“I just realized something, H-” he announced, turning down the car stereo.

“What, daddy?”

“I just remembered that on our trip today we’re going to be passing through the toll booths again,” he said. “You know, the ones that have the trolls in them–the trolls that look like people.”

“Trolls that look like people?” she asked, her tone signalling that memories were beginning to solidify.

“Trolls collecting tolls, remember?”

“Oh yeah, I remember now,” she said.

“Do you want to practice your song now? Or do you think you’ll be ready to sing the beautiful flower song when we get to where they are?” he asked.

“I can practice now,” she answered. “And daddy?”

“What?”

“If I don’t sing a beautiful flower song,” she began earnestly, “then the trolls will chase us down and eat us.”

“That’s right, H-. I gotta pay the toll, and you gotta sing a beautiful flower song as I do. Do you think you’re up to it today?”

“Yep,” she said.

The little girl then began to sing.

Flowers are up in the sky

Flowers are up in the sky

Flowers are dying and some flowers are dying-

“Wait, H-,” he interrupted. “Why are flowers dying? I don’t think that’s going to pass the test. Dying flowers aren’t beautiful.”

“Oh,” she said, realizing he may be telling the truth.

“That’s okay, H-. Just start again.”

The little girl began again.

Flowers are up in the sky

Some flowers are unhappy and other flowers are unhappy-

“H-!” he interrupted a second time. “What is going on here? Why are you singing about flowers dying and being unhappy? The song to keep the trolls from eating us has to be a beautiful flower song. Beautiful. Do you think you can do that?”

“Yes, daddy, I can.”

And so again, H- began to sing.

Flowers, flowers are up in the sky

Some flowers are happy 

And some flowers-

She cut herself off as soon as the “D” sound began. Laughing at her perfect demonstration of what pilot’s call “strength of an idea”, he suggested she wait until they were at the toll booth and just shoot from the hip then.

Luckily for our duo, on cue H- put together a beautiful number as he paid the toll to the troll.

“That’s my girl. You did good, H-, real good,” he said as they sped away from the danger.