Chapters 17 through 20 Summary

Henry becomes accepted among the neighborhood boys and begins going to church with a boy named Frank. He says he studied the Catechism and that his parents are happy he's going to church. One day he goes to confession with Frank. On the way, they see a stray dog and Frank remarks that it's too bad the dog can't go to Heaven. Hoping to help the dog get into Heaven, the boys carry him into the church and baptize him with holy water. Then they go into confession, but Henry can't think of anything he's done wrong. He makes up an array of sins, that he kicked his father and mother, stole money for candy bars, looked up a girl's dress, ate snot, and baptized a dog. He says he knew he had committed a mortal sin and never goes to...