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LINCOLN ROOM 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 LIBRARY 
 
 MEMORIAL 
 
 the Class of 1901 
 
 founded by 
 
 HARLAN HOYT HORNER 
 
 and 
 
 HENRIETTA CALHOUN HORNER 
 
Oft -Told Tales of Lincoln 
 
OFT- TOLD 
 TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 BY M0LL1E C. WINCHESTER 
 AUTHOR OF "AFRICAN SKIN COAT ETC. 
 
 BRAKINGS BY MARGUERITE M. JONES 
 
 PUBLISHERS 
 
 ALBERT WHITMAN AND COMPANY 
 
 CHICAGO— 
 
OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 Copyright 1928 
 By Albert Whitman & Company 
 
 > — 
 
 Cabin at Nolin Creek, Kentucky 
 Where Lincoln Was Bom 
 
 OTHER TITLES 
 
 THE MAGIC HOUSE 
 
 By Louise Harvey Buttler 
 
 THE JOLLY LITTLE CLOWN 
 
 By Eleanor Fairchild Pease 
 
 RED AND GOLD STORIES 
 
 By Frances Kerr Cook 
 
 "Just Right Book" 
 Printed in the U. S. A. 
 

 To SMy 'Dear SMother 
 €sther White Chadwick 
 
The Lincoln Monument at Springfield 
 
 Dates In Lincoln's Life 
 
 February 12, 1809— Born in Kentucky. 
 
 1816 — Moved to Indiana. 
 
 1818 — His mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died. 
 
 1828 — Abraham Lincoln goes to New Orleans. 
 
 1830 — Moved from Indiana to Illinois. 
 
 1831 — Second trip to New Orleans; sees horrors of slavery. 
 
 1832 — Captain in the Black Hawk War. 
 
 1833 — Postmaster at New Salem. 
 
 1834 to 1840— Member of Legislature. 
 
 1835 — Lawyer in New Salem, Illinois. 
 
 1846 — A member of Congress. 
 
 1854 — Speech-making on the Missouri Compromise and on Slavery. 
 
 1860 — Nominated for the Presidency and elected. 
 
 1861 — Inaugurated. 
 
 1861 — Calls for 75,000 men to put down southern "rebellion." 
 
 1862 — Offers pecuniary aid to states that would abolish slavery. 
 
 1863 — Issues the "Emancipation Proclamation" freeing slaves. 
 
 1863 — Gettysburg dedication speech. 
 
 1864 — Elected for second term as President. 
 
 April 14, 1865— Shot by John Wilkes Booth in Ford's Theater, Washington. 
 
 April 15, 1865— Died in Washington, D. C. 
 
Foreword to Every Reader 
 
 More than three thousand volumes have 
 been written about the life and work of 
 Abraham Lincoln. He has taken, in our 
 modern world, the place of the heroes of 
 ancient epics and legends: he is our Beowulf, 
 our Charlemagne, our King Arthur; in a 
 word, he is our national hero. 
 
 So much has been written that the folly 
 of attempting a new, or even an original 
 interpretation of the old, is evident. We 
 make no such pretense, but instead gratefully 
 acknowledge indebtedness to many sources 
 from which we have taken those authentic 
 episodes in the childhood and youth of Abra- 
 ham Lincoln, which foreshadowed his con- 
 duct during the dark days of the Civil War. 
 We have tried to trace, in the boy Lincoln, 
 those latent characteristics which when 
 
developed gave us the greatest leader and 
 man our country has known. 
 
 For example: in the tale of the hungry 
 soldier, to whom Abe gave his prize fish, 
 there is evident the same spirit of kindliness 
 which prompted President Lincoln to par- 
 don so many unfortunate soldiers during the 
 long war. The moral strength, {facing a hos- 
 tile opinion), shown in the turtle story again 
 finds a larger expression in the tale of the 
 old Black Hawk Indian. Still later, we find 
 it with an added magnanimity in those 
 immortal words: "With malice toward none, 
 with charity for all. . . ." 
 
 Far back in the pumpkin seed planting we 
 find the planting also of that cheerful perse- 
 verance which urged the slow smile when 
 the heart was broken, discouraged, bearing 
 a nations woe. And of all the stories we 
 have known of his human-understanding, of 
 his quick sense of humor, what could be 
 more illustrative than his own fable, "The 
 bear-hunt"? This is a product of Lincoln's 
 own imagination: he wrote it in ballad-form, 
 and although we have carried it over into 
 the story-form we have held to the spirit of 
 
Lincoln s ballad. For in this fable is clearly 
 shown the same understanding of humans 
 {and animals) which untangled amicably 
 the many difficult situations during those 
 trying meetings with his refractory cabinet. 
 So, throughout the book, the parent will 
 find accent placed on childhood virtues — the 
 virtues that any child might imitate. The 
 years of accomplishment have been sum- 
 marized as briefly as possible, that we might 
 trace "the footprints on the sands" of youth 
 which portray the unfolding of a noble char- 
 acter: first "Abe"; "Honest Abe"; then 
 Lawyer Abraham Lincoln; and so on until 
 we have President Lincoln, noble martyr. 
 
10 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Page 
 
 Foreword 7 
 
 Abe's First Gift (Thoughtfulness) 15 
 
 Indians on the Warpath (Historical Lore) 23 
 
 Planting Seeds and Character (Learning to Face Adversity) 37 
 
 The Magic Rock (Adventure) 48 
 
 The Hungry Soldier (Kindness to the Needy) 59 
 
 Blazing a Trail to Pigeon Creek (Learning Hardship) 66 
 
 Making Candles (Patience) 76 
 
 Neighbors (Companionableness) 81 
 
 The Bear Hunt (Adapted from a Ballad Written by Abraham Lincoln) . . 86 
 
 Abe Lincoln's First Letter (Reverence and Religion) 100 
 
 The Broken Deer Horn (Truthfulness) 107 
 
 Abe's Education (Love of Information) 110 
 
 "God's Creatures, Great and Small" (Defender of the Weak) 121 
 
 Abe at Mischief (Love of Fun) 130 
 
 Abe's Own Dollar (Thrift) 133 
 
 Abe a Salesman (Ambition) 138 
 
 Abe a Man (Independence) 145 
 
 11 
 
CONTENTS— ( Continued ) 
 
 Page 
 
 Abe Knows Success 152 
 
 The Springfield Lawyer 162 
 
 Congressman Lincoln 167 
 
 The Civil War 171 
 
 "With Malice Toward None" 178 
 
 Gettysburg Speech 181 
 
 A Second Term 185 
 
 The Martyr 188 
 
 * / 
 
 12 
 
LIST OF FULL PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Page 
 
 Frontispiece 2 
 
 Lincoln's Birthplace As It Looked in 1924 14 
 
 Little Tom Was Left In the Fields at the Side of His Father 29 
 
 Abe Was Off the Slippery Log 55 
 
 Sarah and Abe Sat High on the Horses' Backs 69 
 
 The Bear Made a Rush Forward at the Handicapped Horse 93 
 
 He Spent All the Time He Could Spare From His Work in Reading 
 
 and Studying Ill 
 
 Thus Abe Earned the Book He Loved So Well 117 
 
 The Men Were Sculled Out to the Big Boat Which Was Waiting for Them 135 
 
 They Had Come to a Slave-market 149 
 
 He Went Many Miles to Deliver the Package of Tea 153 
 
 Springfield in the Days of Lincoln 163 
 
 He Continued to Go Into the Camps to Talk to the Soldiers 173 
 
 "Four Score and Seven Years Ago Our Fathers — " 183 
 
 13 
 
Abe's First Gift 
 
 (Thoughtfulness) 
 
 "If Mother does not get home before it is 
 dark we must pile brush-wood and twigs on 
 the fire so they will blaze high and show 
 Mother her way through the black woods," 
 said Sarah Lincoln. Although she was only 
 six she had been left in charge of her four- 
 year-old brother, Abe Lincoln, and of the 
 tiny log-cabin which was their home away off 
 in the woods. 
 
 "Yes," said little Abe, looking into the 
 heavy brush that grew close to the cabin. 
 "When it gets darker and darker we must 
 put great big pieces of trees on the fire to 
 scare away the bears, wolves, wild-cats and 
 all the other wild animals." 
 
 "Yes," answered Sarah, for often she and 
 Abe had seen the sharp, terrible teeth and 
 the long, fierce claws of the wild animals that 
 their father shot in the forest and brought 
 home as food and clothes for his family. 
 Abe and Sarah wore shoes made from the 
 
 15 
 
16 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 soft deer-skin. Abe's coat and pants and 
 hat were made from the skins of the animals 
 that had been caught in the forest near at 
 hand. At night they snuggled down warm 
 and snug under a bear-skin for a blanket, 
 and before they went to sleep they heard the 
 wolves howling nearer and nearer the little 
 log-cabin. 
 
 But Sarah was not thinking of the animals 
 now. She was putting more wood on the fire 
 under the big kettle, which hung on four long 
 poles out in the open space in front of their 
 home. Her mother had told her to keep a 
 small fire under the kettle so that the maple- 
 syrup would cook slowly while she was away 
 in the next settlement where Abe's cousins 
 lived. But Sarah had put too much wood 
 under the big, iron-kettle, which was almost 
 as big as Sarah herself, and now the maple- 
 syrup began to bubble high up in the kettle. 
 
 "Quick, Abe! The maple-syrup is boiling 
 over!" called Sarah. "Get the long cedar- 
 stick, or the syrup will boil over the side of 
 the pot and then there won't be enough for 
 Mother to make us good things." 
 
ABE'S FIRST GIFT 17 
 
 Sarah took the stick that her brother had 
 brought and gripping it fast in two hands, 
 she stirred hard and long. But still the 
 syrup boiled up and over the side of the ket- 
 tle, and dripped down onto the wood at the 
 edge of the fire. Abe caught some on a clean 
 stick and blew it until it began to cool. Then 
 he licked the long, sugary strings that 
 dropped on all sides. Sarah stood above him 
 licking the sweet syrup from the cedar-stick. 
 When that was done she sat on the ground 
 alongside of Abe and they took turns catch- 
 ing the sizzling syrup on their sticks, as it 
 trickled down the sides of the big kettle. 
 
 "Yum, yum," Sarah said, getting a big 
 share. 
 
 "Yum, yum," said her little brother, twist- 
 ing a sugary string around his finger, and 
 greatly enoying the fine picnic they were 
 having all by themselves. 
 
 But suddenly in the midst of the fun a large 
 hawk flew close over their heads, and they 
 remembered that night was coming and 
 many things must be done before their 
 mother's return. 
 
18 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 "I will tell you what we will do," said 
 Sarah, clapping her hands together with 
 delight. "We will surprise Mother. I'll pound 
 the corn for corn-dodgers. And you get the 
 water at the spring — not too full though for 
 you are not so big as I am and can not carry 
 such a big pail. You can get some fire-wood, 
 and then when Mother comes home she will 
 be so surprised and we will see which one 
 of us can surprise her most!" 
 
 Abe liked the idea. He seized the water- 
 pail and ran off, down the grassy path into 
 the thick woods. Two tiny squirrels scamp- 
 ered across the way as he ran over stones 
 and brush, and he heard some larger animal 
 scrambling to the safety of the underbrush 
 as he came near. But he did not stop; 
 straight to the spring where the deer came 
 each night, he went with his pail. He sank 
 it deep until it was filled and was turning to 
 go back to the cabin when he spied a pretty 
 yellow bush through the dark trees. He 
 pulled a few twigs — ah, how sweet and spicy 
 it was! His eyes smiled; he was thinking 
 of another surprise which would be different 
 
ABE'S FIRST GIFT 
 
 19 
 
 The Spring Where the Deer Came 
 
 from water and wood. He gathered an arm- 
 ful of the spice-wood, tied them with a long 
 strand of dry grass and carried it into the 
 clearing. 
 
 Sarah was inside the cabin. He could hear 
 her pounding the corn, getting it ready for 
 the cakes that his mother would make for 
 their supper when she returned. Quickly 
 he slipped the armful of yellow spice-blos- 
 soms under the wood at the side of the cabin 
 and then took the water in to Sarah. 
 
 "Won't Mother be surprised when she 
 
20 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 finds the corn made into flour, all ready for 
 the "dodgers'," laughed Sarah. 
 
 "And when she sees the water in, too," 
 said little Abe. 
 
 "But best of all, I'm going to make Mother 
 a new turkey-feather brush for the hearth — " 
 
 "Hark!" 
 
 "It is Mother! Galling through the 
 woods!" 
 
 Abe and Sarah dropped their work and 
 ran as fast as they could down the path. 
 How happy their mother was to be back 
 again, but happier still when she saw the 
 "surprises" Abe and Sarah had planned for 
 her. However all was not over yet, for as 
 she stood before the large kettle scooping 
 up the hardening sugar, Abe slipped up 
 behind her and pressed the bunch of spice- 
 wood blossoms under her arm. 
 
 "Another surprise, Mother!" laughed Abe, 
 watching his mother's face. She was sur- 
 prised! 
 
 His mother held the sweet-scented blos- 
 soms close to her face, "Ah, lovely spice- 
 wood. Why, Abe, that is the best surprise 
 
ABE'S FIRST GIFT 
 
 21 
 
 His Mother Held the Sweet-scented Blossoms 
 Close to Her Face 
 
 of all, for now we can have a bright, spark- 
 ling fire at the big chimney indoors tonight 
 and I will read you some Bible stories or 
 fables;' 
 
 "Bible stories, please, Mother," begged 
 Abe. 
 
 "No, no fables!" coaxed Sarah. 
 
 "Both," said Nancy Lincoln, the children's 
 mother. "We shall have both kinds, for Abe 
 brought such a large bunch of spice-wood 
 
22 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 that a bright fire-light will last for a long 
 time. I shall read until every bit of wood is 
 burned away, and there is not a bit of light 
 left." 
 
 "Oh good!" said Sarah. "Abe, your sur- 
 prise was the very best after all. It was a 
 surprise for everybody!" 
 
 Nancy Lincoln let her fingers run through 
 Abe's unruly brown hair and smiled down at 
 him. He was her own fine little lad. 
 
 ^%, 
 
Indians on the Warpath 
 
 (Historical Lore) 
 
 "The big whale swallowed Jonah down — 
 'Gulp!'— like that! Now there," said Abe's 
 mother, "you can tell the rest of the story 
 from there. Sarah, you tell it, while I move 
 my spinning-wheel nearer to the fire. Whew, 
 the wind blows so hard between the logs 
 here, that it almost takes the shawl off my 
 shoulders. I must get a fresh log for the 
 fire, and afterwards I'll tell the story of the 
 Indians who killed your grandfather." 
 
 "Oh, that is the story I like best," cried 
 Sarah, "the story about the wicked Indian 
 who tried to steal our father when he was a 
 little tiny, weeny boy." 
 
 "Yes," agreed Abe, "sometimes, I like that 
 story best too. But I like the fables almost 
 best." 
 
 Abe and Sarah jumped up to help their 
 mother roll the heavy log away back into 
 the huge fireplace. Then all sat down close 
 
 23 
 
24 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 to the warm glow to hear a true story of 
 Indians. 
 
 "Once upon a time, not so many years ago, 
 when your good father was just big enough 
 to scamper around the clearing, there were 
 cruel, blood-thirsty Indians in the forests, 
 oh, many, many Indians." 
 
 "Right here in Knob Creek, too?" asked 
 Sarah. 
 
 "Yes, around here and around everywhere 
 in Kentucky. There were not so many in 
 Virginia where your grandfather came from. 
 But when Daniel Boone, that brave scout of 
 the wilderness, told your grandfather that 
 there was fine soil for farming down in Ken- 
 tucky, but also many bad Indians, your 
 grandfather did not care. 
 
 "He wanted a good farm where he could 
 grow corn and potatoes to feed his big family. 
 He said he was not going to bother the 
 Indians if they did not bother him. So he 
 packed his belongings and left his old friends 
 in Virginia to come down to the wilderness 
 in Kentucky. He went through the forest 
 looking for a good spring, near which he 
 
INDIANS ON THE WARPATH 
 
 25 
 
 Where He Could Build His Cabin 
 
 could build his cabin and make a farm. He 
 thought the Indians would not bother him 
 because he was kind to everyone, Indian and 
 white man alike. 
 
 "But the Indians thought the white men 
 were taking all the game in the forests so 
 they hated all the white men, good and bad. 
 They did not like to see the 'paleface' chop- 
 ping down the trees to make plowed fields, 
 either. So they killed him whenever they 
 got a chance. Of course there was enough 
 game in the wilderness for all, Indian and 
 white man; but the redskin did not believe 
 so. Besides an Indian loves to fight. . 
 
26 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 "One morning after your grandfather had 
 chopped down the big trees around his log- 
 cabin and planted some seeds and everything 
 was going along peacefully, he decided to 
 plow up a little more ground and to plant 
 some more seeds. Your grandfather was 
 plowing near the very edge of the dangerous 
 forest. He called to his sons and told them 
 to go off into a field that had many stumps 
 of old trees in it. He told them to burn all 
 the stumps they could find there. They went 
 but left little Tom, your own father, playing 
 near his father as he worked. 
 
 "Everyone was very busy for the boys all 
 knew that if the crops did not grow they 
 would all go hungry during the winter-time 
 when the snow was deep on the earth. 
 There was not a sound in the air except the 
 glad songs of the birds as they built their 
 nests in the high tree-tops. No one thought 
 of Indians. 
 
 "But back there in the black shadows of 
 the forest there were terrible, sharp eyes 
 peering out through the brush. Those eyes 
 were cruel. Like panthers the redskins 
 
INDIANS ON THE WARPATH 27 
 
 moved without a sound, creeping low, sneak- 
 ing through the fern and brush. Their skins 
 were the color of the rocks and ground; 
 their eyes were the color of swift arrows. 
 Lower, lower they crouched, watching, 
 creeping, creeping, watching, nearer, nearer 
 to the men who were working so peacefully 
 in the fields. 
 
