and disliked children. He very rarely spoke to them; was once quite
wildly enraged when Mary was discovered licking his paints. (It was
the paints he seemed anxious about, not in the least the poor little
thing's health, as his sister Amy said), and had publicly been heard
to say that his brother-in-law had only got the children he
deserved.

Nevertheless Jeremy had always been interested in him. He liked his
fat round shape, his rough, untidy grey hair, his scarlet slippers,
his blue tam-o'-shanter, the smudges of paint sometimes to be
discovered on his cheeks, and the jingling noises he made in his
pocket with his money. He was certainly more fun than Aunt Amy.

There, then, they all were with their presents and their birthday
faces.

"Shall I undo them for you, darling?" of course said Aunt Amy.
Jeremy shook his head (he did not say what he thought of her) and
continued to tug at the string. He was given a large pair of
scissors. He received (from Father) a silver watch, (from Mother) a
paint-box, a dark blue and gold prayer book with a thick squashy
leather cover (from Aunt Amy).

He was in an ecstasy. How he had longed for a watch, just such a
turnip-shaped one, and a paint-box. What colours he could make! Even
Aunt Amy's prayer book was something, with its squashy cover and
silk marker (only why did Aunt Amy never give him anything
sensible?). He stood there, his face flushed, his eyes sparkling,
the watch in one hand and the paint-box in the other. Remarks were
heard like: "You mustn't poke it with, your finger, Jerry darling,