I love the stories Ward frequently told his boys when teachnig them a moral lesson. What is your favorite Ward story?

Later I may think of one I liked better, but right now I am inclined to say the story he used to get Beaver's perspectives back in order in "Wally, the Lifeguard." Beaver invited Whitey and Gilbert to go with his family to Friend's Lake on their picnic because he wanted to show off that his brother is a lifeguard. But Wally found out he was not old enough to be a lifeguard, so he took another job as a barker selling hot dogs and candy. He came around and Beaver told him, "Boy, Wally, this is the meanest thing you've ever done to me." Ward tries to straighten Beaver out that night, and the dialogue is something like this;

Ward: Beaver, have you tried to analyze your feeling?... Do you know why you're mad at your brother?

Beaver: Sure-- I hate him.

Ward: Beaver, you know you don't really hate him. I want to tell you a story that'svery much like this situation..... One time there was a boy who somehow got the idea that his father had been a big football star. He bragged to all his friends about it-- until one day his father was there and right in front of his friends he told him the truth-- that he hadn't been a star at all; he had only been a second-string halfback and he didn't even get to play that much.

Beaver: Dad-- is this one of those stories where you turn out the be the boy who bragged to his friends?

Ward: No, Beaver. In this story I turn out to be the second-string halfback.

Beaver:: You mean it was Wally who told everyone you were a big football star?

Ward: That's right, Beaver. And Wally was really disappointed for a while, and he even avoided the friends he'd been telling that story. You see, Beaver, you were trying to make yourself look important through Wally. You've always been proud of your brother, but now that he's finally let you down for once, you're mad at him.

Beaver: Dad-- I don't think I'm mad at him any more.