Foiled

Today

At our family gathering yesterday my two-year old great niece Charlotte showed just how much she likes chocolate. I'd decorated a little tree especially for the children to enjoy and I offered each child a foil-wrapped chocolate bauble.

Charlotte ate hers with relish and quickly persuaded another relative to give her a second one. Later I noticed two or three empty foil wrappers still attached to the string and tree, showing that Charlotte had worked out how to help herself.

In My Day

When Caspian the dog came to live with us back in 1984, we were inexperienced in the ways and wiles of dogs. That Christmas we put the tree up in the window as usual with all its decorations. One evening we all went out to visit cousins, leaving Cas in sole charge.

When we returned, I did think it somewhat unusual to see Cas with his paws up on the window sill watching anxiously for our return. When we walked into the sitting room the reason for his anxiety was plain.

He'd eaten every single chocolate from the tree, leaving, as did Charlotte, the string and foil still hanging. One has to marvel at the dexterity with which he had achieved this feat without otherwise damaging the tree. He knew exactly what he'd done wrong, but he was quite unable to resist the temptation. We simply had to lock him away in future.

I hope it won't come to this with the delightful Charlotte and I now know the quickest way to her heart!