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Ernie as storyteller
Foot, Foot Foot, and Foot Foot Foot
Ernie Mueller was, among other things, a born storyteller. No one knows whether “Foot, Foot Foot, and Foot Foot Foot” was his original composition, but his telling was highly original and memorable for a generation of nephews and nieces. In 1986, Ernie told it again to an assemblage of Muellers, asking the children to count the “foots.” His grand-niece Adele won the the grand prize, a moving wooden duck ornament for the garden. Ernie told and wrote the story several times. This version was in his own hand on three sheets (six sides) of ruled notebook paper, a keepsake of Ernie’s sister Adelheid.
Once upon a time there were three rabbits who lived around a mountain surrounded by foot hills, a lake and a river. The oldest Rabbit’s name was Foot-Foot-Foot. The next oldest in line was called Foot-Foot, and last but not least was just plain Foot. The mountain was called Foot Mountain, surrounded by many foot hills. The lake named Foot Lake was straight south of Foot Mountain. The river circled Foot Mountain on three sides — west, north and east — and was a swift flowing stream named Foot River, a foot wide and a foot deep. It flowed from the glaciers of Foot Mountain, through the Foot Mountain foot hills and finally into Foot Lake, a large lake many a foot wide, many a foot long, and many a foot deep.
The youngest rabbit, named Foot, was the wisest, most active, and quickest on foot. The oldest, Foot-Foot-Foot, was tough and willing for anything. Foot-Foot was caught in the middle somewhere. Have it your own way.
So early one morning as the sun showed its first sun ray one foot above sunrise, Foot woke up Foot-Foot and Foot-Foot-Foot for a day of celebration of the famous Foot family. Foot suggested foot tag. Foot-Foot said to Foot-Foot-Foot, “Let’s play foot tag with Foot.” So Foot and Foot-Foot and Foot-Foot-Foot set out on foot for a game of foot tag.
Foot-Foot and Foot decided that Foot-Foot-Foot, being the eldest Foot of the Foot family, should be “It.” Foot-Foot-Foot chased them up Foot Mountain, down the Foot Valley, along the Foot River, and around Foot Lake. Foot-Foot-Foot stretched foot by foot in a hot foot race of Foot’s foot tag. Foot-Foot-Foot made a quick turn to gain on Foot-Foot. Foot-Foot slipped a foot, then gained a foot until he was caught by Foot-Foot-Foot, who was still chasing Foot in the foot hills of Foot Mountain along the Foot River and around Foot Lake.
After Foot-Foot was caught [i.e., became “It”], he chased Foot around Foot Mountain, through the foot hills, along the Foot River, and from one side of Foot Lake to the other. Foot was quick to stretch his lead, foot by foot, while being chased by Foot-Foot. Foot-Foot stretched his foot-long ears to hear Foot breathe harder and harder, staying ahead of Foot-Foot in the Foots’ foot-tag foot race.
Then it all happened. Foot turned his foot, being chased by Foot-Foot in this foot race of the famous foot tag game of the Foot family in the foot hills of the Foot Valley near Foot Mountain along the Foot River to Foot Lake. Foot-Foot was coming closer to Foot as Foot-Foot-Foot was watching. Foot-Foot-Foot had to duck at least a foot as Foot slipped. Foot’s foot hit a rock in the foot hills of Foot Mountain and he flew foot-first into Foot Lake and drowned.
Foot-Foot-Foot and Foot-Foot took Foot out of Foot Lake. Foot-Foot-Foot used his foot to dig a Foot grave, a foot wide, a foot deep and a foot long. Then Foot-Foot-Foot and Foot-Foot buried Foot in the foot hills by Foot Mountain along the Foot River near Foot Lake, ending the Foot family foot tag game. Foot-Foot asked Foot-Foot-Foot if they should continue the game of foot tag, but Foot-Foot-Foot said no to Foot-Foot, pointing out that they already had one Foot in the grave.
 More Muellers Gathered on Ernie’s front porch in July 1986, from Left: Adelheid Nickel, Ernie, Nancy Nickel with daughter Adele, Dan Nickel with cousin Laurent, Herb, Ruth (obscured), Jim Nickel, Tim Mueller, Dawn Mueller with son Jacob, Tim Nickel, Joel Nickel. |
