Vocabulary
ambles – walks in a leisurely manner
geeing – commanding to a horse or mule
meandering – wandering
tedious – tiresome, boring
- Why does Little Tree plow when Granma is not around?
- Describe a humorous incident in the story, which illustrates the following passage: “…Granpa said it had been a worrisome puzzlement to him for many years whether ol’ Sam was the dumbest mule in the world, or the smartest.”
- Briefly describe Pine Billy. Why do you think he is welcome in Granpa’s home?
- Point out two examples of humor in the stories Pine Billy tells Granpa. What do these situations point out about the characters?
- One of the overall themes in this novel is Granpa’s distrust of politicians and the govern- ment. Knowing this, why do you suppose the mule’s name is “ol’ Sam”? In what sense might Carter be poking fun at or satirizing the government in this chapter?