Stanley Lippman
- slippman@objectwrite.com
- http://www.objectwrite.com
this is Danny -- he just turned 12
Note: most items below require Adobe
acrobat: click here
Read the Preface
& Table of Contents of my newest Book
Visual C++ 6.0 Source
Code Zip File Here
Non-Windows Source
Code Zip File Here
Essential C++ Errata
1st Printing PDF file
errata
for C++ Primer, 3rd Edition, 3rd Printing
(last updated 12/27/99)
.gif)
The Sound of One Hand Clapping
Stanley Lippman
``We have a problem, Taddens. No, sit. No, here.''
He patted the spot beside him on the sun-bleached desert rock,
making a show of sweeping it clean with his palm. ``Ah, a spot
like no other. Heavenly. No bird poop. No lizards sleeping you're
going to sit on. I know, I know. The horror.'' He raised both
hands in mock surrender. ``Taddens, come. Sit.''
Alice Emma danced a curtsy, traipsing back and forth
a moment as if weighing the concession, then ran off to a rock
several yards to his left.
``Am I suppose to shout?'' he whispered, cupping his
hands into a megaphone, then closing them over his mouth. ``Oh,
Taddens.''
``Daddy, come here. Sit. This spot is better. Much
better. I promise.''
``Because it's yours, no doubt,'' he answered, nonetheless
getting up and walking towards her. ``Hmm. Yes, I see what you
mean,'' he nodded, sitting down. ``This. Yes. Now this is heavenly.''
``Oh, Daddy, don't be such a tadpole. I don't mind
that there's a problem. Is it Mommy?''
``No. It's. Well. It's Jonah.''
``Moo Cat, Daddy. Don't you listen to me. Of course
you do. Only he was only Jonah yesterday and I changed him. Daddy,
names are very serious and important. I mean, to be right.''
He looked at her a moment without smiling, his dusky
ash-pale complexion. He folded his hands together lightly, started
to but did not speak.
``I made a dance. Can I show you, Daddy? Ok, or later.
A moondance like when we talked last time about silver and gold
and. What was it?''
``Byzantium. Taddens. No, I need to. It's the furniture.
I know, it's silly. He's ruining it. Well, it's getting scratched.
Mother has never had new things before. You know that.''
``Because we were poor?''
``Because. Well, because, yes. I didn't have a regular
job. Not a job anyway where one goes out to buy furniture.''
``But it was good and a happy time for us. Being simple
and poor like that, with you at home always scruffy - a Daddy
Moo Cat. That was a good time, Daddy. Not like …'' She stopped
herself, looking down, her heels kicking click-clack against the
side of the rock. Suddenly, she sprang up. ``Can't catch me,''
she said. ``Bet you a nickel. Bet you the sky,'' she cried, and
with her head down raced forward.
( 
usual disclaimer: site under construction)