Eyewitness Confirms: Chivalry Not Dead

Deb News Service, Branson, MO: It was reported at 9:25 this evening that chivalry, long thought to be extinct, is in fact alive and well, at least according to one Missouri tourist.

"It was amazing," the unnamed woman exclaimed. "I've seen polite behavior, and I always appreciate it, but chivalry? This was a first for me."

The story began at Garfield's restaurant, a local eatery popular with the tourist crowd. One Texas family had gathered there with friends to celebrate their visit. Suddenly, things went wrong.

"The meal was almost over, and the waiter brought out balloons," explained Blondie Spielberg, a friend of the family who was there for the meal. "Dexy [the baby boy] was fine, but Princess [the three-year-old girl] didn't want the balloon string around her wrist."

What happened next was the stuff of nightmares.

The balloon, untethered, escaped the child's grip and became lodged in the corner of the 12-foot ceiling.

"Of course we couldn't get it," the mother of the little girl snapped. "It was too high."

"I thought we would get another balloon from the waiter as we left," Spielberg continued. "I didn't think it would be a big deal."

She was wrong.

As they were leaving, with tears of anguish still streaking down the cheeks of young Princess, a bespectacled youth, somewhere between 7-9 years of age, approached the company and wordlessly handed his balloon to Princess.

"Thank you," she gulped.

"I got teary-eyed," the mother confessed. "He didn't have to do that, there were plenty of balloons, but he wanted to make her feel better."

"His dad gave him a high-five," Spielberg elaborated. "This was obviously a boy who's being raised right."

"He came back after a few seconds to remind me to tie it around her wrist," the mother added with a shamefaced smile. "Princess was thrilled."

"It just goes to show you," Ms. Spielberg, a stunningly beautiful blonde who, despite all appearances to the contrary, works behind the camera, stated: "chivalry isn't dead."

---Deb News Service Staff