We're all mad here.

Rule 42

"All persons more than a mile high to leave the court" - as judge of a fictional town of choice, create a rule 42 of your own that all citizens must abide to. Failure to do so should result in...? (blog entry or short story <1000 words)

After Daddy finished the tree house (well, technically, it was a playhouse that was perched on a low hanging branch. Mama didn't even have to tiptoe to see through the window) Amber and Kaycee agreed that it was a nightmare of disorganization. Olivia, Jordan, and Marta, the triplets, were only three years old, and had certain ideas about what should happen in their new playhouse. Kaycee at five and Amber at seven were certain that if they did, everything would be painted hot pink and the toys would never be picked up.

And so, they sat down in the afternoon, five citizens around the little tree house table, each with her little chair. Amber was the secretary, who wrote down all the laws they would abide by, but Kaycee came up with the most rules. She liked order.

Rule number one was simple, or so they thought. “No boys allowed.”

“But what about Teddy?” Marta asked. She was the littlest of the triplets and always went around with what Mama called her security teddy, a large stuffed animal of indeterminate color, usually dragged by the left hind paw. “He's a boy.” Olivia and Jordan quickly agreed (their own stuffed creatures being a high consideration in the debate) and so the motion carried and rule number one was amended to read: “Except on a case by case basis and by invitation.”

And Teddy was not kicked out at the door.

No objections came for the next few rules, which detailed when they should meet at the tree house and who the furnishings would belong to, although Jordan was careful to clarify that just because someone brought her things into the tree house, they would remain her things, and she would respond with violence to any suggestion otherwise. When it was clarified that tree house furnishings would be the responsibly of the bringer to return to where they were found, all were satisfied.

Of course, the triplets didn't fully appreciate clearing up. Kaycee anticipated the necessity of getting parental involvement in enforcing those rules, and so put them up for clarification.

Then came some rules for mealtimes and nap times and bedtimes, which were complicated by the fact that Amber was two years older than any of them, and so had a bedtime that was correspondingly later. But Olivia reminded them that Mama was the final arbitrator, and so it was ultimately a moot point.

By this point, Marta and Jordan were becoming decidedly restless. They hadn't signed up for a list of rules which, when addenda and clarifications were added, was now five pages long in Amber's careful printing. Rules thirty through forty, which dealt with certain house rules when playing card games and were designed to make sure there was no cheating by younger siblings who liked to play but didn't know how as yet, passed with sighs and “can't we just play?” and “I'm tired.”

Rule forty-one was simple. “No parents allowed, except by invitation on a case by case basis.” This rule was, of course, completely unenforceable. At this point, Mama's head appeared through the window.

“Time for lunch, girls,” she said.

“Mama,” groaned Kaycee, who had just tried to ban her from their realm, but the younger three cheered and tumbled out with very little regard to life or limb.

Amber and Kaycee met each other's eyes. Then Amber wrote, “Rule Forty-two: All citizens must be old enough to not need nap time. Nappers are hereby disenfranchised and may not choose the game to play. Tickle penalties apply.” They signed, as only two citizen's remaining, and grinned as they prepared to ban their baby sisters from the tree house.

word count: 615