Peter realized that his narrative was overburdened with propaganda and he was artist enough to throw over some of his moralizing ballast.
"Well, this was the way it happened, Pat. David picked up a big rock and threw it at the Red Bat, but the Red Bat was too smart for him. The Red Bat caught the rock and threw it back at David and knocked him down. That was it, wasn't it?"
"Yes," said Pat.
When Kate returned a little after one Peter reported, "I didn't have any bother with him. He just went right off to sleep."
II
David and Goliath became set as a bedtime story and lasted through the next six months almost without change. Indeed Pat resented changes. "Once," Peter would begin, "there was a man named Goliath and he was the biggest man in the world and he could lick any man in the world."
"Not lick," Pat would interrupt. "Beat."
"Oh, yes, he could beat any man in the world." Peter found himself coming home for Pat's bedtime with increasing frequency. Once or twice he tried to break away, but upon such occasions Kate reported that the child had cried for him and had kept awake until after midnight asking for the story of David and Goliath.
"You tell it to him," said Peter. "I think I can teach it to you. He wants it just this way." And he repeated the accepted version.