Little Doodle was "the craziest brother a boy ever had," according to the narrator of the James Hurst short story, "The Scarlet Ibis." Not expected to live long after he was born, Doodle nevertheless thrived through his big heart and the persistence of his brother, who was six years old when Doodle was born.
Although Doodle saw little reason to learn to walk, the older brother would
... paint for him a picture of us as old men... and me still pulling him around in a go-cart.
Doodle decided that he wanted to walk and grow older as well. The two dreamed of living together in a house in Old Woman Swamp, where they would swing through the trees and "pick dog-tongue for a living." When it rained, they would stay dry under the umbrella tree and "play stickfrog."
Mama and Daddy could come and live with us if they wanted to. He even came up with the idea that he could marry Mama and I could marry Daddy. Of course, I was old enough to know this wouldn't work out...
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