Seal Blubber
- In her dad's car, Flora feels queasy and confused. It's not just the smell of butterscotch and ketchup that seems to follow her dad's car around—it's also how her mom acted about her new tiny friend.
- Before Flora left, her mom gave her a shoebox complete with washcloth to act as a little house for Ulysses.
- Her mom claimed it was to protect him, but then she stashed a shovel and sack in the back of her dad's car so he can finish the squirrel off. So confusing. Does her mom want to kill her BFF or not?
- As they're pulling away, Tootie and William come up to the car and ask them to stop.
- Flora's dad introduces himself (as he tends to do), and Tootie explains that William's lost it and freaks out about everything.
- Still, she escorts him to the other side of the car where Flora is.
- William apologizes for calling Ulysses' poetry bad, and says it's not the worst stuff he's ever heard.
- Plus, he wants to make sure she's not mad at him.
- Flora says she's got bigger things to worry about than whether William likes Ulysses's poetry or will take off his glasses when she asks.
- You know, stuff like whether her mom is Ulysses's arch-enemy, for instance.
- Meanwhile, Tootie compliments Ulysses on his poetry, and reads him a bit of Rilke in return.
- Ulysses's eyes grow wide as he soaks in the poetry; he absolutely loves listening to those words.
- Flora's dad thanks Tootie and says they've got to run now.
- Before they go, though, William asks when Flora will come back; she's not sure, but it's not like she's going to the South Pole or anything.
- If she were, she'd have to bring some seal blubber to make sure she didn't freeze there.
- Well, William is glad for that; he'd rather she didn't go too far.
- He waves goodbye to her—in the wrong direction—excited that he'll see her again soon.