The man laughed louder than ever. “It’s a funny thing, boy, that we call it the North River. But you are right: it is west! It’s really the Hudson River, boy, that’s what it is. And a mighty big river it is too. Want to know anything more?” And the man turned back to his work.
“Well,” thought Boris. “I can’t get to my grass today if I strike rivers everywhere I go.” And he turned and walked home slowly, because he was sorry. And he was very, very tired too. For you see he had walked all the way across the city twice and that is a pretty long walk even for a boy the size of Boris.
Boris, he went out to walk
To find the country wide.
And he walked west and west he walked
But found the Hudson wide!
And so he turned himself about
And walked the other way
And he walked east and east he walked
And there East River lay!
Part 2
The next morning at breakfast, Boris suddenly thought again of the wide green country around his old home in Russia. I don’t know why he thought of it again. He just did! And then he thought of the Hudson River he had found by walking west and of the East River he had found by walking east. “I might try walking north this time,” he thought. And so he said to his mother, “I think I’ll go on another hunt for grass,—grass that’s everywhere!” and again he waved his arms.
“All right,” answered his mother. “But I’m afraid you’ll have to walk a long way to find grass everywhere!”
Out on the street he began to walk north. Then he remembered what a long long ride north in the subway he had had the other day. “I’d better take something if I want to get to the country wide,” he thought.
So Boris went down to the subway and took the train. He rode for ever and ever so long. He kept wondering if there were still houses above him or if it was all grass,—lots and lots of grass. “I guess I’ll go up and see,” he thought. So up he went at the next station. But there were still houses everywhere. They weren’t so high nor quite so close together; but still there was no grass. So he kept on walking north. Then he saw something that made him run. He could hardly believe his eyes. There was another river! “Oh! dear! oh! dear!” thought Boris. “I’ll never in the world find the country wide if I strike a river whatever way I go. I think I’ll take the subway and go way, way south. Surely I can get through that way. West a river, east a river, north a river. Yes, I’ll go south!”
So again Boris went down to the subway and took a train going south. He stayed on it so long that he thought he must surely be way out in the country wide under grass, grass, everywhere. “I guess I’ll go up and see,” he thought.