NOTHING BEATS THE THUNK THEY MAKE RINGING OFF YOUR BROTHER'S MELON:

I rediscover the joys of chestnuts (Andrea Marcusa, 9/12/05, CS Monitor)

I hadn't noticed chestnuts for years. But there they were: high up, pale green, swinging from the tree branches, and dropping with a thunk onto the sidewalk. Most of them landed intact, their thorny exteriors protecting the treasure that lay within. "They're chestnuts," I said to my sons, Mike and Daniel.

Mike hopped off the back of the stroller while Daniel twisted around to see his brother stoop over and examine the spiked sphere.

"Go ahead, stomp on it," I said. Mike touched it with the toe of his sneaker.

"No, harder," I urged.

He pressed his heel down and the green ball exposed only the white flesh inside. He looked up puzzled.

"Like this," I said, and showed him how.

My swift step produced a shiny reddish-brown prize. "That's a chestnut."

Mike bent over and seized it. "Chestnut! It's so shiny."

Daniel strained under his stroller harness. I unbuckled him, and the two ran up and down the walkway finding chestnuts to stomp on.

"Big one," said Daniel, as he held a chestnut in his small fingers.

"This one has two," Mike said, as he stuffed them into his bulging pockets.

I suddenly felt a thrill that I had stopped experiencing a long time ago. An old joy had returned.

The real thrill comes when you realize they're nature's perfect weapon.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 11, 2005 7:49 PM