Summary: "Elbert's Bad Word"

"At some point, all parents and teachers must deal with the issue of bad words. That's why I wrote this story." -Audrey Wood

Elbert is a young boy who hears a nasty word being spoken by an adult at a party. The word sticks around Elbert's memory, "ugly [and] covered with dark bristly hairs." As the party goes on, the bad word makes its way out of Elbert's mouth, making him feel just awful. Elbert learns to let go of the bad word by the end of the party, and he feels much better.