Skip’s paw turned the TV’s switch with an entourage of anticipative critters surrounding him. There was a certain tense aura around the living room that could not be shaken off. Afterall, it had been a long ordeal to attempt to get this TV fixed. It had cost Harlin Hopscotch lots of time and resources, as well as mental frustration.
But, to no merriment, the TV did not turn on. It was still a very dark, and motionless screen.
“What?!” Harlin cried out in agony. “How can this be?! It’s impossible. The repairman said he pretty much took every measure to make sure the TV would be fixed this time.”
“Please don’t get too worked up, dear,” Heidi said in a concerned tone.
“I’m not working up! I’m furious! This is getting ridiculous!” Harlin yelled.
Mason and Natalie, feeling very out of place among this scene, quickly said a polite goodbye and excused themselves.
Grace, toddling along from the kitchen with a strawberry tart in her hand, noticed everything.
Her short size caused her to go unnoticed among a crestfallen Skip, a worried Heidi, and a screaming Harlin. Toddling about, she made her way to the TV, examining it for a bit.
“Mama?” she said.
“Not right now, Grace. Mom and Dad are busy. Go play with your toys,” Skip said.
Grace, young and not the best at eloquent communication, left. The small rabbit sat herself down upstairs and bit her tart, whilst telling her younger siblings, “They just won’t listen.”
Harlin fumed, his television was broken! He had loved and used that machine for 18 years, since the day he bought the Deluxe Village House. It had never caused any problems before and after bring it in to the shop for more than one repair, Harlin was getting anxious. What if the TV had to be thrown away? What if it was truly broken?
Bell and Bellia attempted to make their father feel better, they prepared a chocolate donut and a cup of coffee and laid it on the dining table. Paired with a new edition of the Calico Times, the sisters hoped this would cheer their father up.
They ushered their father to take a break from everything and relax.
“It’s going to be okay,” Bellia said, “I’m sure the TV’s fine.”
Harlin sighed, “I can’t believe it, Bellia, it might never be able to work again.”
“That’s preposterous!”
Just then, Grace descended down the stairs and tugged at her father’s red pants. “Daddy,” she said, “I can help.”
Harlin looked down and replied, “That’s sweet of you, Grace, but I don’t think you can. Now be a big girl and take Honey, Hopper and Henry to Luke’s treehouse for a playdate.”
Grace wanted to say something, but she went up the stairs to get the rest of the babies. Bellia offered to go and watch them, leaving Harlin to sulk about the loss of one of his favorite machines.
After Heidi finished making lunch for everyone else, she called the repair critter. “It should work,” he said, “How many times did you try?”
“More than enough,” Heidi explained, “It just won’t turn on, no light, no sound, nothing at all.”
The repair critters told Heidi, he’d personally come and see what was wrong on the following day. The Hopscotch Rabbit family seemed gloomy, the television was a key part of Harlin’s day, so the family decided to be there for him and try not to seem too cheery.
At Luke’s treehouse, Henry was sleeping on the hammock while Honey, Hopper and Luke played a game of hide and seek. “Ready or not, here I come!” Luke announced.
Grace sat on the wooden swing, talking to Bellia. Grace had told her older sister that she could and wanted to help. Bellia, of course, said that it was preposterous, and Grace shouldn’t bite off more than she could chew. “Big girls can help!” she argued.
“I understand, but this is a television we’re talking about. You’re far too young to fix it.”
Grace rebutted, “I’m a big girl! I know what’s wrong.”
“Now, now, Grace, big girls don’t shout,” Bellia lectured.
“Oh...okay.”
Later on, Bellia and the babies returned home.
When the opened the door, the noticed that dinner was already on the table, it was rather simple today. Boiled flour, steamed carrots and tea. Harlin sat at the couch, newspaper turned to the ads section. He was busy contemplating on what to do, there was an ad that bought used broken televisions at a partial price, then Harlin could use the money to buy a new one. Another part of Harlin wanted his treasured television and keep hoping. The feeling in the house was sad, no one said much. The television was an important piece of furniture in the house.
Heidi came to her husband and sat down next to him. Unfortunately it appeared that she would have to be the bearer of bad news. “I don’t think we can keep it,” she began, “We’ve tried almost everything we could, it might truly be time to get a new TV.”
Grace overheard this and ran next to the television and shouted, “You guys just didn’t plug it in!!!”
“What?”
“Really?”
“Huh?”
Everyone turned to look at the 4 year old rabbit. It turned out she had the answer in her all along! Heidi worked over and her eyes went wide as tea saucers. “She’s right! Grace is right, we didn’t plug it in!”
Heidi then plugged the television into the wall socket and Grace was allowed to do the honors. Her white paw landed onto the silver switch and she turned it counter clockwise. The screen flickered for a few second, but then a light shined and the Nature Channel was playing.
A roar of cheers came to the living room, then a round of applause. It had been fixed this afternoon, everyone had just overthought the problem and forgotten one of the most important steps! A series of, “well done” or “great thinking, Grace” started and Grace beamed.
It was amazing, a four year old has saw the problem in her eyes and used her simple brain to solve a week long problem.
Comments