"I can do it!," pleaded a young boy to his father. His hand was stretched out toward his father, wagging up and down hopefully. "I can, I know I can!," he continued.
William Westguard smiled down at his boy. He twisted his mouth. He held a lumbering axe in his hands and turned it round and round as he thought.
The man was filled with pride at his son's eagerness. The boy was bobbing with excitment at the freshly-felled lumber stacked in his yard. William and his partners had returned from the woods with a cart of oak. They would leave some timber to build fires in the long winter to come, but most would be sold in Neverwinter.
William had taken his son to Neverwinter last year to sell last season's wood. The boy had been amazed at everything he saw. Horses at every street corner! Nobles and maidens in fine robes! Streets bustling with peddlers and hagglers! The new crop of wood had invigorated the boy with hopes of returning to the city. His sone was eager to see the logs chopped and treated.
William turned and turned the axe. He suddenly stopped the axe's rotation. He held the handle out to his son. "Alright," he said with a proud grin, "you're old enough to chip in around here. Do it just like I told you."
The boy grabbed the axe with glee, nearly nicking William's hand as he pulled the tool away from the man. "Thank you, Pa!," exclaimed the son. He turned and grabbed the lantern and skipped from the house.
William massaged his thumb while he smiled at his son running off to the yard. The light was fading for the day, but he could still make out his wife and daughter in the distance, churning butter and giggling. The boy ran to his mother, holding the axe near the head as though he'd just shot a prize pheasant.
This was life, thought William. He could not remember a day he was more satisfied. He retreated to his den and found his favorite book. He'd read the book more times than it had likely been reprinted, but each read brought him new insights. His mood and station in life influenced how he interpreted those treasured words. He settled into his favorite chair and began reading with anticipation at the new visions that would pass to him from his old friend.
William Westguard smiled down at his boy. He twisted his mouth. He held a lumbering axe in his hands and turned it round and round as he thought.
The man was filled with pride at his son's eagerness. The boy was bobbing with excitment at the freshly-felled lumber stacked in his yard. William and his partners had returned from the woods with a cart of oak. They would leave some timber to build fires in the long winter to come, but most would be sold in Neverwinter.
William had taken his son to Neverwinter last year to sell last season's wood. The boy had been amazed at everything he saw. Horses at every street corner! Nobles and maidens in fine robes! Streets bustling with peddlers and hagglers! The new crop of wood had invigorated the boy with hopes of returning to the city. His sone was eager to see the logs chopped and treated.
William turned and turned the axe. He suddenly stopped the axe's rotation. He held the handle out to his son. "Alright," he said with a proud grin, "you're old enough to chip in around here. Do it just like I told you."
The boy grabbed the axe with glee, nearly nicking William's hand as he pulled the tool away from the man. "Thank you, Pa!," exclaimed the son. He turned and grabbed the lantern and skipped from the house.
William massaged his thumb while he smiled at his son running off to the yard. The light was fading for the day, but he could still make out his wife and daughter in the distance, churning butter and giggling. The boy ran to his mother, holding the axe near the head as though he'd just shot a prize pheasant.
This was life, thought William. He could not remember a day he was more satisfied. He retreated to his den and found his favorite book. He'd read the book more times than it had likely been reprinted, but each read brought him new insights. His mood and station in life influenced how he interpreted those treasured words. He settled into his favorite chair and began reading with anticipation at the new visions that would pass to him from his old friend.
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