This is a picture of Alethea’s new toy.

Well, new/used toy rather.  We found it at a garage sale today.  Alethea located it among the toys for sale and promptly laid claim to it.  It didn’t make any noise, so I asked the lady running the sale if there was anything wrong with it.

“Oh it works,” she said.  “I just took the batteries out and told my girls it was broken because I couldn’t stand all the noise any more.”

I took her word for it and bought it for Alethea.

As we walked down the driveway with our purchase in tow, a little girl, maybe about three years old, came running out of the house and frantically asked in a bewildered tone, “Mommy, why are those people taking my toy?!”

I felt like such a criminal.  I kind of wanted to turn around and say, “Don’t blame me little girl.  Your mommy doesn’t like this toy.”  But of course I didn’t.  I slunk to the car as fast as I could and drove off.

That poor little girl has probably been scarred for life.  And all over a Disney Princess riding toy.