The hatching of Cynder: probably an ongoing tale...

Pictures and story by Leigh (9) who is not an english mother tongue speaker and who has also never had a single english lesson in her life. She taught herself to read the language fluently and with understanding and is now in the process of learning to write in english as well

(Click on the images to enlarge)

The terrified little fishie

I commissioned Leigh to design my profile picture for my facebook profile. Have you ever seen a more terrified fish. Leigh's ability to generate emotion even in these pictures drawn by mouse on the pc never fails to amaze me.

Click on the image to enlarge it if you want see the actual size picture.

Hey, cow, what's that on your ear?

Leigh drew this picture on her dad's computer yesterday. We all wondered what the little thing on the middle cow's head was as the sent version were too small to see. It was only after we got the original that we saw...

When we asked what was up with that, Leigh said: "Nothing. He tells them where to go. That's all."

"But why?" I asked.

The answer came over her shoulder on her way back to the pc. "Because they're too big to see."

(Click on the picture for detail)

The issue of dragons...

Leigh issued me with a handmade voucher for four dragon eggs this morning. We were just having an ordinary everyday breakfast, but I could see this was an event which carried a bigger significance than the usual breakfast table events or random handing-over of things and that some measure of solemnity accompanied by discernable signs of appreciation was required from me.

“Thank you so much, sweetheart, this is just what I always wanted: dragon eggs. When can I collect them?”

“What are you going to do with them?” The eyes were narrow slits, the expectation tangible. This was a test question.

“Oh, I’ll keep them on my dressing table to make it look pretty and to make me think of you.” I knew I had failed the test after “keep”, I could see it in her shocked eyes, but kept going like a brave trooper on a suicide mission.

“Noooooo! They’re not for keeping!”

“What does one do with dragon eggs, Leigh?” asked big sister no. 2, deciding to bail me out this time. (The big sisters and I have a system whereby we bail each other out in the event of tight Leigh spots and in the process the bailer outer earns bail out credit for when it is her turn to stand in the dock for not knowing obvious stuff.)

“You warm them.”

“And then?”

“They crack, of course.”

“Oh. So?”

“And then dragon babies will come out.”

“Why do I want dragon babies? I have you.” I ask.

“They will grow up.”

“Why do I want grown up dragons?”

She looks at me for a long long time. “Because one has to have dragons.”

Do thieves have mothers?

On the way to school in the car this morning Leigh asked: "Do thieves have mothers?"

I considered the question carefully. Sometimes her quizzes are typical childish quests for knowledge, but often they are tests designed to determine the level of my social comprehension which in her view is sometimes sadly lacking.

"Yes, they do," I eventually said, confident this one is not a trick question. I mean, it's a straight forward birds and bees matter and she knows that everything that breathes has to have a mother of some kind, right?

But alas "No, they don't," she says.

"Every living thing has a mother, Leigh."

"Thieves don't, you dummy!" she replies with friendly indulgence.

"How come?" I ask.

"Because they don't get born!"

A genie, a race, a show, a castle and a couple of smiling damsels

"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture..."
John Adams - US diplomat & politician (1735 - 1826)

My daughter drew this picture on her PC. In spite of her autism she uses several different software packages without ever having been shown how any of it works. I am convinced that she allready knows much more about computers than I ever will - probably because unlike me she has no fear of them.

Do yourself a favour and click on the image to see the blown up detail: there is a genie, a race and a show complete with audience consisting of winged unicorn ponies, plus a castle with damsels in the towers.

Maybe those children who speak less see more.