It wasn't much better when, at the very unprecocious age of two, I gave vent to an inarticulate utterance which, among those who ought to have known better, passed for speech.

I assure you, reader, for the next few months I had the whole family hanging on my lips.

How would you like your whole family hanging on your lips?
But then you weren't born a hero.
Well, it went on.

My infancy was one sickening round of glory.

Did I build a house of bricks four courses high?
Archimedes wasn't in it with me.