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When Theo and Cleo stepped out for an unexpected meeting, Lionel and Leona, their cubs, were made interim overseers of the library. They weren’t expected to handle any technical troubleshooting or lofty research questions, but they did have the knowledge to assist with basic customer requests.
They decided to keep watch at the circulation desk. Leona was practicing her writing to become the world’s youngest bestselling author. “Brother, how do you spell broccoli?”
“Why do you wanna spell a word like that?” Lionel sneered.
“Because I’m writing a story about a farmer girl and she grows broccoli.”
“Gross! I won’t be going to her farm!”
Leona frowned. “You’re no fun. Broccoli is good for you.”
“It’s highly rich in nutrients, including, but not limited to, iron, vitamin C, and fiber,” put in one of the patrons, dressed in a torrent of colors. “As for how it’s spelled, that is B-R-O-double C-O-L-I.”
“Wait,” Leona scrambled for her pencil, “can you spell that again? And slower?”
He did so, to Leona’s amazement. “Can you spell ‘delicious’?”
“Easy. D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S.”
Lionel wasn’t impressed. “Big deal. Can you spell…tedious? Or exasperated?”
The letters flowed from the patron’s tongue like a dam finally broken. And so, standing up to bat beside the winding staircase, Lionel and Leona pitched every vocabulary word the world had inadvertently taught them, paying no mind to the growing line of those waiting to check-out.