Thanks to everyone who “used their words” yesterday in our first Fun Monday event. Excellent choices and great post-jumping ensued. Speaking of words, my favorite tale from the weekend is:
I found this endearing 1931 book in a consignment shop back in the spring. Anything with anthro animals – preferably from the early 20th century – I love. And so I snapped it up. Being both a collector and a purveyor of antique books, I researched the title and found that it was quite rare. I listed Toby Chipmunk in my eBay store…where it sat and sat, seemingly unnoticed. Out of the blue last Saturday afternoon, up popped an email – Toby had sold – to someone with zero feedback, who had presumably set up an eBay account just for this purchase. Seconds later, it was paid for via paypal. Curious, I emailed the buyer to see why he had chosen this book.
His answer blew me away. He remembered the book from the library in his one-room school called Pleasant Hill, in the particularly barren NW corner of Kansas. Oak trees and acorns did not exist in this neck of the non-woods. He became a life-long tree lover – especially oaks – due to Toby.
The little boy grew up to be a teacher in Kansas and Colorado. In both states, he started a seed-saving and tree-planting program for his students. Throughout his life, he never forgot this beloved childhood book. Afer decades of searching, he cried when he found it at last. Toby is his early birthday present to himself. Normally, he told me, he is a careful shopper, not impulsive, but “this is a heart decision, not a head decision.”
I cannot imagine a better home for Toby than with this wonderful gentleman, who looks forward to reading the tale to his two little granddaughters. Amazing, the power of one little chipmunk.
