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diff --git a/old/11140-h/11140-h.htm b/old/11140-h/11140-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5b6d61f --- /dev/null +++ b/old/11140-h/11140-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,6393 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" +"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> +<title>Rollo at Play, by Jacob Abbott</title> + +<style type="text/css"> + +body { margin-left: 20%; + margin-right: 20%; + text-align: justify; } + +h1, h2, h3, h4, h5 {text-align: center; font-style: normal; font-weight: +normal; line-height: 1.5; margin-top: .5em; margin-bottom: .5em;} + +h1 {font-size: 300%; + margin-top: 0.6em; + margin-bottom: 0.6em; + letter-spacing: 0.12em; + word-spacing: 0.2em; + text-indent: 0em;} +h2 {font-size: 150%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em;} +h3 {font-size: 150%; margin-top: 2em;} +h4 {font-size: 120%;} +h5 {font-size: 110%;} + +hr {width: 80%; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} + +div.chapter {page-break-before: always; margin-top: 4em;} + +p {text-indent: 1em; + margin-top: 0.25em; + margin-bottom: 0.25em; } + +.p2 {margin-top: 2em;} + +p.poem {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-size: 90%; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; } + +p.letter {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; } + +p.noindent {text-indent: 0% } + +p.center {text-align: center; + text-indent: 0em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; } + +p.right {text-align: right; + margin-right: 10%; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; } + +div.fig { display:block; + margin:0 auto; + text-align:center; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em;} + +a:link {color:blue; text-decoration:none} +a:visited {color:blue; text-decoration:none} +a:hover {color:red} + +</style> + +</head> + +<body> + +<pre> +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Rollo at Play, by Jacob Abbott + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most +other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of +the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at +www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have +to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. + +Title: Rollo at Play + Safe Amusements + +Author: Jacob Abbott + +Release Date: February 18, 2004 [EBook #11140] +[Most recently updated: June 1, 2020] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ROLLO AT PLAY *** + + + + +Produced by Rosanna Yuen and PG Distributed Proofreaders + + + + + + +</pre> + +<h1>Rollo at Play;</h1> + +<h3>OR,</h3> + +<h3>SAFE AMUSEMENTS.</h3> + +<h2>by Jacob Abbott</h2> + +<div class="fig" style="width:100%;"> +<img src="images/fig01.jpg" width="400" height="305" alt="[Illustration]" /> +</div> + +<hr /> + +<h2>Contents</h2> + +<table summary="" style=""> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#pref01">NOTICE TO PARENTS.</a><br/><br/></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#story01"><b>STORY 1. ROLLO AT PLAY IN THE WOODS.</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap01">The Setting out.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap02">Bridge-Building.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap03">A Visitor.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap04">Difficulty.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap05">Hearts wrong.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap06">Hearts right again.</a><br/><br/></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#story02"><b>STORY 2. THE STEEPLE-TRAP.</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap07">The Way to catch a Squirrel.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap08">The Way to lose a Squirrel. </a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap09">How to keep a Squirrel.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap10">Fires in the Woods.</a><br/><br/></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#story03"><b>STORY 3. THE HALO ROUND THE MOON; OR, LUCY’S VISIT.</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap11">A Round Rainbow. </a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap12">Who knows best, a Little Boy or his Father!</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap13">Repentance.</a><br/><br/></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#story04"><b>STORY 4. THE FRESHET.</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap14">Maria and the Caravan.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap15">Small Craft.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap16">The Principles of Order.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap17">Clearing up.</a><br/><br/></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#story05"><b>STORY 5. BLUEBERRYING.</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap18">Old Trumpeter.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap19">Deviation.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap20">Little Mosette.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap21">Going up.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap22">The Secret out.</a><br/><br/></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#story06"><b>STORY 6. TROUBLE ON THE MOUNTAIN.</b></a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap23">Boasting.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap24">Getting in Trouble.</a></td> +</tr> + +<tr> +<td> <a href="#chap25">A Test of Penitence.</a></td> +</tr> + +</table> + +<p class="center"> +ROLLO AT PLAY. +</p> + +<p class="center"> +THE ROLLO SERIES<br/> +IS COMPOSED OF FOURTEEN VOLUMES. VIZ. +</p> + +<p class="letter"> +Rollo Learning to Talk.<br/> +Rollo Learning to Read.<br/> +Rollo at Work.<br/> +Rollo at Play.<br/> +Rollo at School.<br/> +Rollo’s Vacation.<br/> +Rollo’s Experiments.<br/> +<br/> +Rollo’s Museum.<br/> +Rollo’s Travels.<br/> +Rollo’s Correspondence.<br/> +Rollo’s Philosophy—Water.<br/> +Rollo’s Philosophy—Air.<br/> +Rollo’s Philosophy—Fire.<br/> +Rollo’s Philosophy—Sky. +</p> + +<p class="center"> +A NEW EDITION, REVISED BY THE AUTHOR.<br/> +<br/> +BOSTON:<br/> +PHILLIPS, SAMPSON, AND COMPANY.<br/> +<br/> +Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the Year 1855, by<br/> +PHILLIPS, SAMPSON, & CO.,<br/> +in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of<br/> +the District of Massachusetts. +</p> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="pref01"></a>NOTICE TO PARENTS.</h2> + +<p> +Although this little book, and its fellow, “ROLLO AT WORK,” are +intended principally as a means of entertainment for their little readers, it +is hoped by the writer that they may aid in accomplishing some of the following +useful purposes:— +</p> + +<p> +1. In cultivating <i>the thinking powers;</i> as frequent occasions occur, in +which the incidents of the narrative, and the conversations arising from them, +are intended to awaken and engage the reasoning and reflective faculties of the +little readers. +</p> + +<p> +2. In promoting the progress of children <i>in reading</i> and in knowledge of +language; for the diction of the stories is intended to be often in advance of +the natural language of the reader, and yet so used as to be explained by the +connection. +</p> + +<p> +3. In cultivating the <i>amiable and gentle qualities of the heart</i>. The +scenes are laid in quiet and virtuous life, and the character and conduct +described are generally—with the exception of some of the ordinary +exhibitions of childish folly—character and conduct to be imitated; for +it is generally better, in dealing with children, to allure them to what is +right by agreeable pictures of it, than to attempt to drive them to it by +repulsive delineations of what is wrong. