Vistas Chapter 5 Should Wizard Hit Mommy

Jo, a four year old, is the little daughter of Jack. When she was of two year, Jack had started the custom of telling her a story in the evening for a nap. She would fall asleep while listening to the story. But now she has developed a sense of inquisitiveness because she has become a girl of four years old. She has evolved her own way of understanding and thinking about people and things. She responds to her father according to her own perspective. Jack always tells a new tale with some variations to the old one. She would enjoy such stories and show her interest by asking related questions. In this story, Jack tells about the isolation of Roger Skunk. Here she promptly questioned about the poor creature and asks firmly whether he would not see the wise owl again.

In this story Jack has told that Roger Skunk smelled like roses because of the Wizard's magic spell. But the mother of Roger Skunk did not like this change. She resented very sharply and asked who had made him smell like roses. Skunk replied ‘The Wizard’. Skunk pleaded that he wanted to enjoy with other animals and the rose smell was appropriate. She did not agree and took Skunk back to the Wizard. She hit the Wizard with her hand and Skunk started smelling bad again. Here, Jo did not like the plot line. She called Skunk's mother “A stupid mommy.” She wanted the Wizard to hit Skunk's mommy.

Jo was a very sensible type of girl. She wanted that mother Skunk should not have gone to the Wizard for changing the smell of her child. He too had the desire for a company to play with other animals. On the other hand, the Wizard should have hit the mother Skunk as she had failed to understand her son's problem.

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Imp.

If we view the story very deeply we can come across two types of moral issues. One is regarding the proper understanding of the infants feelings and their pains as well as whims. The story under our purview presents that Roger Skunk smells too bad to play and enjoy with other animals. He is badly hurt and fails to stay in the company of his friends. With the advice of a wise owl, he seeks the help of a Wizard who gets his smell changed.

Thus Roger Skunk feels elated with the friend but the Mommy of Roger Skunk does not like. She takes the baby Skunk to the Wizard and hits on the head who in turn changes Roger Skunk to the original smell. Finding the baby in the original condition Mommay hugs and shows affection. Here Jo does not like this type of behaviour on the part of Snunk's mother. She wants that the Wizard should hit mommy. On the other side, Roger Skunk faces racial segregation. He smells bad. It is not his fault. But the other animals of the forest do not come near them and refuse to play. They call him “Roger, Stinky Roger.” The pain becomes so unbearable that tears roll over his cheeks. The Wizard changes his smell and other animals start playing and like his company. But the mother gets him changed to the original smell. Thus in the world of children, ugliness and hatred have no place. It is pure in every respect. We as human being, should follow this.

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V. Imp.

It is very important to note that the children have a very different view on life than that of the adults. They dream and live in their own magical world. They are devoid of despise, ugliness and petty differences. Consequently Jo does not like the ending that Mommy should hit the Wizard. Rather she wants that the Wizard should hit the mommy for her failure to realise as well as understand the problems of Skunk. She calls her “Stupid Mommy” and insists for a change in the story.

Since Roger Skunk is the hero of the story, Jo does not want her hero to face any complications. She does not imagine Roger Skunk so ugly and stinky. She has got every sympathy for Skunk. She thinks it unfair on the part of Skunk's mommy to go and get Roger smell bad again. She wants the ending must be changed.

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Imp.

The story presents two different view points, i.e. one from the baby's perspective and other from Jack's perspective. Jo wants that her hero Roger Skunk must smell like roses. He must not be brought back to the bad smelling situation. She wants that the ‘stupid mommy’ should be punished for making little Skunk smell bad again.

On the other hand, Jack tells that it is the Wizard that is hit not the mother. The Wizard says “Ok” and brings Skunk to its original smell. Jack wants to stress that for a mother her son has got more prominence than any thing else. She views that Skunk never smells bad. Other animals may keep away from the stinky Skunk but for the mother. The rose smell becomes a distinct mark of recognition. She finds it strange to see Skunk in an awful smell of roses since she has the same bad smell of Roger Skunk. She feels elated when good smelling Roger becomes a stinky Skunk again.

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V. Imp.

