Dunkelberg," from morning to bedtime. I was helping Uncle Peabody to fix
the fence when he said:

"Hand me that stake, Bub. Don't be so much of a gentleman."

I handed the stake to him and then I said:

"Uncle Peabody, I want to be a gentleman."

"A gentleman!" he exclaimed as he looked down at me thoughtfully.

"A grand, noble gentleman with a sword and a gold watch and chain and
diamonds on," I exclaimed.

He leaned against the top rail of the fence and looked down at me and
laughed.

"Whatever put that in yer head?" he asked.

"Oh, I don't know--how do ye be it?" I demanded.

"They's two ways," said he. "One is to begin 'fore you're born and pick
out the right father. T'other is to begin after you're born and pick out
the right son. You can make yerself whatever you want to be. It's all
inside of a boy and it comes out by and by--swords and gold and
diamonds, or rags an' dirt an' shovels an' crowbars."

I wondered what I had inside of me.

"I guess I ain't got any sword in me," I said.

"When you've been eating green apples and I wouldn't wonder," he
answered as he went on with his work.

"Once I thought I heard a watch tickin' in my throat," I said hopefully.

"I don't mean them things is really in ye, but the power to git 'em is
in ye," said Uncle Peabody. "That's what I mean--power. Be a good boy
and study yer lessons and never lie, and the power'll come into ye jest
as sure as you're alive."

I began to watch myself for symptoms of power.

After I ceased to play with the Wills boy Uncle Peabody used to say,
often, it was a pity that I hadn't somebody of my own age for company.
Every day I felt sorry that the Wills boy had turned out so badly, and I
doubt not the cat and the shepherd dog and the chickens and Uncle
Peabody also regretted his failures, especially the dog and Uncle
Peabody, who bore all sorts of indignities for my sake.

In the circumstances I had to give a good deal of time to the proper
education of my uncle. Naturally he preferred to waste his time with
shovels and rakes. But he soon learned how to roll a hoop and play tag
and ball and yard off and how to run like a horse when I sat on his
shoulders. It was rather hard on him, after his work in the fields, but
he felt his responsibility and applied himself with due diligence and
became a very promising child. I also gave strict attention to his
talent for story-telling. It improved rapidly. Being frank in my
criticism he was