The Basket Of Emotion

Oh hey, if you are going upstairs, could you bring me down the Basket of Emotion? It's in the hall.

I stopped what I was doing and looked at the Good Lady gravely.

The Basket of Emotion? I didn't even know we had such a thing. I felt flattered and a little scared that I would be entrusted with such a serious-sounding task.

How heavy would it be? I wondered. I guessed it depended on how much emotion was in it.

Perhaps too it depended on how much that emotion weighed?

Did it also depend on what type of emotion it was? Were negative emotions heavier than positive ones? In that case, I hoped it was a basket of smiles and tickles.

To be asked to fetch such a thing. Truly, I had been given a task worthy of a Knight of old.

I bowed my head in the Good Lady's direction.

My lady. You honour me with such a quest. I shall fetch this basket for you or die in the attempt.

The Good Lady gave me a flat eye as if I were a small vole in her spice cupboard.

No need to be sarcastic, Daddy-Bear.

Her lips were so thin I fancied they could cut cheese.

I was hurt. There was no sarcasm here?

Sarcasm it is not, my lady. I will proceed upon this quest and verily I will deliver into your hands this item of which you seek.

With a swish of my imaginary cape, I left the room. I could almost hear the clip-clopping of my iron-shod stallion.

Upstairs I began the quest for the Basket of Emotion. I looked in the children's bedrooms. I looked on the stairs to the loft, I thought about going into the loft itself but in my haste to leave on my quest I was unarmed.

The loft could wait.

Try as I might on my imaginary steed clip-clopping back and forth, I could find no Basket of Emotion. I shook my head. Where could it be? I pranced back into the hall at the top of the stairs. She looked very narked.

What are you up to? I asked you to bring the basket of washing down?

I looked at her in astonishment. Then I looked down at my feet where a basket full of humble washing lay.

Oh, the basket of washing?? I thought you said Basket of Emotion?

The Good Lady shook her head in exasperation and grabbed the unmystical basket of washing.

Basket of Emotion?!? Seriously, what? You are losing it Daddio.

My imaginary steed whinnied at such an insult. I pulled on her reigns.

Losing it? Me? Hmmm...