Jack is really caught in an ugly middle position because he is divided into two different difficult situations. He is unable to run away from the harsh realities of life rather he has to acclimatise himself in accordance with the prevailing conditions. He has to manage his family consisting of two children, a daughter Jo and her brother Bobby. Thus, Jack is entangled in two worlds. The first world belongs to Roger Fish, Roger Squirrel or Roger Chipmunk. He is telling the story of a wise owl and the Wizard with a magic wand.

The world upstairs consists of his children, Jo and Jack. Jo has raised questions that the Wizard should hit the mommy and not vice-versa. Jack is unable to satisfy her since he is much cautious about the downside world where his wife Clare is doing the work of painting. The household items are lying scattered. She is pregnant and labouring hard. He must go downstairs to help her. In this way Jack is caught in an ugly middle situation between the romantic world of tales and the real world downstairs.

In the Roger Skunk's story ‘Should Wizard Hit Mommy’, we can note that it provides two possible endings. In the first place, Roger Skunk is made to smell like roses by the Wizard through his magical wand. He should retain the same smell as he needs the company of other animals to play with them. But his mother is deeply enraged at this ‘awful smell’. Consequently, she sees the Wizard and hits him right over the head who changes Roger Skunk to his original bad smell again. Jo likes that Roger Skunk should retain the rose smell and the Wizard should hit that stupid mommy hard. Jo does not like that the mommy should hit the Wizard.

But the plot line demands that Jack's ending is appropriate. It is quite logical that a child never stinks for a mother. Other animals may keep away from Skunk due to bad smell but the mother can't do that since the original smell of the boy's body arouses motherly affection in her. She is not at all in a mood that Roger Skunk should smell like roses to lose his identity and recognition. His mother wants that Skunk should have orginality. In this context, Jack tries to make Jo understand his view point. He has no desire that Jo should form a negative opinion about mommy. He tries to explain that the mommy should be loved, respected and well behaved by her child.

It is an acceptable fact that adults are more mature, considerate and wise than that of child. They are the better judge of good or bad events so they form a very judicious opinion on every matter. They give a well thought, analyse and form opinion. On the other hand, children are ignorant, innocent and unexperienced. Their whims and aspirations roam in the romantic world of their own. Thus, a child symbolises innocence and spontaneity while an adult has a practical approach.

In the story Should Wizard Hit ‘Mommy’, a four year girl, Jo, represents innocence and immaturity. She wants Wizard to hit mommy as she has forced the Wizard to transmit the offensive smell in Skunk rather than the rose smell. The girl does not think appropriate that the mommy should hit the Wizard. From her perspective, it has been worthy if the Wizard hits mommy since Skunk too needs company to play. On the other hand, Jack tries to justify that what he does, has been the sanctified view.

Story telling had become a necessary practice for Jack in the evenings and on Saturdays. It was for his daughter Jo so that she could have a nap. This had been in practice when Jo was two years old. All stories were told by Jack with certain variations.

Jack's stories used to be the product of his own mind. The basic line was the same but there was a little variation. Each story described a creature named Roger. It could be Roger Fish, Roger Squirrel, Roger Chipmunk or Roger Skunk. It had a wise owl and Wizard as the chief characters.

Jack can be called a perfect story-teller. He could change his subject at the spur of the moment and could even create new stories. In order to maintain the lively interest of Jo, he had the ability to create desired effects on his daughter. The old Wizard's voice was one of Jack's own favourite effects. He did it by shrinking his face and eyes.

Roger Skunk is the creation of Jack. It is little black animal that smelled very bad. Whenever he would go out to play with other animals they would tease him and run away leaving him quite alone. They would call him “Stinky Skunk”. Roger Skunk would become sad with tears over his cheeks. He felt humiliated and his condition became very pitiable. These things made Jo very unhappy and sympathy reflected on her innocent face.

A Skunk is a small black and white American animal. Here Roger Skunk smelled very badly. Due to his foul smell, no other animal was ready to play or mix with him. They teased him and called him ‘Stinky Skunk’. He would stand alone and weep with tears in his eyes. Thus he was deeply pained at the segregation and indifferent attitude of other animals.

