Toph is a tiny tower of stubbornness – with her arms crossed and her face full of thunder. This new nanny cannot make her play the flute. No previous nanny has ever succeeded. But the new nanny was very different from Nannies past.
The new nanny did not even try to make her.
The new nanny did not even try and stop her when she threw an enormous tantrum.
Previously whenever Toph threw a tantrum, there would be much ado. All manner of fuss would ensue and eventually Toph always got her way. Toph would gauge how long it would take the Nannies to crack by how long they withstood the tantrum before they gave in to her demands.
But Nanny 4 just sat there, calmly sipping tea, while Toph screamed and stamped with all her might.
Nanny's nonchalance was confusing and infuriating and made Toph scream and stamp all the more. Eventually Toph found that she had screamed and stamped herself hoarse. She was exhausted and rolled over and lay flat on her back. (at one point during the tantrum, Toph had thrown herself on the ground and it became a two hands and two feet style tantrum). While Toph lay panting, Nanny asked casually if Toph felt better – after getting her tantrum out of her system. Toph stuck her tongue out at Nanny.
Nanny said that she just wanted Toph to know that she did not respond to tantrums – she had seen too many tantrums to be bothered by them now. Toph would not get her own way with Nanny by screeching and stamping her foot. But Toph could get her own way by being reasonable. If Toph could calmly explain to Nanny what she found so objectionable about the flute- then Nanny would consider other instruments for Toph.
Toph had never really been asked this question (even though she had hated the flute for as long as they had been trying to teach her.) she racked her brains for legitimate reasons. The biggest was that the flute just didn't make the sort of noises Toph liked. It sounded tinny and all the songs that the previous nannies had tried to teach her were insipid ballads.
Toph said all this to Nanny. Nanny said "hmm" in response. Then Nanny said that she had an idea. She took Toph's hand and they walked for a few meters. Then she put Toph's hands on some taut strings. Nanny told Toph to pluck at them. Toph did so and was most astonished at the sound. It was deep and melodious and she could even feel it in the string. Nanny said that was a good thing.
Music was meant to be felt.
