The Cage

There was an out.1

If they both sat far enough away and pulled, they could uncover the brown particleboard corner with its quarter-circle cutout. Now one brother needed to hold the pad back long enough for the first to squeeze at least his upper body behind it, reaching fingers into the dark notch. Now PULL with all you’ve got!2

If you were lucky, the rest of your body (or brother’s) wasn’t weighing down the hinged length of the second board, and it came up, folding into a V. Lurch over pad and board, slither to the floor, soldier-crawl to the light, and breathe the sweet air of Freedom!3

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There were a few drawbacks to having bright children 11 months apart. Teamwork was definitely one of them. They were observant, and once the nearly 3-year-old had started paying attention to how the travel playpen was dismantled, it was only a matter of developing enough strength and agility in the pudgy little fingers to execute memory’s orders. The 2-year-old was somehow able to grasp his role, and contribute to the venture. It wasn’t long until they could escape together.5

This was not satisfactory for Mother, who frequently needed to attend to the new baby. She also often had hot projects (like rendering bear lard or canning fruit) going on in the kitchen. Believing the boys to be secured, then having one toddle into her leg, or having to hastily alter course when lugging a full kettle as another scooted underfoot was no nerve tonic. Dad was applied to for containment.6

The living room was designated as the child area, where the boys could play without totally dismantling the rest of the house. The first barrier was a hinged, wood accordion gate, which expanded into diamonds from an end bar secured to the doorway frame. The extending end had a tight spring-clip that gripped an eye screw anchored into the opposite side of the door frame.7

The boys, by both holding on to the gate and rocking back and forth, managed to break the securing clip.8

The next attempt involved mounting slotted pieces of 2 x 2 wood on either side of the doorway, and custom fitting a piece of plywood (with a piece of 2 x 2 along the top as a handle) between the two guides. It was heavy enough, and had to be lifted far enough, that even though they understood the process of removal, they could not escape. At first. Then the ‘get the banana’ inspiration kicked in, and the problem was redefined from “lift the gate” to “get out of the room.” Experimentation revealed they could form a ramp of sorts by piling sofa cushions, toys, chairs, etc. against the barrier. Then it became a relatively simple matter to climb up and over.9

It was decided that we needed a deeper playpen. Since a new one was beyond budget, Dad decided to make one. He designed it (extra deep, with a solid floor), built it, varnished it, and set it in the living room. In short order, the boys had piled all their toys and blankets against one corner, and clambered out.10

Dad decided the only potentially successful containment would have to have both a solid floor and a roof. He designed “The Cage.” The high playpen he had made served as the base. He designed and affixed a solid roof to it. It was rather like a pretzel sandwich, with straight pretzels loftily separating the pieces of bread. The taller child could stand up in it, with about 6 to 8 inches of head clearance. He removed some of the slats to install a frame for a hinged door, the only access in or out. This was secured by a hook and eye latch. 11

With his arm sticking out through the bars, working entirely by feel, (the latching area was on the solid surface of the little door) the older discovered how to open the latch. It was replaced with a superior spring latch with a ‘keeper’ that would slide along the vertical portion of the hook, and form a pincer around the eye bolt. To be opened, it would have to pulled back and lifted simultaneously. Since neither child yet had the finger strength to accomplish this, they were contained. Mother had peace. Temporarily.12

The living room had bare wood floors with a few throw rugs, to minimize asthma-triggering allergies in the boys. Gravity and physics, being ever available to inquiring minds, were toys as much as the stuffed animals and musical balls. Somebody noticed that throwing his weight against the bars caused a little movement. Two bodies, twice the movement. Before long, they were nudging the cage all over the living room.13

This was not satisfactory for Dad. Another nick in the coffee table or another scratch on the old sofa arm was irrelevant. However, the living room also contained a family treasure, the beautiful Chickering square grand piano with its massive carved legs. He simply could not bear to have it marred. The boys were contained, but had discovered how to move their container. He was actually rather tickled by the ingenuity and creativity they had displayed. But the piano…14

Dad imbedded a heavy 3/8-inch steel eye screw into a wall stud, on the wall opposite the piano. Another eye screw was sunk into the cage frame, and a short length of clothesline connected the two. They did eventually master the spring latch, which was followed by a padlock. The younger lad had a fascination with locks from a very young age, which may well have started here. This they eventually learned how to pick, from the ‘inside-out’. 15

The family lived in some trepidation of inviting callers into the house. The living room display of two bright-eyed, grinning little boys, with little fists wrapped around the bars of a padlocked cage, anchored to the wall, might be taken amiss by the uninitiated…16

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About this time, a severe winter produced asthmatic conditions to the extent that both boys spent about half of it in the hospital. Doctors counseled a change of climate, and our family moved to the coast. The Cage was too large and heavy to take with us, so it was left behind. I can imagine the new homeowners wondering what-on-earth the heavy eye-screw in the living room wall was for…18

post script: Neither brother has ever chosen to do anything that would land them in jail. Aversion therapy?19