Nathan and Cathy watched as a flying saucer landed near their remote summer home, and two strange bug-like creatures emerged. Nathan's reaction was typical. "Wife, you stay here while I go see what they want. This isn't anything for women to get involved in. If trouble starts, your big, strong husband will protect you," he said as Cathy scowled.

Watching Nathan approach, the space creatures became ecstatic. "A perfect specimen for this planet. Let's capture it," One said. "But he is too old. You know how short-lived they are on this planet. Unless we return him to his earliest stage of life, he will not last the trip back to our home planet," the other remarked.

So the creatures pulled out a device, aimed it at Nathan, and activated it. Surrounded by the resulting glowing ball of light, Nathan began to feel himself growing younger. At first he enjoyed getting back his high school physique, when he was a star athlete. But his muscles soon gave way to the skinny arms of preadolescence. He felt is bones contract, while shirt, shoes and then socks evaporated. And as Nathan passed into his preschool years, he felt strange changes underneath that were revealed when his pants evaporated and he saw that his jockey shorts had morphed into a diaper. Finally, his little legs got rubbery, and Nathan plopped diapered-bottom-first onto the ground.

But unobserved by the creatures, Cathy had snuck up behind them and doused them with her freshly made pitcher of lemonade. "Eeeeeee! My skin is burning," one creature yelled in pain. "Such vicious, acidic weapons they have. Let's scram," the other said. They retreated into their saucer and quickly departed.

Cathy picked up the infant Nathan, who promptly announced, "I guess we showed them!" To which Cathy replied, "What do you mean 'we'?" Puzzled, Nathan stammered, "You suppose what they did to me will wear off soon? You'll treat me the same until them?" But Cathy only smiled. After years of Nathan's macho and condescending behavior, she liked the change. "Provided you are a good little boy who listens and obeys his mommy," Cathy grinned back at her youthened husband. And tapping his bottom for emphasis, she added, "But if you aren't"

And then it was off to the mall, where Cathy eagerly purchased Nathan's layette. And Nathan threw the first of many crying tantrums when Cathy decided to buy the baby blue blanket sleeper with Barney appliqués, instead of the red one with NASCAR logos.


Click here to go back to previous page