I was thirteen when my father got hurt.Looking back over the years, I sometimes wonder what I could have done differently that day.Spit twice over my shoulder when I saw the single magpie   , maybe.But that's the thing about superstitions  .You don't know how much power they have until you break them. We lived in a dark shabby house in Bucks.Wood blocks laid over dirt on the floor.That part of England was full of cherry trees.Chalky soil. The rice had caught in the bottom of the pot that morning at breakfast and all I could smell was burned rice.Even now when I think of that day I have the taste of burned rice in my mouth. "I'm going to cut down the old cherry tree," my father announced. "You've been saying that for years," said my mother lightly touching the end of her nose.Her nose ran all year long.Her arms rested on the table, a cup of tea placed between her hands, steam rising into the air."You'll never get round to it."          My stomach, balled into a tight little knot   relaxed itself.          "Millie's going to cry if you cut it down," said my younger brother, Simon, his eyes bright as a fox."Silly Millie, silly Millie." "Hold your noise," said my father patting Simon on the head."And put back that butter.That's a week's ration  you've got on your plate." "The war's over," said Simon in a low voice."We haven't had rationing for ages." Simon was right.Even sugar had come off points.However, we still occasionally received food parcels from distant cousins in Canada. My father glared at him and then went on.          "Pigs.Burt says he'll come and help me take the tree down if he can have some of the wood."          "No," I said springing to my feet."You can't do it.That's my tree.Always has been.Always will be.I won't let you." Tom, took a piece of toast, watching my reaction.My older brother, he knew what the tree meant to me.          "Now then, Millie," said my father softening his face."That tree's wild.It's in the way." According to the passage, how many kids does the family have at least?
3. 4. 5. 6.