Summary

In the first section of “The Children Couldn’t Wait,” a young boy is working in the fields with his father. The boy tells his father that he’s very thirsty and that his throat is dry. His father says the farm owner has pledged to fire anyone who gets a drink when it’s not time for a break. The workers are paid by the hour and the farmer wants to be sure he gets every bit of work he can from the workers. The boy suggests that he go to the nearby water tank and pretend to urinate, using the opportunity to get a drink without angering the farmer. The farmer sees this happen several times and he is planning to wait until he can fire a large number of them at once. Eventually, he decides to scare them...