And I must go on to carry it through.”
The boys, who were sure to follow him round,
Soon found what it was he put in the ground;
And so as time passed and he traveled on,
Ev’ry one called him “Old Apple-seed John.”
Whenever he’d used the whole of his store,
He went into cities and worked for more;
Then he marched back to the wilds again,
And planted seed on hillside and plain.
In cities, some said the old man was crazy;