esterday Totto-chan was very upset. Mother had said, "You mustn't listen to any more comedians on the radio."

When Totto-chan was a little girl, radios were large and made of wood. They were very elegant. Theirs was rectangular with a rounded top, and a big speaker in front covered with pink silk and carved arabesques. It had two control knobs.

Even before she started school, Totto-chan liked to listen to rakugo comedians, pressing her ear against the pink silk. She thought their jokes were terribly funny. Mother had never objected to her listening to them until yesterday.

Last night some of Daddy's friends from the orchestra came to their house to practice string quartets in the living room.

"Mr. Tsunesada Tachibana, who plays the cello, has brought you some bananas," said Mother.

Totto-chan was thrilled. She bowed politely to Mr. Tachibana, and by way of thanks exclaimed to her mother, "Hey, Ma, this is pretty goddam good!"

After that Totto-chan had to listen in secret when Mother and Daddy were out. When the comedians were good, she would laugh uproariously. If any grown-ups had been watching, they might well have wondered how such a small girl could understand such difficult jokes. But there's no doubt that children have an innate sense of humor. No matter how young they are, they always know when something's really funny.