An "out-of-character" moment for Lincoln?

[Mike B.]

I remember it from somewhere. Anyone know about it?

That story is from Dennis Hanks who is notoriously unreliable. Herndon called the man a "terrific liar." It may have been Johnston, Lincoln's step-brother if true, though it seems like an old frontier tall tale.

Lincoln did actually write a story as a young boy arguing against "cruelty to animals." He later said as a 7 0r 8 year old boy, he shot a bird for food that landed near his half-face camp in IN and then never shot another living thing again.