All children catch bad words. And so it was with young Elbert, who snatched one out of the air one day at an elegant garden party--and stuffed it into his pocket. The word waited--ugly, covered with dark, bristly hairs--and snuck into Elbert's mouth. Then without warning, it sprang out, causing a dreadful uproar.

With humor and insight, Audrey Wood tells a tale certain to tickle anyone shocked to hear a child utter a bad word. And Elbert's cure provides an ingenious solution for children confused by a bad word's power.