I was about storied out but my youngest daughter wanted more.  I decided to bore her into wandering off.

I told her a story like this:

The Pioneers wanted to go to Utah.

The first day they traveled 10-12 miles.

The second day they got up and traveled another 10-12 miles.

The third day they got up—a bugler helped wake them up—and they traveled 10-12 miles.

The fourth day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. They traveled 10-12 miles.

The fifth day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. He wasn’t very good. They traveled 10-12 miles.

The sixth day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. He wasn’t very good. They ate some breakfast. They traveled 10-12 miles.

The seventh day they rested.

[I paused to see if she was bored yet. Instantly–“I want more pioneer story, Papa!”]

The eighth day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. He wasn’t very good. They ate some breakfast. They traveled 10-12 miles. They went to sleep.

[The italicized part, instead of me saying it, she shouted it with glee.]

The ninth day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. He wasn’t very good. They ate some breakfast. They traveled 10-12 miles. They set up camp. They went to sleep.

The tenth day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. He wasn’t very good. They ate some breakfast. They traveled 10-12 miles. They set up camp. They said prayers. They went to sleep.

The eleventh day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. He wasn’t very good. They ate some breakfast. They traveled 10-12 miles. They set up camp. They said prayers. They got out blankets to sleep with. They went to sleep.

The twelfth day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. He wasn’t very good. They ate some breakfast. They traveled 10-12 miles. They set up camp. They said prayers. They got out blankets to sleep with. They found a place by a fire or under a wagon. They went to sleep.

[She started saying the “set up camp” part too. I had to prompt her some, but she waxed indignant if I didn’t.]

The thirteenth day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. He wasn’t very good. They ate some breakfast. They traveled 10-12 miles. They set up camp. They said prayers. Sometimes they danced or sang or had a meeting. They got out blankets to sleep with. They found a place by a fire or under a wagon. They went to sleep.

The fourteenth day they rested.

The fifteenth day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. He wasn’t very good. They ate some breakfast. They yoked their oxen. They traveled 10-12 miles. They set up camp. They said prayers. Sometimes they danced or sang or had a meeting. They got out blankets to sleep with. They found a place by a fire or under a wagon. They went to sleep.

The sixteenth day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. He wasn’t very good. They ate some breakfast. They yoked their oxen. They traveled 10-12 miles. They unyoked their oxen. They set up camp. They said prayers. Sometimes they danced or sang or had a meeting. They got out blankets to sleep with. They found a place by a fire or under a wagon. They went to sleep.

The seventeenth day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. He wasn’t very good. They ate some breakfast. They yoked their oxen. They traveled 10-12 miles. They unyoked their oxen and rubbed them down. They set up camp. They said prayers. Sometimes they danced or sang or had a meeting. They got out blankets to sleep with. They found a place by a fire or under a wagon. They went to sleep.

The eighteenth day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. He wasn’t very good. They ate some breakfast. They watered and yoked their oxen. They traveled 10-12 miles. They unyoked their oxen and rubbed them down. They set up camp. They said prayers. Sometimes they danced or sang or had a meeting. They got out blankets to sleep with. They found a place by a fire or under a wagon. They went to sleep

The nineteenth day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. He wasn’t very good. They ate some breakfast. They watered and yoked their oxen. They traveled 10-12 miles. They unyoked their oxen and rubbed them down. They gave the oxen water. They set up camp. They said prayers. Sometimes they danced or sang or had a meeting. They got out blankets to sleep with. They found a place by a fire or under a wagon. They went to sleep

The twentieth day they got up. A bugler woke them up. He made a sound like this, blat, blat, blat. He wasn’t very good. They ate some breakfast. They watered and yoked their oxen. They traveled 10-12 miles. They unyoked their oxen and rubbed them down. They gave the oxen water and turned them loose to graze. They set up camp. They said prayers. Sometimes they danced or sang or had a meeting. They got out blankets to sleep with. They found a place by a fire or under a wagon. They went to sleep.

The twenty-first day they rested.

[I only got up to about the fourteenth day the first time before I quit. On the drive home she asked for it again and again. I gave in twice, and got up to somewhere in the fourth week one of the times. Not always the same thing and not always in the same order, of course. I could have spent two separate weeks on the oxen, I love ’em, but my little listener wasn’t having it.]