My niece ME is 4 years old. As she is 8 months older than Miss M she asserts she is the big girl on an almost daily basis and at times talks to Miss M like she is the wise maiden aunt who has led a long life and seen much of the world.
On ME’s birthday a couple of months ago we went round for tea and were present at the sad demise of her hamster, ‘Micey’. One minute she was huddled in a box being stroked and admired by several small hands, the next she was very, very still.
ME carried her little furry friend into the kitchen and looking up sadly at Granny and Uncle Steve she whispered;
ME: “Granny, is Micey dead?”
My mum and brother looked at each other in horror then gently told ME and then Misses E and M, who had come to get a closer look at the deceased, that Micey had indeed gone to Hamster Heaven. We expected tears, hollers of unbridled grief, tearing of hair and gnashing of teeth, and indeed ME was most distraught, but while Miss E was sad, Miss M was very matter of fact about the whole thing.
Miss M: “Can we have cake now Mummy?”
I suppose there are times when that extra 8 months really make a difference tee hee. ME had a new hamster the next day who she named ‘Bally’ because he likes to go in his ball, and although there are still a few moments where ME talks about Micey (the dead one), she seems to have pretty much laid her to rest.
However, from the passing of this small hairy being, a new larger scarier creature has arrived. Cousin ME has become a little obsessed with, er, expiration.
For example. We’re at my mum’s house. Miss M and cousin ME are back from Nursery and playing with cousin baby J. As ME wanders in to the living room I notice her little sister is nowhere to be seen and that I can’t hear her.
Me: “Where’s J gone ME?
My small niece peers at me through her little bespectacled eyes then continues on towards the seesaw in the middle of the room, shrugging nonchalantly as she passes me.
ME: “She’s dead.”
I rush past her into the conservatory to find baby J happily curled up with a book.
Me: “ME, that’s not a good thing to say sweetie. Baby J is fine.” But I’m saying this struggling to keep a straight face.
A couple of weeks later and again we’re at Granny’s where me and my mum look after all the littlies on a Monday and a Wednesday as my SIL is at work.
Cousin ME: “Miss M will die soon Jo.”
ME: “Cough, splutter. I hope not ME. I’m sure she’ll be here for a long long time yet.”
ME fixes me with a stern look, her mouth a line, eyebrows raised;
ME: We all die Auntie Jo. Even hamsters.”
Snort. Is it bad that I’m finding this funny? I mean, it’s a four year old’s take on mortality, that’s cute right?
She also has developed this thing where when she hears a person’s age and they’re older than about 12 she announces solemnly that ‘they’ll probably die soon.’ She doesn’t address these comments to anyone in particular, it’s just a passing remark as she goes about her business. Sighhhh, she’s such a charmer.
The best one yet though, is that she has recently decided she would like a puppy. Mummy and Daddy wisely, cough, tell her that when she is bigger, and when Bally dies and she has no more pets, she ‘might’ get a puppy.
So, every morning at Chez Brother of Beaufoix, this happens…
Heh heh. I love that kid.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Well thats kind of funny and kind of scary at the same time! I hope poor Bally does not meet an untimely death, due to the need of a new puppy!
LOL, I guess every kid deals with the concept of death differently. I remember when our second cat died a couple of years ago, TFYO decided that this cat had gone off to join our other deceased cat wherever it is dead cats go. Apparently, Ray’s grandad joined the cats, too.
Aw, it is cute. What a strange darling child. lol
this totally makes me laugh. i think you told me this in schmesco, but i was a little losing-it at the time, and didn’t really convey how funny my brain thought it was.
but that wee girl is a hoot. i particularly loved the fact that any glass placed within a foot of her on saturday seemed to not be able to stay standing.
oh that didn’t make any sense. i’m going to bed. mwah.
i hope she doesn’t foretell any more deaths.
LOL. I think you have the makings of a children’s book here– in a satirical Edward Gory fashion.
I feel weird saying that’s cute…but it is. LOL
That’s lovely. She seems to be working out the world, in typical four year old fashion.
Today, as she was sitting on the toilet, my four year old told me quite solemnly that “Old people die. When we get old we die. Soon you will be old, Mommy”.
My little sister left the top of her hamster cage open one day and Carrots (the hamster) got out and fell into the aquarium next to the cage. Poor sis found him floating in the tank and had hysterics…so Micey’s death could have been worse
Tilly was very ‘into’ death at four. She used to tell people she was glad to meet them because they would be dead soon. *sigh* we did not get many invites …
Enjoy ME, she sounds gorgeous. I love quirky kids!
How can you not love her, i just love the whole post. A 4 year olds take on anything is amusing
ahahah. She’d be perfectly prepared for farm life. Eli’s favorite phrase is: ‘If we’re going to have live-stock, we’re gonna have dead-stock…’
this is awful I know but for some reason it makes me think of Kreacher from the Harry Potter books who would say nasty things about people in front of them but not too them…
Not that she’s being nasty, she isn’t at all… but it’s so funny to think of her saying “She’ll die soon”
I should stop laughing and stop typing…
eeeeeekkkkkkkkk sort of creepy. or maybe I just watched the movie “hide and seek” this week….and little girls FREAK ME OUT!
or….
she is just processing it all. Totally natural. But hope it ends soon.
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