On Christmas Eve, Prof. Neimadry surprised his elderly wife Mildred with an unusual gift of his own creation. "It is a rejuvenation tablet. Swallow it, and within the next 15 minutes, you can exude as many years as you want by blowing them into a balloon. This method enables you to get to the exact younger age you want," he explained. "I want you to be at the center of attention at the college party tomorrow," he added with a wink.

Mildred was ecstatic. She took the tablet with a swig of cola, and then began to expel her excess years into a bright blue balloon the Professor provided. She blew and blew, and blew some more, until the balloon became nearly as big as her head. Lowering the balloon, she asked, "How do I look?"

The Professor almost crossed his eyes at what he saw. "Mildred, you expelled too many years. True, you no longer look like a woman of 62. But you now look like a girl of 10," he said. Verifying that this was the case, Mildred asked how to get some of the years back. "Put the neck of the balloon back to you mouth and suck in a small amount," the Professor explained. Mildred moved the balloon toward her mouth, only to scratch her wrist on some needles from the Christmas tree. Surprised, she let go of the balloon, and she and the Professor watched helplessly as the rubber toy snaked wildly across the ceiling, growing smaller by the second.

On Christmas afternoon, the Professor did attend the party with his colleagues, and all her amazed at the person he brought as a guest. "That great granddaughter Millie of yours is really smart. You never run into a girl that age who knows history since World War II that well. Almost as if she lived it. She's a shining example of your intelligence," the college dean said, as Prof. Neimadry tried to loosen his collar.


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