A couple of months ago, Moonie and I were enjoying a sunny spring day in Providence when he noticed a dandelion.

“Ooh!” he squealed. “A wish flower!” He toddled over to hug it.

“Aw, are you going to make a wish, buddy?”

“Yeah!” he shouted. He took the biggest breath his little troll lungs could hold and exhaled as hard as he could, blowing just a few of the teeny seeds into the air as he screamed, “COOKIES!”

“Um, Moonie, I bet you could blow even bigger if you weren’t yelling at the same time. Plus, I hear wishes might not come true if you say them out loud.”

“Not come true!” He was horrified at the thought. But he was gung-ho and tried again, taking another big Moonie breath. This time he stage-whispered his wish as loud as he could.

“[COOKIES!]” he very quietly shouted/very loudly whispered. This time he blew a few more seeds into the air, so the dandelion was now about half-blown out. That was as good as we were going to get.

“Great job, Moonie!” I congratulated him, but then I had to turn a bit serious. “Now, buddy, don’t be upset if your wish doesn’t come true–Er. Uh. Moonie? Where’d you get all those cookies?”

“Moonie?”

He just smiled mysteriously and brushed a stray crumb off his tummy.

Maybe wishes DO come true.

I’m on the lookout for some dandelions myself. And practicing my stage whisper.