noon
He counted it a point of honour to strip each branch off clean at a single blow , be it never so thick ... . And the more he worked the happier he grew . He was trying to win back the years in which he had never held an axe . * * * * * By noon , he stood in the middle of a clearing already . `` Well , how does it feel ? '' asked the trees , as he sat down , with his jacket slung over his shoulders , hastily eating the meal he had brought with him . `` None so bad -- hope for the best , '' he answered .