weren’t looking. I didn’t like guns particularly—and we are
talking cap guns here—but I did love getting him into
trouble...
One of my own children had a birthday party and insisted on
inviting a kid in his class who had serious adjustment prob-
lems (what we used to call a “naughty child” but you can’t do
that any more—see Rule 73). When his parents came to col-
lect him, they were quite tearful, as it was the first birthday
party this poor kid had ever been invited to. What’s that? His
behavior? Oh, he was a little angel and didn’t put a foot
wrong. In your dreams. He behaved true to type, and I was
heard muttering, “Never again; he never comes here again,”
for many weeks afterward. No, seriously he played up a bit
and wrecked the place, but no more than any of the others
did. One of the others, a supposedly good kid, was caught fill-
ing one of my wellington boots with cheese sandwiches and
jelly—secondhand if you get my drift.
IF OUR CHILD IS HANGING
OUT WITH OTHER KIDS
THAT TEST OUR
TOLERANCE,
IT’S A GOOD THING.