“Natalie, what do you say if we remain to help Janet finish the fence so we can free the poor little pigs?” suggested Mrs. James.
“Oh, I think it will be fun, Jimmy. I’ll run back with Rachel and hunt up a hammer and some more nails.”
As there was but one hammer in the establishment, Rachel gave Natalie a hatchet to use. It had a flat head that could be used as a hammer if one were careful in wielding it properly. When Natalie returned to her friends, she found Mrs. James hard at work sawing some narrow boards in pieces of similar lengths and Janet was busy bracing the posts with short wooden stakes.
“I’d love to saw wood, Jimmy, while you help Jan nail the fences,” hinted Natalie, eagerly.
“Do you think you can handle a saw?” asked Mrs. James.
“Certainly! It is easier than making the fence.”
“You keep a knee on this end of the wood, you know, and hold the saw——” began Mrs. James, when Natalie interrupted.
“I know just how to do it, Jimmy, so don’t lose time!”
At this assurance from Natalie, Mrs. James handed her the saw and took the hatchet. She went over to help Janet brace the posts firmly, and left Natalie to her sawing.
Thus left alone, Natalie began to saw as she thought Mrs. James had done. She knelt upon one end of a board and began to work the saw up and down. But she used both hands to hold the handle of the saw and failed to steady the board with the left hand. She had not seen Mrs. James use one hand to keep the board from sliding about.