Variola the Shrinking Violet was busy doing her housework one day. She polished the windows till they gleamed, dusted the shelves and scrubbed the pot and pans. When she realised what a lot of mess was on the floor - she pulled out the vacuum cleaner from the pantry underneath the stairs and plugged it in.
The vacuum cleaner burst into action - whizzing and whirring - the motor almost ran out of electricity - but then soon picked up steam. Suddenly, Variola the Shrinking Violet heard a clunk as the cushion was sucked up into the hose.
From inside the vacuum cleaner, there was a ringing sound - it was the alarm clock (also swallowed up recently), quickly followed by a flower from the vase and two mats off the table. One by one, the various ornaments disappeared, a light bulb, four or five books and a map of the town.
The vacuum cleaner must have been feeling quite hungry because a whole television, a video recorder and three compact discs also vanished in minutes into the vacuum cleaner's mouth. A pair of slippers, a scarf and a hat from the coat rack sped into thin air.
The vacuum cleaner tube was like a hungry cobra snake - eating up everything in sight - a pair of scissors were munched into the machine, a ball of wool and two knitting needles. The vacuum cleaner started to get belly ache with all this guzzling and groaned. It stuttered as it wolfed up the Sunday Times, digested a readers' digest and glutoneously gulped down the local gazette. The vacuum cleaner's appetite seemed endless.
It consumed the Encyclopaedia Britannica followed by a sundae dessert of Sunday supplements. Next the vacuum cleaner sucked up three photo frames and two birthday cards. This year's spring clean was one never to forget !
© Jacqueline Richards 2005