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already at work. Encyclopedia and Mr. Brown grabbed their hammers and walked up to the chief carpenter to get their tasks.
    Patrick Freeman wore a carpenter’s apron that had a small picture of a house in the center. The apron held all kinds of tools, including nails and a tape measure in the two front pockets. A hammer hung from the loop on the apron’s right side.
    Mr. Freeman thanked the Browns for coming and pointed to two other carpenters. Both wore carpenter’s aprons with the same picture. “That’s Fred,” he said. Fred was framing the walls on house number two.
    â€œAnd there’s Dan.”
    Dan was showing a group of volunteers how to put up wallboard.
    â€œIf you get into any trouble, be sure to ask one of us to lend a hand,” Mr. Freeman said.
    Encyclopedia and his father spent the first half of the morning helping to frame a house. The volunteers were amazed at how quickly a house could be built when so many people worked together.
    It was hot, thirsty work. Encyclopedia took a break and ran into Mr. Freeman by the water table. A car was just driving away, and Encyclopedia noticed Mr. Freeman slip a twenty dollar bill into an inside pocket on his apron.
    â€œThe folks in Idaville sure are generous,” he said. “People keep stopping by to give me donations. At this rate, we’ll be able to build three more houses next weekend.”
    A few minutes later, their house was framed and Mr. Freeman showed Encyclopedia’s team how to hammer down the floorboards. He grabbed a nail from his front left pocket and reached for his hammer.
    â€œYou want to use a firm grip,” he said, demonstrating. “And hit the nail right in the center.”
    Encyclopedia watched him drive the nail in, then reach for another nail, then another.
    All three houses were well on their way to being finished by lunchtime. The front porch was already in place on house number one.
    Encyclopedia and his father sat at a portable picnic table with the rest of the volunteers while Mr. Freeman and his carpenters inspected the morning’s work. Encyclopedia kept his eyes on them while he unpacked the ham and cheese sandwiches, apples, and cookies that Mrs. Brown had made for him and his father. He watched Dan remove a crooked nail and hammer a new one in its place with the same easy rhythm as Mr. Freeman.
    The carpenters seemed satisfied. They hung their aprons over the porch railing of house number one and joined the volunteers for lunch. Mr. Freeman entertained the crowd with stories of building houses all over the country.
    â€œOnce, in Idaho, we discovered that we were erecting a house in a field full of snakes,” he said with a laugh. “Boy, did we change our location—and fast.”
    â€œHave you ever been as far away as Alaska?” Encyclopedia asked.
    â€œSure have,” Dan said. “I’ve built houses in every one of the fifty states.”
    Fred was brand new to the carpentry field. “I’ve only been in a couple of states so far,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of the country.”
    While they were eating, three more people stopped by with donations. It seemed like anyone from Idaville who wasn’t on the building site with a hammer in his or her hand stopped by with money to help build more houses.
    After lunch, everyone cleaned up their garbage and grabbed their hammers. Dan and Fred put their carpenters’ aprons back on and showed the volunteers how to raise the walls on house number two. Mr. Freeman stepped into his trailer to take care of some paperwork.
    Chief Brown and Encyclopedia held a wall in place. Dan fumbled reaching for his nails and almost hammered a hole in the middle of his tape measure with his left hand.
    A few minutes later, they heard a cry. Mr. Freeman stood in front of house number one with his carpenter’s apron.
    Chief Brown rushed over, followed by