Ahe pinched one seedling and tugged it upward. Its tip passed the speck of mud. It worked! His eyes brightened. But a small crack opened in the soil, and fine white roots showed through.

He lifted the second plant, then the third. The three stood crookedly. The untouched seedling on the far right looked shorter now. Ahe brushed the dirt from his hands and admired his work.

I've been a big help today, he thought. He straightened his red-banded hat and went inside. The evening breeze slipped through the fence, stirring the leaves and the roots that should have been sheltered underground.