Book 3 29. FARMER BOY Little House On The Prairie By Laura Ingalls Wilder

farmer boy

mr paddock met almanzo outside the bank

he told father that he had something in

mind

i’ve been meaning to speak about it for

some little time he said

about this boy of yours almanzo was

surprised

you ever think of making a wheel right

out of him mr paddock asked

well no father answered slowly

i can’t say as i ever did

well think it over now said mr paddock

it’s a growing business wilder the

country’s growing

population getting bigger all the time

and folks have got to have wagons and

buggies

they’ve got to travel back and forth the

railroads don’t hurt us

we’re getting more customers all the

time it’s a good opening for a smart

young fella

yes father said i got no sons of my own

and you’ve got to said mr paddock you’ll

have to think about starting almanzo out

in life before long

apprentice him to me and i’ll treat the

boy right if he turns out the way i

expect

no reason he shouldn’t have the business

in time maybe a rich man

but maybe half a hundred workmen under

him it’s worth thinking about

yes it’s worth thinking about

i appreciate what you’ve said paddock

father did not talk on the way home

almanzo sat beside him on the wagon seat

and did not say anything either

so much had happened that he thought

about it all together all mixed up

he thought of the cashier’s inky fingers

and of mr thompson’s thin mouth screwed

down at the corners

and of mr paddock’s fists and the busy

warm cheerful wagon shop he thought

if he was mr paddock’s apprentice he

wouldn’t have to go to school

he had often envied mr paddock’s workmen

their work was

fascinating the thin long shavings

curled away

from the keen edges of the planes they

stroked the smooth wood

with their fingers almanzo liked to do

that too

he would like to spread on paint with

the wide paintbrush

and he would like to make fine straight

lines with a tiny pointed brush

when the buggy was done all shining in

its new paint or when a wagon was

finished

every piece good sound hickory or oak

with the wheels painted red and the box

painted green

and a little picture painted on the tail

board the workmen were proud

they made wagons as sturdy as father’s

bobsleds

and far more beautiful then almanzo felt

the small

stiff bank book in his pocket and he

thought about a cult

he wanted a cult with slender legs and

large

gentle wandering eyes like starlights

he wanted to teach the little cult

everything

as he had taught star and bright

so father and almanzo rode all the way

home

not saying anything the air was still

and cold and all the trees were like

black lines drawn on the snow in the sky

it was chore time when they got home

almanzo helped do the chores but he

wasted some time looking at starlight

he stroked the soft velvety nose

and he ran his hand along the firm curve

of starlight’s little neck

under the mane starlight nibbled with

soft lips along his sleeve

son where be you father called

and almanzo ran guilty to his milking

at supper time he sat steadily eating

while mother talked about what had

happened

she said that never in her life she said

you could have knocked her over with a

feather and she didn’t know why it was

so hard to get it all out of father

father answered her questions but like

almanzo

he was busy eating at last mother asked

him

james what’s on your mind

then father told her that mr paddock

wanted to take almanzo

as an apprentice mother’s brown eyes

snapped and her cheeks turned as red as

her

red wool dress she laid down her knife

and fork

i never heard of such a thing she said

well the sooner mr paddock gets that out

of his head the better

i hope you gave him a piece of your mind

why on earth i’d like to know should

almanzo live in town at the beck and

call of every time dick and harry

a paddock makes good money said father i

guess if truth we’re told he banks more

money every year than i do

he looks on it as a good opening for the

boy

well mother snapped she was all ruffled

like an angry hen past the world’s

coming to if any man thinks it’s a step

up in the world to leave a good farm and

go to town

how does mr panic make his money if it

isn’t catering to us

i guess if he didn’t make wagons to suit

farmers he wouldn’t last long

well that’s true enough said father but

there’s no

but about it mother said oh it’s bad

enough to see royal come down to being

nothing but a store keeper

maybe he’ll make money but he’ll never

be the man you are

trucking to other people for his living

all his days he’ll never be able to call

his soul his own

for a minute almanzo wondered if mother

was going to cry

there there father said sadly don’t take

it too much to heart

maybe it’s all for the best somehow i

won’t have almanzo going the same way

mother cried i won’t have it you hear me

i feel the same way you do said father

but the boyle have to decide

we can keep him here on the farm by law

till he’s 21 but it won’t do any good if

he’s wanting to go

no if almanzo feels the way royal does

we better apprentice him to paddock

while he’s young enough

almanzo went on eating he was listening

but he was tasting the good taste of

roast pork and applesauce in

every corner of his mouth he took a long

cold drink of milk and then he sighed

and he tucked his napkin farther in and

he reached for his pumpkin pie

he cut off the quivering point of golden

brown pumpkin

dark with spices and sugar it melted on

his tongue

and all his mouth and nose were spicy

he’s too young to know his own mind

mother objected

almanzo took another big mouthful of pie

he could not speak until he was spoken

to but he thought to himself that he was

old enough to know

he’d rather be like father than like

anybody else

he did not want to be like mr paddock

even mr paddock had to please a mean man

like mr thompson or lose the sale of a

wagon

father was free and independent if he

went out of his way to please anybody

it was because he wanted to

suddenly he realized that father had

spoken to him

he swallowed and almost choked on pie

yes father he said father was looking

solemn

son he said you heard what paddock said

about

you being apprenticed to him yes father

what do you say about it almanzo didn’t

exactly know what to say

he hadn’t supposed he could say anything

he would have to do whatever father said

well son you think about it said father

i want you should make up your own mind

with paddock you’d have an easy life in

some ways you wouldn’t be out in all

kinds of weather

cold winter nights you could lie snug in

bed and not worry about your young

stock freezing rain or shine

wind or snow you’d be under shelter

you’d be shut up

inside walls likely you’d always have

plenty to eat and wear and

money in the bank james

mother said that’s the truth and we must

be fair about it father answered

but there’s the other side too almanzo

you’d have to depend on other folk son

in town everything you got you get from

other folks

a farmer depends on himself and the land

and the weather

if you’re a farmer you raise what you

eat you raise what you wear

and you keep warm with wood out of your

own timber

you work hard but you work as you please

and no man can tell you to go or come

you’ll be free and independent

son on a farm

almanzo squirmed father was looking at

him

too hard and so was mother

almanzo did not want to live inside

walls and please people he didn’t like

and never have horses and cows and

fields

he wanted to be just like father

but he didn’t want to say so you take

your time

son think it over father said

you make up your own mind what you want

father almanzo exclaimed

yes son can i

can i really tell you what i want yes

son

father encouraged him i want a colt

almanzo said could i buy a cult

on my own with some of that 200 and

would you let me break him

father’s beard slowly widened with a

smile

he put down his napkin and leaned back

in his chair

and looked at mother then he turned to

almanzo and said

son you leave that money in the bank

almanzo felt everything sinking down

inside him

and then suddenly the whole world was a

great

shining expanding glow of warm light

for father went on if it’s a cult you

want

i’ll give you starlight

father almanzo gasped

for my very own yes son

you can break him and drive him and when

he’s a four-year-old

you can sell him or keep him

just as you want to we’ll take him out

on a rope

first thing tomorrow morning and you can

begin

to gentlemen

you