Children's Puppet Show Interrupted by Toddler Who Walks Behind Stage and Ruins the Illusion for Everyone

A children's puppet performance at the Greendale Public Library was irreparably compromised Saturday when a two-year-old audience member named Oliver circumnavigated the puppet booth, discovered puppeteer Sandra Fleece operating both characters from behind the curtain, and announced his findings to the audience at maximum volume. 'IT'S JUST A LADY,' Oliver declared, pointing at Fleece, who was mid-scene in a performance of 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff.' 'SHE'S DOING THE TALKING. THE GOATS AREN'T REAL.' The announcement, delivered with the absolute conviction that only a toddler can achieve, produced what Fleece described as 'a cascade of disillusionment across every age group in the audience.' 'Thirty children stared at me,' Fleece said. 'Some of them looked betrayed. A girl in the front row started crying. A boy said, "I knew it," even though he clearly did not know it. One child stood up and left the library entirely. He was four.' Oliver's mother, Rebecca, apologized while retrieving her son from behind the booth, where he had begun examining the puppets with what Fleece described as 'forensic interest.' 'He does this everywhere,' Rebecca said. 'He went behind the counter at McDonald's last week and announced that the chicken nuggets come from a bag. He's a natural skeptic. I'm sorry about the goats.' Fleece attempted to resume the performance by bringing the troll puppet up and saying, in character, 'Who's that trip-trapping over my bridge?' Oliver, still visible behind the booth, responded: 'IT'S YOU. YOU'RE DOING THE TROLL VOICE TOO.' The library has installed a more secure puppet booth with weighted curtains and a childproof perimeter. Fleece has announced she will continue performing but has added a new element to her shows: a brief pre-performance address in which she acknowledges, 'Yes, it's just me back here. Now please let the goats have their moment.'