Roger Skunk would go first to the wise owl for help. He had sad expressions on his face. The owl lived on the tip-top of the tree. Roger Skunk would complain to him that the other animals had left him alone because of his bad smell. None was ready to side with him rather they remarked “Stinky Skunk.” The wise owl listened to him carefully and gave a deep thought over it. At last he advised Roger to go and meet the Wizard.

The wise owl had advised Roger Skunk to see the Wizard for solution of his problem. Accordingly, Roger passed through the deep and dark swamps and the woods. Then he had to cross a little river. At last Roger Skunk was able to reach a little white house and tapped for opening the gate. There lived a tiny old man with a long white beard in it. He wore a pointed hat on his head. He was the Wizard.

With troubled and tensed mind, Roger Skunk went to meet the Wizard to get rid of his bad smell. The Wizard also got annoyed with his dirty smell and told him not to come close to him. Roger requested him to change his smell. The Wizard ask him what he wanted to smell like. He told Wizard that he wanted to smell like a rose. The Wizard took a magic wand and chanted a spell. All of a sudden, the inside of the Wizard's house was filled with the smell of roses. Roger Skunk too started smelling like roses.

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V. Imp.

A new phase has started in the custom of story-telling. In the beginning Jo used to listen to the story quietly and used to sleep after that, but from sometime she had started listening to the story cautiously and started showing curiosity to know about many things she did not know. She had also started asking some moral questions like: Does God really exist? Are magic spells real? Now she wants to know everything and has even started stressing upon her own point of view.

The Wizard demanded seven pennies but Roger was equipped with only four pennies. The Wizard suggested him to go to the end of the lane where he would find a magic well. By having three rounds, Roger Skunk was able to find three pennies. He gave these pennies to the Wizard. The Wizard took the money and became happy. He made Roger Skunk smell like roses.

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V. Imp.

Roger Skunk was very happy on having the rose smell. His mother got annoyed. She thought that a Skunk was a Skunk and he must smell like a Skunk. She decided to make the wizard give him back his original smell. Jo thought Roger Skunk was better off with the new smell. He could play and have the company of other animals.

Roger Skunk was very happy on having the rose smell. His mother got perplexed at that awful smell. She asked who had done that. Roger told about the wizard. She grew angry on both Roger Skunk and the wizard. She finally told him to go back to the wizard and ask him to convert him to his original smell. She told him that she would hit the wizard with an umbrella.

Jack was telling her a story about a stinking Skunk, who was teased by other animals for his bad smell. He felt hurt and lonely because no body played with him. He went to a wise owl and he sent him to the Wizard. The Wizard changed the stinky Skunk into a Skunk smelling of roses. Now all the animals started playing with him and he felt happy and joyful. Jo thought that it was a happy end of the story.

Roger Skunk's mommy was very enraged at the changes made in the smell of Skunk. She resented it sternly. She took an umbrella in her hand and went to see the Wizard. She hit the Wizard right over his head. He changed Roger Skunk into its foul smell. Now Roger Skunk had no smell of roses and he began to smell very bad again.

The Wizard turned Roger Skunk in his original condition. The mother was much elated and they returned home. They heard the sound of the train bringing Daddy Skunk home from Boston. Then they had lima beans, pork chops, celery, mashed potatoes ad Pie-oh-My for Dessert. She hugged Skunk time and again and showered affection. Now Skunk smelled like her little baby again.

In reality Jack wants that the children should obey their parents since the elders are always right. Jack thinks that the only mother Skunk knows what is good or bad for her son. Since, the baby Skunk loves his mother more than anything else so it is correct that Wizard should not hit the mommy.

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Imp.

Jack feels himself to be caught in an ugly middle position on the point whether the children should be allowed to have free choice for their career or the parents should impose their moral codes on them. The narrator Jack does not want to tell a story in which a mother gets beaten or insulted. He wants to impose Jo that elders are always right.

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Imp.

With the progress of age, an adult becomes mature, thought provoking and the things come to pass in the near future. He can make the best judgement of things. He has their own moral values and prejudices. On the other hand, a child is not experienced and his responses are sudden and spontaneous.

