Sprite's Keeper: Mechanical Arm

The room was abuzz with adult conversation, new parents, older grandparents, in-betweeners finally able to catch up on months of news that only the holidays can allow.

Someone quietly set out some Oreos and M&M's in festive shades of red and green to be snacked on as people socialized.

One small girl sat near her mother, her eyes watchful as the dishes were placed on the coffee table. She focused on the M&M's, a new discovery she had only recently been privy to. She wanted these candies.

She hovered close to the lip of the table, intent on the bowl of chocolate. She knew better than to reach for the candy. This would mean an automatic no if caught. Too many people around. Too risky. Secondly, the candy was too far for her small hands to stretch. Maybe the telling stance she assumed would signal to her mother that she was hungry for these treats. Seconds passed and no candy was offered. Clearly, a better plan was needed to gain access to an M.

The little girl looked to her mother who was talking to someone else. Sitting on the floor near her daughter, the mother's arms were free and her attention was elsewhere. An idea started to glow in the toddler's head. If she could not reach the candy, she would bring the candy to her.

She turned back to her mother, her mother's attention still averted, and quietly took her right wrist. Lifting it up, she pulled it toward the table. The conversation stilted as everyone began to notice this little girl placing her mother's hand on the table. The volume turned down to a whisper as she started to push her mother's arm across the span of the coffee table toward her treasure.

She nudged the arm up a bit as her newly acquired appendage came upon the bowl of M&M's and watched her mother's fingers grasp a green M. Not able to contain her excitement over the sheer amazement that this had worked, she let out a small squeal as she pulled her mechanical arm back to her side and plucked the prize from it.

"Thank you," she muttered as she popped the candy into her mouth, completely unaware that the laughter reverberating through the space was focused on her and her trick, completely unaware that her mother had caught on early into the act and was humoring her young daughter, completely unaware that the next time she attempted this feat, it would not go according to plan.