Tunes for Bears to Dance To

At the store, Mr. Hairston watches Mr. Levine tipping his hat to nobody and says the man is “crazy.” Henry tells the store owner Mr. Levine’s name, and Mr. Hairston scowls and says Levine is a Jewish name. Henry explains that although Mr. Levine lives in the institution, he is not “crazy”; as a Holocaust survivor, he tips his hat out of habit, remembering the cruel demands of guards. Mr. Hairston tells Henry to watch out for Jews, and Henry protests that Mr. Levine is a talented wood carver. Mr. Hairston wants to know more about the miniature village, and Henry describes it in detail. However, Mr. Hairston’s interest in the village makes him feel uneasy, “as if he had betrayed the old man” (47).

Henry sees Doris, who is walking slowly and deliberately, as if in pain. Speaking in whispers, Henry asks how she fell down, and when she instead boasts that her father lets her go to the library whenever she wants, he guesses that her father hurt her. She says her father gets angry because she is clumsy, and she warns Henry to be careful around him.