 "Even the little birds in the trees above 
 went quietly about their work for it was a 
 lovely spring day and no one even thought 
 of danger and death. A twig snapped now 
 and then under the soft, deer-skin moccasins. 
 Snap! it sounded through the forest trees 
 and then all was still again. Once, when a 
 twig snapped your grandfather raised his 
 head and looked uneasily into the blackness 
 of the woods but everything was quiet again. 
 He could not see the many black eyes that 
 were watching him from the heavy under- 
 brush. 
 
 "Suddenly, into the clearing came a shot! 
 The forest was filled with wild, 'Whoop! 
 Whoop!' the war-cry. 
 
28 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 "Every white man and woman knew that 
 cry and knew it meant death at the hands of 
 the savages. Your grandfather Abraham 
 (the one you were called for, Abe) heard it. 
 But before he could move from his plow the 
 redskins were rushing across the fields like 
 a pack of wolves, and were upon him in a 
 flash. He fell, killed by the leader of the 
 savage band. 
 
 "The two big boys ran to the house for a 
 gun and to save the life of your grandmother. 
 Little Tom, your own father, was left in the 
 fields at the side of his father. He did not 
 know what had happened, but he did know 
 that his father must not be left alone while 
 the Indians were running around the field 
 where the new seeds had just been sown. 
 He was very frightened, the poor little fel- 
 low, very afraid of them but he stayed right 
 there at his father's side. Just then a big, 
 cruel Indian spied the baby boy and ran to 
 grab him. 
 
 " 'Ugh! A good papoose! A good papoose!' 
 said the redskin and stooped to pick up little 
 Tom. 
 
Little Tom Was Left in the Fields at the Side of His Father 
 
 29 
 
30 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 "But, you remember, your father's big 
 brothers had gone to the house. One got a 
 gun and stayed there, but the other brother 
 ran to the fort for help. The one who stayed 
 there to take care of his mother was peeking 
 between the cracks of the logs of the cabin 
 and saw the Indian just as he was ready to 
 carry off Tom. Quick as a wink he pushed 
 his gun through the hole in the wall and, 
 'bang! bang!' the Indian dropped little Tom 
 and fell to the ground. As the big Indian 
 rolled into the furrows the brave little man 
 scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as he 
 could to the house. 
 
 "Now more Indians were swarming out 
 of the forest, for they saw their leader fall, 
 and they planned to kill everyone in the log- 
 cabin in revenge. So, off they dashed after 
 poor little Tom. But he ran fast, faster, 
 faster. His little legs were so short, and the 
 furrows were so deep. He kept stumbling 
 in the soft earth, but now he was almost to 
 the house. Faster he went, for he heard a 
 Redskin coming behind, close behind him. 
 Faster he went. At last! His mother opened 
 
INDIANS ON THE WARPATH 31 
 
 the door and snatched him inside, just as the 
 savage was ready to grab him." 
 
 "Oh, oh," cried Sarah as she cuddled up 
 close to her mother's knee, "Indians are 
 terrible!" 
 
 "Hush, Sarah," warned Abe, who was 
 listening with wide-open eyes. "Go on, 
 Mother, tell us the rest." 
 
 "Well, the Indians knew there was only 
 one big boy in that cabin. One of them 
 sneaked close and crawled around to the 
 front door of the cabin. He was going to 
 chop it down with his sharp tomahawk. He 
 got close to the big door, crouching low. 
 Then he raised his tomahawk high with a 
 war-cry and jumped up, ready for the crash, 
 but the boy inside was too quick for him. 
 
 "'Bang! Bang!' barked the gun 5 and the 
 smoke curled from inside of the cabin, out 
 between two logs in the wall near the door. 
 The Indian fell. 
 
 "Again and again, the Indians tried to 
 chop that door; but again and again the 
 young boy frightened them off. So, at last 
 when they saw there was no chance of get- 
 
32 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 ting scalps that way, they went off together 
 to the woods to plan what they would do 
 next. 
 
 "Little Tom and his mother and big, brave 
 brother watched them from a tiny crack 
 between the logs of the cabin. What new 
 attempt were the Redskins planning? What 
 was keeping the brother who had gone to 
 the fort for help? Was he killed by the 
 Indians while on the way? Did some Indian 
 jump out of the bushes along the forest-path 
 and kill him with a heavy tomahawk before 
 he could reach the fort and bring help? 
 Would help never come? Must Little Tom, 
 and his mother and brother die together 
 just as their father had died in the newly 
 plowed field? All such questions and many 
 like them the three prisoners in the log- 
 cabin asked themselves. But now the Indians 
 were moving around again. They had made 
 some plan and were hurrying to carry it 
 out. No doubt it was a wicked one. 
 
 "Some had gone into the woods out of 
 sight. Now they came back bringing great 
 bundles of brush, dry leaves and other fire- 
 
INDIANS ON THE WARPATH 33 
 
 wood. They piled it all up around the back 
 and sides of the cabin, but they didn't go 
 near the front door for they remembered 
 how the gun had barked out from just beside 
 the door, and how an Indian brave had fallen 
 and failed to chop down that heavy door. 
 So they ran back into the forest for more 
 brush and more and more. They piled it 
 higher and higher. They were going to burn 
 the cabin down to the ground with your 
 grandmother, your uncle and little Tom, 
 inside." 
 
 "Oh, I wish I was big then," said Sarah, 
 "I would help Grandmother scare those bad 
 Redskins away. I would not let them burn 
 her up!" 
 
 "Girls can not kill Indians," teased little 
 Abe Lincoln. 
 
 "No," said Abe's mother, "Indians are 
 very hard to scare. Your grandmother knew 
 of many neighbors whose cabins, with every- 
 one inside had been burned down to the 
 ground. Nothing left but a pile of charcoal. 
 And she knew how the Indians had always 
 killed anyone who tried to run out of the 
 
34 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 house while it was blazing. Now the Indians 
 had piled the brush and dry wood as high 
 as they could reach. They were yelling and 
 howling more fiercely than ever. Your 
 grandmother pushed Little Tom back of her 
 and she looked anxiously up the path where 
 her other son had gone for help, but there 
 was no one on the forest-road but wild-eyed 
 Indians. 
 
 "She saw that they were ready to light the 
 fire, to burn the cabin down. One old fellow 
 had a piece of flint. He was trying to strike 
 a spark in the dry leaves. Twice he got a 
 spark but it did not catch. The rest of the 
 Indians kept jumping and yelling and whoop- 
 ing up a war-dance. Around, and around 
 they went in a big circle, shrieking, whoop- 
 ing, getting their knives ready to take three 
 scalps when the three people in the cabin 
 would open the door and try to run out of 
 the roasting fire. 
 
 "No help was near. Your grandmother 
 stood at the tiny hole through which she 
 could see the path where help would come, 
 but only Indians were running to and fro. 
 
INDIANS ON THE WARPATH 35 
 
 Would the people never get there from the 
 fort? In a few minutes it would be too late 
 for anyone to help. 
 
 "The war-whoops outside grew more ter- 
 rible every second and then — suddenly they 
 stopped! Quick, as a flash the dance had 
 ended. The Redskins were grabbing up their 
 knives and tomahawks. They were scatter- 
 ing in all directions, some across the new 
 furrows of the fields, some down the deer- 
 trail, all leaping like rabbits to cover, into 
 the woods. 
 
 "On the other side of the cabin many brave 
 white men were pounding down the hill from 
 the fort. Help had come at last! The men 
 and your uncle who had gone to the fort 
 were out of breath but they did not stop. 
 They chased the blood-thirsty Indians 
 through brush and brambles; but when 
 they got into the deep forest not an Indian 
 could they find. The wild savages know the 
 hiding-places in the wilderness better than 
 the animals that live there. So, the men 
 gave up the chase, and came back to help 
 the family in the cabin." 
 
36 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 "And they never caught any of the Indians 
 who killed my grandfather! That is too 
 bad," sighed Sarah. 
 
 "But our father was saved, Sarah, and that 
 was good," replied Abe, as he tossed a hand- 
 ful of spice-wood into the big, hungry mouth 
 of the fire-place. Then he sat back in the 
 shadows, musing, quiet, watching the sparks 
 dart like little fairy-creatures, dancing, skip- 
 ping, swirling, upward into the black chim- 
 ney, up and out, into the star-flecked sky far, 
 far away. 
 
Planting Seeds and Character 
 
 (Learning to Face Adversity) 
 
 Abe was not quite sure whether he was 
 asleep or awake. He dreamed that a swarm 
 of bright yellow honey-bees with golden 
 wings, were busily buzzing inside the cabin 
 making a fine mess of clover-honey in the 
 log-wall at the side of his bed. How lucky 
 to have wild-honey right near one's bed. Abe 
 thought he was dreaming so he sat up 
 straight on the pile of dry leaves that was his 
 bed, and listened. Yes, there was that same 
 lulling "buzz, buzz, buzz," but now he was 
 sure. He had been dreaming, for the buzz- 
 ing came from his mother's spinning-wheel 
 as she sat in the door-way spinning in the 
 early morning light. She was making long 
 strands of yarn that would soon be made into 
 linsey-woolsey for Abe's shirts. 
 
 "Gome Abe!" she called as she heard him 
 turning over in the rustling leaves. "Come 
 
 37 
 
38 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 Sarah! Jump up, like good children. Your 
 father has gone hunting to get a partridge for 
 breakfast. He will soon be back, and you 
 know he will want everyone to be ready to 
 help plant the seeds as soon as breakfast is 
 over." 
 
 "O-o-o-o-o," yawned Sarah as she drew the 
 deer-skin blanket over her feet. "I see the 
 sun from here and it is a big red ball. That 
 means rain. I guess we won't be able to 
 plant seeds to-day." 
 
 "Sarah, Sarah," said her mother laugh- 
 ingly, "what a child you are — always finding 
 
 excuses." 
 
 "But," said Sarah firmly, "I heard Father 
 say, 'Red sun in the morning, sailors take 
 warning/ and he said, 'That means rain.' " 
 
 "Right you are, Sarah," agreed her mother 
 kindly, "but rain is what we want. If the 
 seeds are planted before the rain, they will 
 get a good soaking and will sprout sooner. 
 Gome now, Sarah, don't think up any more 
 excuses; your father will soon be home." 
 
 "Maybe he will bring a fat turkey and a 
 big rabbit, or a bear for breakfast," Abe sur- 
 
PLANTING SEEDS AND CHARACTER 
 
 39 
 
 mised as he sat on the long-pole which was 
 the edge of his bed. 
 
 "Ha, ha!" Sarah laughed, and threw a bit 
 of mud-mortar at him. 
 
 Abe rushed over and soon the playful 
 wrestling sent them both sprawling on the 
 hard dirt-floor. 
 
 "Children! Children!" called their mother. 
 "Sarah, what are you doing?" 
 
 "Well, Abe guesses that we will have a 
 bear for breakfast," continued Sarah, mak- 
 ing a wry face at her little brother, "but I 
 think maybe we will have a fat raccoon. 
 Then Abe will have a new hat from the skin, 
 
40 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 with a fine, fat tail hanging down the back." 
 
 Just then they heard their father's whistle 
 across the clearing and both children rushed 
 to finish dressing. 
 
 "Seeds to be planted right after breakfast," 
 he called as he swung down two jack-rabbits 
 from the end of his long gun. 
 
 Sarah put more wood on the out-door fire 
 which was blazing before the cabin, and 
 turned the corn-dodgers so that they would 
 cook on all sides. Abe put the cedar-chips 
 on the table, which were their only plates. 
 Their father skinned the rabbits and their 
 mother put them in a pot and set it deep in a 
 nest of glowing coals with coals heaped high 
 over the lid, so that they would be ready for 
 the next meal. Chores were done: breakfast 
 was ready. 
 
 Before everyone was away from the rude 
 split-log table, two boys who had promised 
 to help came down the long, rocky trail from 
 a neighboring clearing, and all set out for the 
 newly plowed field. 
 
 "Now, remember, Abe," explained his fa- 
 ther, "the other boys will follow me and 
 
PLANTING SEEDS AND CHARACTER 41 
 
 plant corn, but you must keep close behind 
 them and plant the pumpkin seeds. You 
 are a big lad now, big enough to do that job 
 right. You must drop two seeds in every 
 other hill and every other row. Remember. 
 And Sarah, you bring the bucket for water 
 and gather up the tools you can carry. Each 
 must carry his share of the tools. Each must 
 do his share of the work in the field or go 
 hungry in the winter time. Not a seed can 
 be wasted. Every seed must grow. I had 
 to go many hard miles to borrow these seeds 
 and when the crop grows I have to save 
 seeds to pay them back. Seeds are scare in 
 Kentucky and those folks who have them 
 do not pass any around. Even kin are stingy 
 with good seeds. 
 
 "Abe, you hear that? No pumpkin seeds 
 planted means no pumpkin-pudding. Of 
 course we can get along without pumpkin- 
 pudding but we can not live a winter through 
 without corn for corn-meal, corn-dodgers 
 and corn-pone. Plant the seeds deep enough 
 so that the sun will not dry out the roots, 
 and plant them far enough apart so that they 
 
42 OFT -TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 do not choke each other. All right, now 
 everybody to his work." 
 
 Over and over again, Abe said to himself, 
 as he tucked the dry seeds into their soft bed, 
 "two seeds in every other hill and every 
 other row." His good mother had told him 
 how the hard, yellow seed would open in the 
 earth and a tiny green finger stretch out try- 
 ing to reach toward the sun. Then soon aft- 
 erwards long, pretty green tendrils would 
 push through the ground and run in stream- 
 ers over the roots of the corn. Then, when 
 summer was over, and the corn had been 
 gathered, and the stalks stacked up in tall, 
 brown bunches all over the field, then, ah 
 then, the great orange pumpkins, like big 
 bright moons brought down to earth, would 
 lay all over the fields, ready to be made into 
 delicious pumpkin-pudding! Abe was hav- 
 ing his share in preparing that longed-for 
 treat, the pumpkin-pudding, and so the day 
 went swiftly. His seed-bag had grown thin 
 and did not look like a little fat man any 
 longer. It began to topple over, it was 
 almost empty. 
 
PLANTING SEEDS AND CHARACTER 
 
 43 
 
 A be Tucked the Dry Seeds Into Their Soft Bed 
 
 "Come on ; boys; come on, Sarah; come 
 on, Abie; my fine worker! Some day you 
 will have a fine farm of your own with lots 
 of crops for yourself and the neighbors, if 
 you work as hard as you did to-day," said 
 Abe Lincoln's father, and Abe was very 
 pleased. 
 
 The work was done. Everyone was glad. 
 No more planting of the precious, rare seeds 
 until another spring-time, that was a long, 
 
44 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 long time away. Everyone was tired. Sarah 
 took Abe's hand and they trudged off 
 together across the hilly field, home. Abe 
 looked back over the straight, orderly rows 
 and remembered what his father had said. 
 Yes, thought Abe Lincoln, he would like to 
 have a nice farm when he grew to be a great, 
 big, man like his father. 
 
 There were no calls for stories that night. 
 Abe and Sarah snuggled up under their skin- 
 blankets as soon as they had eaten the fine 
 rabbit supper their mother had ready for 
 them. She said Abe would have to have a 
 "man's share" for he was a big man now and 
 doing a man's work. Supper was not long 
 over when it began to rain, and it rained 
 hard all night through. 
 
 "Well, that is good enough," said Abe's 
 father, "the seeds will get well soaked and 
 we will have an early crop. I need to have 
 a fine crop for I must pay back these seeds 
 I borrowed from the neighbors. I never 
 knew seeds to be so scarce in Kentucky 
 before. 
 
PLANTING SEEDS AND CHARACTER 45 
 
 "I'll tell you, Nancy," Tom Lincoln said to 
 his wife, "it will be a bad thing for us if this 
 crop fails, if the sun gets too hot and burns 
 it up when it is young, or the crows should 
 eat the tender sprouts, or the deer should 
 get into the field. We shall have to watch 
 it carefully, for I would have to go many, and 
 many a long mile to find another seed. 
 Everyone counts his seeds nowadays." 
 
 Tom Lincoln took a fox-skin from the rude 
 floor and hung it against a side wall where 
 the rain was beating into the room. Then 
 all candles were put out and there was not 
 a sound the rest of the night save the con- 
 stant, heavy thud of the rain on the roof. 
 
 In the morning Abe was awakened by the 
 cold drip of rain on his face, and bits of clay- 
 mortar which it had loosened in the ceiling, 
 and brought splashing down with it. Sarah 
 was up and was holding the piece of skin 
 aside, which was their only window. She 
 beckoned to Abe and he went to see what 
 was so interesting outside in the rain- 
 drenched world. 
 
 Little rivers were rushing madly by the 
 
46 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 cabin, down into a near-by gorge; little cas- 
 cades and whirlpools covered every slope 
 and hollow. 
 
 "See," cried Sarah with joy, "see the little 
 white boats bobbing on top of the rivers!" 
 
 "And all the little twigs for bridges across 
 the river too," said Abe, pointing to the 
 broken tree-branches that floated along with 
 the flood. 
 
 "Oh, oh!" gasped Sarah with alarm, "those 
 little white boats are the seeds we planted 
 yesterday." 
 
 "The pumpkin-seeds, too?" queried Abe, 
 all ready to cry at the terrible catastrophe. 
 
 "All of them, corn and pumpkin! All of 
 them!" confirmed the six-year-old Sarah. 
 
 Tom and Nancy Lincoln came to the hole, 
 which was the window, to learn if such a 
 calamity could be so. Yes, Sarah was right! 
 Soil and seeds were being washed along into 
 the large river below. 
 
 "Oh, Tom, what shall we do? Where can 
 we get more seeds?" Nancy Lincoln asked 
 anxiously. 
 
