"The different woods have different qualities," replied Forester. "Some are light and soft, which are good qualities for certain purposes. Some are hard. Some are stiff, and some flexible. Some are brittle, and others tough. For a cane, now, do we want a hard wood or a soft one?"
"Hard," said Marco.
"Why?" asked Forester.
"Oh, so that it shall not get indented or bruised easily," replied Marco.
"A light wood or a heavy one?" asked Forester.
"Light," replied Marco, "so that it will be easy to carry."
"Stiff or flexible?" asked Forester.
"Stiff," replied Marco.
"Yes," said Forester. "Some kinds of wood grow straight, and others crooked."
"We want it straight," said Marco.