Three Memories

1. When I was five years old, for reasons quite inexplicable I poured a glass of milk over my younger brother Rob's head. Rob started to cry until I told him, "you're the milk man, Rob." For reasons that are again quite inexplicable, Rob stopped crying and instead began to dance in the pool of milk spreading across the kitchen floor, proclaiming in song his newfound title. Our babysitter quit the next day. I consider this Rob's finest moment.

2. One night sitting at the dinner-table, my parents began to question my brother and me as to our doings that day at elementary school. To their mystified consternation, I refused every attempt at inquiry and declined to say anything about my day. At last I explained, "I just don't see how it's any of your business."

3. Ted is bragging about gullible he is. Rob and I both claim to be more gullible than Ted. Ted volunteers that when people tell him that "gullible is written on the ceiling," he waits until they leave and then checks just to make sure. We are impressed.