 "Well," said her husband dryly, "no seeds 
 
PLANTING SEEDS AND CHARACTER 47 
 
 no corn-meal, no seeds no pumpkins, no 
 seeds no potatoes, no — " 
 
 "Will we be very hungry?" asked Abe, not 
 understanding just why everyone seemed so 
 queerly quiet about it. 
 
 "Very," answered his mother, smiling 
 gently down at her boy. Then she turned 
 to Abe's father and said, "Tom, you will 
 have to go to Uncle Berry's house. If he has 
 any seeds of any kind, I know he will give 
 them to us. Yes, as soon as it stops raining 
 you must go. It is a long way, but we can- 
 not starve, so there is nothing else to do." 
 
 Tom Lincoln did go. Uncle Berry gave 
 him a new supply of good seeds. Abe and 
 Sarah again did their share of the planting, 
 and this time it was not in vain, for they har- 
 vested a good, big crop, in the fall. 
 
The Magic Rock 
 
 (Adventure) 
 
 "Do you know what a magic rock is, Aus- 
 tin?" Abe asked his young visitor. 
 
 "Well — a — maybe I saw one once, but — " 
 
 "Where did you see it, Austin?" 
 
 "Well, Abe, I don't just remember. Why? 
 Have you got a magic rock around here?" 
 
 "Maybe. But first I want to know where 
 you saw that magic rock that you know 
 about. Where do you think it was, Austin?" 
 
 "Urn, well, a — now I guess I only heard 
 about it. Maybe I did not see it. And, may- 
 be I did see one, but I did not know about it 
 being a magic rock." 
 
 "Oh, no; if you didn't know it, then it 
 wasn't one. For you can easy tell a magic 
 rock. Everybody can tell." 
 
 "Say, Abe, have you got one around?" 
 
 "Maybe." 
 
 "Where? Show it." 
 
 "Well, I — maybe — we have one around, 
 but I'm not sure. I did not look all over for 
 
 48 
 
THE MAGIC ROCK 49 
 
 it yet," said Abe looking up at the sky at 
 nothing in particular. 
 
 "Urn. Then how do you know so much 
 about magic rocks?" 
 
 "My mother told me about it." 
 
 Abe and Austin did not very often get a 
 chance to visit each other and when they did 
 there were many new and strange things and 
 wondrous tales to share. To-day Austin's 
 mother had trudged down the long trail 
 through the woods, from the far-off neigh- 
 boring clearing. She had come to visit and 
 to learn how much linsey-woolsey Mrs. Lin- 
 coln had made on her big loom which stood 
 near the indoor-fireplace. So, while the 
 mothers visited and told each other of the 
 tasks which filled their lives, the two young 
 boys sought friendly adventures in the woods 
 and dells, adventures which were happier 
 because they were shared. 
 
 "Go on, Abe, tell me what you do with a 
 magic rock." 
 
 "You don't do anything with it. Once 
 there was a man in a boat. The waves were 
 very high. But he didn't mind, because he 
 
50 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 had a good boat and it went on top of the 
 waves just fine. He was going across far off 
 to another country, you know, far, far off. 
 And he was having a good time, sailing along 
 quick and safe. Then, the boat began to act 
 queer. It started to go in another direction, 
 up near some rocks on the shore. It would 
 not turn back. The man tried and tried to 
 make it turn around but it would not." 
 
 "My uncle has a horse just like that, too," 
 said Austin with understanding. 
 
 "But the man was very scared because the 
 boat wanted to go near the rocks where the 
 high waves were." 
 
 "Who was the man on the boat, Abe? 
 Maybe he was not a good rower?" suggested 
 the listener. 
 
 "Yes, he was," said Abe, "he was a good 
 rower, a fine one. He was a colored man, 
 with black skin." 
 
 "How did your mother know he had black 
 skin? Did she see him?" 
 
 "Maybe. I don't now whether she saw 
 him or not, but she knows all about it and 
 she told me all about it. The man tried and 
 
THE MAGIC ROCK 51 
 
 tried to make the boat go straight but it 
 would not. And next thing it was right up 
 near a big rock. So, the man thought he 
 would get off and sit on the rock — you know 
 that rock was in the middle of a lot of deep, 
 deep water, oh, deeper than the creek. But 
 he thought he could climb up to the top of 
 the rock and pull his boat up to see what was 
 the matter." 
 
 "Oh, I know all about that story, Abe. 
 You told me before. That was an island 
 and it was Robinson Crusoe in the boat." 
 Austin was sure he had known about that 
 magic rock, all along. 
 
 "No, this was another man. Robinson 
 Crusoe was on an island but this wasn't an 
 island: it was a magic rock! And when the 
 man — " 
 
 "Do you mean the colored man?" 
 
 "And when the colored man got near the 
 rock, Zip! Zip! It pulled every single nail 
 right out of that boat!" 
 
 "Why?" asked the dubious Austin. 
 
 "Because, didn't I tell you; it was a magic 
 rock? That's the way magic rocks always 
 
52 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 do. Pull out every single nail. What's left? 
 Nothing but old boards, all loose, so they 
 floated away, off into the ocean, I think." 
 
 "What did the colored man do?" 
 
 "Just sat there, on top of the rock." Abe 
 was not quite sure on that point, but Austin 
 must be satisfied. 
 
 "Why did he sit there? Why didn't he 
 make a raft like Robinson Crusoe?" asked 
 the visitor. 
 
 "Urn, because. Say, Austin, come on let 
 us go down to the creek and play Robinson 
 Crusoe. There are two big logs down there. 
 And — " (Abe whispered the great secret) — 
 "I know a place where there is a covey of 
 young partridges. Father carried me across 
 the creek and showed them to me yesterday. 
 Want to see them? They are pretty!" 
 
 "I will take some home with me," called 
 Austin as he ran ahead toward the creek. 
 
 "No," warned Abe, "you can't touch them. 
 They are only babies. The mother has to 
 keep them warm. You can only look at 
 them. Besides they are away over on the 
 other side of the creek. The creek is too 
 
THE MAGIC ROCK 53 
 
 wide, you can not jump over. Only my 
 father can jump over the creek. He is big." 
 
 Austin was paying little attention to Abe's 
 warnings. He was running up and down 
 the bank of the creek looking for a narrower 
 place where he might attempt a flying jump. 
 
 "Oh, good! Here is the log! Now we can 
 have a magic-ship!" shouted Austin with 
 glee. 
 
 Austin pushed the heavy log to the edge 
 of the bank. It rolled down into the water 
 and began to float away. 
 
 "Quick, let's coon it!" suggested Austin, 
 grabbing one end of the log and holding it at 
 the water's edge. Abe hesitated. 
 
 "Fraidy! Old Fraidy!" teased Austin, 
 jumping on the log and with a skip and a leap 
 reaching the opposite shore in safety. 
 
 Abe tried to do the same, but as soon as 
 he touched it the log began to move out into 
 the stream. Abe dropped down on his hands 
 and knees and held on. It began to wobble. 
 Abe laid down flat on his stomach along the 
 top of it, and tried to squirm over to the end 
 toward the shore where Austin stood safe 
 
54 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 and sound. The log was seized by the swift 
 current and began to float into a wider part 
 of the creek. 
 
 Austin grew alarmed and began running 
 back and forth on the bank, urging Abe to 
 get back to the home-side shore if he could. 
 But Abe, in the very middle of the stream 
 would have been glad to reach either shore, 
 anywhere so long as long as it was dry land. 
 
 "Get up off your stomach! Stand up, 
 Abe!" shouted Austin. 
 
 Abe tried. Failed. Flopped back the 
 length of the log. 
 
 "Don't look at the water!" yelled the boy 
 from the land, "don't look down where it 
 is over your head! Look up and crawl along 
 to this end and I'll try to grab it when it gets 
 near shore. Go on, Abe, get up!" 
 
 Abe made a brave effort to stand up on 
 the log, but the heavy log rolled, drifted, and 
 bobbed about like a duckling. It began to 
 cut-up capers which made little Abe wish he 
 were anywhere but on top of that log with 
 only deep, deep water beneath him. 
 
 Abe tried again. 
 
Abe Was Off the Slippery Log 
 55 
 
56 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 "That is right! Gome on, Abe! Lookup 
 and — whoa, there! Whooo!" 
 
 The log was worse than the boat which 
 went upon the magic-rock for this craft 
 would not go near any rock. Abe went down 
 on his stomach again. He dared not stay up 
 on his knees now for the log began to roll 
 around with the current. It pranced up and 
 down in the water like a pony in the meadow 
 when it is trying to throw some rider off. 
 Abe held on with his arms wrapped around 
 the middle and his legs tight around the end. 
 The log was never still. As soon as Abe 
 squirmed to a safe place on top the log rolled 
 over again. It tossed; it twisted; it bobbed; 
 it bounced, this way, that way, every way. 
 Abe was getting more afraid every minute. 
 He was drenched. The log was slippery for 
 all sides of it had been under water. 
 
 "Hold on! Hold on, Abe! Look, it is drift- 
 ing over to me! I'll grab it when it gets — 
 O-o-o-o-o!" 
 
 Abe was off! Off the slippery log. Down 
 in the deep water. Down in the middle of 
 the creek. 
 
THE MAGIC ROCK 57 
 
 Austin ran along the bank wildly. He 
 saw a long branch, and it reminded him of 
 what he had seen his father do when a man 
 was drowning near their home. Quick as a 
 flash he was on his stomach at the edge of 
 the stream pushing the stick to his struggling 
 companion. 
 
 Abe snatched at it as his hand came above 
 the water. He held on for dear life. Aus- 
 tin pulled. Abe was saved. Austin knew 
 what to do; he had seen his father roll the 
 rescued man back and forth on the grassy 
 slope and he had seen his father press hard 
 under the man's shoulders, up and down, up 
 and down. He did the same to Abe. Soon 
 he was all right again. But as he sat on the 
 bank looking at his dripping clothes, he re- 
 membered that his mother had told him not 
 to go to the creek. 
 
 What would she say? Surely there would 
 be trouble if he went home with water run- 
 ning from every hair of his deer-skin pants, 
 from every seam of his new linsey-woolsey 
 shirt. 
 
 "Let us spread them out on the rocks," 
 
58 
 
 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 said the older and wiser Austin. "And say, 
 Abe, don't you say a word about this to any- 
 one and I won't, either." 
 
 And neither told a soul until many, many 
 years later when they had grown to be big, 
 big men. Then one day when Abraham Lin- 
 coln was President of the United States, 
 Austin came to Washington to ask Abe if he 
 remembered about it; and Abe did. 
 
The Hungry Soldier 
 
 (Kindness to the Needy) 
 
 Abe was going to church with his mother. 
 It was a great event. They must make a 
 long trip under the big forest trees, past 
 ravines and glens where foxes sulked and 
 many wild creatures made their home. And 
 best of all, they must pass the falls where 
 the water flew high in a misty veil, and 
 frothy foamy whirlpools caught up the roar- 
 ing waters, carried it over rocks and fallen 
 trees until it grew calm and settled down in 
 the slow-moving creek. 
 
 Abe loved this three-mile walk with his 
 mother because his mother explained all the 
 beautiful things the preacher said ? all the 
 many, many things which he did not under- 
 stand. But to-day, as they strolled home after 
 church, he was not paying attention to the 
 things his mother was telling him about the 
 sermon. He was thinking of the large turtle 
 he had seen as he came through the woods. 
 
 59 
 
60 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 Abe Was Going to Church With His Mother 
 
 He had thought of nothing else but that tur- 
 tle all the time the gray-haired man was 
 preaching. 
 
 Abe was wondering whether or not the 
 turtle which he had seen sunning itself on 
 a rock at the side of the creek would be there 
 when he returned. He knew he could not 
 take a turtle to church, but he hoped it would 
 enjoy the sun until he was ready to carry it 
 home with him. But when he returned the 
 turtle was gone. 
 
 So, Abe made other plans. Bright and 
 early the next morning he slipped off alone 
 to search for the little mud-creature that car- 
 
THE HUNGRY SOLDIER 61 
 
 ried its shell house on its back wherever it 
 went. He went right back to the very spot 
 where the turtle had been and made a care- 
 ful search among the reeds and bull-rushes. 
 No turtle was there. But the creek was 
 pleasant. He lay flat on the grass and 
 daubed his hands in and out of the water; 
 caught the foamy bubbles as they rushed 
 by; kicked his heels high in the air and 
 watched the sunny rocks for other wander- 
 ing members of Mr. Turtle's family. And, 
 too, he had seen the silver-flash of fishes as 
 they leaped above the water to catch gnats 
 and flies, and then dropped back in a shower 
 of brilliant gems of rainbow colors, leaving 
 behind a calm stretch of ever-widening 
 circles. 
 
 These are lovely things, but when all is so 
 quiet with only the birds twittering above, a 
 boy grows drowsy. So Abe Lincoln began 
 to yawn and nod; his hands did not splash 
 such high water-spouts, but they still dragged 
 lazily in the water. The water trickled 
 coolly against his open palm. He was 
 almost asleep. He had forgotten the turtle. 
 
62 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 He had forgotten almost everything, when — 
 Swish! Smack! Some thing slippery, squirmy 
 dragged at his fingers. Abe closed them 
 tight. He caught a fish! How surprised 
 Mother would be when he brought the sup- 
 per home — a fine, fresh supper, such as 
 father would bring home after a whole day in 
 the woods. Abe put a long grass through the 
 fish's gills and hung it on a pole over his 
 shoulder just as he had seen his father do 
 many times. 
 
 Abe was very proud, very happy. His 
 mother would smile so kindly and stroke his 
 tousled head and tell him how proud she was 
 of her good boy. Abe began to sing aloud 
 as he thought of this. Soon, thought Abe, he 
 would be going out with his father through 
 the high brush and ferns to catch turkey- 
 poulets. He threw back his head and 
 walked more quickly, singing a lusty song 
 till the woods rang with the happy echo. 
 
 Hark! What was that? Abe stopped still 
 in the path. Then he heard a crackling twig, 
 a heavy step. Someone coming through the 
 forest with a strange, unfamiliar step. 
 
THE HUNGRY SOLDIER 63 
 
 Abe hurried to the turn of the trail. Com- 
 ing with weary, heavy tread was a tall man 
 in a faded, ragged uniform; a stooped man 
 with a knapsack strapped across his shoul- 
 ders; a lonely man wearing a soldier's cap, 
 Abe stepped to the side of the narrow path 
 that the man might pass. Here was a sol- 
 dier. His mother had told him all boys 
 should be very kind to the soldiers who had 
 fought for the country in the war of 1812. 
 
 "Heigho! That was a merry song, my lad! 
 Even the mocking-bird stopped to listen." 
 
 "Yes, sir," said Abe, not knowing what 
 else to say. 
 
 "And you are a fisherman, too! A fine 
 catch for so early in the day. What is your 
 name?" 
 
 "Abraham Lincoln, sir. I'm six years old 
 
 now." 
 
 "Six years old! And a first-class fisher- 
 man already. I fished every stream along 
 the way and could not catch a fish as big as 
 that. I thought I would have fresh fish for 
 breakfast but — " 
 
64 
 
 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 He Turned to Wave to Abe as He Rounded the 
 First Turn of the Way 
 
 "Here — you — you — here is my fish. It is 
 for you. I can get more," said the little boy. 
 
 "Ho! Ho! How did you know I was hun- 
 gry? I hope you will never be hungry, my 
 lad, I hope you will always be able to sing 
 such a merry tune and send it ringing through 
 the forest. Boy, I am hungry through and 
 through. This fish is a great feast for me. 
 Thanks and luck to you!" 
 
 The half-starved soldier hung the fish on 
 
THE HUNGRY SOLDIER 65 
 
 the end of his musket, and started again on 
 the lonely trail. He turned to wave to Abe 
 as he rounded the first turn of the way. Abe 
 did not want him to get out of sight. He ran 
 swiftly to the bend which hid the man, and 
 hurried on until he had spied him again, far 
 off down the path. Then he stood very still. 
 The faded uniform drew farther and farther 
 away. Abe kept watch until it was lost in 
 the heavy shadows of the lonesome glen. 
 
Blazing a Trail to Pigeon Greek 
 
 (Learning Hardship) 
 
 "Gitup, Baldy! Over there! Now! Over! 
 Gitu P !" 
 
 Baldy nipped his team-mate's ear, then 
 pulled far off to the other side of the trail. 
 Baldy was not accustomed to working in a 
 team and when she was forced to pull with 
 another horse she grew cross and unruly. 
 Now she was balky. However, Abe's father 
 touched her with the long rawhide whip and 
 brought her to a sense of obedience, for 
 Baldy must share her work on this trip 
 whether she wanted to or not. 
 
 There was hard work for the horses and 
 hard work for all in the party. For, the Lin- 
 colns were moving from Kentucky, going 
 over a long, dangerous wilderness trail, 
 through unbroken forests, over steep hills 
 and swampy, marshy valleys, mud and rocks, 
 to build a new log-cabin home in lonely In- 
 diana. 
 
 66 
 
BLAZING A TRAIL TO PIGEON CREEK 67 
 
 Abe's father had gone to select the spot 
 and then came home to tell his family all 
 about it and about the journey they must 
 make. It had taken Tom Lincoln, Abe's 
 father, many days to make the first journey 
 when he went to see the place. 
 
 What fun Abe and Sarah had had, help- 
 ing to build the big boat that he loaded full 
 of supplies and materials for the journey into 
 the unknown. But that boat did not go very 
 far on the journey, for when Tom Lincoln 
 was crossing the Ohio River it upset. The 
 barrels and boxes were scattered in all di- 
 rections and Tom was lucky to save himself 
 from the deep water. He fished from the 
 stream with a long pole the smaller articles 
 he could carry under his arm, and then set 
 out on foot into Indiana. He found a spot 
 of ground he liked on the bank of a creek 
 and drove his stakes at four corners to show 
 other men that it was his. Then he started 
 back home, back to Kentucky to get his wife 
 and children. 
 