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="story01"></a>ROLLO AT PLAY IN THE WOODS.</h2> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap01"></a>THE SETTING OUT.</h3> + +<p> +One pleasant morning in the autumn, when Rollo was about five years old, he was +sitting on the platform, behind his father’s house, playing. He had a +hammer and nails, and some small pieces of board. He was trying to make a box. +He hammered and hammered, and presently he dropped his work down and said, +fretfully, +</p> + +<p> +“O dear me!” +</p> + +<p> +“What is the matter, Rollo?” said Jonas,—for it happened that +Jonas was going by just then, with a wheelbarrow. +</p> + +<p> +“I wish these little boards would not split so. I cannot make my +box.” +</p> + +<p> +“You drive the nails wrong; you put the wedge sides <i>with</i> the +grain.” +</p> + +<p> +“The wedge sides!” said Rollo; “what are the wedge +sides,—and the grain? I do not know what you mean.” +</p> + +<p> +But Jonas went on, trundling his wheelbarrow; though he looked round and told +Rollo that he could not stop to explain it to him then. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo was discouraged about his box. He thought he would look and see what +Jonas was going to do. Jonas trundled the wheelbarrow along, until he came +opposite the barn-door, and there he put it down. He went into the barn, and +presently came out with an axe. Then he took the sides of the wheelbarrow off, +and placed them up against the barn. Then he laid the axe down across the +wheelbarrow, and went into the barn again. Pretty soon he brought out an iron +crowbar, and laid that down also in the wheelbarrow, with the axe. +</p> + +<p> +Then Rollo called out, +</p> + +<p> +“Jonas, Jonas, where are you going?” +</p> + +<p> +“I am going down into the woods beyond the brook.” +</p> + +<p> +“What are you going to do?” +</p> + +<p> +“I am going to clear up some ground.” +</p> + +<p> +“May I go with you?” +</p> + +<p> +“I should like it—but that is not for me to say.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo knew by this that he must ask his mother. He went in and asked her, and +she, in return, asked him if he had read his lesson that morning. He said he +had not; he had forgotten it. +</p> + +<p> +“Then,” said his mother, “you must first go and read a +quarter of an hour.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo was sadly disappointed, and also a little displeased. He turned away, +hung down his head, and began to cry. It is not strange that he was +disappointed, but it was very wrong for him to feel displeased, and begin to +cry. +</p> + +<p> +“Come here, my son,” said his mother. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo came to his mother, and she said to him kindly, +</p> + +<p> +“You have done wrong now twice this morning; you have neglected your duty +of reading, and now you are out of humor with me because I require you to +attend to it. Now it is <i>my</i> duty not to yield to such feelings as you +have now, but to punish them. So I must say that, instead of a quarter of an +hour, you must wait <i>half</i> an hour, before you go out with Jonas.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo stood silent a minute,—he perceived that he had done wrong, and was +sorry. He did not know how he could find Jonas in the woods, but he did not say +any thing about that then. He only asked his mother what he must do for the +half hour. She said he must read a quarter of an hour, and the rest of the time +he might do as he pleased. +</p> + +<p> +So Rollo took his book, and went out and sat down upon the platform, and began +to read aloud. When he had finished one page, which usually took a quarter of +an hour, he went in to ask his mother what time it was. She looked at the +clock, and told him he had been reading seventeen minutes. +</p> + +<p> +“Is seventeen minutes more than a quarter of an hour, or not so +much?” asked Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“It is more;—<i>fifteen</i> minutes is a quarter of an hour. Now +you may do what you please till the other quarter has elapsed.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo thought he would go and read more. It is true he was tired; but he was +sorry he had done wrong, and he thought that if he read more than he was +obliged to, his mother would see that he <i>was</i> penitent, and that he +acquiesced in his punishment. +</p> + +<p> +So he went on reading, and the rest of the half hour passed away very quickly. +In fact, his mother came out before he got up from his reading, to tell him it +was time for him to go. She said she was very glad he had submitted pleasantly +to his punishment, and she gave him something wrapped up in a paper. +</p> + +<p> +“Keep this till you get a little tired of play, down there, and then sit +down on a log and open it.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo wondered what it was. He took it gladly, and began to go. But in a minute +he turned round and said, +</p> + +<p> +“But how shall I find Jonas?” +</p> + +<p> +“What is he doing?” said his mother. +</p> + +<p> +“He said he was going to clear up some land.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then you will hear his axe. Go down to the edge of the woods and listen, +and when you hear him, call him. But you must not go into the woods unless you +hear him.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap02"></a>BRIDGE BUILDING.</h3> + +<p> +Rollo went on, down the green lane, till he came to the turn-stile, and then +went through into the field. He then followed a winding path until he came to +the edge of the trees, and there stopped to listen. +</p> + +<p> +He heard the brook gurgling along over the stones, and that was all at first; +but presently he began to hear the strokes of an axe. He called out as loud as +he could, +</p> + +<p> +“Jonas! Jonas!” +</p> + +<p> +But Jonas did not hear. +</p> + +<p> +Then he walked along the edge of the woods till he came nearer the place where +he heard the axe. He found here a little opening among the trees and bushes, so +that he could look in. He saw the brook, and over beyond it, on the opposite +bank, was Jonas, cutting down a small tree. +</p> + +<p> +So Rollo walked on until he came to the brook, and then asked Jonas how he +should get over. The brook was pretty wide and deep. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas said, if he would wait a few minutes, he would build him a bridge. +</p> + +<p> +“<i>You</i> cannot build a bridge,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Wait a little and see.” +</p> + +<p> +So Rollo sat down on a mossy bank, and Jonas, having cut down the small tree, +began to work on a larger one that stood near the bank. +</p> + +<p> +After he had cut a little while, Rollo asked him why he did not begin the +bridge. +</p> + +<p> +“I am beginning it,” said he. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo laughed at this, but in a minute Jonas called to him to stand back, away +from the bank; and then, after a few strokes more, the top of the tree began to +bend slowly over, and then it fell faster and faster, until it came down with a +great crash, directly across the brook. +</p> + +<p> +“There!” said Jonas, “there is your bridge.