[May 30, 97 - 14:56] Regina Finan of 1:2410/534 wrote to Jerry Schwartz:
RF>  Its hard sometimes when they come up with such good stories not to 
lmost
RF>  laugh.  And this story was somewhat possible.  Although I think no hole
RF>  in the money kinda puts a hole in their story. 
I think I told this one years ago, but shortly after we moved into a new 
house I went down into the basement and discovered that the bottom had fallen 
out of a drawer in a cabinet I used for storage.  When I say fallen out, I 
mean that there were charred bits of wood on the floor and the drawer bottom 
looked as though it had been through a fire.
I questioned all three kids, starting with the two boys (ages 6 and 11) who 
denied all knowledge of the situation.  I then questioned the girl (also 6), 
and she told me an elaborate and detailed story about how the older boy had 
been playing with matches and lighter fluid and had set fire to the drawer, 
and how the younger boy had discovered it and she had put the fire out.  It 
was all very detailed, exciting, and absolutely untrue.
As she was describing the fire, I realized that there had in fact not been 
one: fires burn up, not down, and the drawer above was unmarked.  There was 
also no trace of smoke, nor ready source for the water she described pouring 
on the flames.  I realized that moisture in the new basement had activated an 
old spill of some kind of chemical that had eaten through the drawer bottom.
The moral is that some kids, if pressed, will concoct a tale with remarkable 
skill.
Jerry Schwartz
--- Msged/386 4.00
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