“Beechnut,” said Phonny, “are you going into the woods again for another load?”
“Yes,” said Beechnut.
“And may I go with you?” said Phonny.
“Yes,” said Beechnut.
“And I?” said Malleville.
“Yes,” said Beechnut.
Beechnut drove on into the yard, and at length stopped near a great woodpile. Beechnut began to throw off the wood. Phonny climbed up into the cart too, to help Beechnut unload. Malleville sat down upon a log lying near to see.
While they were at work thus, throwing off the wood, Phonny, instead of taking the smallest sticks that came in his way, tried always to get hold of the largest. He had three motives for doing this, all mingled together. The first was a pleasure in exercising his own strength; the second, a desire to show Malleville that he was no child; and the third, to make a display of his strength to Beechnut.
After a while, when the load had been about half thrown off, Phonny stopped his work, straightened himself up with an air of great self-satisfaction and said,
“Malleville says I am childish; do you think I am, Beechnut?”