More than a hundred years ago, two boys were fishing in a small river.
They sat in a heavy flat-bottomed boat, each holding a long, crooked
rod in his hands and eagerly waiting for "a bite."
When they wanted to move the boat from one place to another they had
to pole it; that is, they pushed against a long pole, the lower end
of which reached the bottom of the stream.
"This is slow work, Robert," said the older of the boys as they were
poling up the river to a new fishing place. "The old boat creeps over
the water no faster than a snail."
"Yes, Christopher; and it is hard work, too," answered Robert. "I think
there ought to be some better way of moving a boat."
"Yes, there is a better way, and that is by rowing," said Christopher.
"But we have no oars."
"Well, I can make some oars," said Robert; "but I think there ought
to be still another and a better way. I am going to find such a way
if I can." The next day Robert's aunt heard a great pounding and sawing
in her woodshed. The two boys were there, busily working with hammer
and saw. "What are you making, Robert?" she asked.
"Oh, I have a plan for making a boat move without poling it or rowing
it," he answered.