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M. Imp.

Roger Skunks’s Mommy hit the Wizard hard on the head. She did not wish the shinky skunk to smell like a rose. Jo did not approve of her mother’s silly action. She wanted the Wizard to hit Mommy Skunk back on her head to end the story. He should no have restored Roger Skunk’s stinky smell.

Jo had a keen desire that mommy Skunk should not take Roger Skunk back to the Wizard for changing his smell. She must realise his problems of playing and having the company of other animals. She was unhappy at the end of the story. She wanted that the Wizard should hit the mommy back on her head.

The wizard had made Roger Skunk smell like a rose. His mother got angry with the wizard. She was of the firm opinion that Roger Skunk was a skunk and he must smell like a skunk. She wanted to take Roger Skunk back to the wizard for changing his smell. She would also hit him with an umbrella. Jo wanted the wizard to hit the mommy with his magic wand.

Jack is the person whose style of story-telling expresses his art, wisdom, intelligence and cunningness. Story-telling has become a necessary ritual for him. He is accustomed to tell stories mostly in the evenings and for Saturday naps to his little daughter Jo. He has been telling the stories since she was of two years. All the stories are of his own creation and these revolve round an animal Roger Skunk. He changes them with a slight variation but the basic tale remains the same. Each story describes a small creature named Roger. It can be Roger Fish, Roger Squirrel, Roger Chipmunk or Roger Skunk, etc. Every story has a wise owl and a Wizard with a magic wand.

Jack possesses the art of creating desired effect on the listener, i.e. Jo since he understands the pulse of his daughter. He speaks and acts in such a way so as to keep her interest in-act. He is perfect in the art of imitating the voice of the old Wizard. He can narrate the story with the pace and tone of the occasion. He is always full of creative enthusiasm. Through his facial expressions, he can act like that of his characters that he invents in the story. He keeps the interest of his daughter very lively.

It has become a custom in the house to tell stories for the last two years. Consequently Jack, the father of Jo, is in the habit of telling a story in the evenings and in the Saturdays' nap for Jo. Each time the basic tale remains the same but there are slight variations.

This time Jack tells a story about a baby Skunk. The name of the baby Skunk was Roger Skunk who smelt very badly. Whenever he went to play with other animals, they used to tease him. They did not cooperate and play with him. He would feel racial segregation. They called him ‘Stinky Skunk.’ Roger was deeply hurt. So he felt lonely and desolated. For the solution of his problem he went to see an enormous wise old owl. Roger told his problem to an owl and started crying very hard. The wise owl suggested Roger to meet the Wizard. Roger went to meet the Wizard and told him about his problem. Wizard changed his bad smell into sweet smell of roses. Roger became very happy. He paid him seven pennies for it. He had four pennies in his pocket. The rest of three pennies he got from the end of the lane by magic. When he reached home, his mother found his smell as awful. She took him back to the Wizard. She hit the Wizard hard on his head and asked the Wizard to change his son back. Wizard did so. Mother Skunk loved his son and all other animals became habitual to his bad smell and became his friends.

Roger Skunk lived with his Mommy Skunk in a deep forest. There came a foul smell from him. This resulted a great trouble for Roger Skunk. Whenever he went to play with other animals, they would run away because of his bad smell. None would like to play with him so he always remained desolate, alone and troublesome. While playing they would nickname him by calling “Roger Stinky Skunk.” Then he would stand alone and tears would fall from his eyes.

On the tip-top of a very big tree, there lived a wise owl. He decided to see its advice for the solution. He walked very sadly and troubled. He approached to the tree in order to tell the problem. After having a patient hearing and deep meditation, the owl advised him to see the Wizard at his house. Roger Skunk reached there and told his problem. The Wizard agreed to help him with his fee. He asked Roger Skunk what he wanted to smell like. Roger Skunk desired to smell like roses. With the help of his magic wand and spell, the Wizard filled him with the smell of roses. Roger Skunk was deeply happy for having smelt like roses.

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V. Imp.

