Angel on Assignment Vol I

First baby climbed up one level of the soft white steps and cradled a sack of cracked wheat like a big doll. Later, she put that bag down and climbed higher, until she was perched on the very top of the flour sacks. As she sat there, she kicked her feet and watched the flour dust rise in little puffs and settle like smoke. Tiring of that action, she began to roll over the humps and bumps. Angel was kept busy preventing Baby from rolling off and cracking her head on the concrete floor. Next thing, Baby tried sliding down the whole heap as she had done on the corn cob mountain. That operation resulted in dislodging some of the cornmeal bags. One slid all the way to the floor. Angel blocked the cornmeal slide, preventing a cornmeal avalanche that might have put Baby on the bottom, covered with twenty-five pound sacks. Baby was game to play there some more, but Angel thought the little adventurer was in enough trouble already and nudged her out the door. Baby left little white tracks from the porch to her little red wagon which was parked by the steps. She "drove" innocently to the tree where she saw Uncle repairing some machinery.

When he saw the little white munchkin, he laid his tools down and calmly said, "Get in your wagon, I'll take you for a little ride."

He pulled the wagon up to the porch door. Angel was feeling a little sorry for Baby.

Uncle said, "Get out and come in."

Baby obediently did as she was told, still apparently not expecting any problems.

Uncle pointed to the sack of corn meal on the floor and the general disarray of the other bags, "Who do you think did this?"

Baby had a quick convincing answer, "I think some big fairies did it." Uncle said, "Well, I'll tell you what I think. The evidence is that you did it." Baby said, "What's evidence?"

"Let me show you what I mean by evidence. Do you see those little puffs of flour around that footprint?"

"Yes."

"Now you step in that print."

She did.

"See how your foot fits that print? All right now, let me show you something else. See those dirty tracks on the bags? Your shoe fits them, too. Now begin to brush your clothes. See the flour dust fly? The evidence is pretty strong that you did it. Did you climb up on the sacks and then roll around on top of the flour?"

Baby nodded in the affirmative.

Angel just stood back and watched.

Uncle replaced the bag of cornmeal and straightened up the other sacks. Then he brushed the dirt off of them.

Uncle said very firmly, "Don't you ever climb up there again. Do you understand?"