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo looked at it with astonishment and pleasure. +</p> + +<p> +“Now,” said Jonas, “I will come and help you over.” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said Rollo, “I can come over myself. I can take hold of +the branches for a railing.” +</p> + +<p> +So Rollo began to climb along the stem of the tree, holding on carefully by the +branches. When he reached the middle of the stream, he stopped to look down +into the water. +</p> + +<p> +“This is a capital bridge of yours, Jonas,” said he. “How +beautiful the water looks down here! O, I see a little fish! He is swimming +along by a great rock. Now he is standing perfectly still. O, Jonas, come and +see him.” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said Jonas, “I must mind my work.” +</p> + +<p> +After a little time, Rollo went carefully on over the bridge, and sat down on +the bank of the brook. But he did not have with him the parcel his mother gave +him. He had left it on the other side. +</p> + +<p> +After he had watched the fishes, and thrown pebble-stones into the brook some +time, he began to be tired, and he asked Jonas what he had better do. +</p> + +<p> +“I think you had better build a wigwam.” +</p> + +<p> +“A wigwam? What is a wigwam?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“It is a little house made of bushes such as the Indians live in.” +</p> + +<p> +“O, I could not make a house,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“I think you could if I should tell you how, and help you a +little.” +</p> + +<p> +“But you say <i>you</i> must mind your work.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,—I can mind my work and tell you at the same time.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo thought he should like to build a wigwam very much. Jonas told him the +first thing to be done was to find a good place, where the ground was level. +Rollo looked at a good many places, but at last chose a smooth spot under a +great oak tree, which Jonas said he was not going to cut down. It was near a +beautiful turn in the brook, where the water was very deep. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas told him that the first thing was to make a little stake, and drive it +down in the middle of his wigwam-ground. Then Rollo recollected that he had +left his hatchet over on the other side of the brook, together with the parcel +his mother gave him; and he was going over to get them, when Jonas told him he +would trim up the bridge a little, and then he could go over more easily. +</p> + +<p> +So Jonas went upon the bridge, and began to cut away the branches that were in +the way, leaving enough on each side to take hold of, and to keep Rollo from +falling in. Rollo could then go back and forth easily. He held on with one +hand, and carried his hatchet in the other. Then he went over again, and +brought his parcel, and laid it down near the great oak tree. +</p> + +<p> +Then he made a little stake, and drove it down in the middle of the +wigwam-ground. Then he asked Jonas what he must do next. +</p> + +<p> +“That is the centre of your wigwam; now you must strike a circle around +it.” +</p> + +<p> +“What?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Don’t you know how to strike a circle?” said Jonas. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo said he did not, and then Jonas told him to do exactly as he should say, +and that would show him. +</p> + +<p> +“First,” said Jonas, “have you got a string?” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo felt in his pockets in vain, but he recollected his little parcel, which +was tied with a piece of twine, and held it up to ask Jonas if that would do. +Jonas said it would, and told him to take it off carefully, and tie one end of +it to his centre stake. +</p> + +<p> +And Rollo did so. +</p> + +<p> +“Now,” said Jonas, “make another little sharp stake for the +marker, and tie the other end of the twine to that, near the sharp end.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo worked busily for some time, and then called out, +</p> + +<p> +“Jonas, it is done.” +</p> + +<p> +All this time, Jonas was at work in the bushes, at a little distance. He now +came to Rollo’s wigwam-ground, and took hold of the marker, and held it +off as far from the middle stake as it would go, and then began to make a mark +on the ground all around the middle stake. Now, as the marker was tied to the +middle stake by the string, the mark was equally distant from the middle stake +in every part, and that made it exactly round. Then Jonas laid down the marker, +and pulled out the middle stake; and they looked down and saw that there was a +round mark on the ground, about as large as a cart-wheel. +</p> + +<p> +Then Jonas took the crowbar, and made deep holes all around, in this circle, so +far apart that Rollo could just step from one to the other. But Rollo could not +understand how he could make a house so. +</p> + +<p> +“I will tell you,” said Jonas. “You must now go and get some +large branches of trees, and trim off the twigs from the lower end, and stick +them down in these, holes. I will show you how.” +</p> + +<p> +So Jonas took a large bough, and trimmed the large end, and sharpened it a +little, and then he fixed it down in one of these holes, in such a manner that +the top of it bent over towards the middle of the circle; then he went back to +his work, leaving Rollo to go on with the wigwam. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap03"></a>A VISITOR.</h3> + +<p> +Rollo put down two or three branches very well, and was very much delighted at +seeing it gradually begin to look like a house, when he thought he heard a +voice. He listened a moment, and heard some one at a distance calling, +“Rol—lo. Rol—lo.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo dropped his hatchet, and looked in the direction that the sound came +from, and called out as loud as he could, “What!” +</p> + +<p> +“Where—are—you?” was heard in reply. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo answered, “<i>Here,</i>” and then immediately clambered along +over the bridge, and ran through the woods until he came out into the open +field; and there he saw a small boy, away off at a distance, just coming +through the turn-stile. +</p> + +<p> +It was his cousin James. It seems that James had come to play with him that +day, and Rollo’s mother had directed him down towards the woods. +</p> + +<p> +James came running along towards Rollo, holding up something round and bright, +in each hand. They were half dollars. +</p> + +<p> +“Where did you get them?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“One is for you, and one is for me,” said James. “Uncle +George sent them to us.” +</p> + +<p> +“What a beautiful little eagle!” said Rollo, as he looked at one +side of his half dollar; “I wish I could get it off and keep it +separate.” +</p> + +<p> +“O no,” said James, “that would spoil your half +dollar.