All summer we had battled those slinky, brown six-leggers with their vice-like pincers perpetually poised for pinching.
When three-year-old Matthew woke up screaming during the night, he inevitably claimed to have seen an earwig "big as a bigar" (cigar) under the covers. And Christie, our toddler went into hysterics every time a "pinch-bug" crossed her path.
"Kids," I said, offering a generous bounty for their cooperation, "I'll give you five cents for every earwig you bring in."
At first the bounty hunting was sporadic. Jennifer cornered one earwig in her shoe and three in the bathroom vanity.
Stacee found a dead one on the floor.
And Matt-Matt found one "big as as a bigar" under the covers. "But it got away again," he said.
Only four-year-old Michael seemed unaffected by this chance to earn a little extra cash. I saw him playing with his bedspread in the yard. "He's going to build another tent," I thought.
"Don't get that blanket dirty, Mike," I warned.
Five minutes later, I watched him methodically drag said blanket through weeds and garden dirt.
"That's it, son!" I tried hard to control my voice. "You bring that blanket in this very second!"
Surprised at how quickly he complied, I had little time to grasp the child's ingenuity as he stood there pointing excitedly to half a dozen earwigs clinging to the quilt.
"Look, Mom," he said, "by next week I'll have enough money to buy myself a horse!"
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| I'll give you five cents for every earwig you bring in! |
