Monologue by Millicent Hardy (was age 28, now age 4), recorded April 24, 2001:

"I guess I did it to myself. I had made it my life's work to mold my 5-year-old daughter Laurel into my idea of a perfectly behaved girl. I trucked no disobedience or foolishness. I was always telling Laurel to stop making noise, not to run or play in the house, to sit straight at the table, not to play with her food; in general, to be seen but not heard. I gave her a long list of 'not-to-dos.' She would be a little lady, not an unruly child.

"But lately, Laurel had begun to rebel. Yell at her to stop fidgeting while in the presence of adults, and she'd likely yell back 'No!' before running away and hiding. Being smaller than me, she could fit into places I couldn't. 'If I was only small enough to go in after her, would she be sorry,' I thought.

"Then the doorbell rang. It was a strange man with a double-pointed beard who offered me a ball that, when tossed at my feet, would grant my wish. And it was FREE! I took the ball and did as he instructed. And when the smoke cleared, I had become Laurel's size and age. From now on, she could run, but she couldn't hide from me.

"So I immediately squeezed into Laurel's hiding place, pulled her out and read her the riot act. 'From now on, missy, you can't hide from me because I'm small enough to go wherever you go. In fact, I'm small enough to get into places you can't,' I threatened. Then Laurel formed a broad smile and said, 'Yes, you are now a little smaller than me. And younger!'

"Anyway, that's me to the left of Laurel in the photo, and well, considering the changed circumstances, I now do what Laurel says. And you know, I'm beginning to enjoy being an unruly child!"


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