Who Stole The Cookie from the Cookies Jar?

Chorus : Who stole the cookie from the cookies jar ?

Miss Z : I think it is Miss X Madam.

Miss X : I Madam.

Chorus : Yes Madam.

Miss X : No Madam.

Chorus : Then who do you think Madam ?

Miss X : I think it is Miss Y Madam.

Miss Y : I Madam.

Chorus : Yes Madam.

Miss Y : No Madam.

Chorus : Then who do you think Madam ?

Miss Y : I think it is Miss G Madam.

…………….

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This iteration I recited with a group of my girlfriends while waiting for the school bus with clapping of hands and snapping of fingers giving the required rhythm.

The idea was simple, a hypothetical cookie jar had a missing cookie and everyone was questioning who stole it. When someone was suspected, she instantaneously defended herself by suspecting someone else and the game endlessly continued with the mystery of the thief still lingering on. The mystery died its own death with the arrival of the bus. Ironic enough the game was subtly teaching a very wrong practice of our society – The Blame Game. Anytime something goes wrong or just looses track simply all stand up and start playing this game, where the idea is to save oneself and put the blame on another. The output is plenty of hue and cries, but alas no consensus result. The problem is forgotten with some damages, faulty and quick repairs and life moves on. CWG fiasco, Bhopal Gas Tragedy are some examples which came into limelight of this dirty game we play. Not only in such large canvass but this blame game comes into existence in mundane times too. Rarely do we see someone standing up and taking the onus of the problem and pledging to resolve it. Errors are a part and parcel of life, after all to ‘Err is Human’. Ideally problems should be repaired at an early stage and not left to accumulate and cause havoc. In the non – ideal world that we live in alas! This is not the norm. The problem comes it is neglected and kept hidden from others. Such petty neglected problems build up and their ripples start showing it is then when the favorite game of mankind is played - blaming others and proving one innocent. If we enjoy taking the credit of a triumph we should also be responsible enough to suffer the travail of a nuisance. Washing dirty linen during crisis may be satisfactory for one’s ego but doesn’t really lead to any satisfactory result. I hope in times to come little girls round up to play this game but with some alteration as in

Chorus : Who stole the cookie from the cookies jar ?

Miss Z : I think it is Miss X Madam.

Miss X : I Madam.

Chorus : Yes Madam.

Miss X : No Madam.

Chorus : Then who do you think Madam?

Miss X : Forget the thief lets get together and bake the missing cookie Madam.