- Tristram tells us to listen up, because he heard the story of his birth from his uncle, Mr. Toby Shandy.
- Anyway, Tristram's father is none too happy about Mom's interruption. Anything Tristram does from here on out is blamed on this incident (poor Tristram), including playing with his toys incorrectly.
- Tristram's mother doesn't understand how it could possibly matter. Smart woman.
- (You're not alone: it's almost impossible to figure out what's going on here. Trust us, it'll become clear.)