 Now they had finished packing the big, 
 covered wagon. The feather-bed was in 
 
68 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 place, the oven, and the few small pieces of 
 household articles that they owned, were all 
 under the large top and Abe and Sarah on 
 top of the horses' backs. They were off for 
 Indiana, off for Pigeon Greek, off for their 
 new home in the wilderness. 
 
 What a journey it was! Tom Lincoln had 
 to walk ahead cutting brambles and brush 
 with his sharp ax; felling small trees, to build 
 up a road over some sink-hole; rolling larger 
 fallen trees out of the path he was cutting; 
 carving a trail through the forest depths, so 
 that the way would be easier for those who 
 came after his wife and two children, Abe 
 and Sarah. Other pioneers had done the 
 same for those who should follow. 
 
 On they dragged, day after day, week after 
 week, through hot sun and cold nights, think- 
 ing only of the new home at Pigeon Greek. 
 
 When the horses were unhitched at night, 
 or when the day's trip was done, Sarah and 
 Abe gathered the firewood while their father 
 hunted the forest for food, and their mother 
 swung the huge pot over the fire and pre- 
 pared the frugal meal. Abe and Sarah liked 
 
Sarah and Abe Sat High on the Horses 9 Backs 
 69 
 
BLAZING A TRAIL TO PIGEON CREEK 71 
 
 the trip. They liked sleeping out under the 
 big trees, or on rainy nights under the big 
 wagon top, but their mother was anxious. 
 She feared the wild beasts that occasionally 
 crossed their path during the day and howled 
 on all sides at night. To her it seemed as if 
 the trip would never end; but one bright day 
 the horses plunged into Pigeon Creek and 
 Tom Lincoln said: 
 
 "Right over there in that big grove of 
 sycamores on the other side of the creek, we 
 will have our farm. Gitup Baldy! Into the 
 water! Gitup !" 
 
 The horses snorted and plunged into the 
 swollen stream. Sarah and Abe sat high up 
 on the horses' backs and shouted with joy as 
 the water splashed in white foam around 
 Baldy's chest and nose, sometimes dashed 
 over their own faces. Their bare feet were 
 touching the cool water as they dangled over 
 the horses' sides. Once or twice it seemed 
 as though the water would wash them right 
 off the horses' backs into the creek. But soon 
 they were over the deepest parts: the horses 
 
72 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 shook themselves and scrambled up the dry 
 bank, safe and sound. 
 
 "There are my stakes!" said the father, 
 "And soon we will have a good farm." 
 
 But where was the new home? Not a 
 stick or a stone was there that looked like a 
 new cabin. Not even a few cut trees. 
 
 Nothing but forest, as far as the eye could 
 reach, tall trees, dark forest, wilderness. It 
 was getting very cold. Night was settling 
 down. 
 
 "Come, Abe, do not stand there dreaming! 
 Here is our new farm. A log-cabin won't 
 grow like corn. You have to build one. So 
 come along. You and Sarah, gather the dry 
 leaves for your bed and get things ready for 
 the night. In the morning we all will get up 
 before the sun and start chopping trees for 
 a clearing. 
 
 Abe's mother was arranging the three long 
 poles which would hold the pot over the 
 fire, but as Abe passed her as he went for 
 dry leaves, she stroked his face and told him 
 he was getting to be a man. 
 
 In the morning the real work began. Abe 
 
BLAZING A TRAIL TO PIGEON CREEK 73 
 
 and Sarah gathered bark and leaves, while 
 their father cut long poles. The poles were 
 driven deep into the ground in three short 
 rows, then Abe and Sarah spread the bark 
 along the row from top to bottom of the tall 
 poles. When this was done — the poles close 
 together and the bark bound tight with dry 
 grass strings — three sides of their new home 
 was done, the back and two sides. 
 
 "Sarah, where are those long poles for the 
 roof?" Tom Lincoln shouted from the back 
 of the newly finished row. 
 
 "Right here," said Sarah tugging a bundle 
 of sticks as big as herself. 
 
 Her father spread these from side to side 
 across the top of the upright poles, then 
 called for Abe and Sarah to bring more 
 dry leaves, more bark. He spread these 
 evenly over the top of the sticks he had just 
 laid and then called out: 
 
 "Well, that was good work! The cabin 
 is finished!" 
 
 Finished? And it only had three sides, 
 no floor but the cold hard ground, no win- 
 dows, and since one whole side of the house 
 
74 
 
 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 Lincoln's Indiana Home 
 
 was open they did not need a door. This was 
 their new cabin in the wilds, where the snow 
 and ice and sleet blew for many long, long 
 months. Winter was a few weeks away, and 
 sometimes in that first winter while they 
 lived in this rough shelter at Pigeon Greek, 
 the snow blew great drifts in at the open 
 side and with the snow came heavy smoke 
 from the outside fire which must be kept 
 burning steadily day and night lest hungry 
 beasts come into the three-sided shelter and 
 eat them all. The smoke swirled and twisted 
 and like a thick cloud shut out the light and 
 fresh air, choking them, making their eyes 
 sore and adding to their discomfort. 
 
BLAZING A TRAIL TO PIGEON CREEK 
 
 75 
 
 It was a long, long winter for Nancy Lin- 
 coln and her brave boy and little daughter, 
 and they were indeed happy when the bright 
 cardinal bird flashed like a red, darting flame 
 through the dreariness of the forest and told 
 them spring was coming even as swift as his 
 blithesome song. 
 
Making Candles 
 
 (Patience) 
 
 "The wind is from the west. Abe, you and 
 Sarah must make some candles today," called 
 Abe's mother. "I have a large lump of bear 
 and deer tallow on hand. If you work fast 
 you should have some fine candles ready be- 
 fore your father comes back from looking 
 over his traps. This soft wind will dry the 
 tallow quickly. Gome, Sarah." 
 
 Mrs. Lincoln went into a corner of the 
 cabin and brought the string for the candle- 
 wicks, while Sarah skipped off into the woods 
 for two firm sticks, one for herself and one 
 for her little brother. They tied the strings 
 along the full length of the sticks and were 
 ready for work. 
 
 "Let us see who is the best worker," said 
 Mrs. Lincoln. "I shall work inside at my 
 loom, while you work here and for every 
 candle you make I will try to make an inch 
 of linsey-woolsey." 
 
 76 
 
MAKING CANDLES 77 
 
 "Oh," exclaimed Sarah, "but Mother you 
 are a fast worker, and Abe is only a little 
 boy, and we can not work as fast as the 
 loom. ,, 
 
 "Nonsense, Sarah," said her Mother, "you 
 can work faster for you can make six and 
 eight candles at a time, but I can make only 
 a small, single thread at each throw of the 
 shuttle." 
 
 "That is right! Let us begin the race," 
 called Sarah bending over the boiling kettle, 
 gathering the bubbling, sputtering tallow 
 onto the dangling strings. Candle-making 
 had commenced, while indoors the clatter 
 and bang of the flying shuttle and swaying 
 loom told the tale of cloth growing inch by 
 inch. 
 
 Both children were intent on the work. 
 At last Sarah took time to learn where she 
 stood in the race. 
 
 "Urn, Abe, that is nice! There is one 
 almost as big as a mouse's tail already. How 
 many times did you dip it?" All the time 
 Sarah was judging Abe's string she was 
 
78 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 swinging her own back and forth in the air, 
 cooling the tallow on the forming candles. 
 
 "This will be twenty times," Abe 
 answered, "but I am going to make mine as 
 big as squirrels' tails!" 
 
 "Squirrels' tails?" taunted Sarah, "Mine 
 are going to be as big as foxes' tails, maybe 
 bigger." 
 
 But Sarah had taken too big a job, she had 
 put too many strings on her stick and each 
 time she dipped, the candles caught the side 
 of the pot, and the end candles melted down 
 a little. 
 
 "Um, six strings are easy to do," she said, 
 "but I have eight on my stick, that is the 
 reason your candles are thicker than mine!" 
 
 Abe did not stop to measure candles, he 
 was running back and forth, back and forth, 
 the full length of the clearing, waving his 
 stick in the cooling wind, stopping only long 
 enough to feel the soft tallow to find whether 
 it was hard enough for another dipping. 
 
 "Now, Abraham Lincoln, look at mine! 
 Mine are the thickest!" bragged Sarah show- 
 ing her work. 
 
MAKING CANDLES 
 
 79 
 
 So Through the Afternoon the Children Worked Happily 
 
 "Not so very much," Abe defended, while 
 he puffed and blew with all his might, try- 
 ing to make the soft tallow set more quickly. 
 
 So through the afternoon the children 
 worked happily, dipping, blowing, running, 
 shaping, and when twilight came softly down, 
 and it was candle-lighting-time there were 
 many fine candles all nicely shaped for use, 
 ready to shine out into the night and show 
 the tiny home in the depths of the woods. 
 
80 OFT -TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 And oh, how they teased their mother, for 
 although she had been weaving all day, there 
 was not nearly so many inches of cloth as 
 there were candles. So, as a reward for 
 their skill, she promised to let the children 
 help dye the cloth she had finished. Walnut 
 bark dye would turn the long folds into a 
 beautiful brown color, and she promised they 
 would all play "magician" early next day. 
 
Neighbors 
 
 ( COMPANIONABLENESS) 
 
 "Oh! Oh! Tom and Betsy Sparrow! 
 Well ! Good enough ! And Dennis Hanks ! " 
 cried Nancy Lincoln running to meet a cov- 
 ered wagon. The two strong horses puffed 
 and strained through the undergrowth into 
 the Lincoln clearing. 
 
 "True enough! Tom and Betsy and — well, 
 look will you, they brought a cow! When we 
 came from Kentucky our milk all churned 
 to butter in the wagon as we bumped along 
 the way. But I see you kept your milk for 
 drinking not for eating. Good!" Tom Lin- 
 coln was helping the new-comers to unload, 
 for since he had begun to build the new cabin 
 to take the place of the first, crude three- 
 sided shelter, he had been anxious to have 
 some one come and share the clearing with 
 them. 
 
 Dennis Hanks, Abe's cousin, who had been 
 in the wagon handing out the things they had 
 
 81 
 
82 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 brought, now swung down to the ground 
 and began to tell Sarah and Abe all about the 
 wonderful things, the many dangers and the 
 fierce wild beasts, they had met on the 
 journey. 
 
 "You are going to have our old three- 
 sided camp," Sarah confided to Dennis, "for 
 our new one is almost done. It has a loft 
 way, way up, where Abe sleeps. Gome and 
 see it." 
 
 Off they ran, the three cousins, off to the 
 bare cabin which like the old three-sided 
 shelter, had only one room, no doors, no 
 windows or floor, but did have an "upstairs." 
 The "stairs" were little pegs driven into the 
 logs of the side wall. They were straight 
 up and down, straighter than a ladder. How 
 Dennis and Sarah did enjoy going up and 
 down those pegs which were so small that 
 one had to hold very tight or he would fall 
 down to the dirt floor below. They had been 
 up and down almost a dozen times when 
 Nancy Lincoln, Sarah's mother, called for 
 them to come to the "party." 
 
 She had prepared "refreshments" for the 
 
NEIGHBORS 
 
 83 
 
 Tom Lincoln Was Helping the Newcomers to Unload 
 
 visitors who had travelled so far to join them 
 in the little wilderness clearing. Nancy 
 Lincoln wanted the children to enjoy the 
 fine feast with the older folks. Such a feast 
 it was: there were raw potatoes, nicely 
 peeled; there was sweet- water made by put- 
 ting maple sugar into a large pitcher of 
 water; and there was a raw turnip for each 
 guest, and corn-dodgers ; and — most wonder- 
 ful, unusual treat! — an extra-special dish of 
 dried berries and honey. 
 
84 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 When the "party" was over, Tom Lincoln 
 took his folks around to show how much 
 ground he had plowed and planted, and 
 which part of the "claim" he would share 
 with them. He showed them the many, 
 many holes he had made in the ground while 
 trying to find water for a well. The place 
 was like a honey-comb, there were so many. 
 
 "Now," said Tom Sparrow, "I heard of a 
 man that had a magic-wand. It was really 
 nothing but a forked peach-tree sprig, but he 
 made it into a magic-wand. Yes, he held it 
 in his two hands and it turned and pointed 
 right to the place where you should sink 
 your shovel to dig. And if you gave him a 
 dollar, they say, he pointed straight to water 
 every time." 
 
 "Is that so?" asked Tom Lincoln, "I sup- 
 pose he was some real magician." 
 
 "Yes," declared Tom Sparrow, "I think he 
 said he was that. But magician or not, he did 
 find water, when you gave him the dollar. But 
 I say, if he could bring water that easy, he 
 could probably take it away again, just as 
 quick! Gould take it away whenever he got 
 
NEIGHBORS 
 
 85 
 
 mad and wanted to. You can never tell 
 about those magicians." 
 
 "That is so!" agreed Abe's father. "Once 
 one of those fellows came around here, but 
 I told him it was all stuff and nonsense, and 
 I would not waste any money on such tricks, 
 and I didn't either. This fellow used a wil- 
 low-wand, I think. But I say, the only way 
 to find water in these parts is to use your 
 shovel and dig deep." 
 
 So they went here and there and every- 
 where, telling all the strange and new things 
 they had heard about since their last meet- 
 ing in Kentucky. Then they went into the 
 new cabin to plan a new life and work for 
 the coming winter and future years. 
 
The Bear Hunt 
 
 (Adapted from a Ballad Written by Abraham Lincoln) 
 
 Tiger was restless. He sniffed into every 
 corner of the cabin. He growled at every 
 shadow which the sun threw into the 
 room. He pawed Abe's arm and nosed his 
 neck. In every way that a dog could do, he 
 urged Abe to leave his school-books; to get 
 up from before the fire-place; to hunt the 
 lurking wind which blew the trees. But Abe 
 could not be coaxed from his lessons, he 
 wanted to get right through that book he had, 
 and to learn every problem in it by heart. So 
 old Tige went off and made another round of 
 the cabin. He came back and pawed Abe's 
 arm harder than ever. Now his hair stood up 
 stiff on his back. His ears were high. His 
 tail stuck out straight behind* Desperate 
 he dashed out under the deer-skin door and 
 stood there howling, wailing as if he had gone 
 stark mad. 
 
 Abe was suddenly alert. Down went his 
 book. There came other cries even louder 
 
 86 
 
THE BEAR HUNT 87 
 
 than Tige's terrible yelps. There was an up- 
 roar, a shrieking, a squealing, down at the 
 pig-sty. 
 
 "Bears!" shouted Abe. 
 
 "Stealing the pigs!" cried his mother in 
 great alarm. 
 
 "Out, lad!" commanded Abe's father as 
 he snatched his gun from the wall and was 
 off. Abe grabbed up a heavy club and fol- 
 lowed close. The pigs were squealing louder, 
 louder. The whole clearing was in confu- 
 sion with howls, squeals, shouts. Only the 
 bear was calm. Determinedly he munched 
 his stolen feast, while Tiger flew back and 
 forth biting his heels and haunches, and be- 
 tween nips, barking loudly for help. But 
 when the forest-robber saw Tom Lincoln 
 and Abe coming at full speed he thought it 
 was time to move a little, so he snatched the 
 remaining morsel of pork in his sharp teeth 
 and slipped swiftly into the thick underbrush 
 and off to the wilderness. 
 
 "After him Tige ! After him ! " 
 
 Abe beat down the scrub-growth with his 
 heavy club. Tiger dived under the brambles. 
 
88 OFT -TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 But in spite of all the danger of dog, men and 
 guns the famished bear was still holding on 
 to that fine piece of his supper, dragging it 
 along. So he left a fresh trail for the dog to 
 follow. 
 
 On he went deeper into the thick forest, 
 where tall trees shut out the sunlight, where 
 it was always damp and cold; down narrow 
 deer-trails where treacherous sink-holes and 
 slippery moss-covered rocks made it impos- 
 sible for the men to run very fast. But Abe 
 and his father followed as close as they 
 dared. 
 
 "Whoop, there! Whoop!" 
 
 Voices, horses, clinking hoofs, axes clank- 
 ing against hidden stones, crashing brush, 
 baying dogs, — neighbors coming with a rush. 
 
THE BEAR HUNT 89 
 
 Tom Sparrow, Dennis Hanks, Mose Hill 
 and another neighbor pushed through the 
 heavy shadows. They had heard the com- 
 motion and hurried to the sport, to the con- 
 test — for whoever made the first mark on 
 the bear's hide might claim the skin. Ea^h 
 man was anxious to get that first shot, to 
 brag that he was victor. How delighted they 
 all were to be neighborly and to help in pun- 
 ishing the pig-thief. 
 
 Tom Sparrow pushed Abe aside so he 
 could be nearer the bear, all ready and 
 handy for that first shot in case the bear came 
 out on the open trail. Mose Hill lashed his 
 horse through the crowd and dashed toward 
 the dense undergrowth where Abe's Tiger 
 and Tom Sparrow's dog, Drum, were raising 
 a great rumpus. 
 
 Mose Hill called his own dog, Joe, to come. 
 Joe, a little yellow dog slinked far behind. 
 But when his master called so sternly Joe 
 came, crouching, huddling low, trembling, 
 whining, an object of great terror. Mose 
 told the little cur to go into the brush with 
 the other dogs, but the frightened pup went 
 
90 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 only to the edge of the clump and then at 
 some slight movement of the huge bear, he 
 turned and with tail between his legs dashed 
 off like a flash, only a yelping wail telling the 
 way he had run. 
 
 /The men were laughing at the little coward 
 when suddenly the bear charged forward 
 without warning. 
 
 "Look out! Everybody!" 
 
 "Hey! There he is!" 
 
 "Abe, get out of the way so I get first 
 shot!" 
 
