Sami squatted down and pulled at the weeds with all his might. The ground
was hard and the work very tiresome. But Sami did not forget how his
grandmother had impressed it upon him to do all his work well and
willingly.
At noon the two weeders took their hoes on their shoulders and Sami had
to pull the cart, which was now much heavier than on the way there. The
boy had to use all his strength, for Stoeffi showed him plainly that he
would not take upon himself the larger part of the work.
Then when they passed by the field the father indicated to each one the
piece he would have to weed that afternoon; for he himself would be
obliged to go to the cattle market. They would find a smaller hoe at home
for Sami to take with him in the afternoon, for pulling up the weeds was
too slow work.
After the boys had worked several hours in the afternoon, they sat down
in the shade of an old apple-tree to eat their luncheon, and the piece of
black bread with pear juice tasted very good after the hot work.
"Have you ever seen a bear?" asked Stoeffi of Sami.
He said he had not.
"Then you would be fearfully frightened if you should suddenly see one,"
continued Stoeffi; "only those who know them are not afraid of them. This
evening there is to be one in the village, and, as I am almost through
with my piece in the field, you can finish it, so I can go early to see
the bear.
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