Freedom Fries by Tatiana Pahlen

Freedom Fries
By Tatiana Pahlen

Two little boys hang on the granny's thighs.
"What's for dinner?" inquires the youngest.
"Chicken!" replies granny.
"French Dijon?" the boy sighs.
"Shhh," she pauses and adds in the soft voice, "with Fries!"
"French?" persists a little voice.
"Shhhh," she looks embarrassed sitting on the train station bench.
"Freedom Fries?" yells the second boy.
"Yeap," nods the woman.
"I don't want Freedom Fries! I want French Fries!" solicits the youngest.
"Shhh," hisses granny. "I'll make you a large bowl of mashed potatoes."
"From Freedom Fries?" ventures the oldest.
"Yeap!" nods the woman.
"I don't want Mashed Freedom," sobs the little one. "I want French!"
"Alright!" says granny looking mortified as the mob forms around them.
She shields her boys like a hen.
"How about I'll mash you French," she halts briefly and shouts,
"for the sake of freedom!"

WASHINGTON (CNN March 12, 2003) — The cafeteria menus in the
three House office buildings changed the name of
"french fries" to "freedom fries," in a culinary rebuke
of France stemming from anger over the country's
refusal to support the U.S. position on Iraq.

March 5, 2003