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why, they would know it was a half dollar by the letters and the head on +the other side. What a pretty thin eagle! How do you suppose they fasten it on +so strong?” +</p> + +<p> +James said he thought he could get it off; so they went and sat down on a +smooth log, that was lying on the ground, and laid Rollo’s half dollar on +the log. Then he took a pin, and tried to drive the point of it under the +eagle’s head, with a small stone. But the eagle would not move. They only +made some little marks and scratches on the silver. +</p> + +<p> +“Never mind,” said Rollo; “I will keep it as it is.” So +he took his half dollar, and they walked along towards the brook. +</p> + +<p> +They showed their money to Jonas, and told him that they had tried to get the +eagle off. He smiled at this. The boys went back soon to the wigwam, and James +said he would help Rollo finish it. While they were at work they put their +money on a large flat stone, on the brink of the brook. They fixed a great many +boughs into their wigwam, weaving them in all around, and thus made a very +pleasant little house, leaving a place for a door in front. When they were +tired, they went and opened Rollo’s little package, and found a fine +luncheon in it of bread and butter and pie; which they ate very happily +together, sitting on little hemlock branches in the wigwam. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap04"></a>DIFFICULTY.</h3> + +<p> +After their luncheon, the boys began to talk about the best place for a window +for the wigwam. +</p> + +<p> +“I think we will have it <i>this</i> side, towards the brook,” said +James, “and then we can look out to the water.” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said Rollo, “it will be better to have it <i>here</i>, +towards where Jonas is working, and then we can look out and see him.” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said James, “that is not a good plan; I do not want to +see Jonas.” +</p> + +<p> +“And I do not want to see the water,” replied Rollo. “It is +<i>my</i> wigwam, and I mean to have the window <i>here.</i>” +</p> + +<p> +So saying, he went to the side towards Jonas, and began to take away a bough. +James came there too, and said angrily, +</p> + +<p> +“The wigwam is mine as much as it is yours, for I helped make it, and I +will not have a window here.” +</p> + +<p> +So he took hold of the branch that Rollo had hold of. They both felt guilty and +condemned, but their angry feelings urged them on, and they looked fiercely at +each other, and pulled upon the branch. +</p> + +<p> +“Rollo,” said James, “let go.” +</p> + +<p> +“James,” said Rollo, “I tell you, let my wigwam alone.” +</p> + +<p> +“It is not your wigwam.” +</p> + +<p> +“I tell you it is.” +</p> + +<p> +Just then they heard a noise in the bushes. They looked around, and saw Jonas +coming towards them. They felt ashamed, and were silent, though each kept hold +of the branch. +</p> + +<p> +“Now, boys,” said Jonas, “you have got into a foolish and +wicked quarrel. I have heard it all. Now you may do as you please—you may +let me settle it, or I will lead you home to your mother, and tell her about +it, and let her settle it.” +</p> + +<p> +The boys looked ashamed, but said nothing. +</p> + +<p> +“If you conclude to let me settle it, you must do just as I say. But I do +not pretend that I have any right to decide such a case, unless you consent. So +I will take you home, if you prefer.” +</p> + +<p> +The boys both preferred that he should settle it, and promised to do as he +should say. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, then,” said he, “the first thing is for you, Rollo, to +go over the other side of the brook, and you, James, to stay here, and both to +sit down still, until you have had time to cool.” +</p> + +<p> +The boys obeyed, and Jonas went back to his work. +</p> + +<p> +The boys sat still, feeling guilty and ashamed; but they were not penitent. +They ought to have been sorry for their fault, and become good-natured and +pleasant again. But instead of that, they were silent and displeased, eyeing +one another across the brook. Jonas waited some time, and then came and called +them both to him. +</p> + +<p> +“Now,” says James, “I will tell you all about it, and you +shall decide who was to blame.” +</p> + +<p> +“I heard it all, and I know which was to blame; you, James, came here to +see Rollo, and found him building a wigwam. It was <i>his</i> wigwam, not +<i>yours</i>. He began it without you, and was going on without you, and when +you came, you had no right to assume any authority about it. You ought to have +let him do as he wished with his own wigwam. You were unjust.” +</p> + +<p> +Here Rollo began to look pleased and triumphant, that Jonas had decided in his +favor. +</p> + +<p> +“But,” continued Jonas, “you, Rollo, were playing here alone. +Your little cousin came to see you; and you were very glad to have him come. He +helped you build, and when he wanted to have the window in a particular way, +you ought to have let him. To quarrel with a visitor for such a cause as that, +was very ungentlemanly and unkind. So you see you were both very much to +blame.” +</p> + +<p> +The boys looked guilty and ashamed, but they did not feel really penitent. They +were not cordially reconciled. Neither was willing to give up. +</p> + +<p> +“But,” said Rollo, “how shall we make the window?” +</p> + +<p> +“I think you ought not to make any window, as you cannot agree about +it.” +</p> + +<p> +They wanted to make a window now more than ever, for each wanted to have his +own way; but Jonas would not consent, and as they had agreed to abide by his +decision, they submitted. Jonas then returned to his work, and the boys stood +by the side of the brook, not knowing exactly what to do. Jonas told them, when +they went away, that he expected that they would have another quarrel, as he +perceived that their hearts were still in a bad state. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap05"></a>HEARTS WRONG.</h3> + +<p> +The boys sat down on the bank of the brook, and began to pick up little stones +and throw them into the water. They began soon to talk of the window again. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo said, “Jonas thought you were most to blame, I know.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, he did not,” replied James. “He blamed you the most; he +said you were unjust.” +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t care,” said Rollo. “You do not know how to +build a wigwam. You cannot reach high enough to make a window.” +</p> + +<p> +“I <i>can</i> reach high,” said James. “I can reach as high +as that,” said he, stretching up his hand. +</p> + +<p> +“And I can reach as high as <i>that</i>” said Rollo, stretching up +his hand higher than James did; for he was a little taller. +</p> + +<p> +James was somewhat vexed to find that Rollo could reach higher than he could, +though it was very foolish to allow himself to be put out of humor by such a +thing. But boys, when they are ill-humored, and dispute, are always +unreasonable and foolish. James determined not to be outdone, so he took up a +stick, and reached it up in the air as high as he could, and said, +</p> + +<p> +“I can reach up as high as <i>that</i>.” +</p> + +<p> +Then Rollo took up a stone, and tossed it up into the air, saying, +</p> + +<p> +“And I can reach as high as that.” +</p> + +<p> +Now, when boys throw stones into the air, they ought to consider where they +will come down; but, unfortunately, Rollo did not in this case, and the stone +fell directly upon James’s head. It was, however a small stone, and his +cap prevented it from hurting him much; but he was already vexed and out of +humor, and so he began to cry out aloud. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo was frightened a little, for he was afraid he had hurt his cousin a good +deal, and then he expected too that Jonas would come. But Jonas took no notice +of the crying, but went on with his work. Now, Jonas was very kind and careful, +and always came quick when there was any one hurt. But this time, he knew by +the tone of James’s crying, that it was vexation rather than pain that +caused it. +</p> + +<p> +James, finding that his crying did no good, gradually became still; and in a +few minutes, as he happened to look round, his eye rested on the stone where +they had put their half dollars, and he saw that only one of them was there. +</p> + +<p> +“O, Rollo,” said he, “one of our half dollars is gone.” +</p> + +<p> +They went to the stone, and, true enough, one was gone. They looked around, but +it was no where to be found. Boys that are out of humor with one another, are +never at a loss for subjects of dispute; and Rollo said he believed James had +taken it, and James charged it upon Rollo. Then there was a dispute who should +have the one that was left. James knew it was his; he said he remembered +<i>exactly</i> how his looked; and Rollo knew it was his, for the head and the +stars were very bright on his, and they were very bright on this. James, +however, had the half dollar, and would not give it up; and so Rollo went to +Jonas, and told him that James had got his half dollar. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas came, and heard the whole story from both of the boys. James said he +<i>knew</i> the one that was left was his, for he remembered exactly how it +looked, and he also remembered exactly the very spot on the stone where he put +it down. +</p> + +<p> +James did not mean to tell a lie, but he was a little angry and excited, and +when boys are in that state of mind, they are very apt to say they know not +what. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas looked at both sides of the half dollar very attentively. +</p> + +<p> +“Which half dollar was it,” said he, “that you tried to get +the eagle off of?” +</p> + +<p> +“Mine,” said Rollo; “let me see.” +</p> + +<p> +Jonas held down the half dollar, and showed to Rollo and James the marks and +scratches made by the pin; proving that this was Rollo’s half dollar. +James looked ashamed and confounded; Jonas just waited to hear what he would +say. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap06"></a>HEARTS RIGHT AGAIN.</h3> + +<p> +James stood still a minute, thinking presently he said, +</p> + +<p> +“Well, Rollo, I suppose my half dollar is lost, but I am glad yours is +safe, at any rate.” +</p> + +<p> +“I am sorry yours is lost,” said Rollo, “but then I can give +you half of what I buy with mine.” +</p> + +<p> +“Where did you put the half dollars?” said Jonas. +</p> + +<p> +“On that rock,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +They walked along towards the rock. It was by the edge of the water; Jonas +thought that as they had been dragging boughs of trees along near the rock, +some little branch might have reached over and brushed off one of the pieces of +money into the water. So he walked up to it and looked over. +</p> + +<p> +In a minute or two, he pointed down, and the boys looked and saw something +bright and glittering on the bottom. +</p> + +<p> +“Is that it?” said James. +</p> + +<p> +“I believe it is,” said Jonas. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas then took off his jacket, rolled up his shirt sleeve, lay down on the +rock, and reached his arm down into the water, but it was a little too deep. He +could not reach it. +</p> + +<p> +“I cannot get it so,” said he. +</p> + +<p> +“What shall we do?” said James. “How foolish I was to put it +so near the water!” +</p> + +<p> +“I think we shall contrive some way to get it,” said Jonas. +</p> + +<p> +He then sat down on the rock and looked into the water. “We can go home +and get a long pair of tongs, and get it with them at any rate,” said he. +</p> + +<p> +“O, yes,” said Rollo, “I will go and get them;” and he +ran off towards the bridge. +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said Jonas, “stop; I will try one plan more.” +</p> + +<p> +So he went and cut a long straight stem of a bush, and trimmed it up smooth, +and cut the largest end off exactly square. Then he went to a hemlock tree +near, and took off some of the gum, which was very “sticky.” He +pressed some of this with his knife on the end of the stick. Then he reached it +very carefully down, and pressed it hard against the half dollar; it crowded +the half dollar down into the sand, out of sight. +</p> + +<div class="fig" style="width:100%;"> +<img src="images/fig02.jpg" width="450" height="412" alt="[Illustration]" /> +</div> + +<p> +“There, you have lost it,” said James. +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t know,” said Jonas; and he began slowly and carefully +to draw it up. +</p> + +<p> +When the end of the stick came up out of the sand, the boys saw, to their great +delight, that the half dollar was sticking fast on. They clapped their hands, +and capered about on the stone, while Jonas gently drew up the half dollar, and +put it, all wet and dripping, into James’s hand. +</p> + +<p> +The boys thanked Jonas for getting up the money, and then they asked him to +keep both pieces for them until they went home. Then they began to think of the +wigwam again. +</p> + +<p> +“We will make the window as you want it, James,” said Rollo; +“I am willing.” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said James, “I was just going to say we would make it +your way. I rather think it would be better to make it towards the land.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why can you not have two windows?” said Jonas. +</p> + +<p> +“So we can,” said both of the boys; and they immediately went to +work collecting branches and weaving them in, leaving a space for a window both +sides. Their quarrelsome feelings were all gone, and they talked very +pleasantly at their work until it was time for them to go home to dinner. +</p> + +<div class="fig" style="width:100%;"> +<img src="images/fig03.jpg" width="400" height="600" alt="Illustration: " /> +<p class="caption"><b>They went to work collecting branches and weaving them in.</b></p> +</div> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="story02"></a>THE STEEPLE TRAP.</h2> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap07"></a>THE WAY TO CATCH A SQUIRREL.</h3> + +<p> +The afternoon of the day when Rollo and his cousin James made their wigwam in +the woods by the brook, they were at work there again, employed very +harmoniously together, in finishing their edifice, when suddenly Jonas, who was +at work in the woods at a little distance, heard them both calling to him, in +tones of surprise and pleasure— +</p> + +<p> +“O, Jonas, Jonas, come here quick—quick.” +</p> + +<p> +Jonas dropped his axe and ran. +</p> + +<p> +When he got near them, they pointed to a log. +</p> + +<p> +“See there;—see;—see there.” +</p> + +<p> +“What is it?” said Jonas. “O, I see it,” said he. +</p> + +<p> +It was a little squirrel clambering up a raspberry-bush, eating the raspberries +as he went along. He would climb up by the little branches, and pull in the +raspberries in succession, until he got to the topmost one, when the bush would +bend over with his weight until it almost touched the log. +</p> + +<p> +“Let us catch him,” said Rollo, very eagerly; “do let us +catch him; I will go and get our steeple trap.” +</p> + +<p> +Jonas did not seem to be so very much delighted as the boys were. He said he +was certainly a cunning little fellow, but “what should we do with him if +we should catch him?” +</p> + +<p> +“O,” said Rollo, “we would put him in a little cage. It would +be so complete to have him in a cage! Do, Jonas, do.” +</p> + +<p> +“But you have not got any cage.” +</p> + +<p> +“We can get one,” said James. “We can buy one with our half +dollars.