Gradually the fire burned out, the family went to bed, and young Abe was
obliged to go up to his room in the attic. He put the book on a ledge on
the wall close to the head of his bed so that nothing might happen to
it. During the night a violent storm arose, and the rain came through a
chink in the log walls. When the boy woke he found that the book was a
mass of wet paper, the type blurred, and the cover beyond repair. He was
heartbroken at the discovery. He could imagine how angry the old Squire
would be when he saw the state of the book. Nevertheless he determined
to go to Gentryville at the earliest opportunity and see what he could
do to make amends.

The next Sunday morning found a small boy standing on the Squire's porch
with the remains of the book in his hand. When the Squire learned what
had happened he spoke his mind freely. He told Abe that he was as
worthless as his father, that he did not know how to take care of
valuable property, and that he would never loan him another book as long
as he lived. The boy faced the music, and when the angry tirade was
over, said that he would like to shuck corn for the Squire, and in that
way pay him the value of the ruined volume. Mr. Crawford accepted the
offer and named a price far greater than any possible value of the book,
and Abe set to work, spending all his spare time in the next two weeks
shucking the corn and working as chore-boy. So he finally succeeded in
paying back the full value of the ruined "Life of Washington."

This was only one of many adventures that befell Abraham Lincoln while
he was trying to get an education. His mother had taught him to read and
write, and ever since he had learned he had longed for books to read.

One day he said to his cousin, Dennis Hanks, "Denny, the things I want
to know are in books. My best friend is the man who will get me one."

Dennis was very fond of his younger cousin, and as soon as he could save
up the money he went to town and bought a copy of "The Arabian Nights."
He gave this to Abe, and the latter at once started to read it aloud by
the wood-fire in the evenings. His mother, his sister Sally, and Dennis
were his audience. His father thought the reading only waste of time and
said, "Abe, your mother can't work with you pesterin' her like that,"
but Mrs. Lincoln said the stories helped her, and so the reading went
on. When he came to the story of how Sindbad the Sailor went too close
to the magic rock and los