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