well i like them to be sociable, but that's no cause for ponder to jump all over someone to whom he hasn't been formally introduced. after all, he isn't even real yet, so he might try to be more mannerly. bear would never smarm up to new people like that - he is a very decorous bear - and mouse and robert dudley won't anyway because they're so bad-tempered. i've sent ponder to sit in a corner to read wordsworth, which should be punishment enough.