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accept the price？ Expect at least one defective grandchild out of ten？ I had no data on which to estimate the cost any closer than that； as Dora knew nothing about her ancestry and； while I did know a little
ab鴘t mine； I did not know enough。 All I had was that old and extremely rough thumb rule。
So we stalled。
We fell back on another sound old thumb rule： Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow if tomorrow might
… improve the odds。
So we moved into our new house while it was still not finished…but finished enough that we then had a girls' dormitory； a boys' dormitory； a bedroom for Dora and me； with adjacent nursery。
But we dtd not kid ourselves that we had solved the problem。 Instead we hauled it out into the open； made sure that the three oldest knew what the problem was and what the risks were and why it would be smart to hold off。 Nor were the younger kids shut out of this schooling； they simply were not required even to audit the course when they found themselves bored with technicalities they were too young to be interested …
in。…；…
Dora chucked in a frill； one based on something Helen Mayberry had done for her some twenty years earlier。 She announced that when little Helen achieved menarche； we would declare a ~holiday and have a party； with …Helen as' guest of honor。 From then on； every year； that day would be known as 〃Helen's Day〃 and so on for Iseult and Undine and on down the line until there was an annual holiday named for each girl。
Helen could hardly wait to pass from childhood into girlhood…and when she did； a few months later； she was unbearably smug。 Woke us all up shouting about it。 〃Mania！ Papa！ Look； it's happened！ Zack！ Andy！ Wake up！ e see！〃
If she hurt； she did not mention it。 Probably she did not； Dora wasn't subject to menstrual cramps； and neither of us told the girls to expect them。 Being myself convex instead of concave； I refrain from menting on the theory that such pains are a conditioned reflex； I don't think I'm entitled to an opinion
…you might ask Ishtar。
It also resulted in me being called on by a delegation…of two； Zack and Andy with Zack as spokesman： 〃LoOk； Papa…we think it splendid； meet； and fit our sister Helen's day to mark with joyful sounds and jollity acclaiming this our sibling's rightful heritage。 But soothly； sire； methinks…〃
〃Chop it off and say it。〃…
〃Well； how about boys！〃
By gum； I reinstituted chivalry！…
Not as a sudden inspiration。 Zack had asked a tough one； I
had to dance around it a bit before I reacbed~ a workable answer。 Sure； there are rites of passage for males as well as
…fem~les； every culture has them； even those that aren't aware of it。 When I was a boy； it was your first suit with long pants。 Then there are ones such as circumcision at puberty； ordeal by pain； killing some dread beast…endless。
None of these fitted our boys。 Some I disapproved of； some were impossible…circumcision for example。 I have this unimportant mutation； no foreskin。 But it is a Y…linked dominant； and I pass it on to all my male offspring。 The boys knew this； but I stalled by mentioning it again； discussed it in connection with the endless ways in which a male's transition into beginning manhood was sometimes celebrated…while trying to think of an answer to the main question。
Finally I said； 〃Look； boys； you both know all about reproduction and geics that I have been able to teach you。 You both know what 'Helen's Day' means。 Don't you？ Andy？〃
Andy did not answer； his older brother said； 〃Sure he knows； Papa。 It means Helen can have babies now； just like Mama。 You know that； Andy。〃 Andy nodded agreement； round…eyed。 〃We all know； Papa； even the kids。 Well； I'm not sure about Ivar； he's so little。 But Iseult and Undine know it
…Helen's been telling them that she's going to catch up with Mama…have her first baby right away。〃
I controlled the cold chills I felt。 Let me cut this short： I did not tell them that this was a bad idea； instead I took a long time drawing answers from them； things they both knew but had not yet thought of quite so personally…how Helen could not have a baby unless one or the other of them put it into her； how Helen was still too little for the strain of baking a baby even though 〃Helen's Day〃 marked the fact that she was now vulnerable； how and why； even when Helen was big enough in a few years； a baby out of Helen by one of her brothers could be a tragedy instead of the fine babies Mama made every time。 They told me； Andy's eyes getting bigger all the time…I simply supplied leading questions。
I was helped in this by the fact that a little mule mare； Dancing Girl； had e into her first estrus when I thought she was not grown…up enough for a colt。 So I had had Zack and Andy fence her off…and she kicked a hole in the fence and
… got what she wanted； Buckaroo covered her。 Sure enough； the colt had been too big for her and I had to go in and cut it up and take it out in chunks…a routine job of emergency veterinary surgery but an impressive and bloody sight for two
stripling boys who had helped their father by controlling the mare while le operated。
No； indeed； they did not want anything even a little bit like that to happen to He！ en ~No； sir！
Minerva； I cheated a little。 I did not tell them that the way Helen was spreading in the butt and the measurements she already had made it appear to her family doctor…me…that she was even more of a natural baby factory than her mother
…and would be big enough for ~ier first one much younger than Dora had had Zaccur； I did not tell them that the chances of a healthy baby from a brother…sister mating were higher than the chances of a defective。 I certainly did not！
Instead； I waxed lyrical about 'what wonderful creatures girls are； what a miracle it is that they 'could make babies； how precious thcy are and how it is a man's proud privilege to love and cherish and protect them…protect them even from their follies because Helen might behave just like Dancing Girl； impatient and foolish。 So don't let her tempt you； boys…jerk off instead； just like you've been doing。 They promised； tears in their eyes。 …
I didn't ask them to promise that or anything…but it gave me the idea： Have 〃Princess〃 Helen knight them。
The kids grabbed that idea and ran with it； Tales of King Arthur's Court was one of the books Dora had fetched along because Helen Mayberry had given it to her。 So we had Sir Zaccur the Strong and Sir Andrew the Valiant and two ladiesin…waiting…waiting rather eagerly； Iseult and Undine knew that they； too； would… be 〃princesses〃 as each reached menarche。 Ivar was squire to both knights and would be dubbed himself when his voice changed。 Only Elf was too small as yet to play the game。 …
It worked； a stopgap。 I suppose 〃Princess〃 Helen was protected more than she wanted to be protected。 But if she could not lure her faithful knights into the cornfields； they did place her stool for her at meals； they bowed to her rather often； and usually addressed her as 〃Fair？Princess〃…considerably more than I ever did for my sisters。 …
Before the first anniversary of 〃Helen's Day〃 those three new families dropped down the rise and the crisis was over。 It was Sammy Roberts； not one of her brothers； who first spread 〃Princess〃 Helen's thighs…certain； as she told her mother about it at once （more of Helen Mayberry's influence） and Dora kissed her and told her that she was a good girl and now go find Papa and ask him to examine you…and I
did and she hadn't been hurt； not to mention。 But it gave Dora some control over the matter； just as Helen Mayberry had guided Dora at about the same age…so Dora had told me； long before that。 In consequence our oldest daughter did not get pregnant until she was almost as old as and quite a bit more filled out than Dora had been when I married her。 Ole Hanson married her； and Sven Hanson and I； and Dora and Ingrid； helped the youngsters star