Anthropomorphizing

[firstfrost]

The Davis T station has had a cherry picker in it for a couple of weeks (to change the light bulbs? I don't know). Each time I see it, I wonder how it got in - there's all these stairs and low ceilings and it's not really the sort of space that I imagine construction equipment driving into trivially. In fact, it reminds me a lot of Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel - does anyone else remember that? Jerry never read it when he was little, but I thought it was a very sad story as a kid. (Published in 1939! Wow!)

Then, as we got back to the house after brunch, we spotted one of the living room coasters out in the street, apparently trying to escape. Jerry eventually decided he had dropped it when he went to ditch the vase of older flowers in the compost bin. He picked it up and apologized to it all the way in, and promised to wash it.

Comments

[desireearmfeldt]

I read it, though I don't remember it well. (Is there a second one like it, involving snow plowing, or does the steam shovel get to plow snow too?)

[mjperson.livejournal.com]

Yeah, now the best steam shovel in the world gets to be a furnace never struck me as a happy ending.

[greyautumnrain.livejournal.com]

Not only do I remember Mike Mulligan and Mary Anne, but we bought Margaret the book in board book form.

[mijven.livejournal.com]

Do you have an official compost bin (i.e., any recommendations) or is this just a home effort?

[mathhobbit.livejournal.com]

Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel still makes me cry. :)

Maybe they brought the cherry picker in on a train?

[laura47.livejournal.com]

I LOVED MIKE MULLIGAN AND HIS STEAM SHOVEL!!!

[kelkyag]

I remember that book, too! 1939 doesn't surprise me -- it would have to be old enough for the author to've seen steam tech get displaced.