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” said Jonas, “it will do no good to set the trap now, +for he will be away before we could get back. But I will come down to-night, +and set the trap, and perhaps we shall catch him, though I do not exactly like +to do it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why?” said the boys. +</p> + +<p> +“O,” replied Jonas, “he will not like to be shut up all +night, in a dark box, and then be imprisoned in a cage. He had rather run about +here, and gather raspberries. Besides, you would soon get tired of him if you +had him in a cage.” +</p> + +<p> +“O no,” said Rollo, “I should not get tired of him.” +</p> + +<p> +“Did you ever have any plaything that you were not tired of before +long?” +</p> + +<p> +“Why,—no,” said Rollo; “but then a real live squirrel +is a different thing. Besides, you know, if I get tired of him, I need not play +with him then.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, but a real live thing must be fed every day, and <i>that</i> you +would find a great trouble. And then you would sometimes forget it, and the +poor fellow would be half starved.” +</p> + +<p> +“O no,” said Rollo; “I am sure I should not forget it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Did you remember your reading-lesson this morning?” +</p> + +<p> +“Why,—no,” said Rollo, looking a little confused. “But +I am sure I should not forget to feed a squirrel if I had one.” +</p> + +<p> +“You don’t know as much as I thought you did,” replied Jonas. +</p> + +<p> +“Why?” +</p> + +<p> +“I thought you knew more about yourself than to suppose you could be +trusted to do any thing regularly every day. Why, you would not remember to +wash your own face every morning, if your mother did not remind you. The +squirrel is almost as fit to take care of you in your wigwam, as you are to +take care of him in a cage.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo felt a little ashamed of his boasting, for he knew that what Jonas said +was true. Jonas said, finally, “However, we will try to catch him; but I +cannot promise that I shall let you keep him in a cage. It will be bad enough +for him to be shut up all night in the box trap, but I can pay him for that the +next day in corn.” +</p> + +<p> +So Jonas brought down the box trap that night. It was a long box, about as big +as a cricket, with a tall, pointed back, which looked like a steeple; so Rollo +called it the steeple trap. It was so made that if the squirrel should go in, +and begin to nibble some corn, which they were going to put in there, it would +make the cover come down and shut him in. They fixed the trap on the end of the +log, and Jonas observed, as he sat on the log, that he could see the barn +chamber window through a little opening among the trees. Of course he knew that +from the barn chamber window he could see the trap, though it would be too far +off to see it plain. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap08"></a>THE WAY TO LOSE A SQUIRREL.</h3> + +<p> +Early the next morning, James came over to learn whether they had caught the +squirrel; and he and Rollo wanted Jonas to go down with them and see. Jonas +said he could not go down then very well, but if he would go and ask his father +to lend him his spy-glass, he could tell without going down. +</p> + +<p> +Now Jonas had been a very faithful and obedient boy, ever since he came to live +with Rollo’s father. He had some great faults when he first came, but he +had cured himself of them, and he was now an excellent and trustworthy boy. It +was a part of his business to take care of Rollo, and they always let him have +what he asked for from the house, as they knew it was for some good purpose, +and that it would be well taken care of. So when Rollo went in and asked for +the spy-glass, and said that Jonas wanted it, they handed it down to him at +once. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas took the glass, and they all three went up into the barn chamber. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas opened the glass, and held it up to his eye. The boys stood by looking on +silently. At length, Jonas said, +</p> + +<p> +“No, we have not caught him.” +</p> + +<p> +“How do you know?” said the boys. +</p> + +<p> +“O, I can see the trap, and it is not sprung.” +</p> + +<p> +“Is not sprung?” said James, “what do you mean by +<i>sprung</i>?” +</p> + +<p> +“Shut. It is not shut. I can see it open, and of course the squirrel is +not there.” +</p> + +<p> +“O, he may be in,” said Rollo, “just nibbling the corn. Do +let us go and see.” +</p> + +<p> +Jonas smiled, and said he could not go then, but he would look through the +spy-glass again towards noon. He then gave the glass to Rollo, and it was +carried back safely into the house. +</p> + +<p> +James soon after went home, and Rollo sat down in the parlor to his reading. +Afterwards he came out, and went to building cities in a sandy corner of the +garden. He was making Rome,—for his father had told him that Rome was +built on seven hills, and he liked to make the seven hills in the sand. He made +a long channel for an aqueduct, and went into the house to get a dipper of +water to fill his aqueduct, when he met James coming again. So they went in, +and got the spy-glass, and asked Jonas to go up and look again. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas adjusted the glass, held it up to his eye, and looked some time in +silence, and then said,— +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, it is sprung, I believe. Yes, it is certainly sprung.” +</p> + +<p> +“O, then we have caught him,” said the boys, capering about. +“Let us go and see.” +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps we have caught him,” said Jonas, “but it is not +certain; sometimes the trap gets sprung accidentally. However, you may go and +ask your father if he thinks it worth while for me to leave my work long enough +to go down and see.” +</p> + +<div class="fig" style="width:100%;"> +<img src="images/fig04.jpg" width="450" height="444" alt="[Illustration]" /> +</div> + +<p> +Rollo came back with the permission granted, and they all set off; Rollo and +James running on eagerly before. +</p> + +<p> +When they came to the trap, they found it shut. Jonas took it up, and tipped it +one way and the other, and listened. He heard something moving in it, but did +not know whether it was anything more than the corn cob. Then he said he would +open the trap a very little, and let Rollo peep in. +</p> + +<p> +He did so. Rollo said it looked all dark; he could not see any thing. Then +Jonas opened it a little farther, and Rollo saw two little shining eyes, and +presently a nose smelling along at the crack. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, here he is, here he is,” said Rollo; “look at him, +James, look at him;—see, see.” +</p> + +<p> +They all peeped at him, and then Jonas took the box under his arm, and they +returned home. