Heart of a Lion by Gilbert Morris

Author:Gilbert Morris [Morris, Gilbert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC042030, FIC042000, FIC026000
ISBN: 978-1-4412-6236-3
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2012-08-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

“What in the world is that thing supposed to do?”

Shem had stopped to stare at a strange device that Japheth was working on. Normally Shem had little interest in mechanical things, being of a more artistic nature. But the apparatus Japheth had worked on so diligently for weeks was at last near completion. Shem shook his head in puzzlement. “I never saw anything like it.”

Japheth turned and grinned at Shem. He was a bright-eyed young man with enormous energy, always throwing himself into any activity like a whirlwind. It mattered not whether it was hunting, fishing, dancing, or inventing. He gave his older brother a look of pity and said, “It’s a waterwheel. Can’t you see that?”

The wheel Japheth had made had spokes in the center that circled an axle, and at the outer edge were fastened small buckets made of woven reeds and plastered inside with clay.

“A waterwheel! What in the world is it for?”

“Don’t you ever get tired of carrying water in buckets to water the crops?”

“Of course I do, but it’s got to be done.”

“Well, it’ll be easy with this waterwheel.”

Shem was helpless where mechanical things were concerned. He stared at the device and said, “Show me how it works.”

“All right. Watch this.” At right angles to the wheel, six boards were fastened to form a rough circle. Japheth stepped on one, and the wheel moved slightly. One of the baskets dipped into the water, and as Japheth continued to walk on the treadmill, the water-filled basket was lifted up. Behind it another basket was immersed, and then finally the original basket reached the top. It poured the water out in a stream, and the second followed and then the third. Soon a steady stream of water was flowing into a wooden vat that caught the overflow.

“Well, it works, but what’s it good for?”

“Can’t you see?” Japheth said in disgust. “It picks the water up out of the river, lifts it high, and then we run it in wooden troughs over to the crops. It fills up the ditches we make there. Instead of hauling those buckets until our arms get pulled out of their sockets, we just walk like this.”

Shem’s eyes glowed. “You sure are a smart one, Japheth. Does Father know about this?”

“He didn’t think it would work. He’s like all old people. They don’t trust new things. You just wait. After it’s been in operation for a while, he’ll claim he knew all along that it was what should have been done.”

Shem grew interested and took his turn walking on the treadmill. “Why, it’s easy!” he said.

“That’s because your legs are so much stronger than your arms,” Japheth replied. He lifted his eyes and said, “Look. Here comes Ham.”

Shem stepped off the waterwheel, and the tinkling of the water as it poured out tapered off to a small, muted sound. “He’s going to get it,” Shem murmured. “Mother and Father have been worried sick about him. He shouldn’t go off like that and stay away without letting us know where he is.

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