&&000 GINN & CO. (1966) 4TH GRADE GIN9664T.ASC ROADS TO EVERYWHERE by David H. Russell, et al. Source: U of Rochester xerox, scan, edit by DPH January 25, 1993 &&111 And, boy! said =Captain =Hudson. Yes, sir? Try not to be so much like me. It will keep you out of much danger. =John smiled and nodded. Then he went slowly to the cook, who was glad enough to have a little help. The cook set him at once to the cleaning of a huge fish which they were to have at noon. =John cleaned away with a will, but his thoughts were going round and round. He must think and plan, think and plan. Yesterday he had made a start on the plan. Today he must finish it. What his father did not know was that he had not only seen Indians with bows and arrows the day before, but had talked with them. They were boys no older than he, but they had something which =John knew every one of the crew, even the captain himself, would give almost anything to have. John wanted to get it for them, for it was very important. It might even mean the difference between a happy crew on the way home or a very unhappy one. How was he to get away? He thought about this all morning. He had to go to the =Indians again. They were too afraid to come to him. He had no way of knowing they would keep their promise, but he must try to keep his. The only thing he could think to do was to wait until evening. Then he would make believe he was tired from the day's work, and go to the stern deck for a little sleep. The cook and the crew would laugh at him, but if luck were with him, everyone except the watchman would stay below decks talking. Then if he moved quietly, he could keep his promise to meet the Indian boys in the woods. He thought it would never, never get dark. But at last the sun set, and =John went about carrying out his plan. The air had a frosty nip in it as he got into a small boat and rowed away. On the morning he was to die, the =Fourth =Chinese =Brother said to the judge, =Your =Honor, will you allow me to go bid my mother good-by? It is only fair, said the judge. So the =Fourth =Chinese =Brother went home, and the =Fifth =Chinese =Brother came back in his place. A large brick oven had been built on the village square and it had been all filled with whipped cream. The =Fifth =Chinese =Brother was shoveled into the oven, right in the middle of the whipped cream. The door was shut tight, and everybody sat around and waited for him to smother. They were not going to be tricked again! So they stayed there all night and even a little after dawn, just to make sure. Then they opened the door and pulled him out. He shook the whipped cream off himself and said, My! That was a good sleep! Everybody stared with open mouth and round eyes. But the judge stepped up and said, We have found it impossible to do away with you. We have tried to cut your head off with a sword, to drown you, to burn you, and to smother you in an oven. Somehow it can't be done. It must be that you did nothing wrong, and you should live. Yes, yes, shouted all the people. So they let him go, and he went home. And the =Five =Chinese =Brothers and their mother all lived together happily for many years. Call yourself a detective! said =Jinx, the cat. Why, pig, you couldn't find your own nose in the dark! =Freddy, the pig, had just announced to the animals of the =Bean farm that he was going to become a detective. Think of all the good I could do, he said. Right this very minute =Simon, the rat, is stealing grain from the barn. We all know it, but who can prove it? A little detective work would bring =Simon's thieving ways out into the open. Then Mr =Bean could take steps. I thought he took steps all the time, said Mrs =Wiggins, the cow. Mrs =Wiggins had a heart of gold, but she wasn't very bright. That's a way of saying that he would go into action, =Freddy said. He would go into action against =Simon. Take steps to do something about him. Understand, Mrs =Wiggins ? Before she could answer, =Charlie, the rooster, flapped,his wings and stretched his neck forward as far as it would go. Very well put, =Freddy, he crowed. Very well put. As for the detective business, it seems to me, Oh, dry up, =Charlie, said =Jinx. All you ever do is crow. A second time she had to bring =Bobry up for air. Once more the little fellow cried so loudly that the