 "Look away!" 
 
 "Let me get my gun in there!" 
 
 "Everybody out of my way!" 
 
 "Ho!" 
 
 "Bing! Bang! Bing!" 
 
 Three rifles barked in unison, like a single 
 shot. But there was no sound from the bear. 
 Safe and sound he held the underbrush fort. 
 
 But the rifles had bothered him and he 
 was ready now to fight. He knew the circle 
 beyond and the dogs close at his heels had 
 him cornered in the thicket. He must escape. 
 With lowered head he battered at the differ- 
 
THE BEAR HUNT 91 
 
 ent openings in the tangled vines. Drum and 
 Tiger were always there to block the way. 
 Tiger harried his heels while Drum stood 
 guard at every passageway and kept the 
 great, black beast from escaping. No matter 
 where he turned it seemed the dogs were 
 always there first, always in his path. The 
 clumsy monster was in a frenzy, dogs snap- 
 ping on all sides and men outside the thicket 
 banging shots at him. Danger menaced 
 wherever he went. He must escape, but 
 how? Ah, a good big hole through the netted 
 vines: perhaps escape and safety lay that 
 way — 
 
 "Bing! Bang!! Bing!!" 
 
 Again three shots at once. 
 
 The bear turned in fury on Drum who 
 blocked his way. He lolled his great tongue 
 and rushed with snarling jaws at the faithful 
 dog, who was doing as his master had taught 
 him. Again Drum pestered the beast. Again 
 the bear lowered his giant head, set wide 
 his fangs, and lunged forward. This time 
 Drum was not quick enough to escape those 
 sharp, knife-like teeth. The bear grabbed 
 
92 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 Drum in the middle of the back; sank his 
 terrible fangs deep and shook Drum like a 
 tiny rat. Then trampled him under his 
 broad feet. 
 
 Now the bear was ready for all sorts of 
 mischief. He had killed one enemy and was 
 ready to do the same with any other man, 
 dog or beast that got in his way. He grunted 
 in wild fury. 
 
 Mose Hill's little yellow dog, Joe, came up 
 to peek at the scene and then seeing it was 
 still a dangerous place, again went yelping 
 off into the forest; no one knew where. 
 
 Mose Hill also was rather safe. He sat 
 high up on his horse's back but when there 
 was a chance for a good safe shot, Mose 
 pushed in ahead of those on foot. He knew 
 Tom Lincoln was a good shot and he did 
 not want Tom to get the skin. Now Tom 
 was getting up near a hole in the vine net- 
 ting, all ready for a good aim at the bear. 
 Mose would not let that happen. He lashed 
 his horse forward. The horse did not want 
 to go. The horse knew the danger as well 
 as the men who were well protected with 
 
The Bear Made a Rush Forward at the Handicapped Horse 
 
 93 
 
THE BEAR HUNT 95 
 
 loaded guns. But Mose Hill urged him 
 harder, harder. He urged the poor horse 
 right into the thicket, right into the bear's 
 lair. 
 
 Long vines broke from the brush as the 
 horse stumbled through and entangled his 
 four feet; he tried to stamp them off. The 
 bear made a rush forward at the handi- 
 capped horse, and bit him. Now the horse 
 was panic-stricken; the vines still twined on 
 two of his feet. He wheeled away from the 
 forest-beast but the bear was close upon him 
 again. The horse tried to turn, tried to 
 run, tried to back out of the thicket. The 
 bear was after him again. The horse rose 
 on his hind feet to escape the claws. The 
 bear followed by rising up on his hind legs, 
 rising high like a great, black, threatening 
 mountain. The bear's eyes gleamed like fire, 
 close to the horse's distended nostrils. His 
 steely claws caught at the flowing mane. 
 
 Mose Hill sat high and safe and lashed 
 and lashed the horse with all his strength. 
 He wanted to escape. He tried to turn the 
 horse around. Just as the horse tried to 
 
96 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 obey, the bear lurched toward him again. 
 Seeing the deadly claws so close and ready 
 for a new attack the horse side-stepped and 
 then buckled to avoid the blow, doubled up 
 with his four feet together and leaped high 
 in the air out of the bear's reach. Mose Hill 
 went right over the horse's head. 
 
 There he was. Mose Hill in the center 
 of the bear's den, flat on his back. He cried 
 for help. The bear saw him, left the horse 
 and made a rush toward the fallen rider. 
 
 Dennis Hanks running to shoot, did not 
 see a fallen log and fell headlong into a pool. 
 Tom Sparrow was so close behind Dennis 
 that he could not stop when Dennis fell and 
 he flopped head over heels on top of Dennis. 
 In the scuffle someone's gun exploded. 
 
 Meanwhile Mose Hill was calling for help. 
 The bear was upon him. His heavy claw 
 held Mose's arm. The fiery breath of the 
 beast scorched Mose's eyes. 
 
 Tiger who had been biting the bear's back 
 legs saw all this. With a flying leap he 
 landed on the bear's head and seized the top 
 of the black snout in his strong jaws. The 
 
THE BEAR HUNT 97 
 
 bear shook his great head furiously and 
 reared high in the air trying to shake the dog 
 off. Tiger held fast. Mose was scrambling 
 to his feet. 
 
 Again two guns rang out, a little second 
 apart. 
 
 But the great black bear rolled over dead. 
 
 Who killed him? 
 
 Who fired the first shot? 
 
 Who would take the skin? 
 
 Those were the questions. 
 
 Tom Sparrow said he had fired the killing 
 shot and the skin was his. 
 
 Mose Hill said he thought his gun went 
 off when he fell from his horse and that he 
 had made the first mark in the hide: there- 
 fore the skin was his. 
 
 Dennis Hanks said his gun went off when 
 he flopped over a log into a puddle and that 
 was the shot that wounded the bear first; 
 therefore the skin was his. So they argued 
 on: 
 
 "It's mine, I say!" 
 
 "No, it's mine!" 
 
98 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 "No sir, my shot made the first mark on 
 the hide!" 
 
 "No sir, mine did!" 
 
 Old Tiger lay panting and exhausted at 
 Abe's feet. He was bleeding from many 
 deep wounds. Abe patted his head and told 
 him they knew the brave fighter. 
 
 Abe's father rested his arms over the end 
 of his gun. He knew who fired that first 
 shot. He knew who should claim the skin. 
 He knew whose shot had saved Mose Hill's 
 life while Tiger was holding the bear's snout 
 so he couldn't chew up Mose's face. But 
 Abe and his father never said a word, they 
 only smiled at each other. 
 
 While the men were arguing, Joe, the yel- 
 low dog sneaked back. Slinking between the 
 legs of his master, Mose Hill, he saw the 
 bear was cold and dead. The danger was 
 past. All was safe. Joe bared his teeth; 
 growled in a terrifying voice; hunched up his 
 thin shoulders full of spunk and courage; 
 then leaped up on the dead bear's back; 
 began to tear at the thick fur; snarling in 
 rage. 
 
THE BEAR HUNT 
 
 99 
 
 He showed that he would finish that bear; 
 so no one need to have any fear. Then he 
 stood with his fore-paws upon the bear's still 
 head, as if was showing how bravely HE had 
 won that skin! 
 
Abe Lincoln's First Letter 
 
 (Reverence and Religion) 
 
 The first summer at Pigeon Creek was like 
 a great, golden cup filled with pleasant 
 things. Household tasks were a delight be- 
 cause kin were at hand to share and enjoy. 
 The hunting days and the farming hours 
 were all happy ones. Abe and Sarah with 
 Dennis Hanks discovered new wonders in 
 the woods and streams, and the days were all 
 too short to hold all they wanted to do. But 
 the golden cup was soon empty for when the 
 corn was yellow and ready for husking, and 
 hickory nuts thumped down from high trees, 
 sometimes hitting Abe and Sarah on the 
 head, and frisky squirrels darted off with 
 cheeks crammed full, then, in that far off, 
 tiny settlement, sickness like a hungry wolf 
 came and carried away Tom Sparrow, his 
 wife Betsy, and then Abe's own dear, gentle 
 mother. 
 
 The cow which the Sparrow family 
 
 100 
 
ABE LINCOLN'S FIRST LETTER 101 
 
 brought with them from Kentucky so that 
 they might have fresh milk to make them 
 strong and healthy, brought instead a ter- 
 rible sickness, for the cow ate some poison 
 weed and those who drank the milk became 
 "milk sick." 
 
 When Nancy Lincoln, Abe's mother, fell 
 ill with this strange sickness, Abe and Sarah 
 nursed her as well as they knew how, while 
 their father went off into the forest hunting 
 for food. But Abe was only nine years 
 old and Sarah eleven. There were no doc- 
 tors near, and no neighbors left to tell them 
 what was best to do. The old medicines, such 
 as herb-tea and root-bitters could not cure 
 this new fever. So, only the strongest were 
 left, the children, Dennis Hanks, and their 
 father. The clearing was a desolate spot 
 without the guiding hand of Nancy Lincoln. 
 
 Tom Lincoln alone dug the graves under 
 the shadow of a sycamore tree, on a grassy 
 knoll-top near the cabin. But there were no 
 preachers at hand to say the service, so the 
 bodies were buried in silence. This was the 
 way of the frontier and the few neighbors 
 
102 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 who had come from far-off settlements did 
 not miss the simple comfort of prayer. But 
 there was a larger, greater, fuller spirit 
 among them, a little boy, whom they did not 
 understand. 
 
 For, Nancy Lincoln had taught this little 
 boy, her Abe, the inspiration and comfort 
 and necessity of prayer in daily life. He had 
 not forgotten the lessons she had instilled as 
 he trudged at her side to church-service in 
 those long ago Kentucky days; the lessons 
 on which he must build his life. 
 
 Now he stood silent, alone, alone though 
 his father and Sarah were also crushed with 
 grief even as he. But he was remembering. 
 He was learning responsibility. He was 
 thinking that his mother must not be buried 
 without a prayer, his mother who had loved 
 the prayers and teachings of the family's 
 friend, Preacher David Elkin. David Elkin 
 had brought the radiance of God's promise, a 
 light, into their rough home, and Nancy Lin- 
 coln had tended that light well. 
 
 Now her boy, Abe, must do his share. All 
 these things were in Abe's thoughts as he 
 
ABE LINCOLN'S FIRST LETTER 103 
 
 stood silent at the grave of his mother. But 
 greatest was the thought that David Elkin 
 must come, must preach a sermon at this 
 sacred spot. 
 
 Now, David Elkin was far off in Kentucky, 
 off in the depths of some lonely wilderness, 
 far, far from Pigeon Creek. Winter was 
 coming fast, snow, blizzards and dangers of 
 starvation to a lone traveller. David Elkin, 
 thought Abe, must not suffer these things, 
 and yet he must come, somehow he must 
 come. 
 
 Day by day the boy planned. At last he 
 decided. He would go to the next settlement 
 and ask the neighbors to let him know of any 
 passing stranger who might be going toward 
 Kentucky, or even in that direction, and who 
 would take a letter as far as they were going 
 and then pass it along to any other traveller 
 who might be going farther on that way. 
 
 But now, he thought, how could he write 
 the letter without paper, without ink, with- 
 out a pen? There was a problem. Then he 
 remembered a blank page at the front of 
 his spelling-book. He would carefully tear 
 
104 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 that out; send the message on that. For ink, 
 there were poke-berries growing in the 
 woods; big juicy berries would make thick 
 ink. A turkey-quill split would be the pen. 
 
 Carefully, carefully, with cramped fingers 
 carving each word, so the letter was written 
 on that precious bit of paper. It must be 
 written perfectly the very first time. 
 
 At last it was on its way. Then followed 
 long days of waiting for the answer. Many 
 times Sarah stopped in her household chores 
 thinking she heard the thundering hoofs that 
 might be bringing David Elkin, the preacher. 
 
 Winter passed slowly, spring crept on. 
 The black woods were awakening; the dark 
 depths of ravine and glen a-glow, gay with 
 fairy-trees a-bloom. Rough, rocky trails 
 were hidden beneath a splendor of purple, 
 pink, yellow, gold — lovely, straying rainbows 
 caught by earth — and above the fragrant 
 flowers flashed myriad songsters' wings, fes- 
 tooning the soft air with darting lights of 
 bright blue, and scarlet hues. 
 
 Out of this mystic beauty David Elkin 
 came to answer the simple letter from nine- 
 
ABE LINCOLN'S FIRST LETTER 105 
 
 year-old Abe Lincoln, came that the lad's 
 mother might be honored as was her due. 
 
 On the sacred knoll-top, the neighbors 
 gathered and in their midst rose the gray- 
 head of the beloved pastor, David Elkin. 
 He told of Nancy Lincoln's courage when 
 the sharp tooth of hunger and cold gnawed 
 her frail body; he told of her gentleness, her 
 bravery on the rough frontier; he told of 
 her ambition for her loved ones, how she 
 had taught her husband and children to read 
 and write, and trained them in the moral 
 way they should go. But more than all these 
 he told of those things she had left behind — 
 the example of a noble spirit, of a simple, 
 quiet life made beautiful by faith and good 
 works. These examples, he said, must never 
 die, but must live on forever in their hearts 
 and lives. They must do even as she had 
 done. 
 
 Abe never stirred. Long after Sarah and 
 his father and all the neighbors had gone, he 
 alone stood under the heavy shade of the 
 sycamore. And there the radiance of the 
 
106 
 
 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 pastor's message, of his mother's guiding 
 spirit flowed into his soul to light his way. 
 
 It was a way of glory and honor, but he 
 never forgot this boyhood mother, for when 
 he stood in the high places of power he said: 
 
 "All that I am, all that I hope to be, I owe 
 to my angel mother." 
 
The Broken Deer Horn 
 
 (Truthfulness) 
 
 Abe was getting tall, so tall he could 
 stretch higher than any boy in school. He 
 was very proud of being tall and liked to 
 show the smaller boys what stunts he could 
 do. So, when the school-boys teased him, 
 saying he could not even touch the big buck's 
 head that was nailed over the school-house 
 door, Abe was determined he would prove 
 that he could more than touch it, so he 
 reached up, grabbed both horns, one in each 
 hand, and swung out, his feet kicking up in 
 the air. 
 
 "Snap!" Off came one of the horns. 
 
 "Ha! Ha! Ha!" laughed the boys who 
 had teased him and urged him on to the feat. 
 
 "Ha! Ha! Now you will get a thrashing 
 from teacher!" 
 
 Abe was too frightened to answer their 
 jeers. He just stared and stared at the 
 broken horn in his hand, wondering what he 
 would do with it. 
 
 107 
 
108 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 Soon a crowd had gathered and most of 
 the newcomers joined with the others in call- 
 ing, taunting, hooting: 
 
 "Come on and see Abe Lincoln! Oh, 
 won't he get a good switching !" 
 
 When the bell rang for the class to come 
 in, Abe lagged behind. He knew the teacher 
 was a big, strong man who would beat him 
 with a heavy hand. Every boy who did 
 wrong must take his whipping like a man. 
 There was no escape. 
 
 "Who broke the horn from the buck's 
 head?" asked the teacher sternly. 
 
 Every eye in the classroom turned to 
 watch Abe to learn what he would do. The 
 room was very quiet. Abe stood for a 
 moment and then walked up to the teacher's 
 desk all ready to take his punishment. 
 
 "I am sorry, sir," he said, "I broke the 
 horn. I did not mean to do it. I hung on it 
 and it snapped. I would not have done it if 
 I had thought it would break." 
 
 The apology was straight-forward and 
 very honest. 
 
 The heavy stick was ready in the teacher's 
 
THE BROKEN DEER HORN 
 
 109 
 
 "Who Broke the Horn from the Buck's Head? 
 Asked the Teacher Sternly 
 
 strong hand. Abe stood quietly waiting for 
 the blow to fall. Instead the teacher told 
 Abe to go to his seat. Then he told the class 
 he was glad to know he had such an honest 
 boy in his school. He said honesty and truth- 
 fulness were better than high grades, and 
 that Abe Lincoln's honesty should be an ex- 
 ample to every boy in that school. 
 
Abe's Education 
 
 (Love of Information) 
 
 Abe did not have to wait until summer- 
 time to have a vacation from school, instead 
 he counted up the days until it was time to 
 have school again, for in Indiana, so long 
 ago, there were more vacation days than 
 days at school. The boys and girls had to 
 wait their turn in having a teacher, for the 
 teacher travelled about from place to place 
 on horse-back and stopped only a few weeks 
 at each settlement. Then he passed along to 
 another place where there were other chil- 
 dren anxious to learn reading, writing and 
 a little arithmetic. 
 
 So Abe went to school only a few months 
 in his whole life; but he made those few 
 months count. He spent all the time he 
 could spare from his work in reading and 
 studying. He had no paper so he used a 
 shovel, a large, wooden shovel, on which 
 to work out his problems. When the whole 
 
 no 
 
He Spent All the Time He Could Spare From His Work 
 in Reading and Studying 
 
 111 
 
ABE'S EDUCATION 113 
 
 shovel was covered over with numbers Abe 
 shaved off the top layer of wood with his 
 pocket-knife and made a fresh place to write 
 more figures with a piece of charcoal he took 
 from the open fire-place. 
 
 Abe was not so fond of "number-work." 
 He liked to read best. There were very, 
 very few books in his father's cabin so Abe 
 borrowed all he could from the neighbors 
 who happened to have a book or two in their 
 houses. 
 
 Once he heard that a neighbor, Mr. Craw- 
 ford, who lived across the woods, had a big 
 book telling all about the life of George 
 Washington, first president of the United 
 States. The more Abe heard about that fine 
 book the more eager he was to read it for 
 himself. So, in his bare feet he went over 
 rocks and stubble, to Mr. Crawford's house. 
 Mr. Crawford was not very anxious to lend 
 the book. He told Abe it was a very ex- 
 pensive book and he would not be able to 
 get another one like it very easily. But after 
 a long talk and after Abe had promised to be 
 very, very careful and to see that nothing 
 
114 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 happened to the book, Mr. Crawford said 
 he might have it just over night. So Abe 
 went off holding his precious book under his 
 arm. He planned to finish it as he sat before 
 the fire-place that night. Then, he said to 
 himself, he would take it back to Mr. Craw- 
 ford the first thing in the morning. 
 
