Tunes for Bears to Dance To

Henry asks Mr. Hairston why he is being fired, knowing he has done a good job. The grocer says he is no longer needed. Henry keeps the bad news from his mother, who has said she doesn’t know what she would do without his small contribution to the family income. The next morning, he wanders aimlessly through the streets and then heads for the craft center. Inside, people are clapping for Mr. Levine. George tells Henry that Mr. Levine won first prize in a city art contest: The village will be on display at city hall and celebrated with a big ceremony.

Henry congratulates his friend, whose eyes fill with happy tears. Mr. Levine tells Henry he is a good boy, and George says the elderly man has been rehearsing so he can “speak better” to Henry. He invites Henry to the ceremony on Saturday afternoon, and Henry accepts. George says the village is a reminder not only of the war but also of survival and “how good can overcome evil” (64).

At the store, Henry works in the cellar listlessly, not even looking for rats. Suddenly, Mr. Hairston appears and asks if Henry wants to keep his job. When Henry says he does, the grocer says he will tell Henry how he can do so at the end of the day.

Mr. Hairston is cheerful that afternoon. At the end of the day, he shows Henry the sketch, which no longer bears the X. He tells Henry he put the X on it because he knew Henry would peek at it, saying that people only appreciate something when they think they have lost it. Henry finds this odd since he did appreciate the sketch when Mr. Hairston first showed it to him.

Mr. Hairston says the monument will be a gift for Henry if he will do a “simple” thing that requires some cunning—something Henry can do even though he is a “Canuck.” Henry is to go to the craft center and stay behind after it closes. When everyone is gone, Henry will find a hammer and smash Mr. Levine’s village. Henry recoils and can’t speak for a moment; he then says he can’t do that. Mr. Hairston points out that the village is just a toy and says it will do Mr. Levine good to rebuild it.

Henry reiterates that he can’t destroy the village, saying that it is going on display at city hall. The grocer tells him to destroy it before the Saturday ceremony. When Henry refuses, Mr. Hairston sighs and says that if he can’t trust Henry to do this for him, he will not only fire Henry but also tell the other merchants and Henry’s school principal that he is untrustworthy. Henry is horrified, the words made worse by Mr. Hairston’s “tender, gentle voice” (72). Mr. Hairston asks Henry not to tell anyone about his request and to weigh the pros and cons before he makes his decision.

Henry has a nightmare about taking a sledgehammer to the toy village; the sound reminds him of a bomb exploding. A toy figure, Mr. Levine, runs out of the little farmhouse. Henry cries out and his mother comes to comfort him, but he can’t put Mr. Hairston’s suggestion into words. He thinks that he now understands why Mr. Hairston hired him: He can follow orders. He falls asleep wondering why Mr. Hairston wants the elderly man’s village destroyed.