Tom put down his brush. ‘You call this work?’ he said. ‘Painting a fence?’ said Joe. ‘Of course it’s work!’
‘Perhaps it is and perhaps it isn’t. But I like it,’ said Tom. ‘I can go to the river any day. I can’t paint a fence very often.’
Joe watched Tom for about five minutes. Tom painted very slowly and carefully. He often stopped, moved back from the fence and looked at his work with a smile. Joe began to get very interested, and said:
‘Tom, can I paint a little?’
Tom thought for a second. ‘I’m sorry, Joe, You see, my aunt wants me to do it because I’m good at painting. My brother Sid wanted to paint too, but she said no.’
‘Oh, please, Tom, just a little. I’m good at painting too. Hey, do you want some of my apple?’
‘No, Joe, I can’t -‘
‘OK, you can have all my apple!’