boy heard him. This happened again and again. At last =Mother =Otter did what seemed like a very mean thing. She had to do it to save her baby's life. When =Bobry opened his mouth to cry, she ducked him. =Bobry held fast to his mother, both paws around her neck. His crying was hushed only until she brought him up for air. Again she had to duck him, and again and again. At last the little otter understood. Or if he didn't understand all about the boy and his net, he understood that he was not to cry. So they hid in the thick fog until the boy gave up trying to catch them and went away. =Bobry pressed his furry face deep into his mother's neck, crying softly. Tears ran down his small face, for otters cry real tears just as human babies do. =Mother =Otter sheltered him in her arms and licked his nose with her warm tongue, while =Father =Otter swam close beside them. Time passed, and =Bobry was quite happy again. He paddled in slow circles around his mother. Anyone watching him would have thought he was trying to tell her what a very clever young otter her son would turn out to be someday! When two people use the same woods as much as =Malcolm and =Old =Tom did, they are sure to meet often. =Malcolm sometimes came upon the man face to face on some path, or fishing from the bank of the river. Sometimes he heard him chopping down a tree for firewood. Once in a while he met him limping along with his gun, with a squirrel or rabbit hung over his shoulder for a stew. =Malcolm always spoke to the woodsman politely, and after the first meeting, the man would answer with a grouchy hello under his breath as they passed on the narrow woodland path. When =Malcolm's mother went to town, she brought back a few supplies for =Old =Tom, one week beans, another tea and vinegar and salt, again, some flour and molasses. =Malcolm was sent to take them to the cabin. He left them at the doorstep, gave one knock, and hurried off without looking behind him as he heard the door open. Once he thought that =Old =Tom called, Thanks, after him, but he wasn't sure. Then one day =Malcolm found =Old =Tom starting to cut off the branch of his favorite beech tree, the branch he used as a stairway when he climbed. The beech tree was old, and its branches spread out very wide, one of them touching the side of the hill so that =Malcolm could walk along it right into the heart of the tree. That day =Malcolm was carrying the top of a wooden box to make another platform high in the tree. When he heard the hollow sound of an ax coming from the direction of the beech, he started to run. He arrived breathless and caught at the woodcutter's arm. Oh, please don't, Mr =Tom, he begged. That's the way I go up. =Old =Tom stared at him crossly. Your pa said I could cut anything I'd a mind to, he answered. =Pa didn't remember my trees, said =Malcolm, trying hard to be polite and patient. I have ten of them and they each have a name. This is =Big =Gray and the best of them all. If you cut off that branch, I can't ever climb it again. Good morning, =Grandfather said when =Tony came into the house. It is good to see you. =Grandfather, =Tony began, I have a secret. A secret, lad? A secret must not be told. No, =Grandfather, but I need to earn some money to buy it, and there is no way I can earn money, said =Tony. I have tried. The work in the coffee plantation is too hard. There is nothing else. =Grandfather thought a minute. If you cannot do something to earn money, then you must make something. =Tony's eyes lighted. What should I make? he asked. =Grandfather got up. Come, he said, and =Tony followed him outside. He pointed to the ox-cart. See that ox-cart standing over there, =Tony? Yes, =Grandfather. Close your eyes, young fellow. Can't you see it going down the road, proud in its lovely painted beauty? Can't you see it being pulled by two great oxen ? Yes, oh, yes! Of course you can! Oxen and the cart they pull are a country man's riches. To young and old they mean one thing. They mean a proud possession. Men have this great possession at least once in their lifetime. But children? Children never have it while they are children. So we will give the children oxen and an ox-cart while they are young. It will be their own possession to love, to care for, and to play with. We will make it small but perfect. We