“How does a clock work, what makes it go tick tock?” the small boy asked his grand pa. “Grandpa I took that clock all apart and I did not find anything that made it go tick-tock,” he said as he hugged the old man and giggled. His grandpa was bearded. “Oh grandpa your whiskers tickle me.”

The old man reached into his sweater pocket and brought out a small plastic bag, with three or four sticks of peppermint candy. After handing the boy one, he put one in his mouth and canted his head. “Hmm, so you could not find the tocker in that old clock, the thing that makes a watch or clock go tick-tock?”

The boy bit down on his peppermint stick and noticed the old man licked his. “See, you chomp and chew while grand dad savors his, lick and suck so it will last all day.”

The two laughed as they walked from the living area out to the shed, where the old man had his work shop and den with all of his books.

He went to the set of children’s books and thumbed through a couple. “Here it is, here is what I wanted,” he said as he headed for a large dark-brown leather chair. He sat and the little boy climbed up to his lap. The old man opened the book.

“Grandpa, how do you know so much? How is you have books that answer most of my questions whereas mom and dad do not have many books at all?”

“Do you remember what I said about you getting books?” the old man asked.

“Yes, you said when I learned to read you would give me books. But grandpa, I am only five and mom says she doesn’t have time to teach me my letters and numbers. Mom tells me to watch the television.”

The old man’s face turned serious, but he caught himself and smiled.

“Grandpa let's look at the book and you read to me about how a clock works and what makes it go tick-tock.”

Two hours later the two were engrossed in the book when they heard a bell ring.

“Shucks grandpa, Mom is ready to go home. Dang, why can’t she let me stay and study about this clock?” He knew the bell meant grandpa was wanted.

Grandpa arose and went to the box. “Tell your ma I will bring you home about five, we are busy reading about what makes a clock work and why it goes tick tock,” he said.

The next morning the old man went to three special stores and found three old alarm clocks and two watches. At ten past twelve, his daughter drove up and the little boy came running in. “Grandpa, did you find any tockers that might tick?” He laughed at the little silly he had made.

“First you must have your lunch and then we will see what grandpa found, and what we can learn. “The old man went to the fridge and took out some leftover chicken, bread, milk, apples and celery.

The little boy ran to the bathroom and then he washed his hands. Grandma and his mother had gone shopping so he and his grandpa ate lunch and then went to the shed.

At pre-school the next morning the little boy had a box full of stuff. He raised his hand when Miss Auphin asked if anyone had anything for show and tell. Guess whose hand went up first?

That day only one show and tell took place and all of the children learned how a clock worked, and what made it go tick tock.

On his sixth birthday, grandpa tookt the little boy five boxes of children’s books.

© By Tom (tomWYO@aol.com)