O’Toole was making an invention. He made it from three very large paint cans, an old meat grinder, some bed springs, and the insides of a thrown away clock.  O’Toole found all the stuff for his invention because his mother had asked him and Hank the Tank the wonder dog to clean up the backyard and make it look nice for visitors.

When O’Toole and Hank the Tank were all done with the invention there stood this beautiful large thing that they had created. Why it really was an invention. Hank the Tank was dancing all about the back yard.  He was very very happy with the invention.

It had a wonderful whirly gig thingy on the top and a big spout at the bottom.  From the insides came a fine clanking and rumbling sound that made it feel ohh so important. It was green and yellow and very shiny with yellow polka-dots on the top.

So then comes Aunt Maude, she came to talk with O’Toole’s mother. O’Toole was cleaning up the backyard to make it look nice for Aunt Maude.   She walked up to O’Toole, Aunt Maude looked with amazement at this thing that O’Toole had created from the old stuff in the backyard.

Aunt Maude asked O’Toole — what is that thing sitting in the backyard? O’Toole replied – Well, it’s my invention, I made this all by myself, well me and Hank the Tank made it together. Hank wagged his tail.  Aunt Maude smiled.

Aunt Maude said – Goodness, what an invention the two of you have created. What does it do? It certainly makes interesting noise.

O’Toole replied – well, it makes something real special for Hank the Tank.  Then O’Toole reached up to the top and tightened up one of the very important bolts that held the invention together.  O’Toole was fine tuning the invention so that they could create really cool stuff for Hank the Tank.

Hank the Tank started sniffing at the spout at the bottom of the invention, he could smell something yummy but he didn’t know what it was that he was sniffing. He smiles at O’Toole.

Aunt Maude says to O’Toole — well turn this thing on, let’s see what your machine can make.

So O’Toole pushed the spring to get things started and then he pushed the button right in the middle of his invention. There was a crank on this side and he started cranking on it. The invention started making noise.  It all sounded very important. And then what do you think happened next?

Right out of the spout at the bottom of the invention came some dog food. Huh?  Big crunchy yummy golden brown beefy dog food. Hank the Tank was really really happy. He was prancing and dancing and he just dove right into the big pile of dog food.  The dog food started flying all over the place.  Hank the Tank was crunching away. 

Aunt Maude says – we must turn this invention off.  You’re making a very large mess in your backyard. O’Toole says — Ok I will turn my invention off. Hank the Tank was content and he sat there in the back yard munching away. O’Toole said to Hank the Tank — we’re gonna need to move the dog food. I think the invention can create other things besides dog food. Let’s find out.

So O’Toole and Hank moved the dog food out of the way, then O’Toole set out to make his machine a little bit different. He tugged on the springs and he moved things around inside, and he added a few more things to the clock to make it run better. Now there was a Big Blue streak right through the middle of his invention. And a new shiny thing that reflected the sun.

Aunt Maude was visiting with O’Toole’s mother the whole time. She came back outside. She said to O’Toole are you still playing with that invention of yours?

O’Toole said  — I’ve made it even better. Aunt Maude asked –what will your invention make now?

O’Toole reaches up to the side and pushes a brand new button that he just installed. He tugs on that spring again, and gives the whirly jig a spin. Wonderfully loud noise comes out of his invention. And you know what happened next? Why something dropped out of the spout at the bottom of his invention.

What was it? Hank the Tank walked over and took a look, and just started laughing.   Now miss Kitty the cat was sitting on the fence watching all of this stuff go on what did she smell? The most wonderful cat food ever, so she jumps down and tastes that cat food.  ohh it was so good she just sat right down and started eating. Miss kitty was very thankful for the cat food

Aunt Maude was watching all of this and she says — but what about me? Can your invention make something for me?

So O’Toole picked up the last little bit of stuff laying in his backyard and carefully added it to his machine three very very gently adjusted stuff inside of his machine.

Then he says to Hank the Tank and Miss Kitty — you guys need to stand back, i don’t know what’s gonna happen when i turn this machine on. It might get very very loud, and it might not do anything. Stand back.

O’Toole turned on that machine and waited.  The most yummy aroma filled up the backyard. Ohh goodness it smells so good. O’Toole wondered what is gonna come out of my invention. Aunt Maude came outside and asked O’Toole — what is that yummy smell?

O’Toole said to Aunt Maude– just wait and see…

And then it happened. Cookies started coming out of O’Toole’s invention. Imagine that, big yummy gooey golden brown thick chocolate chip cookies. Ohh they were so good.

Aunt Maude tasted the cookies and said to O’Toole — this is a really good invention. Hank the Tank said yeah, i helped him.

Aunt Maude said – the both of you have done a very good thing today. You cleaned up the backyard and you took all that stuff and made it into something useful. You did a very good thing. And they all sat around the backyard and ate cookies and dog food and cat food. It was a very good day indeed. The End.

Written by Mary Calhoun, Published in the Humpty Dumpty Childrens Magazine, April 1953

Adapted for ShalomTalk by Dan, 2024