will make it out of wood. A toy, =Grandfather? A toy ox-cart and oxen for some small boy to play with? Can we make it now? =Tony began to dance excitedly. Now! Today! said =Grandfather. Come, we will go for wood. Day after day =Tony and his grandfather worked at making the toy. They kept it a secret from everyone. =Red =Arrow had disappeared behind a rock. Was he hiding there? The train thundered down the track toward the rock. Star-Brother galloped as fast as his pony could go. But he could not reach =Red =Arrow before the train came to the rock. And then he saw an arrow fly out and strike =Swift =Thunder of the =Prairie. It seemed to go to the very place where the ruddy-faced man rode high. The train did not stop. It continued down the track, whistling its shrill war cry. =Red =Arrow on his pony appeared from behind the rock. Why did you shoot at =Swift =Thunder of the =Prairie? asked =Star-Brother. Because he frightens the buffalo, and there is no hunting. There is not enough food for the tribe. He is a monster! It is all right for the old warriors to talk. But how are we young braves to win our feathers if they will not let us fight? =Red =Arrow galloped fiercely over the prairie toward the village. Star-Brother followed slowly. He did not know what to think about it all. =Star-Brother =Wins a =Race Every day =Swift =Thunder of the =Prairie went back and forth across the plains. And every morning =Star-Brother raced the train, but =Swift =Thunder always won. =Red =Arrow stayed in the village where each day he talked with three other braves. Together they thought of a way to rid the prairie of the railroad so that there would be good hunting again. Everyone would praise the young braves for their great deed. They would win honor. They decided to tell no one of their plan or they might not be allowed to carry it out. The =Brahman, a very wise and kindly man, is walking along a road in India when he comes upon a fierce tiger in a large iron cage. The road leads to a village at the edge of the jungle. =TIgER. =Brother =Brahman, =Brother =Brahman, let me out of this cage for one minute, or I shall die of thirst. I want only to get a drink of water. =BRAHMAN. NO, I will not. The villagers caught you and locked you up because you had been eating men, and if I let you out of the cage, you will eat me. =TIGER. I promise I will not. I will never be so mean. Only let me out, that I may drink some water and return. I shall soon die of thirst. The =Brahman is grieved to see the tiger so thirsty, and unlocks the cage door. =TIGER. Jumping out =Ha! Ha! I am out. Now I shall kill you first and eat you, and then drink the water. =BRAHMAN. Wait a bit. Do not be in such a hurry to kill me. Let us first ask the opinion of six. If all of them say that you are being just and fair, then I am willing to die. =TIGER. Very well. It shall be as you say. We will first ask the opinion of six. The tiger and the =Brahman walk along until they come to a big tree. =BRAHMAN. =Fig =Tree, =Fig =Tree, hear and give judgment. If only I'd some money, I'd buy a jolly boat And get a pair of sea boots And a furry sort of coat, A case or two of salted beef And a seaman's wooden chest, And I'd sail away to the =North =Pole, Or I'd sail away to the =South =Pole, Whichever I thought was best. I'd get up very early~ They wouldn't see me go, Jimmy would be with me, But no one else would know. Dogs are very useful, And I couldn't part with =Jim, And whether I went to the =North =Pole, Or whether I went to the =South =Pole, It would be all the same to him. Perhaps we'd see a mountain That no one else had seen; Perhaps we'd find a country Where no one else had been. Suppose we climbed an iceberg And saw the midnight sun! Oh, whether we went to the =North =Pole, Or whether we went to the =South =Pole, Wouldn't it all be fun? Here she comes! shouted =Randy, racing down the stairs to the front hall. Shouts of joy answered her from all over the house. Father burst out of his room. Cuffy burst out of the kitchen. The front door was thrown open, and left that way. The old station wagon grumbled to a stop. Mrs =Oliphant stepped out of it and into the waiting arms of the family. Are you tired, Mrs =O? asked =Father. He always called her Mrs =O. Not very, said Mrs =Oliphant. She turned to the =Melendy children. Look