d he'd behave himself. And mommy said then
there's that dog--it follows him around wherever he goes, and he's
simply wicked if the dog isn't around, and daddy said isn't it perfectly
normal for a boy to love his dog? Mommy said no, not like this, talking
to him all the time, and the dog acting exactly as if he
understands--there's something wrong with the child, something horribly
wrong.

Then daddy was quiet for a while, and then he said all right, if it will
make you feel any better we can have Doctor Grant take another look at
him. Maybe he can convince you that there's nothing wrong with the boy,
and mommy said please, Ben, anything, I can't stand much more of this.

When I went back to bed and Bobby curled up on the floor, I asked him
what were fontanelles, and Bobby just yawned and said he didn't know but
he thought I was nice, and he would always take care of me, so I didn't
worry any more and went to sleep.

* * * * *

I have a panda out in the barn and the panda's name is Bobby too and at
first Bobby the dog was jealous of Bobby the panda until I told him that
the panda was only a make-believe Bobby and he was a real Bobby. Then
Bobby liked the panda, and the three of us played out in the barn all
day. We decided not to tell mommy and daddy about the panda, and kept it
for our own secret. It was a big panda, as big as mommy and daddy, and
sometimes I thought maybe I would make the panda hurt mommy but then I
knew daddy would be sorry so I didn't.

Bobby and I were playing with Bobby the panda the day the doctor came
and mommy called me in and made Bobby stay outside. I didn't like the
doctor because he smelled like a dirty old cigar and he had a big red
nose with three black hairs coming out of it and he wheezed when he bent
down to look at me. Daddy and mommy sat on the couch and the doctor said
let me have a look at you young fellow and I said but I'm not sick and
the doctor said ha ha, of course you aren't, you're a fine looking boy
but just let me listen to your chest for a minute. So he put a cold
thing on my chest and stuck some tubes in his ears and listened, and
then he looked in my eyes with a bright light and looked into my ears,
and then he felt my head all over. He had big hairy hands and I didn't
like him touching me but I knew mommy would be angry if I didn't hold
still so I let him finish. Then he told daddy some big words that I
couldn't understand, but in thi