When they were 10 and 8, Jerry and Jenny had to share a bedroom for a month or so while some renovations were done. Jerry wasn't bothered by this, but younger (and more territorial) Jenny was. She made it quite clear to her older brother that there was an invisible line in the room, and that he and his friends had better not touch, or otherwise affect, anything on her side of the line.

One Saturday, Jerry's friends Mark and Ben were lying on Jerry's bed looking at baseball cards. Mark started playing with a lighter he had found, and accidentally set the curtains on fire. Jenny looked up from her dolls and watched as the boys attempted to stop the flames. "If they dare touch my side of the curtains..." Jenny left the threat open ended.

Sure enough, as soon as the flames reached Jenny's side of the room, she leapt into action, ran to the door, and called her dad. No serious damage was done, and mom replaced the curtains later the same day.

Thanks for the story Paula.

What funny things happened between you and your sisters/brothers? Send in your stories.

(Safety note: Does your family has an emrgency plan in place in case of fire? Do you practice it?)

© 2000 by Richard W. Killey

This story was originally published Nov 30, 2002, based on a true story related to us by Paula, originally from Flin Flon, Manitoba.