//------------------------------// // A Full Day's Work // Story: Appledashery Vol. Two // by Just Essay //------------------------------// "Hrnnngh!" Stu swung his rear hooves high and into the trunk of an apple tree. The branches shook. The leaves rustled. And the apples... Th-Th-Thwap! Over a dozen of them fell into the baskets arranged at the base of the trunk. Stu had lopped most of the fruit off the tree in one buck. "Whew-wee!" Applejack sat against the wagon and clapped her forelimbs together. "Way to go, partner!" "Yeah..." Stu Leaves slumped over and swiped the sweat from his brow. "But..." A gulp. "... I didn't get them all down." "To be honest..." Applejack trotted towards him, winking. "Most ponies can't." "But you clean the entire tree of apples with a single kick just about everytime!" "Rightly so." Applejack smirked. "I ain't most ponies." Stu Leaves nodded. "Yeah. I guess not." "Realistically, it takes multiple bucks. But if you practice and practice and get it just right..." Applejack gestured at the treeline behind them that had already been bucked clean. "Then you can get it all done efficient like and never have to second guess yerself." "Why not... y'know..." Stu shrugged. "...train me just to do it like most ponies can manage to do?" "If all you wanna do is settle for average in this life then you're never really learnin' or achievin' or growin' or any of that stuff." Stu nodded. "You make a good point." He smiled at her. "Thanks, AJ. It's good to be taught by a mare like you... somepony who's too good for settle for anything." "... ... ..." "Should I put the apples onto the cart now?" "Huh?" Applejack snapped out of it. "Oh. Dun bother. I'll take care of what's left." "What? Why?" Applejack pointed at the hillside. "Take a gander." Stu Leaves did—and he had to squint. The sun was coasting towards the horizon and it cast a bright orange sheen over the lengths of Sweet Apple Acres. "Wow..." His wingtips fluttered. "We really did spend all day on this part of the farm." He winced. "I'm awfully sorry." "Sorry?" Applejack cocked her head to the side. "What in the hay for?" "Cuz I wanted to help you with the harvest!" Stu Leaves gestured. "And instead, you focused so much on teaching me how to properly apple-buck. In the end... we barely got anything done for you and your family." "Oh shucks..." Applejack waved a hoof. "Do you have any idea how well the farm is doin' now? How many apples I've done bucked in the weeks leading up to this moment?" "Uhhhhhhhhhhh..." "I'm gonna be doin' fine, Stu. Besides... I feel mighty proud of the progress we made. The way I see it: the more ponies who know about handlin' apples proper the better the world off." "I guess..." Stu Leaves swallowed. "Even still... I really feel bad about the unbucked trees." "Please don't." "Tell you what!" He hopped up onto all fours and smiled at her. "I'll come on by tomorrow morning! Bright and early!" He gestured. "I'll kick the rest of the apples free and then you won't have to worry about catching up after how slow I've been!" "It's no big deal, Stu," Applejack said. "Besides... I'm gonna be busy tomorrow." "You will?" "Mmmhmmm." She nodded, moving towards the apple baskets. "We dun enough teachin' and learnin' today. I'm afraid that tomorrow just ain't gonna cut it." "Awwwwwwwww..." "Dun be makin' that face! We'll settle for sometime next week or the week after!" She saluted in his direction. "That's a promise."