The Undividable Heart

by Double IX

A parent says to little Jim, "No, sonny . . . you mustn't act like that. Only little girls behave that way and you don't want to be like a little girl, do you? That wouldn't be nice."

Little Jim, who lives in the child's innocent world of simple wisdom, is thereupon beset with a misdirected line of thoughts that can never hit a true mark: Papa doesn't like little girls . . . but mama is a girl. I was only doing what was natural . . . but papa doesn't like for me to do EVERYTHING that is natural. Part of me papa likes and part of me papa doesn't like. He Tikes the part of me he calls boy but he doesn't like the part of me he calls girl. I guess I can't be the girl part of me or papa will be angry.

Thus the twig is bent and so grows a stunted tree. It happens to every

one

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