Randy had seen one too many movies. A bow and arrow was a cool weapon. He decided to try to make some arrows.

He found some oak dowels; a local fabric store provided decorative feathers; and, for his first effort, a push-pin provided a weighted tip.

His friend Tommy had a bow-and-arrow set, so he went to Tommy’s to try out his creation. Unfortunately, when he set it against the bowstring, it popped off. Not once; not twice; all eight times.

Randy sat back and thought a few minutes. Then he took a knife and cut a little “V” in the back end of the arrow. “There,” he said, “now, it should work. Nock on wood.”