Palmer comes home after the boys see a pigeon flying overhead and he cries. Why is he crying? What does he admit about his day?

Palmer explains it has been a "tense and uncomfortable day." He has been a part of things that have put him in touch with his struggles between right and wrong. The prank on Mrs. Gruzik's house and denying his pigeon to the boys lest they kill it both serve as examples of his struggles.