Daily puzzle

Put Hands back in order

Seven beats from our edition of Hands by Sherwood Anderson, shuffled. Drag them, or use the arrows, until the story runs straight. No account, no streak to lose.

  1. The porch Wing paces his porch at dusk, hoping George Willard will come, while girls on a passing wagon mock his hair.
  2. The only friend The narrator explains that George is the one person in Winesburg with whom Wing loses his timidity and talks freely.
  3. A town curiosity Wing’s restless hands gave him his name, and the town values them only for how many strawberries they can pick.
  4. Hands on the shoulders Urging George to dream, Wing forgets himself, touches the boy’s shoulders, and then flees home in terror.
  5. Adolph Myers Twenty years earlier, Wing was a beloved Pennsylvania teacher who touched his pupils’ shoulders and hair as he taught.
  6. Driven out A disturbed boy’s false story leads to a beating and a mob that nearly hangs him before chasing him into the night.
  7. Crumbs on the floor Alone that evening, Wing picks up bread crumbs with quick fingers, like a priest praying over a rosary.