in the car. =Oliver got there first. He opened the door and stuck his head inside. Oh, boy, he said quietly. Two-wheelers! =Rush and =Mona and =Randy pushed against him, looking in the station wagon. Bicycles! they cried almost with one voice. Thank you, Mrs =Oliphant. =May we practice now? asked =Oliver. By all means, said Mrs =Oliphant. =Rush and =Mona knew how to ride. In no time at all they were racing around the driveway. =Randy was a beginner. She had a hard time learning. Her bicycle seemed to have a life of its own. It did everything to throw her off. It darted at trees and walls, and fell on its side. Rush saw her fall so many times that he decided to stop and help her. Look, =Randy, he said, you get on, and I'll hold the bike for you. I won't let you fall. Now, push down with your right foot, now with your left. That's it. You'll have it soon. Thanks to =Rush's help she did have it soon. In a very short time she found herself sailing happily along the drive, under her own steam. You're doing fine, =Randy, =Rush called. How about going for a real ride? 00000 000 GINN READERS GRADE 4 LEVEL 11 GIN9694T.ASC 00000 000 THE SUN THAT WARMS (no author on cover) 1969 00000 000 Transcribed by DPH Mar 1983 Stratified SRS pages: 00001 111 =Mom forty! It seemed a great age and they considered it in silence 00002 111 as they cleaned up their plates. Finally =Christopher said, you 00003 111 fixing to do something for =Mom? =Lucy nodded. In a way, she said. 00004 111 I got an idea, that's all. She looked around the table. You want 00005 111 to come in on it? =Dennis' eye's grew cautious. What you got in 00006 111 mind? I want to have a picture taken of all of us together and I 00007 111 want it right before =Bonnie's tooth comes out. You got money 00008 111 for that, demanded =Christopher, in an astonished whisper? =Lucy 00009 111 shook her head. That's the trouble. We got to get the picture first 00010 111 and the money later. 00011 111 Fingertips pointing the opposites. Now bouncing tiptoe like a 00012 111 dropped ball. Or a kid skipping rope, come on, come on. Running a 00013 111 scattering of steps sidewise. How he teeters, skitters, tingles, 00014 111 teases, taunts them, hovers like an ecstatic bird, He's only 00015 111 flirting, crowd him, crowd him, delicate, delicate, delicate, now! 00016 111 Authors are often asked, Where do you get your ideas for your 00017 111 stories? As is true with most interesting questions, there are 00018 111 many answers. An author may write about events of his childhood. 00019 111 Sometimes story ideas come from people an author meets and places 00020 111 he visits. 00021 111 Not that they didn't make him feel welcome. All of them, except 00022 111 possibly =Sam, one of the =Tadlock boys, had been kindness itself. 00023 111 But food was getting low and =Caje imagined that Uncle =Adam and 00024 111 Aunt =Jess would be glad of one less mouth to feed, especially 00025 111 after the accident which had almost killed his Uncle =Adam. =Caje 00026 111 knew the ways of the woods. Ever since his mother's death he had 00027 111 shared his father's woodsy life. He could hunt and shoot almost as 00028 111 well as =Jared. He was strong too. So, one night he decided 00029 111 to leave the warm cabin and face the wilderness and the cold 00030 111 on his own. He would not be a burden any longer on the kindly 00031 111 =Tadlocks. 00032 111 But she knew hundreds of folk tales and would tell theses tales of 00033 111 magic and adventure to her grandson whenever he came to see her. 00034 111 =HansChristian loved these old tales. He made plays from them, which 00035 111 he acted out with his toy actors in his toy theater. Slowly, the 00036 111 idea came to him that he would like to be an actor someday, himself. 00037 111 He dreamed of going to the great city of =Copenhagen and there 00038 111 winning riches and fame. So certain was he of his future, that he 00039 111 boasted of it to everyone. 00040 111 Next he lifted out some loaves of white bread. Look at this, wife. 00041 111 He holds up the string of sausages as the grinding noise continues. 00042 111 And just look at this. He shows her the loaves of white bread. 00043 111 Didn't I say this was our lucky day? Husband, husband, you are 00044 111 right! This is our lucky day. What a fine husband you are. Loudly 00045 111 over the grinding noise. Good little mill, thank you for enough. 