LOLLYGAG

   The two children and their nanny walked briskly along the sidewalk. The little girl held a bright red balloon in her hand, happily watching it bob up and down as she traipsed alongside the street. The little boy shuffled along behind with eyes cast down, stepping along, one foot on the sidewalk, the other in the gutter. In his hand he held a bright green lollipop which glistened in the afternoon sun. Every few moments, the sweet-smelling candy would disappear into his mouth and then reappear with a POP! The nanny walked crisply in a no-nonsense manner, clutching her handbag tightly in both of her hands, holding it stiffly against the front of her plain, burgundy dress. Every once in a while, she would throw a glance down at the little girl and then over her shoulder at the dawdling boy. Finally, when the troublesome boy had fallen some ways behind the two females, the nanny stopped with a huff, turned and shouted in an irritatingly nasal voice, "DO stop LOLLYGAGGING!!" Upon hearing his nanny's sudden, sharp reprimand, the boy--who had just taken the candy into his mouth for another lick--started and choked, gagging on his lolly. The nanny simply shook her head in disapproval and turned, walking on.

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