cowboys and indians

one of my favorite toys in childhood was the playmobil cowboys and indians set. epic battle scenes were arranged, and serious war was waged on the floor of my bedroom. sometimes the cowboys won, and sometimes the indians won, but there were few survivors. the baby cow and the horses always survived, according to my priorities as a child.

the cowboys suffered a significant set back some time in the early 1980s when all the guns mysteriously disappeared. my mom still claims that she doesn't know what we're talking about, but my sisters and i are pretty sure that she raided the arms cache when we weren't looking, in an effort to quell the violence.

of course, i doubt that the cowboys and indians set passes political correctness standards for today's children. a brief internet search reveals that playmobil has discontinued the line.

fortunately, david's mom saved the entire set, complete with canoes and paddles, campfires, totem poles, pistol holsters, and kerchiefs. last weekend, david and i both took a very happy stroll down memory lane as we arranged a new battle scene. guns and spears, in all their glory.