How old are you, anyway?' she asked, squinting at him.<br />There was a pause. At last he said, 'Why do you want to know?'<br />I just wondered,' said Winnie.<br />All right. I'm one hundred and four years old,' he told her solemnly.<br />No, I mean really,' she persisted.<br />Well then.' he said, 'if you must know, I'm seventeen.'<br />Seventeen?'<br />That's right.'<br />Oh,' said Winnie hopelessly. 'Seventeen. That's old.'<br />You have no idea,' he agreed with a nod.

Natalie Babbitt

Natalie Babbitt