Our very own Watergate scandal

Tonight I told a little bedtime story to my daughters Sosha (11) and Pascalle (8). I am always making up stories about a big elephant and his little son, a funny monkey and a friendly giraffe. This time the little elephant had to bring a small basket with strawberries to grandma, who lives at the other side of the forest. Daddy elephant told his son to stay on the road and he warned him not to wander off into the woods. The little elephant felt like eating some of the strawberries, but he was an honest and courageous little elephant, so he didn't give in to the temptation.

Completely unexpected the big bad wolf turned up. He wanted to have one of the fresh strawberries, but the little elephant stood firm against the enemy and kept the delicious fruit in his possession. As we all know, the big bad wolf is a real creepy, slimy character. This time he told the little elephant to take a short-cut through the forest, so that he could be with his grandma a little sooner (yeah, I am such an original story teller).

Despite all the good advice from both of my daughters, who interrupted my perfect story line by telling the little elephant NOT to eat one of the strawberries and NOT to wander off into the dark forest - the elephant took the bad advice from the big bad wolf. Of course the little elephant got completely lost in the forest, became very tired and very hungry and almost started eating the strawberries after all.

In the meantime grandma made an emergency phone call to big daddy elephant, because by now she became VERY worried (about her grandson and about the delicious strawberries, of course). The big daddy elephant immediately organized a search and rescue operation in which all the animals of the village were involved. They even used a helicopter to find the little elephant in the woods and by using a walkie-talkie they were able to guide big daddy elephant, the monkey, the giraffe and all the other animals to him.

Of course this bedtime story has a very happy ending too (after all, nobody wants their kids to go to bed crying). The local baker decided to make a giant, delicious cake and all the animals of the neighbourhood were invited for cake with strawberries at grandma's house. Except for the big bad wolf, who hadn't deserved such a treat.

I was quite proud of this unique story line that I'd made up right on the spot without using any ingredients from other famous stories. Yes, there is a good chance that I will someday be known as the Hans Christian Andersen from the Low Countries, I thought to myself...

Hmm. But why were both of my girls laughing at me and what were they hiding there?

"I have taped it all!" Sosha suddenly cried out, while she showed me the little cassette recorder that she had hidden under her pillow.

I told my girls that this was a really good joke! But now, to bed! (Because daddy needs to go to the dark Internet forest to tell all the big bad bloggers out there about this unbelievable but true Watergate story which has happened in our very own house tonight...)