A Fear of Wunda Wunda???

"Wunda Wunda is my name.

Oh boys and girls I'm glad you came.

We'll have fun as I explain

How we play our Wunda games.

Let me take you by the hand

And we'll go to Wonderland.

There we'll play with every friend

The Wunda games of "Let's Pretend"

Yesterday after Easter dinner at my Mom's, the topic of conversation somehow veered to fears of one sort or another, and many of us realized that we shared a fear of clowns! As I was trying to fall asleep last night, a clown that I hadn't thought of for years popped into my mind - Wunda Wunda!

Ruth Prins portrayed Wunda Wunda from 1952 to 1972.The show was sponsored by Bosco and Hostess cupcakes, which might explain why those little chocolate delights with the squiggle on top were my very favorite school lunchbox dessert.

Wunda was a sweet character who lived in a cottage, told stories, sang songs and hung out with pleasant puppet friends like Henry Happy Goose, Albert Owl, Friendly Tiger, Benjie Bear, Suzabella and Taggedy Andy. She was accompanied by the unseen organist, Mr. Music Man. She was a big part of my childhood, and I don't recall being frightened of her on our small TV screen, but I imagine if I met her in real life, with her clown makeup and harlequin outfit, things would be altogether different!

When I enrolled at Everett Junior College in the fall of 1967, the counselor assigned to me was Robert Prins - Wunda Wunda's husband! He was a wonderful man, and very handsome, for an old guy. I discovered later that he was screen-tested by Warner Brothers, appeared in two movies in 1940, but decided against a Hollywood career in favor of an academic one. That was fortunate, since he pointed me in the right direction as far as my course of studies went, even though English Literature isn't a very practical major. It does help me get those Jeopardy questions right every now and then!