Lad: A Yorkshire Story

[Tom is working for Al, the National Park ranger. He doesn't want to be there and thinks it is a waste of time. Al shows him how to saw a length of wood for a new stile he is making]

Al Thorpe: You ever used a saw before, lad?

Tom Proctor: [sullenly] Maybe.

Al Thorpe: Aye. Come over here and I'll show you how.

[Al rests his hand on the wood with his thumb sticking out. He rests the blade of the saw against the tip of his thumb]

Al Thorpe: See how I use me thumb to guide it.

Tom Proctor: [horrified] I could cut me thumb off!

Al Thorpe: No you *won't*! Now listen! All you're doing is establishing the cut. Once you've got a groove, you move your thumb out of the way. And then that's when you start to saw properly.

[sound of Al sawing]

Al Thorpe: Right. You got that?

[Tom looks away, bored]

Al Thorpe: Come on, then. *You* do it.

Tom Proctor: [mutters] Child bloody labour.

Al Thorpe: [sternly] Listen, lad. Ten weeks, me and thee have got together. And I'll not have you standing about idle whilst *I* do all the work. You're here to help. You're *not* here for a holiday. Do you understand that?

[reluctantly, Tom begins to saw]