By the time they were five years old, Buck, Libby, and Arlo were expected to help around the farm. Libby and Buck always did their chores—and they even knew how to have fun while doing them. Libby loved tricking Buck into doing her work for her.

One time, when she didn’t particularly feel like watering the crops, she hid in the high stalks of corn with a mouthful of water. When Buck was within range, she aimed and took her shot…spraying him right in the face! Libby quickly retreated into the fields, laughing hysterically at her shocked brother.

Determined to get revenge, Buck ran to the trough and filled his giant mouth with water. Libby peeked out from behind the corn and stuck her tongue out at him, then darted out of sight again.

In his attempt to hit her, Buck sprayed the entire field. Libby saw that each stalk had been watered, so she raced out. When Buck finally caught up to her, he hardly had any water left. He wound up only spraying her with a light drizzle.

With a big smile on her face, Libby called, “Momma! I finished my watering!” She turned to her brother. “Thanks, Buck,” she teased.

Libby grinned as she watched Buck grudgingly begin his work.

But things were very different for Arlo. He struggled to find his place. Being smaller than his siblings didn’t help matters, but Arlo’s biggest problem was his fear. He was afraid almost all the time and of almost everything. And it held him back, making it difficult for him to accomplish even the simplest of chores.

One morning, Momma helped Arlo get ready to do one of his dreaded daily chores: feeding the cluckers. He hated those birds. They made terrible noises, and he was sure they could pierce right through his foot with their sharp, hooked beaks. The way they looked at him with their cold, black eyes…it was like they were thinking up different ways to peck him to pieces. Just the thought of them sent a ripple of shivers down his spine.

“Can’t I do somethin’ else, Momma?” Arlo pleaded.

Momma smiled as she hung the basket of corn kernels around his neck and gently nudged him with her big tail.

“Get goin’,” she chuckled. Reluctantly, Arlo headed off alone.

He slowed as he approached the fenced-in coop. As much as he hated all the noises those feathered fiends made, what was even eerier was the present silence. Carefully and quietly, he peeked inside, wondering where they were.

A sudden rustling in the grass startled him and he jumped, scattering some feed onto the ground.

“Who is that?” Arlo asked, looking toward the sound. He craned his neck through the grass and saw Eustice, a fuzzy little baby tangled up in some weeds. Relieved, Arlo bent down to help her. He peeled off the weeds, one by one.

As he freed Eustice, a pair of big, old, ugly clawed feet scratched into the ground beside him.

Squawk!

It was Henrietta, Eustice’s scary momma!

Arlo screamed as Henrietta chased him away. She screeched and squawked, horrifying Arlo with each awful noise.

“Aaahhhhhhh!” Arlo screamed as he ran for cover.

In his panic, Arlo ran to the silo—where Poppa, Momma, Libby, and Buck were working. He curled himself up in Poppa’s tail and closed his eyes. It was his favorite hiding spot.

Poppa unwound his tail and looked down at Arlo. “Is there a problem?” he asked calmly.

“Oh, that?” Arlo said, trying his best to hide his fear. “That was nothing—you know Henrietta.”

Poppa chuckled. “You’re okay.”

Arlo watched as Poppa went back to work. He filled the silo with corn and closed up the opening with a boulder. Then he turned and faced the family.

“That should do it. This will keep them rotten critters from stealing our food,” he said proudly.

Momma gazed lovingly at her husband. “Put your mark on there, Henry,” she said. “You earned it.”

The kids cheered. Then they waited eagerly to see what he would do next.

Poppa pushed his foot into a thick puddle of mud, making a footprint, and stamped his foot onto a rock. He lifted the printed rock and slid it into place—at the top of the silo. “There,” he said, smiling. He turned to his wife and said, “You make your mark, Ida.”

“What for?” she asked.

“Oh nothin’, really,” Henry said sarcastically. There was a smile on his face and in his voice as he continued: “You made the cabin, the fence, and three kids.”

Momma smiled. “I am pretty impressive,” she said lightly. Then Momma made a mark, too, on the big boulder next to Poppa’s.

All three kids excitedly charged toward the silo, shouting, “Me too! I’m doin’ it! Mine’s going to be the highest!”

Arlo moved toward the mud puddle first. He wanted to put his print up on the silo right away. Libby and Buck weren’t far behind. All three of them wanted to participate in this special moment. But Poppa stopped them. “Now hold on. It’s not that easy,” Poppa explained. “You gotta earn your mark. By doin’ something big, for something bigger than yourself.”

All three kids gazed lovingly toward Poppa. It was clear they were really listening.

“Someday you’ll all make your mark. And I can’t wait to see it,” Poppa concluded.

Arlo was inspired by Poppa’s words. He looked up at Poppa’s and Momma’s footprints, imagining his up there, right next to theirs. He was determined to make his mark.