String Theory (Socks CCXXXI)

“We call the woman that pushes you around Pretty,” explained Rar. Then he explained the household situation.
Rar wanted to know about tickles.
“It’s a feeling when something makes you want to laugh.”
“A joke?”
“No, something has to touch you. One time a string got caught half way down my throat.”
“I’m made of strings.”
“This one kept tickling my throat, and made me cough while I was trying to sing.”
“What did you do?”
“I had to quit singing, so Pretty could get the string out. The string didn’t mean any harm, he was just having some fun.

Pickles (Socks CCXXX)

“When something bounces in my mouth, it tickles.”
“Is tickles like pickles? ”
“I don’t know. What’s pickles?”
“I don’t know.”
“Now I’m not sure I believe you.”
“Why?”
“Pickles doesn’t even sound like a real word.”
“But I…”
“Tell me, is pickles behind the dresser with you?”
“No, it’s…”
“You don’t look so good, maybe you have pickles.”
“You don’t…”
“Hear that? It sounds like pickles.”
“That’s not…”
“I‘m scared, pickles is after me.”
“Will you be quiet, and listen?”
“Ok.”
“It’s a real word, I heard Mom ask Pretty if she had any pickles.”
“Who’s Pretty? Pretty Pickles?”

Dyson’s Meals (Socks CCXXIX)

Rar went on to explain how Grunter got his name.
Dyson told tales of the things she had picked up that could not be eaten.
"I thought that's how you ate."
"I pick up everything, but most of it I don't eat."
"What do you eat?"
"The fine particles."
"What do you do with the other stuff?"
"My belly gets emptied when it gets full of stuff I can't eat."
"Like what?"
"All the big stuff. I picked up a paperclip once."
"I met a paperclip. He was strong."
"This one bounced around my mouth, then went to my belly."

Subject Change (Socks CCXXVIII)

"You could have made up that whole thing. How would I know?"
"Why would I make that up?"
"Did Lucien tell you the vacuum's name?"
"Hoover."
"When was this fire?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe you should have asked."
"I'm not talking about this."
"All I'm saying..."
"Change the subject, or stop talking."
"Ok, ok. Let's see. I know. I haven't seen you for a while. Where you been?"
"I've been in a closet. I used to come out and sing all the time, but the more the man yelled, the less I come out."
"Grunter."
"What?"
"We call him Grunter."

Fire Report (Socks CCXXVII)

"It was terrible. The mice and the people got out. And a couple spiders, too."
"What about the clothes?"
"Just what the people carried out."
"A table hollered to get carried out, a door screamed that his back was on fire, and a window split right down the middle."
"You weren't there."
"I know, but I heard about it."
"From who?"
"A watch."
"When?"
"I went in for repair once, and the watch was in at the same time. She just needed cleaning."
"I'm not sure I believe all of this. What was her name?"
"Lucien. Lucien Piccard. so, there."

Singing (Socks CCXXVI)

"I don't just run around the room making noise, you know."
"No, I don't know."
"Well, I slide across the floor, picking up any piece of dirt, lint, or crumbs I can find."
"What do you do with the stuff?"
"I eat it. That's what I live on."
"What happens if you don't sing?"
"My throat gets clogged, and I starve."
"Oh, my."
"I heard one time, a guy got clogged, and kept trying to eat. He got so hot that he burst into flames."
"Did not."
"Did too. The whole house and everything in it burned to a crisp."

Dyson (Socks CCXXV)

Rar could hear rhythmic breathing through the night.
The phone rang before the room got light, "Sure, I can work today."
With that Pretty sprang out of bed, knocked around the house for a while, and left as light started coming in the window.
Rar could see under the dresser. He read the word, "Dyson."
"Hello."
"Hello, where are you?"
"Behind the dresser. Look under it."
"Oh, there you are. I've seen you before."
"I've seen you too. Grunter used to lift me up in the air while you made noise."
"Singing."
"What?"
"I sing to keep my throat clear."