Little Abe Lincoln

[RJNorton]

When I think of Matilda I think of this story. Versions vary somewhat from book to book, but here's one of them:

On a day in c.1820 Abraham's stepsister, Matilda Johnston, playfully tried to knee young Abe in the back just as he was swinging an ax to cut down a tree. The joke backfired on Matilda as the ax cut a deep gash in her ankle. Young Abe quickly cut his shirt into strips and tied them tight around Matilda's bleeding ankle. She was scared and crying. Abe did not question or scold her; rather he realized it had been a childish prank. He picked up the young girl and carried her on his shoulder all the way from the woods to the Lincolns' cabin. When they got home Abe "protected" Matilda by telling his stepmother that he had accidentally hit Matilda with the ax, and he never told his stepmother that the whole episode was actually due to Matilda's prank.