#7: Deus ex Machina

"Well, I think it's lame. Why does the woodcutter come out of nowhere to cut open the wolf? And what kind of wolf eats a kid and her grandma whole?" said Mother.

"Sorry, I just threw that in. The girls were too bothered by the ending," Father replied, dipping a scone into his coffee. "They were overjoyed that Red lived."

"Why didn't you just change the ending? Like have the grandmother hide in the closet and then have Red trick the wolf into jumping into the fireplace or something?"

Father thought about this. As much as he tossed and turned it over and over in his mind that night, he couldn't imagine a grandmother with the wherewithal to hide when the wolf knocks on the door nor a little girl who could trick a predator like that so devilishly. No, the only way was to have a man enter the scene and take care of things. That was the only way for a happy ending.

"I've given it thought," Father said, tightening his tie the next morning. "And you're right. I think it's not fair to have the woodsman show up like that, out of the blue."

"Thank you, I think it would do good to not have them eaten at all, don't you, dear?"

"Not at all; they must be eaten. I've decided not to soften the story. They'll simply be torn to smithereens."

Mother stood agape. "Dear, how in the world do you expect them to sleep at night with a story like that?"

"Away from wolves, honey. That's the point. They'll have to learn it some way."

Issue Six Index