00046 111 The grinding noise stops. Poor brother and wife look at one another 00047 111 with joy, then they join hands and dance around the table as the 00048 111 curtain falls. Now that they knew how to get all the food they 00049 111 wanted, the poor brother and his wife planned a feast for all the 00050 111 poor people of the town. 00051 111 At night we reached a village where we learned that bandits were 00052 111 working in the area, The police were all out chasing them. We stayed 00053 111 in the cold, dark, dirty inn, first spraying the place with =DDT. 00054 111 The next morning we discovered that while police were searching 00055 111 the hills, the bandits had come into the town to hide and had passed 00056 111 about =100 feet from us. On the second day he hired for protection 00057 111 a few soldiers, ragged, straw-sandaled youths equipped with old 00058 111 guns, each of them cost us about =18 cents a day. Late in the 00059 111 afternoon on our third day, we arrived at an old village of about 00060 111 =1000 people. The last visitors they had seen had passed through 00061 111 more than a year before. 00062 111 Anything as small as a pebble should come out easily, but this 00063 111 object seemed to be rooted deeply. He scraped a bit of sand from 00064 111 around it and found that it looked like a cow's horn. He tugged 00065 111 again with no better result. Curious, he dug and tugged until he 00066 111 was sure it was actually a horn. Yet, it looked like a rock. How 00067 111 could a thing like this happen? This was no place to bury a cow! 00068 111 It must be something else, but what? =Burnett skipped after the 00069 111 sheep and hurried them among home, so he could ask his father to 00070 111 come and see the horn-shaped rock. 00071 111 The man pushed his sombrero back and scratched his head. He was 00072 111 thinking hard, figuring. None at all, the man said, finally. 00073 111 =Ramon's mouth fell open, he was so surprised. The man saw his 00074 111 surprise. It's this way, he said, speaking carefully so that 00075 111 =Ramon would be sure to understand. I must have =centavos for my 00076 111 rides, because I have to pay =centavos to the boys who push the 00077 111 merry-go-round. How could I pay them with a bowl? I would 00078 111 have to smash it and give each one a piece. And what good would a 00079 111 piece of broken bowl be to them. No good at all. No, I must have 00080 111 =centavos for rides. 00081 111 It last when they has chosen a pot on the vines a tribesman grasped 00082 111 it at that exact place and gave a mighty leap, shoving his body as 00083 111 far out as he could. Down! Down! Down he swung, clearing the water 00084 111 by about two heights of a man. But now up! Up! Up in a lazy arc 00085 111 the man on the vine swung. And then down and up again, back onto the 00086 111 branch returned this human pendulum. I missed the opposite tree 00087 111 by two lengths of a man, he said. Perhaps if I hold a little lower 00088 111 on the vine, I can reach out and grasp the twigs on the other side. 00089 111 I can curl my body up in a ball when I am over the water. 00090 111 It was he who finally led them to a cave among the rocks. It was 00091 111 getting dark again and the men were overjoyed to find shelter. 00092 111 They went into the cave, stumbling over rocks on the darkness. 00093 111 Weary and footsore, they huddled together and fell fast alseep. 00094 111 The cave was filled with snore echoes. So in this way, =Alphonse 00095 111 learned that a soldier's life is not all drums and marching and 00096 111 cheers. 