Whimsical Delight

Today Charlie and I sat down with Fairy Tales From Hans Christian Andersen and enjoyed reading the short tale of The Princess and the Pea. This edition of fairy tales is beautifully illustrated and Charlie is enchanted by some of the characters depicted. I highly recommend it.


After we finished our reading, I brought out our Princess and the Pea game (Yes, I played a princess game with my little boy. What's it to ya?) from HABA. HABA is a german company that makes very sweet and lovely games and toys that are a pleasure to look at as well as touch. Beautiful woods, nice fabrics, sweet images, they are meant to inspire a whimsical delight in children and adults alike. We have a few different HABA games and enjoy them all. However, they are not always played as designed, and sometimes I wonder about the whole "whimsical delight" thing. Maybe it's because I have boys. Let me illustrate...

The object of the game is to pile the cloth matresses, pillows and quilts upon a tiny pea without causing them to topple. A practice in patience and a gentle touch. Of course we only played it this way for about 30 seconds before the boy decided to make it more interesting....



He dispensed with the die and orderly turn-taking, and haphazardly piled the pieces high, balancing them with impressive speed, before SMASHING them all down and making the little wooden princess "Run Away Into The Dark Forest". (Now do you see how a boy might be attracted to this game?)



Then of course comes the real peril. The princess is not alone in the dark forest. Oh no. She is being chased down, hunted if you will, by the accursed pea. (I think he had an Indiana Jones being chased by the boulder type of scenario in mind.)




Of course I was forced to act as the dangerous pea and the whole thing ended in me claiming the pea could fly and ate wild animals and little boys. Round and round the dining room table we went until he fell into fits of giggles on the floor. Then the pea fell upon him and ate him. Hmm...I guess maybe there was a little bit of whimsical delight there. Ah, boys. What would we do without them?


** Click here for Bonus material!! See more "whimsical delight" from the older boys in a new "Do It Now!" Film production entitled Rock Monster's Bathroom Break.