The baby gives a little cry in my mother’s arms and Dad jumps up, dropping Malachy to the floor. Is she all right? My mother says, Of  course she’s all right. She’s feeding. God above, you’re a bundle of nerves. They’re talking about Margaret now and I’m forgotten. I don’t care. I’m going down the hall to ask Freddie about Samson, to see if Samson is as good as Cuchulain, to see if Freddie has his own story or if he still wants to steal Cuchulain. Malachy wants to go with me now that my father is standing and doesn’t have a lap anymore. Mrs. Leibowitz says, Oh, Frankie, Frankie, come in, come in. And little Malachy.And tell me, Frankie, what did you do to Freddie? Tried to kill him? Freddie is a good boy,Frankie.Reads his book.Listens to radio with his papa.He swinks you brother on swink.And you try to kill him. Oh, Frankie, Frankie.And you poor mother and her sick baby. She’s not sick, Mrs. Leibowitz. Sick she is. Zat is one sick baby. I know from sick babies. I work in hoztipal. Don’t tell me, Frankie. Come in, come in. Freddie, Freddie, Frankie is here. Come out. Frankie won’t kill you no more.You and lit- tle Malachy. Nice Chewish name, have piece cake, eh? Why they give you a Chewish name, eh? So, glass milk, piece cake.You boys so thin, Irish don’t eat. We sit at the table with Freddie, eating cake, drinking milk. Mr. Lei- bowitz  sits  in  an  armchair  reading  the  paper,  listening  to  the  radio. Sometimes he speaks to Mrs. Leibowitz and I don’t understand because strange sounds come from his mouth. Freddie understands.When Mr. Leibowitz makes the strange sounds Freddie gets up and takes him a piece of cake. Mr. Leibowitz smiles at Freddie and pats his head and Freddie smiles back and makes the strange sounds. Mrs. Leibowitz shakes her head at Malachy and me. Oy, so thin. She says Oy so much Malachy laughs and says Oy and the Leibowitzes laugh and Mr. Leibowitz says words we can understand,When Irish oyes are smiling. Mrs. Leibowitz laughs so hard her body shakes and she holds her stomach and Malachy says Oy again because he knows that makes everyone laugh. I say Oy but no one laughs and I know Oy belongs to  Malachy the way Cuchulain belongs to me and Malachy can have his Oy. Mrs. Leibowitz, my father said Freddie has a favorite story. 34