Mrs Goodnest

Timmy was a five year old boy. His mother loved him
very much. A worrier, she was concerned when he
started kindergarten about his walking to school. She
walked him to school for a couple of days, but one day
he told his mother that he did not want her walking
him to school every day. He wanted to be like the "big boys."

She had an idea how to handle it. She asked a
neighbor, Mrs. Goodnest, to follow her son
surreptitiously to school, at a distance that he would
not likely notice, but close enough to keep a watch on
him.

Mrs. Goodnest said that since she was up early with
her toddler anyway, it would be a good way for them
to get some exercise as well. The next school day,
Mrs. Goodnest and her little girl Marcy set out behind
Timmy as he walked to school with another boy. She
did this for the whole week.

As the boys walked and chatted, kicking stones and
twigs, Timmy's friend noticed that a lady was
following them every day all week.
Finally, he asked Timmy, "Have you noticed that lady
following us? Do you know her?"

Timmy nonchalantly replied, "Yeah, I know who she
is."

"Well, who is she?"

"That's Shirley Goodnest," Timmy said.

"Shirley Goodnest? Who the heck is she, and why is
she following us?"

"Well," Timmy explained, "every night my Mom makes
me say the 23rd Psalm 'cuz she worries about me so
much. And the psalm says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy
shall follow me all the days of my life,'
so I guess I'll just have to get used to it."