Excuse Me While I Untie My Tounge

Fox In Socks by Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss had a devilish streak in him which is part of what makes everyone love him so.

Fox in Socks actually comes with a warning label on the inside cover. "Take it slowly. This book is dangerous." And so it is. It's dangerous to one's tongue, self-esteem, and dourness. But what is life without risks?

In my arrogance, I figured I was up to this book. After all, I've been in rehearsal for Christopher Marlowe's Tragedy of Doctor Faustus for the past six weeks. What could Seuss throw at me that could top some of Marlowe's tongue twisters?

It started out easy. Fox. Socks. Box. Knox. Fox looks full of mischief and Knox looks content. Yup, Knox and I sure know what we're doing. Then all these items start getting in and out and on and with each other. In march chicks with bricks, blocks, and clocks. Some clocks tick and some clocks tock. Knox begins to be befuddled. When Knox begs Fox to stop these tricks, the fox merely moves to anther part of our tongue. Along comes Sue and Joe Crow to sew up our lips.

Knox is getting sadder as the book goes on. He objects to the game, telling Fox "I hate this game, sir. This game makes my tongue quite lame, sir." Fox thinks, and tries a new tack.

As the tongue twisters get tougher, the Fox pours it on thicker. No longer is he sympathetic to Knox's stiff tongue. He's harassing and enjoying every minute of it. As we hapless readers rush to keep up, the very lines trip us up as they encourage us to go ever faster while throwing more and more hurdles in our way.

Finally, Knox gets his revenge, shoving Fox into a bottle and shaking it up with such a tongue twister that both Fox and the reader is left panting. And Seuss is laughing (yes, even from beyond the grave). The inside back cover has a sign asking, "Now is your tongue numb?"

It is, and I'm happily returning to Marlowe who now flows much more trippingly off my tongue.

--B. Redman