27

“So many guests here have tried to figure it out, but couldn’t,” Carrie commented.

“Wait,” said David suddenly.
“Figuring.”  “FIG-URING.
Notice in the poem, the word FIGURING has all capital  letters.

“Do you think that Captain Patch wrote the word FIGURING in the poem with  all capital letters to lead people to think of fig trees?”

 “Could be, “ Mrs.Lomber said, and added, “Strange that no one ever thought of that before.      David asked Mrs. Lomber, if there are any old fig trees around their house?”

   “Why yes, we do, we have several. They are  on the west side of the house.  They have  been there a very, very long time.  It is part of family tradition to keep the fig trees growing in those spots. "
  

28

"I remember one tree died when I was a child, and it was replanted. Several have been replanted in the same spots since then.  I think that fig trees died and were replanted throughout the years, even before my time. From what I understand, the fig trees have always been kept up by my family."

“Do you think it is possible that there were fig trees  around or before  l820 ,and that Captain Patch actually planted  one?” Aaron asked.

“ I  guess that it is possible that a fig tree was planted there by Captain Patch if he really did exist.— Even if he did plant a fig tree there, and it is no longer alive, a replacement fig tree would have been put in the same spot. My family has always loved figs . We  eat the figs from those trees, and they are quite delicious. Hmmm,I think I'll bake some fig cake for you!”

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