What I always thought
My Dad had been telling this story for as long as I can remember. It would always involve the end of a big meal with lots of family around and it had to be dark, except for the lit candle of course. Since his stroke in 2001 and his passing in 2011, I have not heard the story told.
The family in my Dad’s version of the story always involved 4 family members and a handyman. I found a couple of versions online one of which involved a family member who went to college and his mouth was straight which makes no sense to me because it’s about a family of crooked mouth people. The other version involved a police officer who happened by just when they needed him. This one didn’t make sense to me so I’m going to stick with my Dad’s version.
Now for the story (names changed to protest the innocent)
Once upon a time there was a family called Crooked Mouth. They got their odd name because all the family members had crooked mouths. Pa Pa’s mouth was crooked off to the right. Ma Ma’s mouth was crooked off to the left. Their oldest child was a boy named Billy. Billy’s mouth was crooked in the down direction. The youngest child was a girl named Jane. Jane’s mouth was crooked in the up direction. They also had a Handyman who lived with them named George.
One night there was a fierce storm and all the electricity was out so the Crooked Mouths lit a candle so they could see. When it got to be bed time, they decided to blow out the candle and go to bed.
Pa Pa blew at the candle but all his efforts missed to the right of the flame. Ma Ma said to Pa Pa, “Move over and let me do it!”. She tried and tried but she missed to the left. Billy was the next to try bragging that he could do it. He couldn’t missing below the flame. Jane thought she would try but she missed high. Just when they were about to give up all hope of ever extinguishing the flame, George, who had been watching in amusement, stepped in front of the lit candle, licked his thumb and fore finger, and pinched out the flame.
The moral of the story is …. Could be several. Could be always lick your fingers before touching a candle flame. I like there is more than one way to accomplish a goal.
