Page:Boys Life of Booker T. Washington.djvu/68

52 sholy ain't going to clean out the henhouse in the daytime!'"

Do you know what a "chopping bee" is? Well, the students of Tuskegee didn't know until Booker Washington taught them. After they had been in their new quarters for several weeks, Washington walked in one day and said: "To-morrow we are going to have a 'chopping bee.' Now all of you that have an axe bring it to school with you. Those of you who do not have one, let me know, and I'll get one for you. We will dismiss school early and go to the 'bee.'"

Next day everybody had an axe, and all of them were wondering what sort of game a "chopping bee" was. They had never been to one, and they were much excited over it.

Soon after dinner Washington got his axe and threw it on his shoulder and told the boys to come on. They eagerly followed. He led them out to the woods and began cutting down a tree, and told them to do the same thing. They did so. Washington, swinging his axe faster and better than any of them, led the crowd, though all of them were doing their best. And as they just kept on at this, it presently dawned on them that a "chopping bee," after all, was nothing but plain cutting down trees and clearing land. Some of