The Magic Word
2002-05-31, 10:05 a.m.

A couple of summers ago, I took a road trip from Oklahoma to Colorado with my sister, her husband and her two girls (ages 3 and 7 at the time).

16 hours in a car with four other people. It will never happen again.

To alleviate the boredom, I had my headphones and my niece's coloring books.

But I also decided to embark on another project.

I taught my youngest niece that the magic word is not "please."

The magic word is really "nudeplatypus is the queen of the world."

That's more of a magic phrase really...but still.

It took quite a bit of training...everytime she asked for something I would say "What's the magic word?"

To which she would reply, "please."

I would just look at her. She would sigh and finally say around her giggles "nudeplatypus is the queen of the world."

It's a good way to spend 16 hours in my opinion.

Fast-forward to last night. Said niece (now 5) asked for a peanut butter sandwich for dinner (she's a rather finicky eater).

My sister said "what's the magic word?"

To which my niece replied, "nudeplatypus is the queen of the world."

All is right in the world.