Tom and Bill were brothers, twin brothers. They looked so much alike that no one who did not know them very well could tell the difference. But Tom and Bill could tell the difference. They loved to do all kinds of exciting things like every boy does—they especially liked to hike. As little boys, they had always looked forward to the day when they would be big enough to hike to the top of the mountain that was not far from the village. From the top of that mountain, one could see hundreds of miles in every direction.
And then one day when they were about your age, Tom and Bill decided they were ready to make the trip. They laid their plans carefully, prepared a lunch to carry along, got up early one morning, long before daybreak, and began their hike. When the first rays of sunlight came over the horizon, they had already started their ascent. Up and up they went with enthusiasm. When they passed the timberline, it was still midmorning. They could look off in the distance where they could see villages and towns, rivers and valleys that they had never seen before. But up they went, past the level of the low clouds. They could look down and see the fleecy, white clouds huddled like a flock of sheep below them. The boys would stop and rest every once in a while and talk about the view that they could see.
At last they reached the pinnacle. How amazing it was to look in all directions between the billowing clouds and see mountains, valleys, rivers, villages, towns and cities!
After a little while of gazing at the breath-taking scenery, they started down, but instead of going back the same route by which they had climbed, they took another trail. Soon after they started down from the summit of the mountain, they came to a beautiful little spring, sparkling out of a small cave on the mountainside, sending water down in a little trickling stream.
“This would be a great place to have our lunch,” Tom suggested.
“Okay,” replied Bill, “let’s stop right here.”
So, they stopped in the shade of the rocks beside the spring, opened their lunch, enjoyed the moments of rest, and drank the clear cool water. Then as they started down Bill said to Tom, “I think I’ll cross the stream and go down on the other side because that’s the side we live on, you know.”
“I think I’ll stay on this side,” replied Tom. “I want to find out what it’s like over here.”
Without thinking much more about it, Bill stepped across the bubbling rivulet and started down on the other side of the stream. Tom continued on his side. They walked along with the little stream between them. Other springs fed their waters into the stream, and it grew wider and deeper. It became a brook. As they walked, they had to talk louder to hear each other.
“Hey,” called Bill to Tom, “when are you going to come across?”
“Oh, that’s easy,” called his brother, “look, I could just hop right across on these stones.” “Okay, come on,” replied Bill.
“Aw, no, I think I’ll stay on this side a while longer.”
So, they went on down, and the brook became deeper and wider, as other brooks and streams poured their water into it. The crossing would evidently be more difficult the further they went.
“Say, Tom,” called Bill at the top of his voice sometime later, “how are you going to get across? Remember, we live on this side.”
“Sure, I know, look, it will be easy, I can just climb that big tree that’s hanging right across the brook.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Bill noticed. “Come on then, this is a good chance.”
“Aw, no,” Tom replied, “I’d rather stay on this side and see what it’s like. You go ahead. I’ll go down this side. I can always swim across.” And so, they went on down the mountainside.
The brook became a creek and then a river. The deep current was swift because the water came from high in the mountain. Hardly realizing it, the boys were coming closer and closer to the mouth of the river. They could hear in the distance the rumbling roar of the river’s mighty current. They were shouting back and forth, as loud as they possibly could, using gestures to make their meaning clearer.
How was Tom going to get across? Finally, not having the ambition to go back upstream to where the tree had stretched across, he decided to try to swim across. He dove into the river and tried to swim against the swift current. Even though he was a strong swimmer, his strokes seemed to get him nowhere. Caught in the middle of the stream, he was carried by the current right out into the big river.
Poor Bill, standing helpless on the bank did not know what to do. He saw his brother washed out into the middle of the river, and then he realized with a shock that it would not be long before the more powerful current of the larger river would carry him right to the brink of a great waterfall, where he would be dashed to pieces.
He cried out in alarm, but then realized that no one could possibly hear his voice. The spot was a long way from the nearest road or house, and the din of the rushing water and the thunderous waterfall drowned out his voice completely. Racing along the bank, watching his helpless brother, Bill noticed suddenly that a whirlpool seemed to catch Tom in the current of the large river. It carried him around and brought him for a moment closer to the shore. Leaping onto an outstretched limb of a tree, Bill tossed the end of his shirt to his brother. Tom grabbed it, and Bill was just barely able to haul him to safety. Pulling him out on the shore, Bill found that Tom was utterly exhausted, barely able to stand. He rubbed him dry and massaged his muscles. Tom at last was able to struggle to his feet. With Bill half-carrying Tom, the two boys reached home late that night. Bill had walked the same distance that day, but he had walked all day on the side of the stream that was toward their house—what a difference! Tom had almost lost his life.