"Worthing Farm" is a short story by Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...

. It only appears in his short story collection The Worthing Saga

The Worthing Saga

The Worthing Saga is a science fiction book by American writer Orson Scott Card, set in the Worthing series. It is made up of the novel The Worthing Chronicle and nine related stories...

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Plot summary

One of Jason Worthing’s decedents Elijah lives on the Worthing Farm with his wife and two sons. Because there is a severe drought

Drought

A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...

 and nothing will grow Elijah’s wife wants to leave the farm. Elijah believes that if he does he will die from a curse

Curse

A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...

. When Elijah’s wife tries to go he beats her up and then goes out to the field and wishes for rain. To his surprise the rain comes. Unfortunately, there is too much and the farm is flooded

Flood

A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...

. Because he will be unable to repair the damage to the farmhouse before winter Elijah packs up his family and takes them to his brother’s new inn. At the inn he discovers that his nephew Peter has the same powers he has.

Connection to the Worthing Saga

This story takes place several years before the events in the story "Worthing Inn

Worthing Inn

"Worthing Inn" is a short story by Orson Scott Card. It only appears in his short story collection The Worthing Saga.-Plot summary:Little Peter lives in the Worthing Inn with his immediate family and his uncle Elijah. While he was still a little boy he discovered that he could hear the thoughts...

". Orson Scott Card wrote a very different version of this story in chapter 9 of his novel The Worthing Chronicle

The Worthing Chronicle

The Worthing Chronicle is a science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card set in the Worthing series. This book by itself is out of print having been published along with nine short stories in the collection The Worthing Saga .-Plot summary:...

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External links

• The official Orson Scott Card website