Explaining
“Pixies,” I said.
“Pixies?!” My nephew spun towards me. He’s used to my scientific answers: refraction makes the sky blue, bites itch because of histamines, etc. When he asked how the dispenser gives him soap, he was probably expecting light beams or heat sensors.
“Pixies,” I said. “They sit in the machine and whenever they see a hand coming towards them, they panic! The Watching Pixie calls up to the Defensive Pixies and they fire soap!”
His eyes lit up. “But soap isn’t a weapon!”
“Makes the hand go away, doesn’t it?”
A full minute later: “Is soap pixie poop?!”
If you enjoyed the science in this week’s Friday Fiction, check out this old Inspiration Mondays story about how fridge lights work.
elmowrites 
Great final question
Thanks! I originally ended the story at the previous line but I have 2 boys roughly the nephew’s age … all roads lead to poop.
Haha! Love it!
I used to make up pixie stories for all sorts of things to amuse myself and (adult) friends. Now that I have kids, I’m much more inclined to go with the scientific version, but I still love the idea of little pixies running the show.
Love it. Funny how we are more inclined to go with the scientific version. A little bit of a bummer… the science can be snuck in somehow, no? 🙂
Absolutely! Gotta be a mix.
We still need magic, don’t we?
This is a fun take, Well done, Elmo.
Thanks Mason!
I was waiting for the poop. I love your concept of subverting your nephew’s preconceptions with a story about pixies!
Haha, gotta get it in there somewhere! Thanks for stopping by
If soap is pixie poop, then Blu tac is smurf poop! Goos take on the prompt
Thanks! Smurf poop is more believeable 😉
Dear Jen,
What a delightful story. I’ll never look at my hand soap dispenser the same way. Pixie poop. Gotta love it. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks Rochelle! I love pixie explanations – so much more fun than science. Although science is also cool.
Wash your hands with water and pixie poop for at least 20 seconds!
That last question takes all the glamor and excitement unfortunately out of both soap and pixies.
Sorry Larry!
Loved this one. Such a “little boy” question at the end. They seem fascinated with all bodily functions, the more gross the better. I had three. Boys, that is. Not bodily functions 🙂
Three boys sounds like a wonderful handful. Two is all I can manage right now!
Love the conclusion! Pixie poop indeed!
Thanks!
Oh I did enjoy that!! Love the way your imagination shoots out ideas 😁
Thanks Lyn, glad you enjoyed it
Made me smile.
I make vials of “pixie dust”, so I too am a pixie fan!
Oooh, vials of pixie dust sound fun!
Dollar Store crafting: small glass bottles or vials, sprinkles, shaped confetti, tiny seed beads . . . Then put in one of those brightly coloured bags made of thin fabric with ribbon draw strings. Sprinkle liberally whenever you need/want whimsy, magic, play. I have a draw full of the ingredients for pixie dust, and I think folks could use some magic and whimsy right now.
Oh how lovely!
Bahahaha! Love it. You gave me a great laugh!
Glad I made you laugh, Laurie!
We all do it, leading along our little darlings with fanciful tall tales. Of course the danger is the turnaround when they replace the soap with something nasty, just for fun you know.
Oh no, MY little darlings would never do that … 😉
No doubt I’ll remember this every time I use a soap dispenser! Delightfully different!
Here’s mine!
I hope if you do, it makes you smile.
Perfect fun and the ending is too funny. The squirting sound of course are…
You can imagine!
I love this! It’s utterly delightful and full of mischief. The final question just had to be asked!