Forty-Fifth Session

Mrs K. met Richard on the road. He looked quite changed—had more colour in his face, did not seem worried, and was talkative and lively. He told Mrs K. at once that he felt much better, his throat was not hurting any more (Note I). In the playroom he said that in

the morning when he woke up he had been very hungry, had actually felt sick with hunger; his stomach had been quite thin and small, drawn in, and the big bones in his stomach had been sticking out. After breakfast he had felt quite all right. He described in detail that the shredded wheat which he had eaten was delicious and how he had munched it up.

Mrs K. interpreted that the big bones in his stomach represented the eaten-up enemies, particularly the bad father—the octopus and the monster. She also reminded him of his fears of being spied upon and poisoned by the bad parents and Paul. Therefore his thin and weak stomach meant his inside, unprotected and weak and full of persecutors. The good food which strengthened him represented the good light-blue Mummy protecting and restoring him. Mrs K. reminded him that a few days ago he had compared shredded wheat with a bird's nest and that she had interpreted that it stood for the good mother and her breast.1

Richard had been looking round in the playroom and was smiling happily. He remarked that the playroom was not so ‘smelly’ today as it had been yesterday, and looked much nicer. Yesterday it had been very smelly and awful. He said he had not brought the fleet—he wanted to draw.… Mummy had been lovely yesterday; she had bought two books for him and gave him some paints. Looking at Mrs K., he asked what her coat and frock were made of—from a distance they looked as if they were made of silver; they were beautiful and so were her shoes. Had she had her hair done recently? Had she just washed it, because it looked so different, it was so beautiful as if it were made of silver.

Mrs K. interpreted that he seemed to feel that his internal