The Little Birdies Story Winner!!

http://periodicpresidents.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/5-dollar-bill.jpg

Travis has done it again!  He won the little birdies challenge and $5.00 is on its way to Texas.  OK, cousins, is anyone going to challenge Travis or are y'all going to let him win every time?

In case you didn't get to read the Little Birdies story, here it is.  The person telling the story is Grayson Hyrum Jones.  He is Harold Jones' (your Grandpa Jones) big brother.  Harold wasn't born yet when this story took place.

LITTLE BIRDIES LEARN LIFE'S LESSON

Mom had baked a cake.  Cakes were few and far between.  Most of the eggs were bartered at the store for needs such as baking soda, matches, and coal oil, but this day we were getting a cake.

Boy, did it smell good.  Gertrude and I watched its creation every step of the way.  After it was out of the oven and cooled, mom did a strange thing, she set it down on the low bench by the side of the table.

"Children, I am going to the post office.  I am leaving this cake here.  Do not touch it.  We will eat it later tonight after supper.  Grayson, you are responsible for Gertrude and Alice."  She put on her broad-brimmed black hat and left for the post office.  She always wore her hat to keep the sun from damaging the skin on her face.  It was approximately a half mile from the outskirts of Tabiona to the post office.  

We were good for about ten minutes.  Then I said, "I am a little birdie.  I will eat just this crumb."  I selected a small crumb on the edge of the plate.

http://www.olgafed.com/img/photo/olga_federova_portfolio_photography_photos_design_graphic_designer_a_bird_eating_cake_table_bits_plates.jpg

Gertrude copied me.  "I am a little birdie too."  She selected another crumb beside the cake.  I took another peck.  She took another peck.  Soon it was necessary to select a small spot on the bottom of the cake, where it was not too obvious, for me to take my little peck.  Gertrude, being three-and-a-half, was not as coordinated as I was and her peck really showed.

Baby Alice, who was just beginning to walk, toddled over.  She took a handful.  I knew we were doomed.  We all began to eat as much as we could.  Finally, Alice climbed up and straddled the bench beside the cake.  Needless to say, it was a mess.

As soon as I heard mom walking up to the door, I headed for the bed and crawled under it.  Gertrude followed.  Alice sat contentedly with the cake between her legs, eating.

http://www.startsatsixty.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Kids-eating-cake-startsatsixty.jpg

Mom came in, methodically took off her hat, picked up Alice, washed her off and set her on the bed.  She put the remains of the cake up on the table.  Then she took the razor strap off the door handle and called for Gertrude.  Gertrude did not budge.  Mom came over, leaned down beside the bed, grabbed Gertrude's foot and dragged her out.  Gertrude got several swats with the razor strap.  I knew I was really going to get it.  I flattened myself tightly against the wall but then I realized that if I resisted it would be worse so I crawled out from under the bed.  I got five swats, one for each year of my life.

Three or four years later I asked mom why she left the cake right where we could get it.  "I knew you would eat it," she replied.  "That's why I left it there."  

This is who WE are!  We were raised by parents and grandparents who were taught to be honest and obey their parents.  My Grandma Jones set her kids up for failure that day.  She knew they would eat the cake while she was gone.  And I really respect her for it.  It was a difficult lesson to learn but one that really stayed with them the rest of their lives.  Grayson was an old man when he told this story to his little sister, Meada, to put in her book, but he still remembered it all of those years later.