LION HEART GOES TO THE DENTIST

Taupo Times, Volume IV, Issue 192, 30 September 1955, Page 4

LION HEART GOES TO THE DENTIST

(By

Marjorie

Stapleton)

(Note: This little st.ory will strike a responsive chord in the hearts of all mothers, not to mention fathers, uncles and/or aunts, who have ever suffered the ordeal of taking a small child to the dentist for, the first time. It was written in Malaya, whither * Mrs Stapleton recently returned after spending some months at her Taupo cottage in Taupo View Road. Just before leaving Taupo Mrs Stapleton received word from London that her second novel, "The Tall Girl," written entirely in Taupo, had been accepted for publication.) If life has been too peaceful latetry taking your little child, your hope and joy, to the dentist. It will hurt you more than it hurts him, and is guaranteed to break up a monotonous life. The dentist has to use all his wiles to persuade him to open his dear little mouth at all. Before I took my young son we had unfortunately passed a "Quack" dentist in the street who proudly displayed large trays of teeth he had previously extracted . . . some as old as time itself. ❖ * My son inspected these with horror all over his face and was most surprised to be led finally up in a lift and dragged by the hand into a cheerful torture chamber up above the town's rooftops. A little school girl friend of his came out with red eyes, and holding a handkerchief to her mouth. He gave her a wink, and against her will she grinned, showing two big raw gaps in the front of her gums. He shuddered and turne'd his head away in pain, no sympathy for her but all for himself and what was to come. * * ■ * It was our turn, and I took his hand, which felt so small all at once, and led him to the slaughter. His eyes grew large and impressive in the dentist's chair, but the mouth remained shut. He protested with his eyes and & series of grunts. The dentist began his fatherly chatter. "Now come on, Richard Coeur de Lion," he began. "Show mother what a brave boy you are. Or isn't it Richard — Dickie? Perhaps it's Daniel, or Androcles, or Samson or Goliath?" No answer was the stern reply. "But you must have a name. If it isn't Dicky it must be Andy? Dan? No? Sammy ? Then it must be Goliath. Golly for short." Hc s,k f It was a full half hour before we prised his mouth open. Meanwhile I had given him a firm tap on the top of the head, the tears were rolling down on to his best trousers, the dentist had gone from mock severity to despair, the nurse was trying not to giggle, and the other patients were queuing up in the ,waiting room "Then mother will have to go away," said the dentist. "And I'll have to get really tough with you." I picked up my handbag. The tears rolled faster than ever. Suddenly his mouth snapped open and his wet eyes shut tight. "Get it over," he sobbed. It was finished in two seconds, and he leaned over spitting out blood into the spittoon as nOisily as an old man. "A mirror, a mirror," he said. "Quick, I want to see." The patient dentist gave him a mirror. "Just like Sally," came the triumphant observation. "Goody-goody!" * * * The dentist gave him a glass animal, special reward for children who have cried. Richard the Lion Heart handed it back. ' "Save it for the girls," he said,

1 ■ i . I ' ■ 'i ■ i » , cleaning up his face with a hand*.: kerchief. We emerged into the waiting " room, and there was another little girl from his school. He bared his ragged gums in a gigantic grin, and winked at her. . "It's nothing to make a fuss about ; Jennifer," he said. The weary patiehts crossed their| ieg s, glanced at his tear-stainedj clothes and grinned.