The marriage of dolls

 When Vishnu is there, all games becomes deeply creative and beautiful and satisfying - this was like this when she was five, and continues to be so now that she is eighteen.

After the children came back from the beach, she pulled out the old dolls  and decorated them with the chains and bangles of the children. One was transformed into a pretty bride with a blouse and a saree, and the other into a dashing bridegroom in a pink jacket -  complete with all telugu wedding paraphernalia including the totems tied on the forehead.(In the village beautiful oraments used to be fashioned out of flowers and grasses.)

A marriage was conducted in the swing, with a gauze cloth between bride and bridegroom, as is tradition.A little while later a baby bear was tied under the bride's saree to indicate pregnancy, and then the baby was born to much fanfare.

Oh, the children are a joy.