"Lay it in as tenderly as you can.

If you throw it in, the apple will be bruised--bruised apples are worth very little in the market, and soon decay." "I'll mind them, sir," I said, and eagerly mounting the ladder I began to pick the beautiful little apples that hung about me, Old Brownsmith watching me the while.
"That's right," he said encouragingly.

"When you get your basket nearly full, bring it down and empty it very gently in one of the sieves-- gently, mind." I promised, and he went away, leaving me as busy as could be in the warm sunshine, thoroughly enjoying my task, picking away carefully at the apples, beginning low down, and then getting higher and higher till I felt the ladder bend and the branch give, and I had to hold on tightly by one hand.
I had to go down three times to empty my basket, pouring out the apples very gently so as not to bruise them, and at last I had picked all the pippins I could reach from the ladder.
I got down and proceeded to move it, so as to get to another part of the tree.
It was easy enough, after I had got it free of the twigs, to pull the ladder upright, and this done I looked at the place where I meant to put it next, and getting hold of it tightly, began to lift it by the spokes just as I had seen Ike manage it.
The fact did not occur to me that I was a mere boy and he a muscular man, for I'm afraid I had plenty of conceit, and, drawing in a long breath, I lifted the ladder straight up easily enough, took a couple of steps in the right direction, and then felt to my horror that the strength of my arms was as nothing as soon as the balance ceased to be preserved, for in spite of my efforts the top of the ladder began to go over slowly, then faster and faster, then there was a sharp whishing crash as the bough of a pear-tree was literally cut off and a bump and a sharp crack.
The top of the ladder had struck the ground, breaking several feet right off, and I was clinging to the bottom.
One minute I was happy and in the highest of spirits; now I was plunged into a state of hopeless despair as I wondered what Old Brownsmith would say, and how much it would cost to repair that ladder.
I was so prostrated by my accident that for a minute or so I stood holding on to the broken ladder, ruefully gazing at my work, and once I actually found myself looking towards the wall where the trained plum-trees formed a ladder easy of ascent for Shock, and just as easy for me to get over and run for it--anywhere so as not to have to meet Old Brownsmith after destroying his property.
"Well, you've been and gone and done it now, young 'un, and no mistake," said a gruff voice; and I found that Ike had come softly up behind me.
"I thought it was you tumbling and breaking of yourself again; but the ladder.

Oh my!" "I couldn't help it," I cried piteously; "the top was so heavy, it seemed to pull it over when I tried to move it.

Please how much will a new one cost ?" "Cost!" said Ike grimly, as he stood looking with one eye at the ladder, with the other at me--"hundred--hundred and twenty--say a hundred pound at the very outside." "A hundred pounds!" I cried aghast.
"Well, not more'n that," said Ike.