 However something happened and Abe 
 was a very sorry boy when he woke up in 
 the morning. 
 
 But now he was happy with the book 
 under his arm. He read bits of it as he 
 hurried home. He read of the many battles 
 in which Washington fought. He read about 
 the cherry tree that Washington chopped 
 down when he was a very little boy. By 
 that time he had reached home and his 
 father called him to help with the work. 
 Abe could scarcely wait for "candle-lighting- 
 time," but finally it came, and then Abe was 
 back in the Revolutionary days with his 
 hero, Washington. 
 
 The night wore on, the candle sputtered 
 and sputtered in its holder, getting smaller 
 and smaller, still Abe read on. He was at 
 
ABE'S EDUCATION 115 
 
 a thrilling part now; he was reading of 
 Washington crossing the Delaware. The 
 British were everywhere, their sentinels 
 guarding the river-banks. Washington was 
 creeping up, creeping up quietly trying to 
 take them by surprise. As the frail, little 
 boats battled across the river, the winter 
 winds blew great sheets of sleet and snow, 
 which froze the rowers' fingers and nipped 
 the ears of the soldiers. Also, great chunks 
 of ice crashed against the sides of the small 
 boats and the men expected to be upset at 
 any moment. Ice, cold, dangers, enemies 
 on all sides threatened the great General of 
 the American Revolution. Abe wondered 
 if he would ever get over alive — just then the 
 very last tip of the candle burned out — Abe 
 was left in the blackness of the loft, far away 
 from the scarlet coats of the British, far 
 away from the noble Washington, alone in 
 his pile of dry leaves, in the loft of the 
 log-cabin. 
 
 The house was very still. All the folks 
 were asleep, had been asleep for many 
 hours. Abe dared not go downstairs, down 
 
116 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 the steep pegs in the wall, to put the book 
 away in the big box below. He dared not 
 waken the family. 
 
 He felt around in the darkness for a safe 
 place to put the book. The only place he 
 could find was a big chink between the logs 
 in the wall at the side of his bed. Ah, thought 
 Abe, the book will be handy. In the morn- 
 ing I can read before anyone is up. Care- 
 fully he slipped the book in the hole. Just 
 before going off to sleep he ran his fingers 
 gently over the back to make sure that it was 
 safe. Then he drew his deer-skin blanket 
 close around him and fell asleep. He was 
 very tired for he had worked hard all day 
 in the fields, earning money for his father. 
 
 Soon after the lad went off to sleep, it 
 began to rain. All night the rain poured 
 down. In the early morning, Abe was awak- 
 ened, not by the bright morning sunlight, but 
 instead by the steady beat of the rain splash- 
 ing through the chinks of the roof onto the 
 loft-floor. His first thought was the book! 
 Too late! All night long the rain had beat 
 into the hole between the logs where the 
 
Thus Abe Earned the Book He Loved So Well 
 117 
 
ABE'S EDUCATION 119 
 
 book had been hidden. Now the book was a 
 soaking, sodden mess. Mud-plaster streaked 
 the pages. The back and cover were loose, 
 the rain had melted the glue. Every bit of 
 color was washed off the cover. Ruined! 
 Abe sat very still, the ugly mass crumpled 
 in his big strong hands. He could not think 
 what to do. It did not seem possible that 
 the beautiful book that he loved could be 
 ruined so soon. What could he say to Mr. 
 Crawford to whom he had promised such 
 care of his book? Again, and again Abe 
 looked over the book to see if he could not 
 repair the damage, but he could not even 
 think. For every part was dimmed, only 
 the name, "Weems's Life of Washington," 
 stood out clear and unstained. No, the ruin 
 was done. The book could not be mended. 
 Abe thought how furious Mr. Crawford 
 would be. He remembered how careful this 
 neighbor was of his possessions, and he had 
 said the book was very, very valuable. 
 
 It would be a hard task to tell Mr. Craw- 
 ford about his book, but immediately after 
 he had brought in the wood for the break- 
 
120 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 fast fire, Abe went over to explain to his 
 neighbor, and to say that he would mend 
 matters in any way that Mr. Crawford 
 would suggest. 
 
 "Well," said Mr. Crawford, "seeing that 
 you are really so very sorry Abe, and see- 
 ing it is you, I won't be hard on you. Come 
 over and shuck corn for three days and the 
 book is yours." 
 
 Thus Abe earned the book he loved so 
 well. The book which might inspire any 
 boy to dreams of being master of the White 
 House. 
 
"God's Creatures, Great and Small" 
 
 (Defender of the Weak) 
 
 Dennis Hanks was torturing a turtle. He 
 put a live coal on the turtle's back and then 
 called the other boys at school to come and 
 watch the poor creature squirm in pain and 
 suffering. Dennis and the boys thought it 
 great fun to do such tricks, and were laugh- 
 ing in high glee. 
 
 Hearing the laughter as he came across 
 the fields Abe hurried to join in the sport, 
 but when he drew near enough to see the 
 turtle and knew what all the noise was about, 
 he took Dennis by the collar and was ready 
 to fight. The boys were all on his cousin's 
 side. They did not see any harm in hurting 
 the wild creatures of the wood, and they all 
 jumped in together to give Abe a thrashing 
 for taking the burning coal from the turtle's 
 shell. They said he had stopped their fun 
 and now they would watch him squirm as 
 they punished him. 
 
 121 
 
122 OFT -TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 But Abe was equal to such encounters; 
 his muscles were strong and firm from hard 
 work in the fields and forest, and he soon 
 mastered the rough crowd. Then as the 
 group sat down to rest, Abe got up on a 
 stump in front of the school-house, just as he 
 had seen the travelling preachers do when 
 they came to the settlement, and he made a 
 speech about the cruelty of such tricks. He 
 showed the boys that no good results could 
 come from cruel sport. 
 
 At first the boys laughed at him and called 
 him a "goody-goody" preacher. One boy 
 who wanted to show Abe that he didn't care, 
 got another turtle and threw it violently 
 against the stump where Abe was standing. 
 The poor crushed creature tried to crawl 
 away but could not. 
 
 Very quietly Abe got down from his 
 preaching stump, picked up the broken mass 
 of shell and flesh and showed the boys how 
 it was quivering all over, just as one of them 
 might do when he had cut his own flesh, just 
 as one might do when he had crushed his toe 
 with a heavy stone. After Abe had said 
 
"GOD'S CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL" 123 
 
 these things the boys were more solemn and 
 thoughtful. They did not jeer at Abe now 
 and began to wonder if turtles and little mice 
 and dogs and all the animals they had tor- 
 mented were really able to suffer as a hurt 
 toe, or cut finger. 
 
 Once Abe himself had used a gun. It was 
 when he was nine years old. There was no 
 food in the house. His father had gone off 
 on a long trip. Days went swiftly. Gold 
 weather came. Sarah, Abe and Dennis were 
 left alone in the cabin, far from any neigh- 
 bors. There were a few potatoes and 
 turnips and some corn, but as the days 
 grew colder the supply grew smaller, and 
 the appetites larger. Sarah made the corn 
 into corn-dodgers, and baked them on the 
 hot stones around the big out-door fire, but 
 she saw the supply was fast disappearing 
 and urged Abe to go down to the deer-lick, 
 where the deer came for salt each night, and 
 to bring home a deer as his father often had 
 done. 
 
 "For, you know Abe," said the little 
 mother, "you can easily shoot a deer there, 
 
124 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 from the top of the slope. When they come 
 down the ravine to lick up the salt you pick 
 out a big, fat one just as Father always did 
 and then shoot quick! You cannot miss it; 
 Father never missed." 
 
 So, that evening, when the long shadows 
 brought the timid deer from all parts of the 
 deep forest to the shallow pools of salty 
 water in the glen, Sarah and Abe hid in 
 the brush, up on the brink of the ravine, and 
 watched them come. Abe held his gun high, 
 ready for action. He steadied it against a 
 tree and held his breath. 
 
 "There, there!" whispered Sarah, nudg- 
 ing her brother's arm. A big buck with far 
 spreading horns stood apart from the feed- 
 ing herd. He was in a direct line from Abe's 
 aimed gun. But Abe did not shoot. He was 
 watching a mother deer with her fawn. The 
 mother was suspicious: she turned her head 
 to right and to left sniffing the air for danger. 
 Her keen senses told her that the shadows 
 were not empty. Where were those dusky 
 shadows that would bring harm to her baby? 
 Up went her proud head. She called alarm 
 
'GODS CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL" 125 
 
 in a honking snort and was off! Like flash- 
 ing lights in a rushing wind, the whole herd 
 followed her. 
 
 Abe's gun now thundered through the 
 sleeping forest depths, but only a bent twig 
 and swaying grasses told of the shadow- 
 flight. 
 
 "Now, Abe Lincoln, you look here!" 
 scolded Sarah severely, "you did not try to 
 shoot until after they had gone. And we 
 must get something to eat. You will have 
 to set father's traps in the morning, if you 
 are afraid to shoot! If you don't do that, 
 we shall starve!" 
 
 Abe dragged along at Sarah's side but said 
 nothing. He was ready to do his share, and 
 he must not have Sarah think that he was 
 afraid to shoot. So next morning when 
 Sarah called him just as the sun was peep- 
 ing over the pointed pines on the horizon, 
 he jumped up eagerly, ready to prove that 
 he was no coward. Sarah had the gun in 
 her hands all ready loaded. She whispered: 
 a flock of wild turkeys was just outside the 
 cabin door. 
 
126 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 "Don't make a sound," warned Sarah, and 
 pointed to a crack between the logs through 
 which Abe might push the end of the gun. 
 
 Abe stooped low and peeked out at the 
 beautiful bronze birds as they flashed red, 
 purple, and gold in the morning light. 
 
 "Now, Abe, don't you wait too long again," 
 urged Sarah. "Now, shoot now, they are 
 right up at the door! You cannot miss!" 
 
 The big birds never looked up. The flock 
 knew no danger. Hungrily they picked here 
 and there, a grub, a seed, a bit of corn- 
 dodger, and sometimes even a bit of corn. 
 The baby poulets followed their mother and 
 ran quickly at her call when she found some 
 choice morsel. 
 
 "Quick! Abe! You coward! Shoot! 
 Three close together, you can kill two at 
 once!" Sarah was very angry and her 
 voice commanded. 
 
 "Bang! Bang!" A little puff of blue 
 smoke came out from the slit in the cabin- 
 wall. 
 
 The large flock rose like a dark cloud and 
 disappeared into the gloomy forest, scream- 
 
•GOD'S CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL' 
 
 127 
 
 Hungrily They Picked Here and There 
 
 ing out in fear, so that the whole forest-folk 
 took fright and fled before them. 
 
 Sarah ran outside. All but one had flown 
 away. Sarah was proud of her smaller 
 brother. Abe came out and stood beside 
 her. 
 
 The golden-bronze turkey fluttered as the 
 children came near. He fluffed his wings 
 and tried to escape this new danger, he tried 
 to rise. He strained to be off with the rest 
 
128 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 of the flock. He could not. His lovely 
 feathers were ruffled and stained. 
 
 "Abe, that was a fine shot!" Sarah was 
 glad to encourage and praise her brother 
 now that the anxiety of getting food was 
 over. "I will make a good dinner, just as 
 Mother used to make us when she was here. 
 And, Abe, you are going to be a fine hunter, 
 just like Father, when you get a little bigger." 
 
 Abe was not listening. He was still look- 
 ing down at the quivering bird. 
 
 Now the beautiful turkey was very still. 
 Abe knelt down and brushed the stained 
 plumage, stroked it softly, oh, ever so softly. 
 
 Sarah stood near. She said, "You are 
 smart, Abe!" 
 
 Abe did not look up but keeping his head 
 down and his eyes on the dead turkey, 
 answered, "He will never fly again in the 
 lovely forest, out in the beautiful sunlight 
 either, Sarah." 
 
 "Abe Lincoln! What do you mean? 
 Aren't you glad!" 
 
 "No," said Abe in a very low, sad voice, 
 "and I will never kill another." 
 
GOD'S CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL" 
 
 129 
 
 He never did. For, when he was a great 
 man and had many things to do away off in 
 a large city, he remembered this day in the 
 cabin near the forest and told about it, 
 adding that he never shot another thing in 
 his whole life. 
 
Abe at Mischief 
 
 (Love of Fun) 
 
 Although Abe attended school for so short 
 a time, he was usually at the head of his 
 class in spelling. Also he was one of the best 
 writers. He wrote so well that one boy in a 
 higher class asked Abe to write some lines 
 in his book so that he might practice writing 
 and so learn to write like Abe. So Abe 
 wrote these lines for the big boy: 
 
 "Good boys who to their books apply, 
 Will all be great men by and by." 
 
 Whenever there was a spelling-match in 
 school, the boys made Abe the captain of 
 their side. He was a winner. But one day 
 Abe was not at school when they had a 
 spelling-match. He had to stay at home to 
 help his father with the work, but during the 
 day his father sent him on an errand and 
 Abe had to pass the school. While passing 
 he heard the boys' voices: they were spell- 
 ing. He heard a boy spell "defied." The 
 
 130 
 
ABE AT MISCHIEF 
 
 131 
 
 Abe Stood Listening 
 
 boy spelled it wrong. Then Abe neard a 
 little girl's voice trying to spell it. She was 
 saying, "d-e-f-." She stopped. She did not 
 know the next letter. She tried again: 
 "d-e-f-." She waited a while to think. She 
 did not know whether to say, "def Yed" or to 
 say, "def/ed." She stopped and started and 
 stumbled each time. 
 
132 
 
 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 Abe stood listening. He was sorry for the 
 little girl. He jumped up on a rock which 
 was under the side window. The little girl 
 who was spelling saw him. She started again 
 to spell the word, "d-e-f-." Abe pointed to his 
 eye, and dropped out of sight. 
 
 "Def/ed," spelled the little girl and won 
 the match for the girls' side. 
 
Abe's Own Dollar 
 
 (Thrift) 
 
 Abe's father always got the twenty-five 
 cents a day that Abe earned at the Craw- 
 ford farm, hard earned by splitting rails 
 for fences, shucking corn, plowing the fields, 
 grinding meal with a hand-mill, carrying 
 water, and doing all chores which must be 
 done around a farm. 
 
 But now Abe was eighteen years old. He 
 decided to make a boat for himself and to 
 take a long trip down the Mississippi River 
 to New Orleans with a cargo of farm 
 products, which he would sell in the South. 
 
 While Abe was testing his flatboat on the 
 Ohio River two men came down to the land- 
 ing in a carriage and after looking over 
 all the boats tied there asked: 
 
 "Who owns this boat?" 
 
 "I do," said Abe, very pleased to see that 
 the boat which he had made himself was 
 selected from all the boats at the landing. 
 
 133 
 
134 OFT -TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 "Will you take us and our trunks over to 
 the river-steamer?" asked one of the men. 
 
 "Certainly," answered Abe, glad of the 
 chance to try out his new boat with a cargo, 
 and thinking also of the ten-cents he might 
 earn. 
 
 Quickly, he piled the trunks onto his flat- 
 boat. The men sat down on the trunks 
 and were sculled out to the big boat which 
 was waiting for them in the middle of the 
 river. Abe put their trunks on the high 
 deck, and the men scrambled aboard, all 
 ready to go. Then Abe stood at the side 
 of his boat close alongside the steamer, wait- 
 ing for his pay. The men began talking and 
 did not notice him. The captain put on 
 steam and was about to start when Abe 
 called out, "You forgot to pay me!" 
 
 Each of the men threw a silver half- 
 dollar onto the flatboat. The steamer 
 chugged off, leaving a long, wide, white, 
 foamy path behind it, and a very surprised 
 boy. 
 
 "One dollar!" thought Abe. "One dollar! 
 
The Men Were Sculled Out to the Big Boat Which Was 
 Waiting for Them 
 
 135 
 
ABE'S OWN DOLLAR 
 
 137 
 
 Is it possible for a poor boy to earn one dollar 
 for honest work in less than a day?" 
 
 Abe began to see bigger possibilities in the 
 future. 
 
Abe a Salesman 
 
 (Ambition) 
 
 Tom Lincoln, Abe's father, heard great 
 tales of the new settlements in Illinois, and 
 of the fine soil there for farming. He made 
 up his mind he would move there and try 
 his luck in a new place. So there was great 
 excitement in the Lincoln cabin, and bustling 
 preparation for the long journey to the new 
 state. 
 
 What a different journey it was to be from 
 the hard trip Abe and Sarah and their own 
 dear mother had made when they came 
 from Kentucky into Indiana. Now, both 
 Sarah and Abe's mother were dead. Abe 
 had a step-mother, a very good step-mother 
 to be sure, and step-sisters and step-brothers. 
 The step-sisters were married and they were 
 to go with their husbands in the big covered 
 wagon that held the furniture, beds and 
 household fittings. Two yokes of oxen would 
 draw the wagon, and many hands were 
 
 138 
 
ABE A SALESMAN 
 
 139 
 
 A be Had Worked for a While in Gentryville 
 
 there to help should the heavy wheels sink 
 into ruts and gullies. Each one was planning 
 for his own comfort. 
 
 Abe, who had worked for a while in Jones' 
 store in Gentryville, a village near their 
 cabin, decided to be a salesman along the 
 road. He spent all the money he had (about 
 thirty dollars) to buy a stock of needles, 
 pins, thread, buttons, and one set of knives 
 and forks. 
 
