This week’s San Diego Momma free-writing exercise is to create an Aesop-like fable in ten minutes or less. I confess, I had trouble taking this seriously. Fortunately (or otherwise), I managed to find inspiration in the course of my morning.

The Skunk’s Paw

The little skunk held out his paw to his mother.

“Uh-oh,” he said. “Uh-oh.”

Poor thing, his mother thought. He’s hurt his paw and come to me for comfort. She leaned down and kissed the furry little appendage.

But wait… something didn’t smell quite right. Could it be? Yes, it definitely smelled like poo.

Once again, mother skunk had forgotten that “uh-oh” could mean two things. It could mean “uh-oh, I’ve hurt my paw,” or “uh-oh, I’ve dipped my paw in the potty.”

It just goes to show… you should always smell a paw before you kiss it.