When Mommy came into the living room again, Peter had built a tower that was taller than he was, the best tower he had ever made. “Look!” he said.

Question

But Mommy didn't even look at the tower. “Peter!” She picked up Little Brother™, put him on her lap, and pressed the button to turn him back on. As soon as he was on, Little Brother™ started to scream. His face turned red.

“I didn’t mean to!”

“Peter, I told you! He’s not like your other toys. When you turn him off, he can’t move but he can still see and hear. He can still feel. And it scares him.”

“He was knocking down my blocks.”

“Babies do things like that,” Mommy said. “That’s what it’s like to have a baby brother.”

Little Brother™ howled.

“He’s mine,” Peter said too quietly for Mommy to hear. But when Little Brother™ had calmed down, Mommy put him back on the floor and Peter let him toddle over and knock down the tower.

Mommy told Peter to clean up the wrapping paper, and she went back into the kitchen. Peter had already picked up the wrapping paper once, and she hadn’t said thank you. She hadn’t even noticed.

Peter wadded the paper into angry balls and threw them one at a time into the wagon until it was almost full. That’s when Little Brother™ broke the fire engine. Peter turned just in time to see him lift the engine up over his head and let it drop.

“No!” Peter shouted. The windshield cracked and popped out as the fire engine hit the floor. Broken. Peter hadn’t even played with it once, and his best Christmas present was broken.

***

Later, when Mommy came into the living room, she didn’t thank Peter for picking up all the wrapping paper. Instead, she scooped up Little Brother™ and turned him on again. He trembled and screeched louder than ever.

“My God! How long has he been off?” Mommy demanded.

“I don’t like him!”

“Peter, it scares him! Listen to him!”

“I hate him! Take him back!”

“You are not to turn him off again. Ever!”

“He’s mine!” Peter shouted. “He’s mine and I can do what I want with him! He broke my fire engine!”

“He’s a baby!”

“He’s stupid! I hate him! Take him back!”

“You are going to learn to be nice with him.”

“I’ll turn him off if you don’t take him back. I’ll turn him off and hide him someplace where you can’t find him!”

“Peter!” Mommy said, and she was angry. She was angrier than he’d ever seen her before. She put Little Brother™ down and took a step toward Peter. She would punish him. Peter didn’t care. He was angry, too.

“I’ll do it!” he yelled. “I’ll turn him off and hide him someplace dark!”

“You’ll do no such thing!” Mommy said. She grabbed his arm and spun him around. The spanking would come next.

But it didn’t. Instead he felt her fingers searching for something at the back of his neck.

Notes
walking unsteadily or shakily
walking unsteadily with quick, short steps
Question 5
Write: What does paragraph 41 reveal about the story's resolution?

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GPT-4o mini · Answer

Paragraph 41 reveals a pivotal moment in the story's resolution, highlighting the climax of tension between Peter and Mommy over Little Brother™. Instead of executing the expected punishment, Mommy's actions suggest a moment of understanding or a shift in perspective. By searching for something at the back of Peter's neck, it indicates that she may be looking to address the deeper emotional or behavioral issues at play rather than simply enforcing discipline. This moment hints at a potential resolution that may involve communication and empathy, suggesting that both Peter and Mommy need to navigate their feelings about the new addition to their family—Little Brother™—in a more constructive way. Rather than a strict punishment, this moment could lead to a greater understanding and connection between them, setting the stage for an evolving relationship as they learn to cope with the challenges that come with having a baby in the home.