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Authors: Gilbert L. Morris
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straightened up, and his face flushed. “A prince,” he announced firmly, “does not cut firewood!”
Josh saw that the others were all watching. They were well aware of the prince’s arrogance, and Josh knew that it was time to set the lines of battle. “Prince,” he said, “you may not cut firewood. But if you don’t, you won’t eat.”
“I don’t care anything about that! You don’t have anything fit to eat anyway!”
Josh said, “You may feel differently after another hard day’s travel. We probably won’t stop to eat at noon, so you won’t have anything until tonight. And even then you won’t eat if you won’t cut firewood.”
“I do not take orders from you,” Prince Alex said loftily. He stalked down to the stream, where he knelt for a drink.
“What are you going to do with him, Josh?” Sarah murmured.
“Let him go hungry. When he’s hungry enough, he’ll cut firewood.”
“It must be hard for him,” she mused. “He’s had everything done for him all of his life, and now he doesn’t have any servants. Taking orders from somebody younger—it must be really galling to him.”
“He’s got to learn,” Josh said grimly. “Now let’s get busy.”
The wood was gathered, though not by Alex, and the breakfast got cooked. The smell of frying bacon was in the air. Josh, who had helped Wash by frying it, looked up and called, “Come and get it!”
Everyone came at once to gather around. Josh put bacon slices on their tin plates, and Wash added fried potatoes. Sarah sliced some bread. All in all, it was a pretty good meal. They ate as though half-starved, and as Jake wolfed down his breakfast, he nodded toward the prince standing at a distance, trying to look disinterested.
“I bet he’s hungry as a wolf,” he mumbled to Abbey. “And all he had to do was cut a little firewood.”
“You’ve never been a prince, Jake,” Abbey said. “You don’t know what that’s like.”
“I know what it’s like to be hungry, though, and I’d rather cut firewood than be hungry—even if I
was
aprince.” He swallowed another bite of bacon and glanced over at Josh. “Are you going to hold out, Josh, and let him go hungry?”
“It’s his own choice,” Josh said. He did not like what was happening, but he knew that part of the prince’s education would have to be learning to work together with others. Alexander seemingly had never done that in his whole life, and Josh knew it would be hard.
After breakfast, he called, “Prince Alex, if you wash the dishes, you can have the leftovers.”
Alexander gave him a hard look. Then he turned and walked to his horse and began to saddle it.
“I’m worried about him, Josh,” Sarah whispered.
“Well, don’t worry. He won’t starve. He’s got to come down from that ivory tower sooner or later.”
Traveling proved to be very difficult. The Deep Forest was still almost a day’s journey away, and they had to keep off the main roads. The horses grew weary, and so did their riders. Josh did let everybody stop at noon, but only long enough to allow them to eat a little of the leftover bacon from breakfast. He pointedly did not offer any to the prince.
They reached the edge of the Deep Forest late in the day, just as the sun was starting down over the hills. They unsaddled their horses, and Josh said in the hearing of everyone, “Well, Prince, are you going to join us and do a little of the work?”
“No!”
“Very well. It’s your choice. You may be a little overweight, but you won’t be if you keep this up.”
The others, accustomed to working together, quickly made a camp and cooked what was left of the meat. Once again the frying bacon made a sizzlingnoise, and the odor was irresistible. Reb had gone off and caught some small fish, and the frying fish smelled good, too.
Prince Alex sat by himself while the others ate and laughed and talked. Josh was sure that the prince was miserable but would not admit it. No doubt he felt
Josh saw that the others were all watching. They were well aware of the prince’s arrogance, and Josh knew that it was time to set the lines of battle. “Prince,” he said, “you may not cut firewood. But if you don’t, you won’t eat.”
“I don’t care anything about that! You don’t have anything fit to eat anyway!”
Josh said, “You may feel differently after another hard day’s travel. We probably won’t stop to eat at noon, so you won’t have anything until tonight. And even then you won’t eat if you won’t cut firewood.”
“I do not take orders from you,” Prince Alex said loftily. He stalked down to the stream, where he knelt for a drink.
“What are you going to do with him, Josh?” Sarah murmured.
“Let him go hungry. When he’s hungry enough, he’ll cut firewood.”
“It must be hard for him,” she mused. “He’s had everything done for him all of his life, and now he doesn’t have any servants. Taking orders from somebody younger—it must be really galling to him.”
“He’s got to learn,” Josh said grimly. “Now let’s get busy.”
The wood was gathered, though not by Alex, and the breakfast got cooked. The smell of frying bacon was in the air. Josh, who had helped Wash by frying it, looked up and called, “Come and get it!”
Everyone came at once to gather around. Josh put bacon slices on their tin plates, and Wash added fried potatoes. Sarah sliced some bread. All in all, it was a pretty good meal. They ate as though half-starved, and as Jake wolfed down his breakfast, he nodded toward the prince standing at a distance, trying to look disinterested.
“I bet he’s hungry as a wolf,” he mumbled to Abbey. “And all he had to do was cut a little firewood.”
“You’ve never been a prince, Jake,” Abbey said. “You don’t know what that’s like.”
“I know what it’s like to be hungry, though, and I’d rather cut firewood than be hungry—even if I
was
aprince.” He swallowed another bite of bacon and glanced over at Josh. “Are you going to hold out, Josh, and let him go hungry?”
“It’s his own choice,” Josh said. He did not like what was happening, but he knew that part of the prince’s education would have to be learning to work together with others. Alexander seemingly had never done that in his whole life, and Josh knew it would be hard.
After breakfast, he called, “Prince Alex, if you wash the dishes, you can have the leftovers.”
Alexander gave him a hard look. Then he turned and walked to his horse and began to saddle it.
“I’m worried about him, Josh,” Sarah whispered.
“Well, don’t worry. He won’t starve. He’s got to come down from that ivory tower sooner or later.”
Traveling proved to be very difficult. The Deep Forest was still almost a day’s journey away, and they had to keep off the main roads. The horses grew weary, and so did their riders. Josh did let everybody stop at noon, but only long enough to allow them to eat a little of the leftover bacon from breakfast. He pointedly did not offer any to the prince.
They reached the edge of the Deep Forest late in the day, just as the sun was starting down over the hills. They unsaddled their horses, and Josh said in the hearing of everyone, “Well, Prince, are you going to join us and do a little of the work?”
“No!”
“Very well. It’s your choice. You may be a little overweight, but you won’t be if you keep this up.”
The others, accustomed to working together, quickly made a camp and cooked what was left of the meat. Once again the frying bacon made a sizzlingnoise, and the odor was irresistible. Reb had gone off and caught some small fish, and the frying fish smelled good, too.
Prince Alex sat by himself while the others ate and laughed and talked. Josh was sure that the prince was miserable but would not admit it. No doubt he felt
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