In a deep forest there lived Roger Skunk with his mommy. With the magic spell of the Wizard, Roger Skunk became happy by smelling like roses. All the animals accompanied, played and laughed all afternoon. He was in high spirts. In the evening, he turned back to his house. His mommy was terribly upset on finding Roger Skunk smelled like roses. She did not like it and reacted very sharply. She became angry and asked him who made him smell like that. Roger Skunk told everything about his visit to the Wizard's house.

All this did not find favour with mommy. She took a hard decision to keep him back to the Wizard for his original smell. Roger Skunk was displeased and requested her that he wanted to play with other friends. All would run away in case he had bad smell. But his mommy was reluctant for this. She took an umbrella with her and directed herself to the Wizard's house. Without caring for any consequence, she hit him right over the head. The Wizard changed Roger Skunk in his original smell. They returned home and his mommy was satisfied with her action.

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Imp.

Jack is a very smart father who has an inventive mind of creating stories. The basic line was the same but there was a little variation. Each story described a creature named Roger. He had to manage his family as two children, a daughter Jo and her brother Bobby. The world up stairs in the house consists of his children Jo and Jack. The downside world consists of his wife Clase who is doing the work of painting. Jack is caught in an ugly situation between the romantic world of telling tales to the children and in real world of helping his wife down stairs - Jack is a mature and seasoned person. Even then he tries to serve all in every possible way through his skills, he is a master mind in satisfying the ego of his children. In the story Roger Skunk is the creation of Jack Skunk is a poor little black animal that smelled very bad whenever he goes to play. He can narrate story with the pace and tone of the occasion. Other animals call him “Stinky Skunk”. It feels humiliation and Jo is very unhappy. She feels elated when skunk becomes a good smelling creature. She thinks that Mommy should not hit the wizard but Jack tries to justify what he has done, is the sanctified view. So he has higher level of intelligence than his daughter.

While telling the story, Jack has told that Roger Skunk smelt very bad. He needs company Jo with the help of the Wizard he gets a rose smell but Shunk’s mother does not like it. She takes Skunk before the Wizard and hits him to change the smell. The Wizard does so and Roger Khunk starts smelling bad.

Here the daughter of the narrator does not agree with this. She force that Roger Skunk should retain the rose smell and the Wizard should hit the stupid Mommy hard. Jo, does not like the mommy should hit the Wizard. But the Jack’s ending is appropriate since a child cannot think as a mother. Skunk’s mother wants that Skunk should have originality. In this context Jack tries to make Jo understand his viewpoint. He has no desire that Jo should form a negative opinion about mommy. He tries to explain that the mommy should be loved, respected and well behaved by her child.

After hearing about disappearances of sheep, the Maharaja set out on an expedition to find the hundredth tiger, which was supposed to be the reason for all this. However, the tiger could not be found. In his rage, the Maharaja ordered the dewan to double the land tax.

Roger Skunk went to see the old owl to seek for advice from him. Roger skunk had a foul body odour because of which other small animals avoided playing with him. Hence, he wanted to get rid of the foul smell so that his friends would like him and play with him.

Zitkala-Sa was in tears on the first day in the land of apples because the school authorities attempted to cut her hair mercilessly. Inspite of her stark resistance, they succeeded in clipping her hair.

Jo insists that her father should tell her the story with a different ending because according to her, neither Roger Skunk nor the wizard was wrong. She fails to understand why the skunk’s mother hit the kind wizard without being hit back.

He asked Roger Skunk what he wanted to smell like. Roger wanted to smell like roses. The wizard took his magic wand and chanted a spell. The whole of the wizard's house was full of roses. The wizard demanded seven pennies. Roger had only four with him. The wizard asked him to go to the end of the lane and turn around three times. He would find three pennies in the magic well. Roger obeyed. He gave those three pennies to the wizard. The wizard became very happy and made Roger Skunk smell like roses.

Jack enjoyed the part of the story most when he had to speak in the wizard's voice, as it was one of Jack's own favourite effects. He did it by scrunching up his face and somehow whining through his eyes. He felt being an old man suited him. Besides, he also enjoyed telling the story when Jo listened carefully, without interrupting him with questions.