The Jalapeno

When M.B.’s son was three, he snuck into the kitchen while M.B. was making nachos. M.B. was cutting up some jalapenos when his son unexpectedly reached up over the edge of the counter and snagged a jalapeno slice. Before M.B. could react, his son dashed out of the kitchen, shoving the jalapeno slice into his mouth.

Within seconds, a high-pitched wail could be heard from the next room. M.B. ran into the room to find his son crying and scratching at his tongue. In between sobs, his son cried, “You poisoned me! It hurts!”

M.B. picked him up and carried him into the bathroom. He got a wash cloth, soaked it with cold water, and set about rubbing it over his son’s burning tongue.

The moral of the story is two-fold: If you’re three, don’t stick things in your mouth that you grabbed off the counter. If you’re a three-year old’s father who just grabbed a jalapeno off the counter and shoved it into his mouth, you can either make him drink the water or you can have a little fun with it and scrub his tongue with it.