So Rollo went off in pursuit of the stick from which he had sawed off his first wedge, intending to make another upon the end of it, and then saw it off when it was all ready.
He found that now he could hold his wood very easily, and there was no danger of cutting his fingers. So he could strike much heavier blows. He soon sharpened his wedge, and then carried it to Jonas to ask him if he thought it would do.
“No,” said Jonas, “I don’t think it will do, very well.”
“Won’t it?” asked Rollo, looking somewhat disappointed.
“Why, you see the sides are not smooth; and then you have not sharpened it uniformly. You have cut away more at the corners than you have in the middle, so that it is thicker in the middle. That is the way that boys always sharpen wedges.”
“Why do they?” asked Rollo.
“I suppose it is because it is easier to cut away at the edges, and so they get more off there. Now you had better get your wedge as true, and perfect, and smooth as you can, before you saw it off. It will be a great deal pleasanter to work with a good wedge than with a poor one, and so you had better take pains with it, and make as perfect a one as you can, if you make any.”
“But, Jonas,” said Rollo, “I can smooth it and finish it, after I get it sawed off.”
“Not half as easily as you can now,” said Jonas.
During all this time Jonas kept on with his own work; and now he said no more, and seemed disposed to leave Rollo to his own decision.