Simon Dedalus tells a story to his son, Stephen. The children’s story involves a “moocow” (7) meeting a young boy named tuckoo. Stephen loves the story, and he sees himself in the character of tuckoo. From Stephen’s perspective, the world is made up of cold, wet bedsheets and the reassuring aroma of his mother. When Dante, his governess, claps for him, he remembers her applause. His childhood memories also involve his Uncle Charles dancing along with a hornpipe.

As a boy living in County Wicklow, Stephen falls in love with one of his neighbors. Eileen Vance lives in the house next to Stephen’s family, and he believes that he is “going to marry Eileen” (8). However, Stephen does not comprehend the religious issues of such a match. Stephen’s family is Catholic, while Eileen’s family is Protestant. The prospect of a Catholic and Protestant marriage shocks Stephen’s family, and he crawls under the dinner table to avoid their fury. Stephen’s mother tries to coax him out from under the table, assuring the rest of the family that he “will apologize” (8), while Dante loudly describes the violent punishments which await Stephen should he marry a non-Catholic woman.