Oh wad some power

Baby Pierre looked at the plinth.

That's not my daddy, he said. That's Robert Burns. He's a statue.

He looks like you, said Lavender, doubtfully. He's the same colour stone, and he has a nice round head.

Do you think it's nice? said Baby Pierre. My head?

No, his head is nice, said Lavender. But yours is alright.

Robert Burns looked down from his plinth and uttered these words:

"Oh wad some power the giftie gie us,
To see oursels as others see us
It wad frae monie a blunder free us
And foolish notion"

Did you hear that? said Baby Pierre.

Yes, said Lavender. Why's he speaking French?

That's not French, said Baby Pierre. But I don't know what it is. Let's go inside. Ageless will be in the reading room.

They went in and climbed the stairs to the main reading room. Ageless was sitting in front of a computer, in the middle of a row of students.

Ageless! cried Baby Pierre.

Baby Pierre! cried Ageless. You've come back! And who's this?

This is Lavender, said Baby Pierre. She's my cousin.

Not really, said Lavender. But sort of.

Very pleased to meet you, Lavender, said Ageless. How pretty you are!

Don't be creepy, Ageless, said Baby Pierre. And what part of her are you thinking is pretty?

Her lovely shape, said Ageless. Like an auger.

Yes, but what part of her do you think you're talking to? said Baby Pierre. She's the indentation.

Is she really? said Ageless, peering curiously at Lavender.

Stop talking about me as if I wasn't here, said Lavender, crossly.