backward Bring me a file and some food in the morning He gave me a shake and I nodded If you say a word about this he growled I will cut out your heart and liver and roast them for dinner He gave me another shake There’s a young man with me who is good at getting to a boy’s heart and liver A boy may be warm in his bed tucked up and safe but that young man will creep in Don’t fail to bring what I ask Now get you home He set me down and limped away through the gravestones hugging his shivering body Nettles and brambles caught at his clothes like the hands of dead people stretching up from the graves I looked around for the horrible young man When I saw no sign of him I ran home without stopping When I arrived home the blacksmith forge was shut up and Joe was sitting alone in the 6
kitchen I was pleased but nervous to see my sister absent Our neighbors frequently praised my sister for bringing me up by hand She had a hard and heavy hand She was tall and bony and most always wore a coarse apron with the bib front stuck full of pins and needles like armor Joe was as different from his wife as storm is from sunshine A strong man in body but sweet in nature he paid hard for marrying my sister Mrs Joe is looking for you Joe said She’s due back Best hide behind the door I took his advice but when my sister threw open the door she knew what kept it from hitting the wall She hauled me out and threw me at Joe Joe slipped me behind him I’m sure she would have snatched me again if he weren’t such a stout wall Where have you been while I’ve worried and fretted she demanded The graveyard Graveyard she grumbled The two of you 8
will drive me to the graveyard one day What a pair you’d be without me My sister then cut our nightly bread and butter Though I was hungry I knew I must hide my bread for the graveyard man and his terrifying partner Joe looked at me as I sat holding my untouched bread Finally he turned his head and I slipped the bread down the leg of my pants When Joe looked again his eyes widened in alarm Pip you mustn’t gobble your bread like that he said shaking his head It’s a mercy you ain’t gobbled yourself to death Been gobbling his food has he cried my sister She grabbed me by the hair and said the most awful of words You’ll need a dose My sister was fond of a home remedy of tar and water that she believed cured anything On this particular evening my case demanded a pint of it poured down my throat Joe got off with half of a pint 9
