Ox-Cart Man Quotes

“In October he backed his ox into his cart and he and his family filled it up with everything they made or grew all year long that was left over.”

“He packed a shawl his wife wove on a loom from yarn spun at the spinning wheel from sheep sheared in April.”

“He packed potatoes they dug from their garden – but first he counted out potatoes enough to eat all winter and potatoes for seed next spring.”

“When his cart was full, he waved good-bye to his wife, his daughter, and his son and he walked at his ox’s head for ten days over hills, through valleys, by streams past farms and villages until he came to Portsmouth and Portsmouth Market.”

“Then he sold the wooden box he carried the maple sugar in. Then he sold the barrel he carried the apples in. Then he sold the bag he carried the potatoes in. Then he sold his ox cart.”

“Then he sold his ox, and kissed him good-bye on his nose. Then he sold his ox’s yoke and harness.”

“With his pockets full of coins he walked through Portsmouth Market. He bought an iron kettle to hang over the fire at home and for his daughter he bought an embroidery needle that came from a boat in the harbor that had sailed all the way from England and for his son he bought a Barlow knife for carving birch brooms with and for the whole family he bought two pounds of wintergreen peppermint candies.”

“his daughter took her needle and began stitching and his son took is Barlow knife and started whittling and they cooked dinner in their new kettle and afterwards everyone ate a winter peppermint candy and that night the ox-cart man sat in front of his fire stitching new harness for the young ox in the barn”

“and in April they sheared the sheep, spun yarn and wove and knitted”

“and he carved a new yoke and sawed planks for a new cart and split shingles all winter While his wife made flax into linen all winter, and his daughter embroidered linen all winter, and his son carved Indian brooms from birch all winter, and everybody made candles.”