ThisnextepisodeinJeremy’syearhas，beitthoroughlyunderstood，noplotnorclimaxtoit——itissimplythechronicleofanOdyssey。
NorcanitbesaidtohavebeenanythingbutaveryordinaryOdysseytotheoutsideobserverwho，ifhebeaparent，willtellyouthatgoingtotheseasidewiththefamilyisthemostbotheringthingintheworld，andifheisabachelororoldmaidwilltellyouthatbeinginthesamecarriagewithotherpeople’schildrenwhoaregoingtotheseaisanabominablebusinessandtheLawoughttohavesomethingtosaytoit。
AllthroughMay，JuneandJulyMrs。Coleslowlypulledbacktosomethinglikehernaturalhealth。Thenewinfant，Barbarabyname，wasasstrongasapony，andkickedandscreamedandroaredsothatthehousewasquiteanewplace。HerarrivalhaddoneagreatdealforHelen，whosegazehadhithertobeenconcentratedentirelyuponherself；nowshesuddenlydiscoveredanewelementinlife，anditwasfoundthatshewas“idealwithababy“and“agreathelptonurse。“Thismadehermorehuman，andBarbara，realisingasbabiesalwaysdowhounderstandsandwhodoesnot，wouldbehavewithHelenwhenshewouldbehavewithnooneelse。MarycouldnotbeexpectedtotransferherallegiancefromJeremy，andthenBarbarawasfrightenedatherspectacles；Jeremy，havingHamlet，didnotneedababy！
TherecameafinehotmorningtowardstheendofJulywhenMissJonessaid，suddenly，inthemiddleofthehistorylesson：“SaturdayweekwegotoRafiel。“Jeremychoked，kickedMaryunderthetable，andwasgenerallyimpossibleduringtherestofthemorning。ItwasMissJones’sfault；sheshouldhavechosenheroccasionmorecarefully。BeforetheeveningJeremywasstandinginthecornerfordrawingonhisbedroomwall-paperenormousfiguresintheblackestofblacklead。TheseweretomarkthedaysthatremainedbeforeSaturdayweek，anditwas，Jeremymaintained，aperfectlynaturalthingtodoanddidn’thurttheoldwall-paperwhichwasdirtyenoughanyway，andMotherhadsaid，longago，heshouldhaveanewone。
Meanwhile，impossibletodescribewhatJeremyfeltaboutit。EachyearCowFarmandRafielhadgrownmorewonderful；thiswasnowthefifththatwouldwelcomethemthere。Atfirstthehorizonhadbeenlimitedbyphysicalincapacity，thenthethirdyearhadbeenrainy，andthefourth——ah，thefourth！Therehadbeenverylittlethematterwiththat！Butthiswouldbebetteryet。Foronething，therehadneverbeensuchasummerasthisyearwasproviding——alittlerainatnight，alittlebreezeatthehottesthouroftheday——