This calamity was a great affliction to the Horners. Grandma Horner
had a little money saved up in an old broken teapot that she kept in
the cupboard, but that would not last them a great time, and when it
was gone they would have nothing with which to buy food.
"I 'm sure I do n't know what is to become of us," she said to Jack,
"for I am too old to work, and you are too young." She always told her
troubles to Jack now; small though he was, he was the only one she
could talk freely with, since it would only bother the poor crippled
grandfather to tell him how low the money was getting in the teapot.
"It is true," replied Jack, "that you are too old to work, for your
rheumatism will barely allow you to care for the house and cook our
meals; and there is grandpa to be tended. But I am not too young to
work, grandma, and I shall take my little hatchet and go into the
wood. I cannot cut the big trees, but I can the smaller ones, and I am
sure I shall be able to pile up enough wood to secure the money we
need for food."
"You are a good boy, dear," said grandma Horner, patting his head
lovingly, "but you are too young for the task. We must think of some
other way to keep the wolf from the door."
But Jack was not shaken in his resolve, although he saw it was useless
to argue further with his grandmother. So the next morning he rose
very early and took his little axe and went into the wood to begin his
work.
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