In the economy of a large family, a 13 year-old brother is just short of legend.
He has knives and multipurpose tools and a host of other blades hanging from his belt and hidden in his pockets.
His legs are so long he can leap across the creek without getting his feet wet.
He can carve spears and string bows.
His arms are so strong he can rescue small children from bee stings and ant bites.
He knows where the snapping turtle hides in the daytime, and exactly how close you can get before he lunges out of sight. He’s heard that there might be something bigger out there– a bobcat, maybe. But he can’t be sure.
He finds the best walking sticks and assigns them to his followers according to rank.
He can smell an adventure a mile away, through the trees, into the wild places just outside of Momma’s sight.
It is enough just to bask in the shadow of this Pied Piper. It’s enough to follow behind, to see where the trail leads. Big brothers, they know everything. Just ask their little brothers.