing, are you sure they're all right?" Grandpa reassured her, then grabbed Blue to clean and dry him off, as Rose walked to the kitchen, where the boys were standing, toweling off. Rose handed them the clean clothes and tried hard not to laugh as they dressed. As soon as they finished dressing, they ran back outside to play. Rose turned to her mother-in-law,
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'Thanks, Mom, for cleaning them up. Ethel is so fastidious, she will die when she finds out how her son spent the afternoon. Are you going to gild that cup and save it with the rest of your souvenirs?""
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"That cup has already been retired to its final resting place, we don't need it around to remind us of this little episode!"
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Grandma and Grandpa are both gone now, as is my Mother, Rose, and my Aunt Ethel. My brother, Ray, and my cousin, Chuck, now 70 and 80, respectinely, still sputter and turn red when this story is told. Neither of them knew until much, much later that Grandma eighty-sixed the valuable tin cup the moment they were out of sight.
