Harriet is very much a "say what you see" child. Literal minded in the way that little children are, forthright in her opinions, and delightfully uncensored.
"You too old to walk"
Last week, we went to visit my parents; my French grandmother was staying for ten days. She is in her late eighties, very infirm and finds it hard to climb the stairs. Hattie went to kiss her goodnight, and as she struggled out of her chair, informed her that she couldn't walk as she was too old. Fortunately, Granny adores Hattie and thought this was hilarious.
"Why you have a beard?"
A visit to her godmother, involving a bus from West Ealing to Acton Central. On the bus home, we sat next to an old lady going shopping in Ealing Broadway. She was very pleasant, and seemed to genuinely enjoy chatting to the girls about this and that, and certainly didn't deserve Hattie's question. Again, Hattie got away with it, as she found it funny.
"You having a BIG baby"
A friend is 7 months pregnant, and, thanks to excessive amniotic fluid, is measuring ahead of date. She is hot and bothered and uncomfortable, and was a bit non-plussed by Hattie's tone of wonder and surprise about the size of her bump.
It's a bit "2 year olds say the FUNNIEST things", I know. Hattie is genuinely interested in the world, and when she wants to know something, she asks. When something interests her, and she wants to tell everyone about it, she does. Social graces can come later.
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