Smile nicely, and I'll tell you something." Urged by necessity, the badgered one attempted to look pleasant.
"That's better! Now, my cheerful child, what I really want to know is 'how many miles to Babylon ?'" A reluctant grin showed that the small boy's early education had not been utterly neglected.

"Aw, what yeh givin' us ?" he protested sheepishly, "if it's Coombe you're lookin' for, it's 'bout a mile and a half down the next holler." "Holler ?" the stranger's tone was faintly questioning.

"Oh, I see.

You mean 'hollow,' which being interpreted means 'valley,' which means, I fear, another hill.

Little boy, do you want to carry a knapsack ?" "Nope." "No?
Strange that nobody seems to want to carry a knapsack.