“I wish your father would preach at you, and preach at you every single Sunday,” cried Joel vindictively, kicking his rusty little shoe in the dirt.
“My father doesn’t preach at us,” cried Peletiah calmly. “He preaches at other people.”
“Well, I wish a bear would come out of the woods and eat you,” said Joel.
Peletiah looked all about him, his glance even taking in the hills ranging about Badgertown. “There aren’t any bears around here,” he said calmly.
“Well, maybe they could come from somewhere else,” said Joel, his round face brightening.
Just then Mrs. Pepper appeared in the doorway, and David just behind her. “Peletiah, you are just the one I want to see,” she cried. She had a blue plate covered with a napkin in her hand. “Now, David, you tell him,” looking down at him. But David hung back. So Mamsie had to do it for him. “David wants you to take half of this nice big fish to your mother, as Ezekiel is going to give his to your father.” She came down from the step, and put the plate in his hand.
Peletiah, standing quite still, looked at the blue plate covered with the napkin. Then he moved off slowly. Joel ran after him.
“I don’t want the bears to eat you,” he said.
“And you can have the big stone if you want it,” said Peletiah.