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Most people think the “Mary, Mary, quite contrary” thing is just a rhyme — a cute little bounce off the name. And maybe there’s that thing in there too where it’s giving a quick character assessment of the child, the idea that the wee girl making a tiny, temporary flower arrangement in a sandpit is stubborn or flashes moods or just isn’t always listening. But hang on. She’s asked a reasonable question. She’s addressed by name. To be certain, her name’s repeated, there’s no confusion this could be for anyone else.
Mary is asked how her garden grows. She does and does not answer this all at once. She lists what’s in the garden, and repeats the favourite bit, the focus, those lined-up pretty maids. Is that a dig (oops, sorry!) at the fact that the curious person uses her name twice? Is it? Does she, out of petty spite, sass back with her favourite bit of the garden twice, mocking the fact that her name was repeated? We can’t be sure about that. But what’s clear is she never mentions the number of trips to the garden centre, or the fact that some weekends it’s at the expense of other things. She does not talk about what goes into the making of the growing, preferring to just list it out as if that is enough of the news. This person, taking an interest, might now be none the wiser — because there was no clarity. Just a girl messing with the mind of a soul kind enough to inquire.
Mary has autism. She thinks she is answering the question correctly. She is supplying the information that matters to her and ignoring the social cue to engage in pleasantries. Instead, she lists the results, what was seen, what was on display. No Sedum, no Hostas. The silver bells are good and fine, but they are not her Special Interest. She really loves the pretty maids. She particularly loves them all there in a row.
“Mary” was there to catch a predator, and as she became unsafe, she had to holler, “And pretty maids all in a row” twice, so that the back-up would arrive. (They did not catch it the first time). “Mary” could pass for eight years old when dressed in a smock, with a bonnet and bells, but she was actually much older and had perfected a ‘little girl’ voice which she used on the Take Your Daughter To Work Day once, and the Senior Officer then told her dad that they could use this. They could absolutely use this.
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