Okay, I decided to throw in a few of my own concoctions in this one. As always thanks for the awesome reviews and hope their more to ccome!
Getting Acquainted with the Naughty Mat
LIE #14
Piegi was sitting on the naughty mat, thinking hard about what she had done, or maybe it would be more accurate to say that she was trying to figure out what she had done to make her mother so angry. All she could think was that she had spouted off a word Uncle Tank had said and then all of a sudden she was being thrust onto the dread itchy mat. Her mother was now ignoring her and her father was in his office probably unaware, as of yet, of what had happened.
When the doorbell rang Stephanie yelled that it was open and in came Uncle Bobby. He smiled down at Peigi and received only a grimace in return, prompting him to ask what was wrong. Being on the naughty mat Peigi knew that she wasn't allowed to talk so she pointed to the sign above her head. "NAUGHTY MAT" it said in Ranger's even hand. Bobby nodded and leaned in close so that only she could hear him. "What did you do?" he whispered.
Peigi glanced quickly around to make sure Stephanie was anywhere near, "I said a word that Uncle Tank used and Mummy sent me here."
"Aww, that's too bad, maybe she should have sent Uncle Tank to the Naughy Mat with you," he suggested. Looking around again he leaned still closer. "I have a surefire way to get Mummy happy with you again." Peigi's eyes brightened at the prospect, she hated when Mummy was mad at her. "Put all the dirty dishes in Mummy's car, drive it to the car wash, open all the windows and the sun roof before you go through and when you get home you'll have cleaned the dishes, the car AND yourself, she'll be so happy!"
Peigi looked at him cynically. "I'm too little, Uncle Bobby, you should know that. Think of a better plan!"
Bobby just shrugged, straightening up. "Suit yourself," he said.
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LIE # 15Ranger stormed into the house, fuming. Fire was practically coming out of his ears as he marched right on up to his daughter's bedroom. She was lying on the floor looking at a picture book.
"Stand up!" he commanded as if she were one of his men. With fear in her eyes Peigi did what she was told. Once she was standing at attention he began to pace in front of her. "Why did you do it?" he demanded.
Little, five-year-old Peigi shrugged her shoulders and followed her father's movements with her eyes, knowing that to move her head was suicide. "Do what, Daddy?"
He stopped right in front of her and glared into her eyes. "You painted my car."
Peigie shook her head slightly, never losing eye contact with her father's identical glare. "I didn't paint you car, Daddy, I painted you name on it."
His eyes narrowed, she had a point, the kid was too smart. "Why did you do it?" he repeated.
"Mummy told me to," Peigi stated without hesitation, "She said it would be easier for you to find in the parking lot if I wrote you name on it."
Straightening up Ranger pointed in the general direction of downstairs and said, "Naughty Mat, five minutes."
Peigi ran down the stairs and sat down obediently on the horrid naughty mat to wait out her sentence. Ranger followed her down but turned into the kitchen. From her vantage point Peigi could hear her mother laughing. "It only the Crayola paints, Ranger, it's water soluble!"
"I don't care, Stephanie, she needs to know not to do things like that!"
The laughter was fading from Stephanies voice with her next statement, "Alright, but you shouldn't be too hard on her, she's just a kid."
"Babe, you have to remember that if I had ever pulled anything like this on my dad, even at her age, I'd have been hung from the basement ceiling by my ankles for an hour with a basket of dirty socks under my nose!"
"I'm not saying she shouldn't be punished, I'm just saying that it's my fault, so go easy on her."
"May be I should punish you," Ranger said a little quieter.
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LIE #16The Naughty Mat was proving not be as effective as it once had been, Peigi was spending more and more time sitting silently on the scratchy mat in the hall, so today, after being caught throwing stones at pigeons Ranger sat her down on The Mat and explained a few new rules.
"Right," he began, "This has to stop, you won't be sitting on the scratchy mat today, no, you'll be standing upside down on the Naughty Mat." Seeing the fear in her eyes, he grinned. "That's right, you'll be spending the full six minutes in a handstand. And if your feet touch the mat, or the floor around ita blade will come out of the wall," he pointed to the wall on the opposite side of the hall, "and cut off you feet at the ankles."
Tears were running down her cheeks as she prepared to turn herself upside down.
Three minutes later Ranger returned to find his little girl gasping for her breath she was in such a state. The tears were still running down her face as he crouched in front of her. "Do you have anything to say to me?" he asked gently.
Peigi's response came in short bursts, "I'm- sorry-Daddy!" He chest was heaving and her little arms were trembling with the struggle to stay upright.
Ranger took pity on the child and picked her up, flipping her upright in one smooth motion. Cuddling her to his shoulder he assured her, "It's okay, Piggy, it's okay. I've turned off the blades. Do you promise to be a good girl?"
Peigi nodded emphatically and snuggled deeper into her father's shoulder, wiping her eyes on his black t-shirt.
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LIE #17It had been a rather stressful week at Rangeman and Ranger was looking forward to going home and just doing nothing. As he crossed the lawn he saw the stray mut squatting over his rose bush. He had had it this was the fifth time that month he had caught the dog in the act. He ran up behind the dog and kicked it hard in the side. As Ranger made his way to the front door, the dog galloped down the street, it's tail between its legs. As he opened then front door he saw both his girls in the hall, hands on hips and angry faces in place. Their expressions were identical and scared the living daylights out of him
"O-Oh," he uttered placing his keys in the dish by the door.
"Damn right, o-oh," Stephanie said. "You punish Piggy for being cruel to animals and now we find you kicking a dog! Double standards much?"
"Look, that's the fifth time-," Ranger began but she cut right across him.
"It's doesn't matter, you made Peigi stand on her hands on the Naughty Mat for half her age in minutes for throwing stones at birds, it's only fitting that you get the same punishment for kicking the dog." She pointed to the Mat on the floor. "Go on, Ranger, twenty minutes on your hands."
Hanging his head in shame, Ranger did as he was told. Once he was in position Peigi started the digital timer on the opposite wall and crouched down in front of his face. "I've had Mummy start the blades, if your feet touch the floor they'll be chopped off," she said, a smug grin on her little face.
Ranger could only shake his head in disbelief. She actually inspired fear in him.
000ooo000
It occurred to me that the contents of this story may offend some people. If this is so i am dreadfully sorry.
