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“Grab hold!” you yell at the boy, thrusting your sapling toward him. Eyes wide with fear, he grasps the end of the road so quickly that you almost lose your footing. “Stand still!” you command him. “Hold the road firmly.” You wait what seems like many minutes- but is actually a few seconds- until he has steadied himself. Then very slowly and deliberately, you pull on the rod, hand over hand, at the same time cautiously rolling your log on which the Indian boy is standing. When the two logs bump gently together the two of you stand shoulder to shoulder. “The logs will steady each other side by side,” you say. “And if we move in step, carry this one sapling; we can reach the other side safely.” He nods, and together you pace your steps until you are within a few feet of solid ground. Then you stop. “Take the sapling,” you tell him, “and go beyond the place where the earth supports the log. I will follow when you are safe.” He nods, and you see that his eyes are moist with tears. “Thank you Cousin,” he whispers.

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