DENNIS THE MENACE
George Wilson is smiling as he sits down on the couch. He picks up the telephone and begins to dial. The phone rings next door, and Dennis’ mother answers it. They exchange greetings, and then George asks: “Can Dennis come over for a short while? I could really use his help with something.” “Why certainly,” Alice Mitchell replies. “I am sure he would be happy to help you. I will send him over right away.” She then calls for Dennis and tells him he must go next door right away. Dennis moans a bit but grudgingly agrees.
When George comes to the door, he puts his hands on Dennis’ shoulders and then tells him that he is really a lifesaver. He then leads Dennis down the hallway of his house to the back bedroom. He shows Dennis a ladder and asks him to climb it and reach something that is stored high up on a shelf in the closet. When Dennis comes down with the box, Mr. Wilson thanks him and asks if he wants some milk and chocolate cake. This is Dennis’ favorite dessert, so he eagerly follows Wilson into the kitchen and sits down at the table. As he is eating the cake, George begins to ask him questions about school, who his friends are and what games he likes to play. Dennis tells him that “hopscotch” is the game he likes the most and then brags that he is the best player. He then tells Mr. Wilson about his best friend Tommy and says he is the nicest boy in the school and they do everything together. Dennis also mentions a girl named Margaret but says she is a real pain, bossy and a know-it-all. “She will never leave Tommy and me alone, and she acts like she is our mother. We just can’t stand her.” Although Mr. Wilson tries to be sympathetic, he replies with: “Dennis, she can’t be that bad.” “Oh yes, she is. Just watch her sometime. She follows us everywhere and takes notes on everything we say and do. She then runs home and calls my mother, and I always get in trouble when I get home. We’re so tired of her, but we don’t how to get rid of her.”
Mr. Wilson thinks about this for a minute and then tells Dennis he has an idea that might help. “Why not try a different approach? Why not try to be her friend instead of her enemy and take an interest in what she likes to do. Ask her what her hobbies are and pretend you are interested in them also. Then invite her to join you and Tommy one day to play a game. When she comes over, include her as if she was also a best friend. Then watch her closely and see if she begins to change. I bet she leaves you alone after that, and then all you have to do is just include her every once in a while. Always be nice and friendly but don’t invite her all the time. Just occasionally when you feel like it.” This sounded like a good idea to Dennis, and he replies: “Thanks, Mr. Wilson. I will try that.”
Dennis quickly finishes his milk and then dashes out of Mr. Wilson’s house to see Tommy right away. After he explains Wilson’s idea, Tommy agrees, and the two sit down and begin to plot out their strategy. Dennis, who is typically more clever and cunning than Tommy, comes up with most of the plan. Confident that they have everything all worked out, the two leave Tommy’s house arm-in-arm and walk over to Margaret’s house. When she answers the door, they both smile broadly and tell her that they have changed their minds about her and have decided they no longer want to fight with her and would rather just be friends. Although Margaret is skeptical at first, she decides to give them a chance and lets them in her living room. Dennis and Tommy wait for her as she goes into the kitchen and asks her mother for something. She returns shortly with a plate of chocolate chip cookies, another favorite of Dennis’, and then sits down and watches them eat. She is eager to hear all about their offer to be friends but is also nervous and apprehensive. Part of her doesn’t really believe them because they have always tried to avoid her in the past and have never been nice before.
When the boys finally finish eating all the cookies, Dennis leans back in the high back chair and then crosses his arms and legs and begins to talk: “Margaret, Tommy and I are really sorry that we have been so mean to you. We actually like you a lot but sometimes we just want to be alone and not have any girls around. That’s just the way boys are. Please accept our deepest apologies, and let’s start over again. Maybe you could come to my house one day this week and play with both of us. We have a new game we’d like to show you.” Tommy then nods as if he’s in full agreement with everything Dennis is saying. Margaret looks at both of them very closely, and although she is still a bit suspicious, she really wants to believe them and so agrees to their plan.
