A Little Snoring Princess

"Daddy?" a sweet little voice pierces through the humdrum noise of the bus while the rain washes yesterday's dust from the windows.

"Yes princess?" The bearded and rain-drenched father responds as he leans down and towards his daughter sitting comfortably next to him.

The princess' question escapes the tight confines of her pink hood covered in multi-coloured flowers and tickles my ears with its innocence and hilarity, "Can I sleep here?"

The good-natured father chuckles, "No princess, you can't sleep here."

"But mommy says I can." The little princess pointedly answers while emphasizing the source of her reasoning.

"Well then, if mommy says you can, then you can princess." The father diplomatically says while catching my eye and smiling sweetly.

Getting the approval that she seeks, the tiny princess, tucked into her bright-colored slicker, leans quickly into her father's soaked side.  She inches yet closer to him, her little arm resting gently on his leg, and scoots her rubber-booted feet in his direction, her legs remaining straight out in front of her.  Tilting her head towards her father, she closes her eyes, inhales deeply and loudly and then peaks out from underneath her curly eyelashes, to see of course if her antics are being watched.

"Ssssssshhhhhhh," she exhales, as she puckers her lips and tries to keep her eyes tightly closed.

She inhales again and "ssssshhhhhh", inhales and "ssssssshhhhh," while the corners of her lips desperately try to remain in a netural snoring position;  I smile to myself and contemplate the pure simplicity of most children's lives as her father lovingly looks down on his little princess.