RJ # 10 11-7-11

      Dear Madison,

      I have finished reading the short story, Split Cherry Tree. It is about a boy named Dave. He is a high school student and is the first one in his family to reach high school. The story doesn't say, but I think it is in the south because of the accent used.
     He has to go to get a lizard for a project, but five other kids see it one all of them including Dave and go up a Cherry tree and it brakes. The farmer makes them pay a dollar each, but Dave doesn't have a dollar. His teacher, Professor Herbert, makes him work in school like sweeping the floors and cleaning the windows to make him pay for the money owed. An hour a quarter for two days. Dave says no. He says that he has to help his father at the farm. He asks if there is a quicker punishment. Professor Herbert says no.
      After two hours of cleaning, Dave rushes home to help his dad. Dave's dad is a farmer with a southern accent and wears wore out clothes. He is tall and has a really dark tan from working in the sun. When Dave gets home he sees his dad doing his work. He quickly tells his dad to let him do it. His dad asks him where he has been and Dave tells the whole story. His dad decides to go to school with him tomorrow and give the teacher a piece of his mind. He thinks just because the other kids had the money but Dave didn't, he has to work is not fair. Dave's dad did not have to learn about bugs or animals in the time when he went to school. He thinks that it is weird.
      When Dave and his dad arrive at school, they go to Professor Herbert's office. Then Dave's dad pulls out a gun and points it at the professor while on the table. The professor gets nervous and he starts to explain why Dave stayed late. They continued chatting until class has to start. Dave's dad puts away the gun and they start to become friendly with each other. When the professor talked about germs, Dave;s dad didn't believe him because he never saw one. Professor Herbert told him that he will show him some. They are even in the scum in his teeth. Dave's dad follows him to all his classes and when they were in biology class or Professor Herbert's subject he shows Dave's dad germs in the microscope from a sample of dirt from his teeth. Dave's dad is amazed.
      When school is over Dave starts to clean but the professor says he closed the dept. He goes to his dad and he asks why isn't he doing the work. Dave tells him and the go see Professor Herbert. Dave's dad insists because he believes in earning things. They work an hour each totaling in two hours and go home.
       At home, Dave's dad tells his wife about everything he has learned today. He says that things have changed so much from the time he was in school to now.
        I think the moral of this story is that things don't stay the same all the time. I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars but it says "I says" a lot which isn't correct grammar. With that said, I would rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

                                                                                Your friend,
                                                                                Alexander Yan