HO OFT -TO LP TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 Either Abe was a very good peddler, or 
 the pioneers, scattered in tiny clearings in 
 the forest depths and on wide lonely prairies, 
 were glad to have real buttons instead of bits 
 of stone, and pins instead of sharp thorns. 
 But whatever the real cause, whether Abe's 
 fine salesmanship or the need of the people, 
 Abe did well, for when he reach Decatur, 
 Illinois, their new home, he counted his 
 money and found that he had doubled the 
 amount spent, he now had sixty dollars! 
 
 Although the trip took two weeks, Abe did 
 not find it full of thrills as he and Sarah and 
 his mother had found the journey from 
 Kentucky. Abe remembered how he and 
 Sarah had laughed in great glee when they 
 found a whole pail of milk churned into a 
 pail of butter, churned by the bumping and 
 jostling of the wagon over the rough trails. 
 
 But there was one incident on the trip into 
 Illinois that all remembered. 
 
 Abe had a yellow dog in Indiana. Of 
 course the pet could not be left behind when 
 the family moved to the prairie-land, so 
 Abe's father said that the dog could trot 
 
ABE A SALESMAN 141 
 
 on close behind the wagon, and go with them 
 if he would not be any trouble. Thus, all 
 day the little fellow tagged on, watching 
 Abe and keeping close at Abe's heels when 
 it was Abe's turn to walk alongside the oxen 
 and keep them in the narrow wagon-rut. 
 
 All went well until one day the dog stayed 
 behind to dig into a hole he had discovered 
 at the side of the trail. He wanted to find 
 out what was at the botom of that hole, for 
 the deeper he dug the more interesting it 
 seemed. He sniffed and sniffed and tossed 
 the dirt high in the air as he plunged deeper 
 and deeper down the hole that held a dog's- 
 treasure. He became so engrossed in the 
 hunt that he did not notice the wagon had 
 gone far, far ahead. When he stopped 
 digging for a moment to rest, and to get a 
 new scent, he could hear no sound. He was 
 left behind. With all his might he ran, ran 
 as fast as his legs could go, and soon he came 
 to a rushing river. The river was filled with 
 great chunks of bouncing, crashing ice. 
 
 How could he get over? The ice was 
 tossing so high a little dog never could 
 
142 
 
 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 He Barked Louder, Louder 
 
 jump from floe to floe. He could hear his 
 master's voice far off down the trail on the 
 other side of all this wide icy, rushing river. 
 The dog jumped in and tried to swim, but 
 the sharp edges of the ice cut him and drove 
 him back. He did not know what to do. 
 Was he to be left in the wild woods? Would 
 they desert him? He stood alone on the 
 cold bank, his tail between his legs, his 
 whole body trembling with fear and cold. 
 He dared not try the river again, it was so 
 icy, so very cold, the jagged edges so sharp. 
 
ABE A SALESMAN 143 
 
 He ran up and down the bank in a frenzy, 
 crying, barking, whining, fearing. The 
 voices were getting so far away. Perhaps his 
 master had forgotten all about the little dog. 
 
 He barked louder, louder. He heard a 
 footstep trampling brush, crunching against 
 the frozen ground. Abe's voice calling. 
 At last Abe and his father stood on the oppo- 
 site bank. Abe called for his dog to come 
 over, but the dog was afraid. He only stood 
 and howled. 
 
 "Oh, let the thing stay there, if he had not 
 enough sense to stay with us, let him freeze 
 in the woods," said Abe's step-brother. 
 
 "Yes, that is right!" agreed Abe's father, 
 "let him come over quick or else go off 
 wild in the woods. We have no time to fool 
 with a pup. There are lots of dogs we can 
 get." 
 
 "Yes, yes," urged the step-brother, "let 
 us be off. Leave the beast there, if he won't 
 come." 
 
 But Abe would not go and leave the dog 
 to suffer and die in the forests. He sat down 
 on the hard snow and pulled off his shoes 
 
144 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 and heavy socks. Then he waded into the 
 ice and freezing water. 
 
 He said, "I could not endure the idea of 
 abandoning even a dog." Back across the 
 stream he went, the sharp ice cutting his 
 bare legs, but the shivering dog safe under 
 his arm. When Abe dropped the little fellow 
 on the right side he was overcome with joy 
 and relief. He jumped and barked and 
 licked Abe's bare feet and legs, and tried to 
 say how happy and grateful he was, so Abe 
 felt fully repaid for the cold he himself had 
 endured to save, even a tiny dog. 
 
Abe a Man 
 
 (Independence) 
 
 As soon as the family reached Illinois 
 Abe took up his share of the work. He 
 helped his father and John Hanks, a kins- 
 man, build the new log-house near the Sanga- 
 mon River. He helped split the walnut rails 
 to inclose the fifteen acres of ground they 
 claimed. He helped plow those fifteen acres. 
 When he saw his father nicely settled he 
 told him that now he was a man he must go 
 out to work for himself. 
 
 But first he must have clothes for he was 
 ragged and tattered and looked more like a 
 scare-crow than a young man ready to go 
 out into the world to earn his own way. 
 Abe had heard of a neighbor who had sheep 
 and a fine loom. He asked her to spin and 
 weave a suit for him, so they made a bargain, 
 which was not a very easy one for Abe. Abe 
 was to split four hundred rails for each yard 
 of material the woman made for his trousers. 
 
 145 
 
146 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 The material must be of wool, dyed with 
 walnut bark to a deep brown shade, and the 
 woman must weave enough to fit Abe well. 
 Ah! How many times while Abe was split- 
 ting those logs did he wish that he were a 
 little bit of a short fellow instead of "long- 
 legs ! " But those "long-legs" must be covered 
 and before Abe had got enough yards of 
 "brown jean" to cover them, he had to split 
 one thousand four hundred rails! 
 
 Now the trousers were finished and Abe 
 was ready for a real job. Mr. Offutt, a store- 
 keeper in the village, had heard of Abe's 
 trip down to New Orleans on his flatboat, 
 and he asked Abe to take a load down South 
 for him. First Abe had to make the boat, so 
 he called his cousin, and together they 
 worked on it, and in a few weeks were ready 
 for the long, dangerous trip. Abe's step- 
 brother, John Johnston, John Hanks, and 
 Abe himself set out. 
 
 All went well until they reached a dam at 
 New Salem; here the boat stuck and hung 
 half in the air and half in the water, just 
 above the dam. For a whole day and night 
 
ABE A MAN 147 
 
 the boat toppled this way and that, half in 
 the air, half in the water. 
 
 All the while Abe was studying various 
 plans, at the same time worrying about the 
 barrels of pork, the corn and the hogs which 
 were in his charge. Finally he had puzzled 
 out a scheme he wanted to try, it was an 
 idea all his own, and he did not say much 
 about it until he was ready to try it out. First 
 he moved all his cargo onto another boat, 
 then he got on his own flatboat, bored a hole 
 in the end that stuck out in the air over the 
 dam; tipped up the other end so that the 
 water would all run to the end that was 
 half-over the dam, and as the water gradu- 
 ally balanced the broad boat it slid safely 
 over the dam and was safe. 
 
 A bunch of idlers had been sitting on the 
 shore watching Abe at work. At first they 
 poked fun at his "nonsense" but as the boat 
 began to float, their jeers turned to praise 
 and when at last it floated gracefully over the 
 rapids they gave forth a loud and hearty 
 cheer. They told each other that it took a 
 
148 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 smart boy to think of saving a boat and 
 cargo in that way. 
 
 After reaching New Orleans and selling 
 the cargo as Mr. Offutt had told him to do, 
 Abe suggested to John Hanks and his step- 
 brother, that they take a walk around the 
 place. Abe had always been anxious to see 
 New Orleans since the trip he had made 
 several years before, for at the time he had 
 come with Mr. Gentry's cargo he had to 
 hurry right back home. 
 
 Now Abe had spare time, so the three 
 young men set out on a trip up and down the 
 strange streets of the southern city. At the 
 end of one street they saw a crowd of people 
 moving about and heard a man's harsh voice 
 calling out, "Going for $300!" 
 
 "Going for $300!" 
 
 "Going for $300! Who will bid more?" 
 
 They had come to a slave-market. Mothers 
 and children, grandfathers and old women 
 were all in chains, huddled in groups, 
 crowded together like cattle. They were 
 being sold, as cows and horses were sold up 
 
"D DDD 
 CGD3 D 
 DCDD D 
 
 offi 
 
 iffiillBiiffliiEfi 
 
 They Had Come to a Slave Market 
 149 
 
ABE A MAN 
 
 151 
 
 in Illinois, but they were not treated as 
 kindly as some owners treated their horses. 
 
 Abe stood at one side of the market-place 
 and watched an owner whip a slave; he saw 
 another buyer pinch a woman's flesh to find 
 how firm it was; he saw them make a sick 
 colored girl run up and down, across an 
 open court to test her strength; he saw many 
 other cruel sights that filled him with dis- 
 gust for such auction-places. He felt a deep 
 pity for the whole colored race that had 
 been made to slave for the harsh white-man. 
 
 Turning to his step-brother Abe said, "Let 
 us get away from this. If ever I get a chance 
 to hit that thing (meaning slavery) I will hit 
 it hard!" 
 
 Many years later he did, "hit it hard;" he 
 freed every slave in the country. 
 
Abe Knows Success 
 
 The new Orleans trip was so successful 
 that Mr. Offutt made Abe a clerk in his store, 
 and it was here that Abraham Lincoln 
 earned the name of "Honest Abe." 
 
 One day Abe sold a woman a pound of 
 tea. It was near closing-time and Abe was 
 anxious to get to his room that he might read 
 the books he had borrowed. He did not 
 notice a four-ounce weight on the scales 
 where he had weighed the tea, until the 
 next morning. However, as soon as he did 
 see it he knew he must have given the woman 
 four-ounces short weight. Before opening 
 the store for the day, he went many miles to 
 deliver the tiny package of tea that belonged 
 to the woman. 
 
 At another time he walked three miles 
 with six cents, to correct a mistake in change 
 which he had made that day. 
 
 Of course such honesty made Abe very 
 
 152 
 
■v^ 
 
 J*£L 
 
 iA ^ JL 
 
 -_ — 
 
 //# Went Many Miles to Deliver the Package of Tea 
 
 153 
 
ABE KNOWS SUCCESS 155 
 
 popular with Mr. Offutt's customers, but 
 Abe was now twenty-two years old and 
 began to have higher ambitions than clerk- 
 ing in a little country-store. He liked to 
 make speeches, just as he did about the 
 burned turtle, when he was a lad. Now he 
 thought perhaps some day he might become 
 a lawyer. His friends discouraged that idea 
 and urged him to try politics for a while. 
 Abe was about to follow that advice when 
 the Black Hawk War broke out and he was 
 sent north to serve his country by helping to 
 settle the affair at the border where the Sac 
 and Fox Indians were giving trouble. 
 
 Now "Honest Abe," "the rail-splitter, ,, 
 became "Captain Lincoln" and had charge 
 of a band of soldiers. 
 
 One day while Captain Lincoln was in 
 his tent he heard angry voices and loud, 
 rough shouts nearby. He found an old 
 Indian, feeble and weak from hunger and 
 from a long, hard tramp, being handled 
 cruelly by his soldiers. 
 
 "He's a spy! He's a spy! Hang him. 
 Shoot him." The rough men were shouting 
 
156 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 and pushing the old Indian toward a large 
 tree from which a long rope dangled. 
 
 The Indian was pleading with them, beg- 
 ging for mercy, saying, "No, no, Poor Injun 
 is white man's friend !" 
 
 "No sir!" yelled the blood-thirsty soldiers, 
 "He's a spy! He may even be old Black 
 Hawk himself!" 
 
 "Yes, he may be Black Hawk himself!" 
 shouted the others. 
 
 "Hang him! Shoot him! He killed lots of 
 white men on the border! Come on fellows, 
 let us take his scalp!" 
 
 The frightened captive drew a letter from 
 his belt and begged them to look at it, saying 
 to them: 
 
 "See this paper from big, white chief. Old 
 Injun white man's friend." 
 
 But the soldiers would not look at the 
 paper, they grabbed the poor old man and 
 pulled him roughly toward the tree. 
 
 Just then Lincoln came out of his tent. 
 
 "What is all this noise about?" he asked. 
 "Stand back all of you. Aren't you ashamed 
 of yourselves? All of you piling on one, poor 
 
ABE KNOWS SUCCESS 157 
 
 old redskin ! Would you kill an unprotected 
 old man?" 
 
 The trembling Indian crouched at Lin- 
 coln's feet. 
 
 One bold soldier stepped up to Lincoln 
 and made a move to snatch the Indian away, 
 in spite of the Captain. 
 
 "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid 
 to string him up?" he asked. 
 
 "Yes," said another, "that's right, are you 
 afraid to string him up? Let us have him, 
 we will do it, and do it quick!" 
 
 "Yes," demanded another pointing his 
 rifle at Lincoln's head, "let us have him!" 
 
 Captain Lincoln looked down at the gun 
 that was ready to kill him, and went closer 
 to the burly man who held it. 
 
 "Afraid?" Lincoln asked. "Afraid? I 
 will fight anyone of you, but you won't 
 touch this old Indian! When a man comes 
 to me for help he is going to get it, if I have 
 to lick all Sangamon County!" 
 
 Captain Lincoln faced them all, unafraid. 
 They all knew this young captain was ready 
 to do as he said. Not a soldier moved. 
 
158 
 
 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 Lincoln read tHe paper the Indian offered 
 and found he was truly a friendly Indian who 
 had been sent from another Division of the 
 American Army. 
 
 After this incident Captain Lincoln had 
 the full and hearty respect of his men for 
 they saw that he was willing to risk even his 
 life for the principle he thought right. 
 
Many Trades 
 
 When the Black Hawk War was over, 
 Lincoln bought a store and took a partner, 
 so the store was known as "Lincoln and 
 Berry's store." There were not many cus- 
 tomers and the store was not a success but 
 Lincoln did not waste his time, for while 
 things were going slowly he found time to 
 read and study. He was postmaster and 
 read all the newspapers as he carried them to 
 the farmers. His mail-pouch was his high 
 hat and it was plenty large enough to carry 
 all the letters received in the little village. 
 
 During this time there was one book which 
 Lincoln read and re-read. He got the book 
 by accident in an unusual way. He did not 
 even know he was buying it. It happened 
 this way; one day while trade was dull, a 
 covered wagon drove up, and the driver, who 
 was taking his family out West, to settle in 
 the new country on the other side of the 
 Mississippi River, asked the store-keeper 
 
 159 
 
160 
 
 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 The Lincoln and Berry Store 
 
 if he would buy a barrel that was taking up 
 too much room in the wagon. Lincoln gave 
 the man fifty cents for the barrel but did 
 not have any curiosity as to what was in 
 it, so it was pushed up into a corner and 
 stayed there until one day Lincoln was 
 cleaning up. 
 
 He dumped the barrel upside down and 
 there in the bottom found a law-book. It 
 was to him like finding a golden treasure. 
 He read it so often that he almost knew it 
 
MANY TRADES 
 
 161 
 
 by heart. Then he made up his mind that 
 he wanted to be a lawyer, but he had several 
 other trades before he did finally reach that 
 goal. 
 
 One of the trades he liked best was that 
 of surveyor. He liked to go into the woods 
 to measure property; he liked reckoning and 
 calculating where a stake should be placed. 
 He did this work so well that he was offered 
 better things to do. 
 
 But the folks who knew him best insisted 
 that he help make the laws of the state for 
 them at the State Capital, so after Lincoln 
 had studied law and entered into practice 
 with Major Stuart at Springfield, he did turn 
 to those things in real earnest. 
 
The Springfield Lawyer 
 
 While a lawyer in Springfield, Illinois, 
 Lincoln had several noted cases but the folks 
 there were more impressed by his human 
 qualities. They remembered best his love of 
 fun and his kindness to the weak. 
 
 Lawyer Lincoln was ready always for a 
 joke. One day he insisted before a judge 
 who was a good horse-trader, that he, young 
 Lincoln, could make a better trade than the 
 famous old judge who had traded many, 
 many horses and never got the worst of a 
 bargain. 
 
 They promised to make a trade to prove 
 the point, at nine o'clock next morning. 
 Neither was to see the horses before that 
 time. Each must stick to his bargain and 
 take the "trade" or pay twenty-five dollars. 
 
 Before nine next morning, the judge came 
 dragging a delapidated horse, starved, every 
 rib showing, limpy in all four legs, "blind as 
 a bat" and altogether not worth a cent. Cer- 
 
 162 
 
Springfield in the Days of Lincoln 
 163 
 
THE SPRINGFIELD LAWYER 165 
 
 tainly, thought the crowd which had come to 
 see the fun, certainly Abe Lincoln would get 
 the worst of this bargain for he would not be 
 able to find a more useless horse in the whole 
 country round. 
 
 Just then Lawyer Lincoln came up. He 
 was carrying his horse. He had a wooden 
 saw-horse slung over his broad shoulders. 
 
 Gales of laughter greeted him, and loud 
 applause broke from the crowd. Lincoln 
 turned to the judge's horse, looked him up 
 and down; dropped his own saw-horse in 
 front of the judge and said: 
 
 "Well, Judge, this is the first time I ever 
 got the worst of it in a horse trade." 
 
 There is another tale of Lincoln's days in 
 Springfield, at the time the lawyers went 
 from county to county with the "circuit 
 court," days when mire and deep mud-holes 
 blocked the prairie trails and men rode on 
 horseback from town to town. Abe and 
 "the circuit judge" and other lawyers were 
 riding along one of these roads when they 
 found a pig stuck deep in the middle of the 
 way. The poor animal was squealing and 
 
166 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 struggling, but the more he struggled the 
 deeper he sank in the puddle. Lincoln said 
 they ought to pull the animal out, but the 
 other men only laughed at him and said they 
 could not get their clothes ruined with a fat, 
 old pig. 
 
