Kept 'award'? The models fought for it and so will the letters. The award is why the story is in the paper this week; the pull is why there is a story at all. 'Kingsley' and 'Espitia' are his name, and the age is the news: an eight-year-old did this. 'Fully clothed' is the detail everyone repeats, and it is still how, not what.
This one really happened. In July, Kingsley Espitia, who is eight, was fishing at the Bass Lake public access near Underwood, Minnesota, when a three-year-old fell into the water. Kingsley jumped in with his clothes on and pulled the boy back to safety. This week, at a meeting of Underwood city council, Otter Tail County Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons and Chief Deputy Reed Reinbold presented him with a letter of commendation for what the sheriff's office called his courageous and selfless actions, and for the quick thinking that, in their words, prevented what could have been a tragic outcome.
Every word, accounted for
Eight-year-oldWho did it. Eight, and he went in.
KingsleyHis first name. The age is the story; the name is the boy.
EspitiaHis surname. Same again.
jumpedHow he got in. 'Pulled' is what he did once he was there.
intoA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
BassWhich lake. The water is the point, not the name of it.
LakeHalf of the name Bass Lake, and the name is the place. The danger is in this word, and a reader who kept it has a point, but the sentence pulls him from the water, so the five does too.
fullyGoes with clothed. He did not stop to undress.
clothedThe detail everyone repeats, and still how, not what.
andA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
pulledWhat he did. The rescue verb, and the only one that matters.
aA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
three-year-oldWho he pulled. A three-year-old in the water.
fromOut of it, not into it. The direction is the rescue.
theA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
water,Where the three-year-old was. Without it he pulled a child from anywhere.
andA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
thisWhen the award came. The award is why it is news this week, not what happened.
week,Same again.
theA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
OtterGoes with Tail. The county.
TailSame again.
CountySame again.
sheriffWho gave the award. The strongest decoy: the ceremony is the peg, the pull is the story.
gaveThe award verb. The other verb in the sentence, and the lesser one.
himA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
anA little word. It only holds the sentence together.
award.What he got. The reason it is in the paper this week, not the reason it matters.