"Wendell Berry writes with a good husbandman’s care and economy . . . His stories are filled with gentle humor." —The New York Times Book Review

Introduction

Never has Wendell Berry seemingly had so much fun as he does in spinning the tall tales of Ptolemy Proudfoot, “a member of a large clan of large people.” Tol Proudfoot is a farmer, a longtime bachelor at war with his clothes. The challenge of arriving in presentable fashion at the harvest festival in order to court Miss Minnie, Port William’s schoolmarm, is an epic battle. But Miss Minnie is delighted to have "Mr. Proudfoot" bid on her cake at the bake auction for a princely sum, and pleased to have him see her home.

Highlights

Rich in humor and wisdom, each of these stories highlights the comic and poignant ways in which Port William’s denizens cope with the intrusions of the twentieth century into their idyllic, agrarian world.