Steve was surprised to have the crew greet him warmly with pats on the back. The boy turned to his father. “Why are they calling me a hero?” he asked. “It was Biff who saved us!”
“Not taking credit away from Biff, any good spaceman would have done what he did,” said Mr. Shannon. “But few would have attempted your trick of jumping into space after your sister with no way of getting back. Right, Biff?”
Biff nodded his plastic helmet. “It wasn’t the smartest thing you could have done, Steve, but it showed your bravery. Courage counts just as much as ability in a spaceman. Don’t ever forget that, son.”
Steve, who wanted to be a spaceman some day, would not forget it.
THE FLYING MOUNTAIN
Steve and Sue were playing a game as the freighter headed through space toward Earth. It was fun trying to see who could build the higher tower of sticks. The young Shannons were in extra good spirits. Before long they would be seeing Mom and their home in Arkansas, after being in space for so many months.
Steve carefully placed the last stick on his tower which was almost as high as he could reach.
“I won, Sis!” he exclaimed. But as he drew his hand away, it brushed against the tower, causing the sticks to drift off in all directions.
“I won!” Sue cried gleefully, “Yours broke up!”