Jack was the father of two little kids-Jo and Bobby. His wife Clare was carrying their third child. Jack would tell a story to his daughter Jo out of his head in the evenings and for Saturday naps. This custom of story-telling began when Jo was two years old and it was continuing for the last two years. Each new story only differed a bit from the basic tale. There always was a small creature, usually named Roger, for example, Roger Fish, Roger Squirrel, Roger Chipmunk, etc. He always had some problem and he would go to the wise old owl. The owl would tell him to go to the wizard, who would perform a magic spell that solved the problem.

The wizard in turn would demand in payment a number of pennies greater than the number Roger creature had. ‘But at the same time he would direct the animal to a place where the extra pennies could be found. Then Roger would become so happy that he played many games with other creatures. Roger then would go home to his mother just in time to hear the train whistle that brought his daddy home from Boston. Jack then would describe their supper, and the story was over.

Jack found this story-telling session especially tiring on Saturday because Jo never fell asleep in naps anymore. One Saturday Jack asked Jo about whom the story should be today. Roger Skunk, she said firmly. A new animal; they must talk about Skunk at nursery school. Jack started the story of the tiny creature Skunk, who lived in the dark deep woods. His name was Roger Skunk and he smelled very bad. He smelled so bad that other animals of the jungle would not play with him. They would run away and Roger Skunk would stand there all alone.

Roger Skunk went to the wise old owl and told his problem. The owl asked the Skunk why he did not see the wizard. Then he went to the wizard and told that he smelled very bad and all the little animals used to run away from him. The wise owl had told wizard that he could help in that matter.

The wizard took his magic wand and asked Roger Skunk what he wanted to smell like. Roger Skunk told him that he would like to smell like roses. The wizard chanted and Roger Skunk started smelling like roses. The wizard asked Roger Skunk to pay seven pennies.

Roger Skunk said that he had four pennies only and he began to cry. The wizard directed Roger to go to the nearby magic well and he would find three pennies there. Roger Skunk took out three pennies from the well and gave them to the wizard. Now all the other animals gathered around him because he smelled so good.

They played various games and laughed. It began to get dark so they all ran home to their mummies. Jo thought that the story was all over. When Roger Skunk went home his mummy said that the smell was awful. She asked who made him smell like that. Roger Skunk said that the wizard did so. She said that they were going right back to that wizard. He said that all the other animals would run away with his bad smell.

But his mummy said she did not care. He should smell the way a little Skunk should have smelled. So she took Roger with her and went to the wizard. When the wizard opened door, she hit him with her umbrella and explained how the wizard’s magic infuriated her.

The wizard spelled another magic and Roger smelled as foul as he did earlier. But she was displeased with this new ending and wanted her father to make the wizard hit Roger’s mommy. But Jack was not ready to make any change as he thought Jo should accept him without question. Jo protested but Jack said that it was daddy’s story. He said then Roger Skunk and her mummy went home.

wizard and told that he smelled very bad and all the little animals used to run away from him. The wise owl had told wizard that he could help in that matter. The wizard took his magic wand and asked Roger Skunk what he wanted to smell like.

Roger Skunk told him that he would like to smell like roses. The wizard chanted and Roger Skunk started smelling like roses. The wizard asked Roger Skunk to pay seven pennies. Roger Skunk said that he had four perniles only and he began to cry The wizard directed Roger to go to the nearby magic well and 1w would find three pennies there. Roger Skunk took out three pennies from the well and gave them to the wizard.

Now all the other animals gathered around him because he smelled so good. They played various games and laughed. It began to get dark so they all ran home to their mummies. Jo thought that the story was all over.

When Roger Skunk went home his mummy said that the smell was awful. She asked who made him smell like that. Roger Skunk said that the wizard did so. She said that they were going right back to that wizard. He said that all the other animals would run away with his bad smell.

But his mummy said she did not care. He should smell the way a little Skunk should have smelled. So she took Roger with her and went to the wizard. When the wizard opened door, she hit him with her umbrella and explained how the wizard’s magic Infuriated her.

The wizard spelled another magic and Roger smelled as foul as he did earlier. But she was displeased with this new ending and wanted her father to make the wizard hit Roger’s mommy. But Jack was not ready to make any change as he thought Jo should accept him without question. Jo protested but Jack said that it was daddy’s story He said then Roger Skunk and her mummy went home.

They had supper and when Roger Skunk was in bed, Mommy Skunk came up and hugged him and said she loved him very much. He told her that the story ends there. Jo asked her daddy if the other animals ran away from Roger Skunk. Jack said no, they finally got used to the way Roger Skunk was and did not mind it at all. Jo commented that she was a stupid mummy.

He asked her to have a long nap as her brother Bobby was also sleeping. Jo told him that she wanted him to tell her the story the next day that wizard took that magic wand and hit that mummy, right over the head. Jack said that it was not the story. The point is that the little Skunk loved his mummy more than he loved all the other little animals. Moreover, she knew what was right. But Jo insisted that tomorrow he should say that the wizard hit that mummy. Jack said that he would sec and asked her to sleep.

He closed the door and went downstairs. Clare was striking the chair rail with a dipped brush. Above him, footsteps vibrated. These were Jo’s footsteps. He threatened to beat her and then the footsteps slowed down. Clare observed that it was a long story. He simply said the poor kid. He watched his wife working hard on the woodwork. She was doing painting work. Thus the writer displays adult authority on one hand and the child’s Inquisitiveness on the other.