Ruby Holler

Tiller and Sairy are surprised to find that the twins have cut down Tiller’s special maple tree and cut a hole into the barn wall to make a window. Sairy keeps Tiller from losing his temper, explaining the importance of the maple to the twins and suggesting in the future they can cut dead trees instead. She urges Tiller to view the hole in the barn as a “gift,” letting in light that Tiller frequently complained was absent.

Florida asks Tiller to explain what the rocking chair in the corner of the cabin is. Though Tiller tells her she can sit in it anytime, Florida refuses. The next day, however, Tiller hears her secretly rocking in the chair. He wonders what his childhood would have been like had he never been rocked by a loving adult.

Back at Boxton Creek Home, the Trepids enjoy the quiet created by the twins’ absence. Mrs. Trepid especially dreads their return at the end of summer. Mr. Trepid sneaks away to a private shed where he can be alone. He thinks of a boy named Joey who died of a fever in their care a few years ago. Though Mr. Trepid wanted to phone a doctor, Mrs.