We
took up the story right where the boy interrupted, for we could see he was
just crazy to hear the end of it. We said:
"And he was told--"
"George told him?" queried Clarence.
"No, his father told George--"
"Oh!"
"Yes, told him he must be careful with the hatchet--"
"Who must be careful?"
"George must."
"Oh!"
"Yes, must be careful with his hatchet--"
"What hatchet?"
"Why, George's."
"Oh!"
"With the hatchet, and not cut himself with it, or drop it in the cistern,
or leave it out in the grass all night. So George went round cutting
everything he could reach with his hatchet. And at last he came to a
splendid apple-tree, his father's favourite, and cut it down, and--"
"Who cut it down?"
"George did."
"Oh!"
"But his father came home and saw it the first thing, and--"
"Saw the hatchet?"
"No, saw the apple-tree. And he said, 'Who has cut down my favourite apple-
tree?'"
"What apple-tree?"
"George's father's. And everybody said they didn't know anything about it,
and--"
"Anything about what?"
"The apple-tree.
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