Well, let's see.

[He separates her hair into three sections, then lets them go and does it again. Just like he quintuple-checks his equations, he has to make very sure they're even.]

Ukelily was the oldest girl, three years older than me. She was real practical, mainly took care of the animals. She had a goose she trained up to be a guard dog. Folks look at a dog and the figure there's a chance it might be friendly; nobody looks at a goose and thinks it's anythin' other than a menace. It was brilliant.

Dulcimary was six years younger and she liked workin' with the plants better. Last I heard she was tryin' to get strawberries in all different colors and wasn't havin' much luck. When I -- when I got married she pushed Ukelily into a fountain tryin' to catch the bouquet. She was always a little headstrong.

And, ah. The littlest was Beans, who was the one I'd give braids.

[He makes a loop at the base of her braid, speaking of, and pulls her hair back through it. There. Natural tie.]

Wasn't easy for her bein' the youngest of eight so I always tried to pay her special attention.