A/N: I'm skipping into the future here. I'll probably skip around a lot from here on. Anyway, this piece was inspired Grizfolk's "Way Back When". However, I do not own the song, the movie, or any of that. And, yes, I misspelled pretend on purpose.
Chapter 3
Mr. Peabody gave a soft sigh. He had never in his life done something so undignified. But, all the parenting books he'd read said it was an integral part of childhood and could even be used to teach children important lessons. Not to mention the fact that Sherman was looking at him with those big, brown eyes again; and, despite the fact that he'd never admit it out loud, he had developed a weakness to "The Look" long ago.
"I suppose…" he said at last.
Immediately, Sherman's face split with a smile and the five-year-old began bouncing on his toes in excitement.
"Ok, ok," the boy said, forcing himself to stand still. "So, you gotta pertend you're gonna try to take over the world." Suddenly, the boy's eyes lit up. Mr. Peabody knew he'd had an idea, most likely a dangerous one. "Mr. Peabody, could we use one of your exper-expe- one of your 'spirements for the machine you use to take over the world?"
Mr. Peabody resisted the urge to rub his temples. "No, I don't think so, Sherman."
"Aww," the boy groaned. However, he knew better than to argue. Instead, he paused again, brow furrowing in thought. Then, his head shot up and he said, "I have a better idea."
With that, Sherman darted off to his room and came back a minute later with a pair of toy rapiers in his small hands.
"I can be the Scarlet Pim-pi…"
"Pimpernel," Peabody supplied, chuckling. He had recently been telling Sherman an "edited" version of the old tale set in the French Revolution. Maybe someday, when the boy was older, they'd go see the Revolution… if Sherman promised to stay close.
"Right! And you can be Chau- The bad guy!"
Peabody smiled. Fencing, he could do. Perhaps he could even teach Sherman a little something of the art.
"Sherman, do you remember what I told you fighting with these kinds of swords is called?"
The boy's face scrunched up in thought, an expression at which Peabody laughed to himself. Then, Sherman said, "Oh, yeah! Fencing."
"That's right," Mr. Peabody said, giving Sherman a smile, at which the boy beamed in return. "People still fence today, in friendly competitions. Do you want me to show you a little of how it's done?"
"Yeah!" Sherman said, bouncing on his toes again. "Then, it'll look real when we pertend."
"That's true." Peabody said with another laugh. "Now, before they begin, the…fighters," the dog substituted, trying to use words his boy would understand, "raise their swords, like this."
Peabody lifted his "blade" and waited for Sherman to do the same. When the boy did, the dog went on.
"Then, they cross them." He brought the two plastic swords together between them. "And, they say, 'En garde.'"
"On guard?" Sherman asked.
"That's what the phrase means in English. But, they say it in French. En garde. Do you understand?"
"I…think so," Sherman replied slowly.
"Good. Then, they fight; and, when one person touches the other, like this," Peabody used his sword to poke Sherman lightly in the stomach, making the boy giggle. "the person who touched the other says, 'touché' which is French for 'touch.' The person who 'scored the touch' is the winner. See?"
Sherman considered all this information and then bobbed his head in an affirmative. "I think I got it."
"Alright. Ready?" Peabody raised the little sword again. Sherman mirrored him and their swords crossed.
"En garde!" Sherman shouted with only the slightest pause.
"Very good, Sherman!" Peabody praised, easily parrying the child's somewhat wild attacks. After a minute or two though, the dog stopped defending, letting Sherman poke him in the chest with the toy.
"Touchay!" said the boy, slightly mispronouncing the word.
"Good job, Sherman," Peabody said with another smile. Sherman's answering toothy grin outshone the sun.
"Can we do that again, Mr. Peabody?"
Maybe this "playing pretend" wasn't so bad after all. "I don't see why not."
Peabody thought back to all those parenting books and websites. According to them, Sherman should be wanting to play "superheroes and villains" or something else called "cowboys and Indians." Here he was happily playing "The Scarlet Pimpernel" instead. It was just one more way that Sherman was different from other kids; but, Mr. Peabody wouldn't have had it any other way.
A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. Let me know in a review!
