The jack-knife man (Ellis Parker Butler)

Another lighthearted tale from American author Ellis Parker Butler (December 5, 1869 – September 13, 1937) which revolves around old Peter Lane, who lives on a decrepit houseboat on the Mississippi River and mostly whiles away his time whittling with his jack-knife and not really doing much else. That is, until one night, a sickly woman knocks at his boat door holding her son in her arms. This encounter would change Peter’s life, as the old man befriends little Buddy and is determined to keep him and raise him as his own, provided he is able to keep a host of others from laying claim to the orphan. The two „outcasts” share many adventures over the storybook, enjoying a happy ending despite several difficulties.