“Time for Anger” from “The Ants Are My Friends” by Richard Lederer & Stan Kegel (©2007 Marion Street Press) “Rock of ages, cleft for me. Let me hide myself in thee” from “Rock of Ages” by Thomas Hastings and Augustus M. Topland.

Herman was afflicted with an explosive personality that caused him more and more problems at home and on the job. Finally, his distressed family persuaded him to enter an anger-management course.

Herman’s therapy included an alarm clock on his bedroom table that was tuned in to his brain by electronic pulses. Every time Herman flew into a tantrum, the clock would explode into a loud and irritating ring that wouldn’t stop until he calmed down.

For quite a while, Herman deeply resented the noisy timepiece, but eventually he came to see that it was helping him to control his anger. He would even sing to it: “Clock of rages, left for me. Let me chide myself with thee.”