black line drawing of a toddler 'reading' a sign with a stick, with text "the stick & the sign, a short story"

The Stick & the Sign

The stroller rumbled along the brick walkway. The ride was bouncy, sproingy, a bit topply and tumbly. Especially whenever Mama said, “Oop!” or breathed in through the back of her teeth. It made Rory’s red bottle cap jump into the air and fall back down onto his tray with a clatter and clack and kck-kck-kllll….