The Education of Little Tree Page #7

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Don't move, Little Tree.

Don't turn your head

or even blink your eye.

Thank you, Granpa.

Hell, we showed that son

of a b*tch, didn't we?

Yes, we did.

He'll sheer clear of us from now on, and

tell his relations to sheer clear of us.

Hotter than hell, ain't it?

For this time of year...

- What happened?

- Granpa... rattlesnake...

- Where?

- I led him as far as the shelter.

But he...

Build up the fire, Little Tree.

Make it hot as you can.

Damnation!

That's good.

You keep the fire hot.

We can't move Granpa so we've got to

keep him warm all through the night.

Thank you, Little Tree,

but that won't be necessary.

What'll help is the

heat off our bodies.

He ain't gonna die no more, is he?

After all you've done?

Well, now...

There's all kinds of

dyin', Little Tree.

I've seen people at the settlement

walking around like you or me,

but they're as good as dead,

'cause they spent their

lives in meanness and greed.

The spirit inside of them shrunk down

to no more than the size of a pea.

'Cause the only way to make

your spirit big is to work on it.

You got to use it to understand.

The more you try to

understand, the bigger it gets,

till it gets so big and powerful...

...you come to understand everything,

you remember all your past body lives.

I believe Granpa is gettin'

near such understanding,

though he don't know it.

But...

...if his body dies,

he'll remember us.

That's what I want you to know.

We'll all of us be

together in spirit always.

That's the important thing.

That's the important thing.

My God! A fellow can't

lay his body down nowheres

without you stripping buck

naked and hunchin' at him!

Oh, my God!

Mr. Wales...?

I'm Elizabeth Dubois.

This is Mr. Lane.

We're from the State...

- Politicians.

- Pardon?

Oh, no. We're from the

State Department of Welfare.

Politicians.

Sir, we'd very much like to talk

to you. It's really quite important.

It... has to do with...

I think the boy, Little Tree, is it?

I think he should...

He sits in on everything

there is to sit in on.

A complaint has been filed

by a Mrs. Martha McCullers.

- Damn!

- Aunt Martha?

She alleges that you're not

sending your grandson to school,

in violation of state and

federal codes, and that...

...you have involved him

in illegal activities.

In short, it states that...

Are you sure...?

...that you are unfit guardians

and he should be removed

to a suitable place for his

moral and educational upbringing.

- He's going to her, then?

- Who?

No.

He's on the Cherokee rolls and

therefore is officially an Indian.

I am?

As such, he will be sent

to Notched Gap Indian School

to board there until the age of 18.

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