I adore this story. Mostly because when my sister was about the same age as young Gregor, she by chance opened the very last package of Christams morning to find ordinary white socks that she needed and Mom had wrapped up to increase the size of the preasent pile. She exclaimed "Oh, Socks!" as if it was a swear word, in her disapointment at this anticlimax. For years it was a family joke to talk about giving someone socks.

I think I may need to go a buy her a few pairs for this year ;-)