A few days later, Margaret walks over to Dennis’ house after school. She is wearing a brown and black plaid dress and has ribbons in her hair. Dennis and Tommy are waiting for her on the front door step, and they run up and greet her as if they are long lost friends. They both put an arm around her shoulders, and Dennis begins to tell her all about this new game they want her to play with them. Margaret is trying to pay close attention to everything he says and suggests that maybe she should take notes. But Dennis tells her that the game is really quite simple, and they will help her learn it quickly.
Dennis then explains the rules to Margaret. He tells her to stand in the middle of the grass and cover her eyes. He and Tommy will hide in separate places. After she counts to 20, she is supposed to uncover her eyes and begin to look for them. But she is not to leave the grass area under any circumstances. If she steps on the sidewalk at any point in the game, she has lost and will be eliminated. This all sounds clear to Margaret, and she then does exactly what they tell her to. When she finishes counting to 20, she uncovers her eyes and begins to look for them. She first checks behind every bush, but there is no sign of them there. She then walks behind the two trees in the lawn thinking that maybe they are hiding behind them. But they are not there either. So then she walks as close as she can to the porch and scans that entire area with her eyes. Still nothing. But remembering what they told her about the sidewalk, she is out of ideas as to where else she can look and decides to just stand on the grass and wait for them to reappear.
Almost an hour goes by, and then Dennis’ mother is seen looking out the window. When she spies Margaret, she goes out to the porch and asks her what is wrong. After Margaret explains the whole story, Mrs. Mitchell gets a knowing look on her face and tells her to just forget this stupid game. “I’m sure they are a playing a mean trick on you. I know Dennis, and this sounds like something he would do.” But when Margaret begins to cry, Alice goes over to her and suggests they talk more about what happened. They sit down on the porch steps, and Margaret explains to Mrs. Mitchell why she wanted to be friends with them in the first place. She describes Tommy as the nicest boy she knows and then says that Dennis is the smartest and the most fun. Also, she is not really that interested in the other kids in school.
Dennis’s mother feels so bad for Margaret that she comes up with an idea to help her. She tells Margaret to just go home now but next time she sees either boy to just smile sweetly and then just walk away. Then after that, if either one approaches her later, she needs to be nice and friendly but not act interested in them at all. “This will drive them crazy, Margaret. I promise you that this is the way to get back at these boys.”
The next day at school, Margaret does exactly what Mrs. Mitchell told her to do. Tommy, the one who has the guiltiest conscience, goes up to her first and apologizes with some lame excuse about what happened to them and why they never came back. Margaret patiently listens to his explanation, smiles sweetly, then pats him on his back and says, “That’s ok. I still had a good time.” She then walks off, and leaves Tommy standing there with his mouth open. He can’t believe she isn’t mad at them. He then shakes his head in disbelief and runs off to look for Dennis. When Dennis hears Margaret’s reaction, he is immediately suspicious and decides to check this out for himself. In no time at all, he spots Margaret talking to some girls over in the courtyard and decides to interrupt them. He taps on Margaret’s back, and says: “Excuse me, Margaret, but I really need to talk to you about something important. Would you care to join me over there by that tree?” Margaret glances over at the tree and is not too impressed. But she smiles sweetly at Dennis and says that although she would love to spend some time with him later, she is busy now making plans with her girl friends. Maybe she could take a rain check instead? She then turns back to the girls and leaves Dennis looking quite miffed and irritated.
Dennis is surprised by this but not defeated. He thinks some more and then runs back to Tommy, and they scheme again. But this time, the roles are reversed and Dennis really wants Margaret’s attention. So he comes up with this elaborate plan to invite her to a tea party because he knows that’s her favorite thing to do. He works out ALL the details, and then runs back to Margaret again and extends the invitation, absolutely positive that she will accept this time. But once again, Margaret remembers what Mrs. Mitchell told her to do and very sweetly declines for a second time. She then walks away confidently, but before she enters the classroom, she can’t resist looking back at him one last time. She gets a satisfied look on her face when she sees him shaking and looking furious with his fists balled up.
Copyright © 2014 (Michelle Parsons, Getting Back on Your Path). All Rights Reserved.
