copyright © 2003 by Robert L. Blau
Mom and Dad told Billy that Cousin Georgie was coming to stay for a while. Billy was excited about having a new playmate, even if someone else had picked the playmate for him.
When Cousin Georgie arrived, the whole family went out to the park for the afternoon. Billy took his favorite toy truck to show Georgie.
"Wow!" said Georgie. He grabbed the truck and ran away.
"Give me back my truck!" yelled Billy.
Georgie just made a face, did a little jig, and ran further away.
"Mom! Dad!" called Billy. "Georgie took my truck!"
"WAA! WAA!" cried Georgie. "He hates me! He hates me!"
"Why, Billy!" chided Dad. "You mustn't hate your cousin!"
"I don't hate him," protested Billy. "But he took my truck!"
"Tsk, tsk!" said Mom. "Now, apologize to Cousin Georgie and play nicely."
So Billy apologized, and Georgie slipped the truck into his pocket.
"Let's play in the sandbox," suggested Billy. Georgie kicked sand in his face.
"Mom! Dad! Georgie kicked sand in my face!"
"WAA! WAA!" cried Georgie. "He hates me! He hates me!"
"Billy," said Dad, "I'm disappointed in you. We've always taught you not to hate others."
"I don't hate him! But he kicked sand in my face!" said Billy indignantly.
"Now play nicely with Cousin Georgie," said Mom.
"And no more hating!" added Dad.
Just as Mom and Dad wandered off to do whatever grown-ups do in parks, two big kids entered the park.
"Hey," shouted Georgie. "You guys better get out of here, or my friend here will beat you up!"
"Oh, yeah?" said one of the big kids, looking their way.
"I what?" squeaked Billy. "I ... I will not! I don't want trouble!"
"Oh, yes, he will," insisted Georgie. "He said he didn't like your looks, and you'd better get out while you have the chance."
"No! No, I didn't!" Billy protested.
"I've seen him beat up tougher guys than you!" shouted Georgie.
Well, the two big kids came over and proceeded to beat the tar out of Billy.
"Mom! Dad!" moaned Billy. "Help!"
"He hates me! He hates me!" bawled Georgie.
"Now, what's all this hating about?" asked Mom. "Didn't we warn you about that? Now, look what's happened to you!"
"Happened to ... " sputtered Billy. "Georgie made those boys beat me up! I don't hate him, but he sure seems to hate me."
"Hating for no good reason will only get you in trouble!" lectured Dad.
Well, Billy knew one thing. He had to stay as far away from Georgie as he could. And he tried. He ran. He hid. He ran some more. But Georgie stayed right with him, following him wherever he went and watching every little thing he did. When Billy sat down on a swing, Georgie came and pushed him off.
"You can't swing on my swing," said Georgie.
"Mom! Dad!" cried Billy, who was a slow learner. "Georgie pushed me off the swing!"
"WAA! WAA!" howled Georgie. "There he goes hating me again!"
"Billy," said Mom and Dad, who were even slower learners than Billy, "you mustn't hate your cousin!"
Then Billy had to go to the rest room. At last, he thought. A way to get away from Cousin Georgie! Billy raced to the rest room and locked himself into a stall. Just as he was sitting down on the toilet, he heard something scrabbling at the door. When he looked up, there was Georgie peering over the partition.
This time, Billy hollered bloody murder. Mom and Dad came running.
"WAA! WAA!" bellowed Georgie. "He hates me! He hates me!"
"Now, Billy," said Dad sternly, "why do you hate your Cousin Georgie?"
"Dad," began Billy, "I don't ... Let's see. He stole my truck, kicked sand in my face, pushed me off a swing, got me beat up, followed me everywhere I went, and spied on me while I was on the toilet. I guess I do hate him, after all. Why don't you?"
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Mom and Dad told Billy that Cousin Georgie was coming to stay for a while. Billy was excited about having a new playmate, even if someone else had picked the playmate for him.
When Cousin Georgie arrived, the whole family went out to the park for the afternoon. Billy took his favorite toy truck to show Georgie.
"Wow!" said Georgie. He grabbed the truck and ran away.
"Give me back my truck!" yelled Billy.
Georgie just made a face, did a little jig, and ran further away.
"Mom! Dad!" called Billy. "Georgie took my truck!"
"WAA! WAA!" cried Georgie. "He hates me! He hates me!"
"Why, Billy!" chided Dad. "You mustn't hate your cousin!"
"I don't hate him," protested Billy. "But he took my truck!"
"Tsk, tsk!" said Mom. "Now, apologize to Cousin Georgie and play nicely."
So Billy apologized, and Georgie slipped the truck into his pocket.
"Let's play in the sandbox," suggested Billy. Georgie kicked sand in his face.
"Mom! Dad! Georgie kicked sand in my face!"
"WAA! WAA!" cried Georgie. "He hates me! He hates me!"
"Billy," said Dad, "I'm disappointed in you. We've always taught you not to hate others."
"I don't hate him! But he kicked sand in my face!" said Billy indignantly.
"Now play nicely with Cousin Georgie," said Mom.
"And no more hating!" added Dad.
Just as Mom and Dad wandered off to do whatever grown-ups do in parks, two big kids entered the park.
"Hey," shouted Georgie. "You guys better get out of here, or my friend here will beat you up!"
"Oh, yeah?" said one of the big kids, looking their way.
"I what?" squeaked Billy. "I ... I will not! I don't want trouble!"
"Oh, yes, he will," insisted Georgie. "He said he didn't like your looks, and you'd better get out while you have the chance."
"No! No, I didn't!" Billy protested.
"I've seen him beat up tougher guys than you!" shouted Georgie.
Well, the two big kids came over and proceeded to beat the tar out of Billy.
"Mom! Dad!" moaned Billy. "Help!"
"He hates me! He hates me!" bawled Georgie.
"Now, what's all this hating about?" asked Mom. "Didn't we warn you about that? Now, look what's happened to you!"
"Happened to ... " sputtered Billy. "Georgie made those boys beat me up! I don't hate him, but he sure seems to hate me."
"Hating for no good reason will only get you in trouble!" lectured Dad.
Well, Billy knew one thing. He had to stay as far away from Georgie as he could. And he tried. He ran. He hid. He ran some more. But Georgie stayed right with him, following him wherever he went and watching every little thing he did. When Billy sat down on a swing, Georgie came and pushed him off.
"You can't swing on my swing," said Georgie.
"Mom! Dad!" cried Billy, who was a slow learner. "Georgie pushed me off the swing!"
"WAA! WAA!" howled Georgie. "There he goes hating me again!"
"Billy," said Mom and Dad, who were even slower learners than Billy, "you mustn't hate your cousin!"
Then Billy had to go to the rest room. At last, he thought. A way to get away from Cousin Georgie! Billy raced to the rest room and locked himself into a stall. Just as he was sitting down on the toilet, he heard something scrabbling at the door. When he looked up, there was Georgie peering over the partition.
This time, Billy hollered bloody murder. Mom and Dad came running.
"WAA! WAA!" bellowed Georgie. "He hates me! He hates me!"
"Now, Billy," said Dad sternly, "why do you hate your Cousin Georgie?"
"Dad," began Billy, "I don't ... Let's see. He stole my truck, kicked sand in my face, pushed me off a swing, got me beat up, followed me everywhere I went, and spied on me while I was on the toilet. I guess I do hate him, after all. Why don't you?"
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