It's only me, Benjamin

I was just reminded of some years ago, when I lived across from a kindergarten. On a fine Sunday, I walked past, and a little boy, about four years old, was standing in front of the open gate and amusing himself by lurching towards passing strangers and growling loudly like a lion.
Then, to calm their shattered nerves, he would reassure them: "It's only me, Benjamin."

I loved that.

I spoke a little with Ben. The kindergarten was closed, it being Sunday, but I figured his mom must be in there. So to keep him safe, I closed the gate on him. The clasp was higher than he could reach.
He said to me totally calmly: "if you close the gate, I can't get home."

So I asked him to follow me to his home, I needed a word with his mom. And he did, he lived just around the corner.
I followed him up to their apartment and met his mom and told her I'd seen him in the kindergarten and taken him home to check if he was allowed to go down there on his own. She said he certainly wasn't, and thanked me.

----
By the way, from the paucity of comments on the jump-rope post below, I think many people missed the video. Don't miss it, it's pretty amazing.