The Jester's Whistle

Lately, Troy has wanted to take his “baths” in the shower with us, rather than in the bathtub. Mostly, he just likes to sit in his bowl in the water while we get cleaned up. When we get down, we will often call to the other parent to come get Troy and dry him off. And it becomes a whole family affair. During one of my “shifts” in the shower, I told Troy that there was a special way to call mama, and it was called the Jester’s Whistle.

Years ago, I had struggled to get my wife’s attention when I was in the shower. I’d forget the soap or my towel, and I’d need assistance, but she couldn’t hear me (or willfully ignored me, but that’s still up for debate). So, I started whistling for her, but she still didn’t come (later she’d tell me that she just thought I was happy and whistling to myself). And out of these desperate times, the Jester’s Whistle was born. We agreed that we needed something that would be unique enough that if she heard it, she’d know it was a signal and not just me being happy. And we also agreed that whatever the signal was, it would only be used when I was in need.

One of my favorite movies is The Court Jester with Danny Kaye. It’s one of those ludicrous comedies that I love so much, and Danny Kaye was a master at the physical as well as the verbal. The plot of the movie is that Danny Kaye’s character is sent into the court of an evil ruler to masquerade as the court jester. He’s supposed to gain information and access to help overthrow the ruler. Of course, he bungles the entire thing.

In one scene, he asks his handler how he’s supposed to recognize other agents of the resistance. She gives him a secret whistle that sounds a lot like a bird call. Whenever he whistles it, if an agent is near, they will identify themselves by whistling it back. “Whew…eh…UH! Whew…eh…UH!”

So, this became our secret whistle. A unique call that my wife could identify. And this was the whistle I taught to Troy. But he hasn’t really learned how to whistle yet, so he tried to mimic the sound I was making with his mouth instead. And his high, clear voice could be heard ringing out throughout the bathroom. “Whoo…uh…UH! Whoo…uh…UH!”

But it worked, and my wife came into the bathroom laughing. “Were you calling me, baby?” she asked. “Yes!” “Well, you did great.” I nudged him as he waited for her to get his towel. “I told you that there was a special way to call mama that she’ll always recognize. The Jester’s Whistle never fails!”