t all the nails out of the bottom of his boat,
Abe laughed until he cried.

Dennis, however, could not see the humor. "Why, Abe," said he, "that
yarn's just a lie."

"P'raps so," answered the small boy, "but if it is, it's a mighty good
lie."

As a matter of fact Abe had very few books. His earliest possessions
consisted of less than half-a-dozen volumes--a pioneer's library. First
of all was the Bible, a whole library in itself, containing every sort
of literature. Second was "Pilgrim's Progress," with its quaint
characters and vivid scenes told in simple English.

"AEsop's Fables" was a third, and introduced the log-cabin boy to a
wonderful range of characters--the gods of mythology, the different
classes of mankind, and every animal under the sun; and fourth was a
History of the United States, in which there was the charm of truth, and
from which Abe learned valuable lessons of patriotism.

He read these books over and over till he knew them by heart. He would
sit in the twilight and read a dictionary as long as he could see. He
could not afford to waste paper upon original compositions, and so he
would sit by the fire at night and cover the wooden shovel with essays
and arithmetical problems, which he would shave off and then begin
again.

The few books he was able to get made the keen-witted country boy
anxious to find people who could answer his questions for him. In those
days many men, clergymen, judges, and lawyers, rode on circuit, stopping
over night at any farmhouse they might happen upon. When such a man
would ride up to the Lincoln clearing he was usually met by a small boy
who would fire questions at him before he could dismount from his horse.

The visitor would be amused, but Tom Lincoln thought that a poor sort of
hospitality. He would come running out of the house and say, "Stop that,
Abe. What's happened to your manners?" Then he would turn to the
traveler, "You must excuse him. 'Light, stranger, and come in to
supper." Then Abe would go away whistling to show that he did not care.
When he found Dennis he would say, "Pa says it's not polite to ask
questions, but I guess I wasn't meant to be polite. There's such a lot
of things to know, and how am I going to know them if I don't ask
questions?" He simply stored them away until a later time, and when
supper was over he usually found his chance to make use of the visitor.

In that day Indiana was still part of the wilderness. Primeval woods
st