[Arry]

Woody tries to get up a game of marbles after lunch

‘Hurry up and finish your soup!’ Woody nudged Hanson, causing him to slop a little of the mushroom barley broth on his tunic.

‘Hey! Watch out!’ Hanson rasped back. ‘I’m hungry. And besides, why are you wanting to get back to the schoolroom?’

‘Not the schoolroom! Let’s get our marbles out and play over there in the dirt.’ Woody scooted over to where Neviel was sitting. ‘Hey, want to learn to shoot marbles in the dirt?’ he asked. ‘Get Reggie and Willy. Me and Hanson will meet you over by the tall tree,’ he said, pointing.

Hanson came up a grin on his face, and eager to be off. Above his upper lip was a mustache of soup. He had abandoned his spoon altogether and slurped the remainder of the soup directly from his bowl.