Freud_Burlingham_1943_War_and_Children_k_text

When theunexploded bomb was lying nearthe house, Bertie's mind was filled with ideasof soldiers, Hitler and bombing. He wouldbomb his paper houses by the hour, throwthem down and carefully put them up again.When taken to the window, he would vaguelypoint in some direction and say: "Look whatHitlerhas done".One morning he suddenly woke in a stateof great excitement. He first talked to himselfloudly for awhile, then called a young nurse tohis bed and told her to listen to him. From thenon during the day he repeated his story towhomsoever wanted to hear it. He told howhis father and other men had been at workwhen the bombs started to fall. They had allcrowded into the underground station whichwas enormously strong, so strong that no bombscould hit them. Then a "puff puff train" hadcome and taken them all in and taken them toa place in the country where workmen wereneeded. They were still working there. Whenthe war was over his father would get anotherand come back."puff puff train"Another version of the story said: In themorning his father had taken his hat and stickand his mackintosh, because it was raining.When he did not come back, he Bertie, hadalso taken his hat and his overcoat,put on hisshoes, had gone out and had brought him home.127