Seven beats from our edition of A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett, shuffled. Drag them, or use the arrows, until the story runs straight. No account, no streak to lose.
This one is set for Friday, 18 September 2026, so you are early. Play today's instead.
::Sylvia’s RefugeSylvia, brought from a noisy town to her grandmother’s remote Maine farm, has found joy and belonging among the woods and animals.1
::The StrangerA young ornithologist appears at dusk, asks for lodging, and reveals he hunts and collects birds for his specimen collection.2
::The OfferHe seeks a rare white heron and offers ten dollars to whoever can lead him to its nest, tempting the poor household.3
::Divided HeartSylvia is drawn to the kind young man yet troubled by the birds he kills, torn between affection and her love of nature.4
::The Great PineBefore dawn Sylvia climbs a towering old pine tree, a daring ascent, to spy the heron’s hidden nest across the forest.5
::The VisionFrom the treetop she sees the white heron rise and the whole green world and distant sea, sharing a secret bond with nature.6
::The SilenceBack home, faced with the hunter’s eager question, Sylvia keeps the heron’s secret, choosing the wild bird over the man and his money.7
Solved. That is the shape of the story.
Each beat is labelled with its place in the arc now. The full reading, with themes, symbols and the ending explained, is in the A White Heron edition.