II 



' MY INFANCY ' 



As you would expect, after what I have told you 

 about our ancient and aristocratic ancestors, we 

 manage our birthdays on a different system to 

 most of the commoner creatures. We have no 

 particularly fashionable time of the year for birth- 

 days. I will say this for your credit, that you 

 share this peculiarity with us. My birthday was on 

 February 14, and some cousins of mine were born 

 on May 31, and some more on September 10, and 

 I believe some more about December, but one 

 soon loses count with so many relations. One 

 blessing is that you cannot possibly give them all 

 presents, and so you keep most things for yourself. 

 Also there are no rules about brothers and sisters 

 being always nice to one another, which are so 

 difficult to keep. You just bite anyone who gets 

 in your way, or who looks as if a bite would do him 

 good, or who looks as if he would not bite back ; 

 and, contrariwise, you help anyone who looks nice, 



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