One day, a little boy’s parents tell him that he’s turning 7 years old that day. They live in Little Carr Creek, Kentucky. The boy sets off into the woods, where he explores, trying to avoid the places where his little sister frequents to go off on his own. However, he’s called back when he hears his little brother crying because he found and broke some partridge eggs. Afterward, the boy’s father invites him to ride on their horse for the first time to help a neighbor nurse his mare into labor. They arrive at the neighbor’s house, but the boy gets scared and looks away. The neighbors’ child, Oates, mocks him, leading to the two little boys getting into a fight. When his father is done, the boy and the father leave. They are quiet; the boy is ashamed that he got into a fight and fled from the horse. He feels the weight of his years on his shoulders.