What frightens Betty?

Betty in happier times, finishing of her Klondike ice cream bar

As we were hanging out at home today (the forecast was true -- 100% chance of rain), I noticed Betty was frightened a couple of times.

Once I saw Betty running at full speed for the protection of her mom.

The second time she was cowering back while Michael was trying to drag her forward to the bathroom sink.

In the first instance, she had come too close to the mouse trap and had triggered it.

Snap!

Before I heard the sound of the trap as it finished closing, I saw her fly past the dining room table chairs and into Miranda's arms who was at the end of the table doing a rainy day jigsaw puzzle.

Snap!  The sound of a mouse trap being triggered will do it every time.  And that is especially true when it is Betty's foot that triggers the trap.

In the second case, Michael was trying to get her to the bathroom to wash her hands and she wasn't going.  I went over to see what the problem was.  He explained, "She won't wash her hands because there is a spider in the sink."

I looked.

Yes, although technically the spider was half way in the sink and half way down the drain.  I encouraged it to either go down or come out, and when it came up instead of down, I helped it on its way to insect heaven.

Still Betty wasn't putting her hands in that sink without a lot of soap, some warm running water and someone by her side.

Mice traps and spiders in the sink. 

Thoughts of 1984 returning to me.

Arta