"Mom, is Mr. Kelcher a bad man?"
"Why do you ask, sweetie?"
"He was yelling at Bobby and Richie again for riding on his lawn."
The scent of fresh soil accompanied her mom while pulling weeds from the garden. "Oh my. I guess he doesn't like kids on his grass. Some people are like that."
"He yells at them even when they are on the sidewalk."
"Has he yelled at you?"
"No."
"Have you yelled at Bobby and Richie?"
"Yes, but they knocked over my doll house in the driveway -- on purpose."
"Maybe that's their way of getting attention. Remember, they don't have a dad."
"So, are you saying they should be yelled at?"
"Well, they can be a nuisance."
"So, Mr. Kelcher's not bad?"
"Well, he's got his own issues. He's certainly not the friendliest neighbor. Maybe Mr. Kelcher and those boys are just drawn to each other. Sorta like those dogs that like to bark at the cows. Most of the time the cows ignore them, but sometimes they chase the dogs away."
She paused, "So, is he a dog or a cow?"
"He might be a lonely cow that doesn't like dogs but would be more lonely if no one ever paid him any attention at all."
The little girl tilted her head, thinking hard. "But what if the cows barked back?"
Her mom put down the hand weeder and chuckled. "Oh, sweetie, if Mr. Kelcher started barking instead of yelling, I bet Bobby and Richie would never ride anywhere near his lawn ever again!"
by George Alger
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