Shusher grew very quickly and two months later he stood as tall as my daughter. They went for walks in the small garden across the street and Alice never put a collar and leash on to him.

“But what if something frightens him?” I asked. “He might get run over.”

“No, nothing frightens him. And anyway, he’d really be embarrassed if I put him on a leash. He’s really very sensitive.”

One time Alice could not get to sleep. She was very cranky and after I put her to bed she called me on the house com and insisted that I read to her about Doctor Doolittle.

“Not now, kid.” I said. “I have work to do right now. Besides, it’s time you started reading your own books.”

“But it’s not in the book, Papa. It’s still on the old microfilm and the letters are too small.”

“So that’s why we have the book reader. If you don’t want to read yourself, turn on the sound.”

“But I’d have to get up, and it’s cold.”

“Then you have to wait a while. When I finish writing I’ll turn it on for you.”

“If you won’t do it, I’ll ask Shusher.”

“Ask him all you want.” I laughed.

And a few minutes later I suddenly heard from the room next door the microfilm reader voice say: “…lived in a little town called Puddleby-on-the-Marsh. All the folks….”.

And that meant Alice had gotten out of bed anyway and turned on the reader.

“Back to bed right now!” I shouted. “Go to sleep!”

“But I am in the bed.”

“You mustn’t lie to me. Just who turned on the reader?”

“Shusher.”

One thing I will not permit is for my daughter to grow up a liar. I put aside my work, went into her room, planning to have a very serious conversation.

The book reader screen on the wall had been turned on. Shusher was at the control panel. On the screen Doctor Doolittle was surrounded by unfortunate animals.