The farmer tilled the ground. He turned the soil enough to eradicate weeds and pests. Seeding soon followed. Swept up in his labor, he churned past the plot's boundary into a rocky outcropping. An elm had recently been removed. The tiller struck a skull.

He proclaimed, "Possibly somebody's beloved pet."

The old sodbuster knew better. "Hello, Erma. We meet again. Your disappearance left me this homestead. I inherited the property when you abandoned our family. See where your cheating got you?"

The planted corn flourished. Fertilized and limed, with nutrient-rich compost added, their stalks grew strong in the light soil.