Except, for a while, Fleischman didn’t say anything. He was busy untying Lulu from the tree, which turned out to be much harder than he, or she, or even I had ever expected. Before he was finished, however, he took a deep breath and said to Lulu, “It’s not fair to hate a person because he’s perfect.” And then he added, so softly she barely could hear him, “Besides—I’m not perfect. I am so not perfect.”

So not perfect? Fleischman was so not perfect? Hmmm.

“Keep talking, Fleischman,” Lulu said to Fleischman, looking pleased for the very first time that day. “Stop trying to untie me, and tell me more.” Fleischman stopped untying and told her more.

“I don’t change my underpants every single day.

“You wouldn’t believe the mess that’s under my bed.

“I’m scared of the dark.

“I’m also scared—make that ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED—of crawly-creatures like caterpillars and worms.

“I can only speak German to dachshunds and French to poodles. Whenever I try to speak German or French to humans they can never understand me.

“I play the flute because I already tried and couldn’t play the violin, the piano, the guitar, the clarinet, the drums, and the gusli.” (The what? The WHAT? I really don’t feel like discussing that right now.)

Lulu kept listening cheerfully until Fleischman was done telling more and went back to untying. And then she—looking even more cheerful—said, “Terrified of crawly creatures! Smelly underwear! Can’t play the gusli!”

Fleischman shrugged. Lulu kept on talking. “But what about all that goody-goody stuff—the carrots, the sneakers, the smile? Plus being so honored and thrilled? Plus being so smart?”

“That’s who I am,” said Fleischman. “I can’t help it. Just like you can’t help”—and all of a sudden he started to speak in a very loud voice—“that you are really, really dumb about dogs. Plus, you certainly aren’t the nicest girl in the world.”

(Whoa! Listen to Fleischman! Who ever knew that he could talk that way!)

Lulu glared at Fleischman. Fleischman glared at Lulu. But instead of an impasse, they had a conversation—a quite noisy conversation that lasted the rest of the morning and all of the afternoon. There was yelling (from Lulu) and crying (from Fleischman) and yelling (from Fleischman) and crying (from Lulu) and (from both of them) much stamping of feet. But when they were finished with all of that, Lulu and Fleischman shook each other’s hand.