00097 111 When =Pagot woke up, he had to go outside to find out is it was 00098 111 morning yet. The sun was shining and the birds twittering. The 00099 111 corporal gathered an armful of brush and twigs. He carried them 00100 111 into the cave and started a fire with his flint. &&000 SCOTT, FORESMAN (1965) 4TH GRADE SF19654T.ASC OPEN HIGHWAYS by Marion Monroe, Helen M. Robinson et al Source: Elmira College xeroxed scanned edited by DPH 12-19-92 &&111 One day =High and =Honey were later than usual arriving at the mill. I can't grind your grain until late this afternoon, the miller said to =High. = You'll be very late getting home. What kept you? =High said that he had found a rabbit caught in a snare and had stopped to free it. The miller just shook his head and took =High into the house. The miller's mother was baking a pie made of apples flavored with rose leaves. She invited =High to have supper that night before he went home. The miller's mother read to =High for a while from a book called =Aesop's =Fables. Then she went to take an afternoon nap. High wandered down to the millstream with =Honey at his heels. At suppertime the miller went to look for =High. The boy was not in sight. Perhaps, the miller thought, the boy had gone home. But no. High would not do that. He would not have gone home without his sack of meal. It was at the mill. Darkness fell. Still =High did not appear. The miller and his mother feared something had happened to the boy. The miller talked to some men who were still waiting at the mill for their grain to be ground. The cheetah was about =20 yards from us. It lay beside a low bush. It was watching a small herd of zebras, which was moving toward the cheetah. The spotted cheetah was very hard to see against the sandy soil. =George said, It will go after the foal. It can't take on anything bigger. The cheetah belongs to the cat family. But it has dull claws like a dog. It cannot grip things with its claws. And the dull claws are no good for ripping things. The zebras were still coming on. They did not know the cheetah was there. The cheetah got ready to spring. Suddenly it sprang. Another cheetah jumped from a hiding place behind the zebras. A third cheetah came from somewhere. The zebras squealed in panic and began to run. =George said, =The cheetahs have knocked the foal down! Part of the car was in the way, so I could not get a picture of that with my camera. But a minute later I had the little zebra in view. It was on its feet and running. It was protected by two full grown zebras. Two cheetahs were close. Another pair of big zebras had blocked off the third cheetah. They blocked just the way linemen in a football game do. =Bill said, =Come on, =Arnie. You don't want to miss those champions, do you? No, I don't, said =Arnie. But I promised two weeks ago that I would look after =Pierre today. Then =Arnie remembered that Mrs =Winters had said the poodle could go for a walk. I can go to =Ski =Hill if I take =Pierre with me, said =Arnie. Will you guys help watch him? =Bill said, =A little bit of fluff like this won't be much trouble. =He was leaning down to pat =Pierre. The dog jumped up and gave =Bill's face a lick. =Arnie said, =He likes you, =Bill. =Arnie picked up =Pierre. The boys ran to =Ski =Hill. They got there just as the two champions were coming out of the warming house. There was a crowd in a space roped off for watchers. =Arnie thought that the skier in the light blue jacket was the biggest man he had ever seen. That's =Eric =Swenson, a man told the boys. He's called =Big =Eric. The other fellow is =Knute =Knudson. =Eric is the best skier. But he gets mad easy. Then he blows up. In a few minutes =Professor =Walker said, Now for the batteries. Hand them to me, =Alex. =Alex did that. Then he watched his father put the batteries inside the robot. Two more wires, please, =Alex. A yellow one and a red one. Watch how I put them inside. Yes, sir. I'm watching, said =Alex, pleased to be helping his father. If the batteries run down, you switch them this way. See? Then the =Professor tightened the last wire and closed the door on the robot's back. There was a clicking noise. The robot turned its head. Its mouth began to work up and down. And words came out! Thanks! Thanks, for, making, me, said the robot in a jerky voice. Well, =Alex! the =Professor said. How do you like your new playmate? My playmate? asked =Alex. Yes. Your birthday present, said his father. Gee, thanks! Gosh! I thought you, =Say, did you really make it for me? Sure did! We'll put these clothes of yours on the robot. Then you'll have a pal just your size. When the robot was dressed, it held out its hand. Just call me, =Rob, it said jerkily. Let's, go outside, =Alex. Why don't you get a job? =Teddy's older brother =George asked. I earned money when I was your age. A job! That was a fine idea. Teddy saw a sign =Boy =Wanted in the tailor shop. No, Mr =Brown, the tailor, said. You