Spilling the Beans

This week I was accused of spilling the beans by Max and Sebastian.

I was able to categorically deny this as I explained to Max I had never touched baked beans since I had been born let alone spill them. I also said that if the baked beans had been spilled then surely it would have made a mess with all that tomato sauce and the two legs would have screamed and shouted like they do when we are in trouble.

Max took on one of his airs of wonder at the youth of today and I thought he was going to strike his head with his paw. Instead he invited me - quite a definite invite that I could not refuse - to sit in front of him and listen. max would ahve been a brilliant teacher. He likes nothing better than to have an audience listen to him as he explains in detail all sorts of mysterious things. I don't know where he learned it all but he loves sharing his knowledge with others. Sometimes I wonder if it is all true and correct but I would never dare to contradict him.

"No not baked beans, Casper; that's not what we are talking about!"

"Oh right. Got you. Then it must be the coffee beans and you know I don't like coffee so I wouldn't touch them either. besides the two legs don't have beans they have that powder stuff and they keep it in a jar. So if I had spilled the jar it would simply have fallen over and nothing would have spilled out unless I broke the jar and then there would have been glass and..."

"Woah!" Max was getting frustrated and I stopped in mid-flow. "These are metaphorical beans>"

I was about to interrupt and ask about this new type of bean when I saw the look in Max's eye and I kept my own council.

"you see years ago the two legs were new to coffee and anyone who owned beans was someone of great wealth. If the other two legs knew a particular two legs had great wealth they set about him and robbed him. That is why the wealthy two legs kept their coffee beans hidden and didn't let on that they were wealthy.  If someone accidentally spilled the coffee beans so that other two legs saw and so showed their wealth they got into trouble. Although coffee isn't so valuable now we still keep the saying to show that someone has said something they shouldn't and let a secret be known to others."

I sort of followed what he said but didn't really understand the full impact still. Max was having a break to let his words sink in.

"So although there weren't any beans involved I managed to somehow tell someone that someone was wealthy and they got robbed right? But I don't know anyone who is wealthy."

"It is not about someone being robbed and someone being wealthy. That's just the derivation." He saw my blank look. "How the saying came about. What you did was to let someone know a secret that they weren't supposed to know about. Do you understand now?"

I dared to shake my head. Max rolled his eyes. "Look you told the two legs about the party we had planned for the night they go away didn't you? You said we'll be alright. We'll have our friends in like before."

"Oh OK but I didn't think they would mind. And I never mentioned any beans I promise."

"Go to sleep Casper - it's all been to tiring today".

Wait until tomorrow when he tells me about letting the cat out of the bag!