Of course, the part missing from that old saying is that if you’re hit by lightning, you don’t have to worry about the thunder any more.
As for a fear of alligators in water surrounding your bed, there is no clinical name for that fear. Indeed, one probably must blame close relatives for creating the conditioned response. Folklore has it that this fear has been, and may still be, used in some places to keep small children from getting out of their beds after they have been trundled off for nightly sleep, probably so their parents can watch television or engage in other nocturnal activities without being interrupted. The well-intentioned litany with the ulterior motive goes something like this:
“Once your head hits the pillow, your room will fill up with water, and a secret door in your closet will open, letting in dozens of magical alligators who swim around your bed, protecting you from ghosts, lightning, thunder and things that go bump in the night. But beware! Those alligators are very hungry, and if you so much as hang one foot over the side of your bed … ”
Sorry, I can’t finish that story. Just thinking about it causes my heart to race and perspiration to form on my brow.
