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"Go on," she said. "Quickly."

I walked to the door, hesitated, and then went

outside. I couldn't see Noble anywhere, and that

frightened me for a moment. What if he had already

run into the woods? What if the evil spirits had

already gotten him?

"Noble." I shouted, "Where are you?" I went around the house, looked up at the old

graves, and then walked to the barn. All during the time I was searching for him, he was sitting up in his favorite tree, the old maple off to the right, just watching me grow more and more frantic. When I

finally saw him. I screamed at him.

"Why didn't you answer me! Mommy wants

you to stay close to the house. She won't want you up

there. Come down this minute. Noble!"

"No," he said defiantly. "I'm not coming down

until she lets me play with my trains."

"Noble, come down."

To demonstrate his firmness, he climbed a little

higher and sat on a thinner branch. All I could think

was, an evil spirit would swoop down and push him

off. My heart thumped.

"Please come down," I begged, tears filling my

eyes. play anything else you want to play. I'll obey the

moat. We'll fight dragons, anything?"

"No. I want to play with my trains," he insisted.

"Ill never come down until she lets me."

"Noble! Please."

He turned away from me.

"I'm telling Mommy," I said and ran back to the

house.

Mommy was in the kitchen, cleaning up the

breakfast dishes and pouring out the rest of the oatmeal. I had forgotten my piece of toast. It was burned. She looked at me and threw it into the