Brenner Martha - Abe Lincolns Hat

Photograph credits: Duff Armstrong: Lincolns New State Historic Site and the Illinois HistoricPreservation Agency. Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Judge Davis: Illinois State HistoricalLibrary, Springfield, Illinois. Text copyright 1994 by Martha BrennerCover art and interior illustrations copyright 1994 by Donald Cook
of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, New York. Step into Reading, Random House, and the Random House colophon are registered trademarks ofRandom House LLC.Visit us on the Web!StepIntoReading.comrandomhousekids.com Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at
RHTeachersLibrarians.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Brenner, Martha. Abe Lincolns hat / by Martha Brenner ; illustrated by Donald Cook.
p. (Step into reading. (Step into reading.

A step 3 book)
SUMMARY : Frontier lawyer Abraham Lincoln cures his absent-mindedness by placing letters, court notes, contracts, and his checkbook in his tall black hat.
ISBN 0-679-84977-7 (trade) ISBN 0-679-94977-1 (lib. bdg.)
1. Lincoln, Abraham, 18091865Juvenile literature. 2. PresidentsUnited StatesBiographyJuvenile literature. 3.

HatsJuvenile literature. [1. Lincoln, Abraham, 18091865. 2. Presidents. Lawyers. 4. 4.

Hats.]
I. Cook, Donald, ill. II. Title. III. Series: Step into reading.

Step 3 book.
E457.905.B74 2003 973.7'092dc21 [B] 2002151579 eBook ISBN: 978-0-385-37284-8
Trade paperback ISBN: 978-0-679-84977-3 STEP INTO READING , RANDOM HOUSE , and the Random House colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. v3.1

For Daniel and David
M.B. Abe Lincoln didnt have much money. But when he became a lawyer, he wanted to look his best. He bought a long black coat and a tall black hat. Every day Abe wore his hat to his new job. He was friendly to everyone. He was friendly to everyone.

When they needed a lawyer, they remembered him. Abe lived in Illinois. His state was mostly wilderness. Then more and more settlers came. They built houses and farms and new towns. They argued over land and animals and money. They argued over land and animals and money.

Lawyers like Abe could help people settle their arguments. They could help people get a fair trial in court. Abe Lincoln was a smart lawyer. People came to him with all kinds of problems. He helped them all. He forgot to answer letters. He forgot to answer letters.

He forgot where he put important papers. A good lawyer cannot forget. Abe wanted to be a good lawyer, but he was not a good paper-keeper. What could he do? Abe had an idea. His tall hat! He could push letters deep inside it. He could stuff notes into the leather band.

When he took off his hat, the papers would remind him what he had to do. The idea worked, most of the time. One day some boys played a trick on Abe. They tied a string across the street. They strung it way up high. Everyone in town could walk under it.

Everyone except Abe. When Abe walked down the street, the string knocked off his hat. Papers flew everywhere! He bent over to pick them up. The boys ran out of hiding. They jumped all over him. Abe laughed.

He was not mad at the boys. He liked a good joke. But the trick did not stop him from carrying papers in his hat! Once a lawyer sent Abe a letter. Abe stuck it in his hat. The next day, Abe bought a new hat. Weeks later the lawyer wrote again: Why didnt you answer my letter? Then Abe remembered.