There once was a girl who lived in Ethiopia. She came home from a long day of playing by
the diseased creek.
"What's for supper?" she asked her mom.
"Nothing," her mother replied.
"Awww, I hate leftovers," the girl said.
"Why don't you go play with Fred?" asked the girl's mother.
"He died three days ago," said the girl.
"Sally?"
"At the basket weaving factory."
"Bertha?"
"Her parents married her off to a coal shoveler in who lives in Quebec."
"Then who were you just playing with?"
"My two-headed frog."
"A two-headed frog?" her mother asked.
"He lives out in the pond out by the nuclear power plant," the girl replied.
"Susan! I thought I told you not to hang around the nuclear power plant."
Susan's dad walked in.
"Who in the hell are you?" he asked her.
"Your daughter," said Susan.
"How old are you?"
"Six."
"Get a job!" he told her.
Susan's dad walked out singing, "Hey, I'm a cow-I'm curious-Hey, watch me now- I'm
furious....."
"We should move away from this nuclear plant before we have to commit your father,"
said Susan's mother.
"Mother?" said Susan.
"Yes?"
"He was committed, remember?" asked Susan, "but he escaped."
"Oh, yeah!" said Susan's mother, "Why don't you go play with Fred?"
"He died three days ago."
"Oh."
"Can I go watch TV?" asked Susan.
"Yes, dear," said Susan's mother, "Should I run the blender and pretend we have food in
it?"
"Sure, mother."
Susan walked into the living room and turned on the TV to ESPN. Flipping through the
500 channels, she found nothing. She turned it off and turned her attention to the Van
Gough painting on the wall. Bored, she turned on the TV. again. She saw a commercial
for "Save the Children."
"Every day thousands of children die from starvation," said the announcer. She walked up
to a tall, thin Ethiopian woman.
"Hey, Mom!" yelled Susan, "Mrs. Olsen's on TV!"
"Can you describe to us the horror you have to live with every day?" the lady on TV
asked Mrs. Olsen.
"It's horrible. We....we....It's too bad I can't say!" Mrs. Olsen said.
"Go on, you can do it," coaxed the lady."
"My children only have a Playstation....we can't afford a Playstation 2, Oh God!" Mrs.
Olsen said, and the burst out crying.
Susan rolled her eyes and switched off the TV, "Doesn't she know that Playstation 2 is
SO last year?"
Susan's father walked into the living room.
"Who in the hell are you?" he asked.
"Your daughter," said Susan.
"Six, right? asked her father.
"Yep."
"Good, then you're old enough to remove the clown."
"Clown?" Susan asked.
"Go away!" yelled her father, "Don't come in here, damn it, stop crying, go away!"
He ran and hid behind the TV, "I hate depressed clowns!"
Susan shook her head at the blank TV.