couldn't deliver suits without dragging them on the floor. You aren't tall enough. A job? said Mr =Johnson at the hardware store. Some of my orders have to be carried up four and five long flights of stairs. You couldn't do that. They're too heavy. =Teddy saw a boy named =Roy eating ice cream. He knew that =Roy shined shoes. How do you get to be a shoeshine boy? he asked =Roy. It's easy, =Roy answered. You buy polish and brushes and cloths for brown and black shoes. You fix up a box. Then you find yourself a good spot where lots of people go by. Where do you buy the things? =Teddy asked. At the hardware store, =Roy answered. And you have to call out like this: Shine, shine, who wants a shine?' Hey, mister, =Roy called to a man going by. Do you want a shine? Yes, I need one, the man said. These two plant eaters are called duck-billed dinosaurs. The =Trachodon was =30 to =40 feet long and stood about =16 feet high. Its feet were webbed like a duck's. It had a broad mouth like a duck's bill and =2000 teeth. It was probably a good swimmer. The =Corythosaurus had a crest on its head with empty spaces in it. This dinosaur probably stored air in the spaces. It could stay at the bottom of a lake a long time, looking for food. It could also escape from meateating dinosaurs by submerging. =Patsy seemed quite happy. Of course, it was getting hard to tell how she felt. Her face was so caked with dirt that she couldn't smile. She could only open her mouth a crack. So she couldn't talk very well. She also had to take little teeny bites of food when she ate. At last, however, the day came when =Patsy was ready to plant. That night when she was asleep, her mother and father tiptoed into her room. Very gently they pressed radish seeds into her forehead, her arms, and the backs of her hands. When they had finished their work, they stood by =Patsy's bed and gazed down at her. =Patsy's father said, =Repulsive little thing, isn't she? =Patsy's mother said, =Why, =George! That's a terrible thing to say about your own child! My little girl is buried so deep in that dirt that I can't even remember what she looks like, said =Patsy's father. Then he stamped down the stairs. The =Radish Cure was certainly very hard on =Patsy's parents. Quite a few days after that, =Patsy awoke one morning and found green leaves on the back of her hand. In fact, there were green leaves on the backs of both hands, and on her arms, and on her forehead. Patsy tried to brush them off. But they just bent over and sprang right up again. =Pa never scolded much. But =Ma really spoke her piece one day when she and =Dobie were alone. She ended up saying, =You're not very nice to your =pa these days. And him working so hard to make things nice for you. =Dobie shrugged. I didn't ask him to, he said. Many afternoons after school =Dobie uent to sit on the wharf. Being there hurt a little. But it was some comfort to look at shantyboats, barges, and big boats moving along the river. As far as =Dobie knew, his father almost never went near the river. Oh, he did walk along the wharf once in a while. And yet =Dobie thought that sometimes around the house even =Pa seemed to be listening for river sounds. When spring came, =Dobie thought he just could not stand to stay in school. Why couldn't his pa understand that a boy who loved the river could not be happy on land? One rainy afternoon in =May, =Dobie went to the wharf as usual. It was later in the day than he usually went. He had been at =Amos' house first. =Dobie started to settle himself by a pile of cotton bales. They would keep off part of the rain. Suddenly he saw a man on the wharf nearby. It was =Pa! Why was =Pa down here at this time of day? And in the rain, too? A shantyboat came into view on the river. =Billy rang the bell. After a minute a voice called, =Who's there? Me! shouted =Billy. Billy. There was a lot of rattling with the lock. And then the door opened just wide enough for them to squeeze through. Cousin =Alma almost caught =Toby's tail in the door, she shut it so fast behind them. Then she smiled and said, =Why, =Billy. You brought a friend. How nice. =She shook hands with =Fats and patted =Toby on the head. She showed the boys where the dining-room table was, all fixed up for studying, with a pitcher of apple cider and a plate of fresh doughnuts.