His Shoes

We're reading The World Of Pooh, and Owl is busy explaining how they are going to Issue a reward, which Pooh mistakes for a sneeze, sending them both into a fit of confusion as to whether any sneezing is in fact taking place or not.

"Get it?" I ask the boys, "Issue, sounds a bit like Hetchu..." 

“Ahhh-ha-ha-ha” Screams Tizzy. “His SHOE’S?!!! That is SO funny mama! His shoe’s a reward!!! Oh that Pooh!”

“Iz funny- ‘Izz Shoe’s” Zip chimes in. 

Zip’s currently going through a bit of a shoe fetish. Tizzy recently had a birthday, and while Zip’s birthday, two months earlier, was a bit of a love fest, a gift for you, a gift for me, Tizzy's quite clear who’s gifts these are, and brother be damned. Unwrap a harmonica, puff a little tune, “Ahhh, look at these lovely new roller skates. These are my skates Zip! You have to wait ‘till you’re my age before you can have skates like these.” Hum a little riff. 

Zip follows Tizzy, as he skates down the street, head bowed low, staring at his socks, lamenting “Where’s Zip’s skates? Where are ‘dem?”

Back at the house, deflated and dejected, he busies himself with a bag of hand me downs that have been brought to the party, and pulls out an oversized pair of brown loafers. “Is Tizzy’s?”  Tizzy casts a dismissive look at the shoe’s and continues reeling away on his harmonica. “Is Zip’s?” I give him an affirmative nod and he perks up all aplomb. “Is Zip’s. Is Zip’s big boy shoes!” 

He has similarly acquired a pair of weathered leather sandals, which, when not being affectionately cradled, are actively being sought out. “Zip’s shoe’s? Where’s Zip’s big boy shoe’s? Ockh..here dem are!” He even insists on sleeping in them. We tuck him in at night, carefully fluffing the covers up around the rubber soles so he doesn’t end up in a tangled mess, and we tell him what a big boy he is in his big boy shoe’s and he smiles sleepily and whispers “Yes.” 

Then in the middle of the night, when he gets up seeking another sip of water, we're forewarned with a Thunk, slap, swish, slap, as he noisily makes his way down the hall.

His shoes. A reward indeed.