 They went along on their way, laughing at 
 the unfortunate beast in his mud prison. But 
 Lincoln did not join in the laughter, he grew 
 more quiet as they got farther away from the 
 struggling animal. At last he could go no 
 more, he had to turn and ride back to the 
 pig. He pryed it loose with some fence rails, 
 and put the pig on a dry spot where it was 
 able to take care of itself. Then, and only 
 then, was Lincoln's mind content, and he 
 galloped back to join the legal party. 
 
Congressman Lincoln 
 
 When Abraham Lincoln was thirty-three 
 years old he married Mary Todd. Six years 
 later he was elected to Congress. His experi- 
 ence in the Legislature of Illinois for three 
 terms served him well in Washington, and he 
 was ready to propose bills which would help 
 the country, just as he had helped Illinois 
 while he was serving that State. However 
 one bill which Lincoln proposed was strongly 
 opposed: a bill for the abolition of the slave- 
 trade in the city of Washington. But this 
 first failure to "hit slavery hard" did not 
 discourage Lincoln and he kept up his anti- 
 slavery talks and speeches after he had 
 served his term in Congress and returned to 
 his law-practice in Springfield. 
 
 Some of his most important speeches were 
 made when he debated with Stephen A. 
 Douglas on the slavery question. For Doug- 
 las said that each State should have slaves 
 if it wanted them: Lincoln declared that "all 
 
 167 
 
168 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 Mary Todd Lincoln 
 
 men are created equal" and should have 
 equal liberty. 
 
 The people of Illinois were much pleased 
 with the speeches Abraham Lincoln made 
 and when they went home they said to their 
 neighbors: 
 
 "This Abraham Lincoln is right. Of course 
 there must be no slaves. Lincoln would 
 make a fine president! We need a president 
 who will see that we have no slaves!" 
 
 So in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected 
 President of the United States. 
 
 But Lincoln was a "Republican," and the 
 Republicans did not believe in slavery nor 
 did they believe that any state could do as it 
 pleased. So when Abraham Lincoln was 
 elected and the Southerners thought their 
 slaves were to be taken away from them by 
 
CONGRESSMAN LINCOLN 
 
 169 
 
 Lincoln's Office at Springfield 
 
 a "Black Republican," they held a meeting 
 and declared they would not be part of the 
 United States but would have a nation of 
 their own. 
 
 They called this new nation, "The Con- 
 federate States of America," and chose Jef- 
 ferson Davis as their own president. They 
 demanded all the forts and guns that were 
 in the South and made preparations for war. 
 
 Lincoln told the Southerners that the 
 
170 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 United States would not fight unless the 
 South forced them to do so, but the proud and 
 angry Southerners were ready for action and 
 in April, of 1861, they fired on Fort Sumter 
 in Charleston harbor, and opened the ter- 
 rible Civil War which lasted for four long 
 years. The Northerners fought to save the 
 Union and to free the slaves: the South- 
 erners fought to prove they could have a 
 government of their own if they wanted one, 
 and to have and sell slaves as they wished. 
 
 President Lincoln said: 
 
 *7/ / could save the Union without freeing 
 any slave, I would do it. If I could save it 
 by freeing all the slaves, I would do it. If 
 I could save it by freeing some and leaving 
 others alone, I would also do that." 
 
 But he saw later, that he would have to 
 free the slaves. However, he tried first to 
 pay the South for any slaves which might 
 be freed. But this plan did not meet with 
 favor, and so in January, 1863, he declared 
 that all slaves in all States then in rebel- 
 lion should be free. 
 
The Civil War 
 
 During the long, heart-breaking days of 
 the Civil War many people in the country 
 were without food enough to nourish them. 
 In almost every home, parents, sisters, chil- 
 dren were waiting for the war to end so that 
 their dear ones might come home again. In 
 the South crops were destroyed and homes 
 burned down, and the suffering was even 
 greater than that in the North. 
 
 Parents, children, sisters were anxious for 
 the war to be over, but all during the terrible 
 years Abraham Lincoln was as anxious as 
 the weary, waiting mothers. He did all he 
 could to prevent the war and all that he 
 could to bring it to a close once it had started, 
 but those who should have been his greatest 
 aids failed him. 
 
 He sent generals into the South who did 
 not know what should have been done. Gen- 
 eral McGlellan was sent to march against 
 that great, southern general, Robert E. Lee, 
 
 171 
 
172 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 but instead the northern general waited 
 quietly until Lee's army had passed by to 
 safety, and then he had to follow the 
 Southern Army to Antietam. Finally when 
 the two armies, Northern and Southern, did 
 meet there was a victory for the North, but 
 not until many brave soldiers had been lost 
 on both sides. 
 
 The people of the United States did not 
 blame the generals for such failures. They 
 blamed such things on the President for not 
 putting the generals in the right places. 
 Abraham Lincoln bore all this cruel, unjust 
 criticism without a word. He had done his 
 best. He was doing his best day by day. 
 He continued to go into the camps, to talk 
 to the soldiers and to encourage the 
 leaders. 
 
 With all the heavy, pressing duties he had 
 in the White House, he still found time to do 
 gentle and kindly deeds for others who were 
 in sorrow or trouble. He heard that a 
 mother, Mrs. Bixby, in Boston had lost five 
 sons in the war: he wrote her a beautiful, 
 comforting letter. And many a lad's life was 
 
He Continued to Go Into the Camps to Talk to the Soldiers 
 
 173 
 
174 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 saved because of Lincoln's great heart. He 
 was always merciful, even when others 
 called it "neglect of duty." 
 
 Many times the Secretary of War, a stern 
 man, brought papers for President Lincoln's 
 signature. Some of these told of soldiers 
 failing in duty on the battle-field, others told 
 of young soldiers running away from the 
 death-booming cannon. These soldiers must 
 be punished. The Secretary would demand 
 that these soldiers be shot. But Lincoln 
 usually found a better method of punishment. 
 He did not want his boys to be shot and 
 marked with disgrace. He saved them when- 
 ever he could. 
 
 One day the President heard of a lad who 
 was to be shot for being asleep at his sentinel- 
 post. The boy had been placed where he 
 could watch the enemy and give the alarm 
 if any spy should try to creep through the 
 lines. But he did not watch. He fell asleep 
 at his post of duty; the enemy might have 
 over-run the whole camp, he would not have 
 known. 
 
 The General ordered that the boy be shot. 
 
THE CIVIL WAR 175 
 
 He was placed in the prison-camp to await 
 his terrible punishment. 
 
 When President Lincoln heard of this, he 
 went to the camp to see him. 
 
 "William Scott," the President asked the 
 young prisoner, "why did you do it?" 
 
 The boy told how he had marched with the 
 army all day long, a long, long march, and 
 then when night came, a friend of his who 
 had been assigned to sentry-duty was sick and 
 could not do it. William offered to do his 
 work for him, but he was so worn out and 
 weary that he could not keep awake. 
 
 The President talked to the boy about his 
 Vermont home, about his mother, his school, 
 and the old farm; about many other pleasant, 
 far-away things. William Scott would have 
 been very happy talking about these bright 
 memories of home, if he could have forgotten 
 the present. But his thoughts were leaping 
 ahead to the next day's sunrise when he 
 would be called out to stand up before many 
 guns to be shot; to die. 
 
 As Lincoln was leaving the prison-tent he 
 turned to the boy and said: 
 
176 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 "My lad, you are not going to be shot to- 
 morrow. I believe you when you tell me 
 that you could not keep awake. I am going to 
 trust you and send you back to the regiment. 
 But I have been put to a great deal of trouble 
 on your account. I have had to come here 
 from Washington when I had a great deal to 
 do. Now, what I want to know is: how are 
 you going to pay my bill?" 
 
 The boy looked up at the great President 
 with wide staring eyes. He could scarcely 
 believe the news — his life was to be spared! 
 But, how could anyone get enough money to 
 pay the President of the United States? 
 William Scott did not know how to answer. 
 Finally he blurted out that he guessed maybe 
 the other boys would club together to gather 
 five or six hundred dollars. 
 
 But the great, kind, tender-souled Presi- 
 dent shook his head. He put his large, gentle 
 hands on the lad's shoulders. 
 
 "William," he said, "my bill is a very large 
 one. Your friends cannot pay it, nor your 
 bounty, nor the farm, nor all your comrades. 
 There is only one man in all the world who 
 
THE CIVIL WAR 177 
 
 can pay it, and his name is William Scott! If 
 from this day William Scott does his duty, so 
 that when he comes to die, he can look me in 
 the face, as he does now and say, 'I have 
 kept my promise and I have done my duty 
 as a soldier/ then my debt will be paid. Will 
 you make that promise and keep it?" 
 
 William gave his promise. When he was 
 dying, after being shot months later, in the 
 Battle of the Peninsula, he said: 
 
 "Boys, I have tried to do the right thing! 
 If any of you have the chance, I wish you 
 would tell President Lincoln that I have 
 never forgotten the kinds words he said to 
 me at the Chain Bridge: that I have tried to 
 be a good soldier and true to the flag. Thank 
 him because he gave me the chance to fall 
 like a soldier in battle and not like a coward 
 at the hands of my comrades." 
 
"With Malice Toward None" 
 
 When the Northerners were shouting, 
 "Free the slaves! Free the slaves!" and 
 demanding that President Lincoln abolish 
 slavery at once, he tried to explain that it 
 was not yet time for such a measure. He 
 told the people that slaves could not then 
 be freed as slavery was still lawful in the 
 South. But they still clamored for action, 
 urging him to issue an "Emancipation 
 Proclamation." Then he showed them how 
 foolish this would be at a time when southern 
 generals were winning all the battles. Lin- 
 coln could always see both sides of a ques- 
 tion, and so he could appreciate the southern 
 viewpoint. 
 
 But although his thoughts for the South 
 were kind, the South and Confederates hated 
 this great war-weary man. They thought of 
 Lincoln as an ugly giant who wanted to take 
 their homes, their slaves away, and they 
 considered slaves as we think of horses and 
 
 178 
 
WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE' 
 
 179 
 
 Lincoln Told the Dying Boy He Was Mistaken 
 About the Yankees 
 
 cows, cats and dogs. It was only after the 
 war was over that the Southerners learned 
 how wrong they had been in judging Lincoln 
 so harshly. But one southern family learned 
 of his kindness during the war. They knew 
 how kind he could be because he was kind to 
 their own southern boy. 
 
 One day the President was going through 
 the camp. He saw this little southern boy 
 
180 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 being carried by on a stretcher. The poor 
 lad was wounded; he was calling for his 
 mother. He was dying. Lincoln's gentle 
 heart was filled with pity and grief. He 
 stooped over the stretcher and asked softly: 
 
 "What can I do for you, my poor child?" 
 
 "Oh, you will do nothing for me," the boy 
 answered, "you are a Yankee. A Yankee 
 will do nothing for me, a southern boy. I 
 can not hope my message to my mother will 
 ever reach her." 
 
 Lincoln told the dying boy that he was 
 mistaken about the Yankees. He stayed 
 and talked soothingly, gently, stroking the 
 boy's hot brow, caressing his hands, trying 
 to comfort. At last the sick boy knew the 
 Great Soul at his side and he told the Presi- 
 dent those last, sad things that he wanted 
 his mother to know — his goodbye message. 
 
 That night, Abraham Lincoln sent a sol- 
 dier carrying a flag of truce over into the 
 enemies lines. The southern boy's mother 
 received her son's last message. 
 
Gettysburg Speech 
 
 In July, 1863, the Northern generals were 
 victorious at the Battle of Gettysburg, and 
 the hope of the Northerners and of Presi- 
 dent Lincoln was revived. But many men 
 fell on that battle-field, so many that the 
 state of Pennsylvania offered a tract of 
 ground as a great cemetery. 
 
 Edward Everett, known throughout the 
 country as a wonderful orator came from 
 Massachusetts to make the main speech. 
 President Lincoln was to make a very 
 short speech of dedication. Edward Ever- 
 ett's address was carefully prepared and per- 
 fectly given. The people listened quietly 
 for two hours to the great orator. Lincoln 
 spoke but a few minutes. The speech of 
 Edward Everett has been forgotten, but the 
 Gettysburg Speech of Abraham Lincoln will 
 live forever. School-boys and girls will 
 memorize it as a perfect piece of English 
 composition, perfect in its simplicity, in its 
 
 181 
 
182 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 pure English diction, perfect in its sincere 
 appeal. Here are Lincoln's words on that 
 memorable day: 
 
 "Four score and seven years ago our 
 fathers brought forth upon this continent a 
 new nation, conceived in liberty and dedi- 
 cated to the proposition that all men are 
 created equal. Now we are engaged in a 
 great civil war, testing whether that nation 
 or any nation so conceived and so dedicated 
 can long endure. We are met on a great 
 battle-field of that war. We are met to 
 dedicate a portion of it as the final resting- 
 place of those who here gave their lives that 
 that nation might live. It is altogether fitting 
 and proper that we should do this. 
 
 "But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, 
 we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this 
 ground. The brave men, living and dead, 
 who struggled here have consecrated it far 
 above our power to add or detract. The 
 world will little note nor long remember 
 what we say here, but it can never forget 
 what they did here. It is for us, the living, 
 
'Four Score and Seven Years Ago Our Father s- 
 
 183 
 
184 OFT -TO LP TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished 
 work that they have thus far so nobly carried 
 on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated 
 to the great task remaining before us, that 
 from these honored dead we take increased 
 devotion to that cause for which they here 
 gave the last full measure of devotion; that 
 we here highly resolve that the dead shall 
 not have died in vain; that this nation shall, 
 under God, have a new birth of freedom; 
 and that government of the people, by the 
 people, and for the people shall not perish 
 from the earth." 
 
A Second Term 
 
 Try as hard as he might to do the right 
 thing, Abraham Lincoln could not please all 
 of the Northerners. But after his first term 
 as President of the United States was fin- 
 ished; after his four long, anxious years were 
 done, they again made him their leader for 
 another four years. Perhaps they took his 
 homely advice and did not want to "change 
 horses in the middle of the stream." But 
 whatever the reason, he began his second 
 term as President in the same kindly, wise 
 way that he had begun his first term. For 
 in his second inaugural address he showed 
 the same wisdom, the same justice, the same 
 great understanding of his country, the same 
 sympathy for the suffering Southerners. We 
 see some of this in his words: 
 
 "With malice toward none; with charity 
 for all; with firmness in the right, as God 
 gives us to see the right, let us strive on to 
 
 185 
 
186 
 
 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 Typical Scene During the Campaign for 
 Lincoln's Re-election 
 
 finish the work we are in; to bind up the 
 nation s wounds; to care for him who shall 
 have borne the battle, and for his widow 
 and his orphan . . . to do all which may 
 achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace 
 among ourselves and with all nations." 
 
 That long awaited peace of which he 
 spoke in this inaugural address came in 
 April, 1865, when the great Confederate 
 
A SECOND TERM 
 
 187 
 
 General, Robert E. Lee, surrendered to the 
 equally fine northern General, U. S. Grant. 
 The Civil War was over. But not the hatred 
 of some Southerners for the noble Presi- 
 dent of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. 
 
The Martyr 
 
 When Abraham Lincoln was coming to 
 Washington from the West, to take charge 
 of the Nation's affairs, the southern hatred 
 was already beginning to take form in ter- 
 rible action, for a plot was discovered in 
 which a band of southern men planned to 
 kill him as he passed through Baltimore. 
 This unreasonable hatred grew more intense 
 as time passed, and when the Confederates 
 lost the war, the hatred smoldered like a 
 treacherous fire-brand, breaking into a blaz- 
 ing torch of evil in the heart of John Wilkes 
 Booth. 
 
 John Wilkes Booth murdered President 
 Abraham Lincoln in Ford's Theatre. 
 
 No one saw the terrible shadow on the 
 wall as John Wilkes Booth, an actor, slipped 
 with his deadly weapon into the theatre-box 
 where the President, Mrs. Lincoln and two 
 guests were sitting. No one heard the 
 stealthy step behind, sneaking forward. All 
 was peace. 
 
 188 
 
THE MARTYR 189 
 
 The shot rang out! 
 
 The murderer leaped from the box to the 
 stage, catching his foot in a flag and falling. 
 But he quickly regained his balance and 
 cried out: 
 
 "Sic semper tyrannis!" ("Thus always 
 with tyrants.") 
 
 The President was fatally wounded, shot 
 in the head. The assassin escaped. 
 
 Kind hands carried the Martyr to a nearby 
 house. He died the next morning. 
 
 The great-hearted Abraham Lincoln's 
 work was over. 
 
 The country was filled with grief. Men, 
 women and children knew him better now. 
 They felt that a personal friend had gone. 
 Now, better than ever before, they under- 
 stood his friendly spirit; they knew now of 
 his courage; of his lonely struggles; of his 
 noble battle in the darkness of war when 
 God was his Chief Confidant; now too they 
 could look back over the years and appre- 
 ciate the early life of poverty, in Indiana 
 and Illinois; his boyish dreams, ideals and 
 aspirations which no one encouraged, no one 
 
190 
 
 OFT-TOLD TALES OF LINCOLN 
 
 L 
 
 The House In Which Lincoln Died 
 
 there understood; his unquenchable ambi- 
 tion for knowledge against crushing circum- 
 stances; now — ah, so late! — they saw the 
 strength of his gentleness, the sublime height 
 of his understanding, the calm, seer-like wis- 
 dom of his leadership. He had given the 
 best of his heart, his head and his hands — 
 for his United States. 
 
 But his work is not done, for as the years 
 go, his fame grows; his "soul goes marching 
 on" into every country of the world; and to 
 the north, the south, the east, the west, the 
 whole world over, the name Abraham 
 Lincoln is honored and beloved. 
 
MM & 
 
 S 
 
 ^\W^^V^A.