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas told the boys he was not willing to keep the squirrel a prisoner very +long, but he would try to contrive some way by which they might look at him. +Now, there was, in the garret, a small fire-fender, which had been laid aside +as old and useless. Jonas recollected this, and thought he could fix up a +temporary cage with it. So he took a small box about as large as a raisin-box, +which he found in the barn, and laid it down on its side, so as to turn the +open side towards the trap, and then moved the trap close up to it. He then +covered up all the rest of the open part of the box with shingles, and asked +James and Rollo to hold them on. Then he carefully lifted up the cover of the +trap, and made a rattling in the back part of it with the spindle. This drove +the squirrel through out of the trap into the box. +</p> + +<p> +When Jonas was sure that he was in, he took the old fender and slid it down +very cautiously between the trap and the box, so as to cover the open part +entirely, and make a sort of grated front, like a cage. Then he took the trap +away, and there the little nut-cracker was, safely imprisoned, but yet fairly +exposed to view. +</p> + +<p> +That is, they <i>thought</i> he was safely imprisoned; but he, little rogue, +had no idea of submitting without giving his bolts and bars a try. At first, he +crept along, with his tail curled over his back, in a corner, and looked at the +strange faces which surrounded him. “Let us give him a little +corn,” said Rollo; “perhaps he is hungry;” and he was just +slipping some kernels in between the wires of the fender, when Bunny sprang +forward, and, with a jump and a squeeze, forced his slender body between two of +the wires that were bent a little apart, leaped down upon the barn floor, ran +along to the corner, up the post, and then crept leisurely along on a beam. +Presently, he stopped, and looked down, as if considering what to do next. +</p> + +<p> +The moment he escaped, the boys exclaimed, “O, catch him, catch +him,” and were going to run after him; but Jonas said that it would do no +good, for they could not catch him again now, and had better stand still and +see what he would do. +</p> + +<p> +He soon began to run along on the beam; thence he ascended to the scaffold, and +made his way towards an open window. He jumped up to the window sill, and then +disappeared. The boys all ran around, outside, and were just in time to catch a +glimpse of him, running along on the top of the fence, down towards the woods +again. +</p> + +<p> +“Do let us run after him and catch him,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Catch him!” said Jonas, with a laugh, “you might as well +catch the wind. No, the only way is to set our trap for him again. I meant to +let him go, myself; but he is not going to slip through our fingers in that +way, I tell him.” So Jonas went down that night and set the trap again. +</p> + +<p> +For several days after this, the trap remained unsprung, and the boys began to +think that they should never see him again. At last, however, one day, when +Rollo was playing in the yard, he saw Jonas coming up out of the woods with the +trap under his arm. Rollo ran to meet him, and was delighted to find that the +squirrel was caught again. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap09"></a>HOW TO KEEP A SQUIRREL.</h3> + +<p> +Jonas contrived to tighten the wires of the lender, by weaving in other wires +so as to secure the little prisoner this time; and when he was fairly in his +temporary cage, the boys were so pleased with his graceful form and beautiful +colors, especially the elegant stripes on his back, that they begged hard to +keep him; and they made many earnest promises never to forget to feed him. +Jonas said, at last, +</p> + +<p> +“On the whole. I believe I will let you keep him, but you must do it in +my way.” +</p> + +<p> +“What is your way?” +</p> + +<p> +“Why, after a day or two, we must carry him back to his raspberry-bush, +and let him go. But you may give him a name, and call him yours, and you can +carry some corn down there now and then, to feed him with,—and then you +will see him, occasionally, playing about there.” +</p> + +<p> +James and Rollo did not exactly like this plan at first, but when they +considered how much better the little squirrel himself would like it, they +adopted it; and Rollo proposed that they should tie a string round his neck for +a collar, so that they might know him again. +</p> + +<p> +“I can get mother to let me have a little pink riband,” said he, +“and that will be beautiful.” +</p> + +<p> +“It would be a good plan,” said Jonas, “to mark him in some +way, but he might gnaw off the riband.” +</p> + +<p> +“O no,” said James, “he could not gnaw any thing on his own +neck.” Rollo thought so too, and they both tried to bite their own collar +ribands, by way of showing Jonas how impossible it was. +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t know exactly what the limits are of a squirrel’s +gnawing,” said Jonas. “Perhaps he might tear it off with his +claws.” +</p> + +<p> +“Or he might get another squirrel to gnaw it off for him,” said +James. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said Jonas, “and there is another difficulty. He might +be jumping from one tree to another, and catch his collar in some little +branch, and so get hung, without judge or jury.” +</p> + +<p> +“What can we do then?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“I think,” said Jonas, “that the best plan would be to dye +the end of his tail black. That would not hurt him any; and yet, as he always +holds his tail up, we should see it, and know him.” +</p> + +<p> +The boys both thought this would be excellent, and Jonas said he had some black +dye, which he had made for dyeing some wood. Jonas was a very ingenious boy, +and used to make little boxes, and frames, and windmills, with his penknife, in +the long winter evenings, and he had made this dye out of vinegar and old +nails, to dye some of his wood with. +</p> + +<p> +“I am not certain,” said Jonas, “that my dye will color hair; +I never tried it, except on wood. Do you think that black would be a pretty +color?” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said Rollo, “black would not be a very pretty color, +but it would do. Yellow, and red, and green, are pretty colors, but black, and +brown, and white, are not pretty at all.” +</p> + +<p> +“I have not got any yellow, or red, or green,” said Jonas. “I +don’t know but that I have got a little blue.” +</p> + +<p> +“O, blue would be beautiful,” said James. +</p> + +<p> +Then Jonas walked along into the barn, and Rollo and James followed him. He +went up stairs, and walked along to the farthest corner, and there, up on a +beam, were several small bottles all in a row. Jonas took down one, and shook +it, and said that was the blue. +</p> + +<p> +He brought it down to the cage; Rollo went into the house, and brought out an +old bowl, and Jonas prepared to pour out the dye into it. They then concluded +that they would carry the whole apparatus down into the edge of the woods, and +perform the operation there; and then the squirrel, when he was liberated, +would easily find his way back to his home. Jonas carried down a pair of thick, +old gloves, to keep the squirrel from biting him. +</p> + +<p> +As they walked along, Rollo proposed that Jonas should dip the squirrel’s +ears in as well as his tail; “because,” said he, “we may +sometimes see him when he is half hid in the bushes, so that only his head is +in sight.” +</p> + +<p> +“Besides,” said James, “it will make him look more beautiful +if his ears and tail are both blue.” +</p> + +<p> +Jonas did not object to this, and after a short time, they reached the edge of +the woods. They found a little opening, where the ground was smooth and the +grass green, which seemed exactly the place for them. So they put down the cage +and the bowl of dye, and Jonas began to put on his glove. +</p> + +<p> +“Now, boys,” said he, “you must be still as moonlight while I +do it. If you speak to me, you will put me out; and besides, you will frighten +little Bunny.” +</p> + +<p> +The boys promised not to speak a single word; and Jonas, after unfastening the +fender from the front of the box, moved it along until there was an opening +large enough for him to get his hand in. Rollo and James stood by silently, and +somewhat anxiously, waiting the result. +</p> + +<p> +When the squirrel saw Jonas’s hand intruding itself into the box, he +retreated to the farther corner, and curled himself up there, with his tail +close down upon his back. Jonas followed him with his hand, saying, in a +soothing tone, “Bunny, Bunny, poor little Bunny.” +</p> + +<p> +He reached him, at length, and put his hand very gently over him, and slowly +and cautiously drew him out. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo and James gave a sort of hysteric laugh, and instantly clapped their +hands to their mouths, to suppress it; but they looked at one another and at +Jonas with great delight. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas gradually brought the squirrel over the bowl, and prepared to dip his +ears into the dye. It was a strange situation for a squirrel to be in, and he +did not like it at all; and just at the instant when his ears were going into +the dye, he twisted his head round, and planted his little fore teeth directly +upon Jonas’s thumb. As might have been supposed, teeth which were sharp +and powerful enough to go through a walnut shell, would not he likely to be +stopped by a leathern glove; and Jonas, startled by the sudden cut, gave a +twitch with his hand, and, at the same instant, let go of the squirrel. Bunny +grasped the edge of the howl with his paws, and leaped out, bringing the bowl +itself at the same instant over upon him, spattering him all over from head to +tail with the blue dye. +</p> + +<div class="fig" style="width:100%;"> +<img src="images/fig05.jpg" width="450" height="422" alt="[Illustration]" /> +</div> + +<p> +The boys looked aghast for a minute, but when they saw him racing off as fast +as possible, and running up a neighboring tree, Jonas burst into a laugh, which +the other boys joined, and they continued it loud and long, till the woods rang +again. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, we have spotted him, at any rate,” said Jonas. “We +will call him Leopard.” +</p> + +<p> +The boys then looked at Jonas’s bite, and found that it was not a very +serious one. In fact, Jonas was a little ashamed at having let go for so small +a wound However, it was then too late to regret it and the boys returned slowly +home. +</p> + +<p> +As they were walking home, James said that the squirrel’s back looked +<i>wet</i>, where the dye went upon him, but he did not think it looked very +<i>blue</i>. +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said Jonas, “it does not generally look blue at first, +but it grows blue afterwards. It will be a bright color enough before you see +him again, I will warrant.” +</p> + +<p> +So they walked along home; the fender was put back in its place in the garret, +the bowl in the house, and the box in the barn. Jonas soon forgot that he had +been bitten, and the squirrel, as soon as his back was dry, thought no more of +the whole affair, but turned his attention entirely to the business of digging +a hole to store his nuts in for the ensuing winter. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap10"></a>FIRES IN THE WOODS.</h3> + +<p> +All the large trees that Jonas had felled beyond the brook, he cut up into +lengths, and hauled them up into the yard, and made a great high wood-pile of +them, higher than his head; but all the branches, and the small bushes, with +all the green leaves upon them, lay about the ground in confusion. Rollo asked +him what he was going to do with them. He said, after they were dry, he should +burn them up, and that they would make a splendid bonfire. +</p> + +<p> +They lay there drying a good many weeks. The leaves turned yellow and brown, +and the little twigs and sticks became gradually dry and brittle. Rollo used to +walk down there often, to see how the drying went on, and sometimes he would +bring up a few of the bushes, and put them on the kitchen fire, to see whether +they were dry enough to burn. +</p> + +<p> +At last, late in the autumn, one cool afternoon, Jonas asked Rollo to go down +with him and help him pile up the bushes in heaps, for he was going to burn +them that evening. Rollo wanted very much that his cousins James and Lucy +should see the fires; and so he asked his mother to let him go and ask them to +come and take tea there that night, and go out with them in the evening to the +burning. She consented, and Rollo went. Lucy promised to come just before +tea-time, and James came then, with Rollo, to help him pile the bushes up. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas said that the boys might make one little pile of their own if they +wished; and told them that they must first make a pile of solid sticks, and dry +rotten logs as large as they could lift or roll, so as to have a good solid +fire underneath, and then cover these up with brush as high as they could pile +it, so as to make a great blaze. He told them also that they must make their +pile where it would not burn any of the trees which he had left standing, for +he had left a great many of the large oaks, and beeches, and pines, to ornament +the ground and make a shade. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo and James decided to make their pile near the brook, between the bridge +which Jonas made of a tree, and the old wigwam which they had made some time +before of boughs. They got together a great heap of solid wood, as large pieces +as they could lift, and at one end they put in a great deal of birch bark, +which they stripped off, in great sheets, from an old, decayed birch tree, +which had been lying on the ground near, for half a century. When this was +done, they began to pile on the bushes and brush, taking care to leave the end +where the birch bark was, open. After they had piled it up as high as they +could reach. Rollo clambered up to the top of it, and James reached the long +bushes up to him, and he arranged them regularly, with the tops out. So they +worked all the afternoon, and by the time they had got their pile done, they +found that Jonas had thrown almost all the rest of the bushes into heaps; and +then they went home to tea. +</p> + +<p> +They found Lucy there, and they were all so eager to go to the bonfires, that +they did not eat much supper. Their father told them that, as they had so +little appetite, they had better carry down some potatoes and apples, and roast +them by the fires. They thought this an excellent plan, and ran into the +store-room to get them. Their mother gave them a basket to put the potatoes and +apples into, and a little salt folded up in a paper. They were then so +impatient to go that their parents said they might set off with Jonas, and they +themselves would come along very soon. +</p> + +<p> +So Jonas and the three children walked on. Rollo carried the basket, and Jonas +a lantern; and Jonas, as he went along, made, with his penknife, some flat, +wooden spoons, to eat their potatoes with. They came to the bridge, and all got +safely over, though Lucy was a little afraid at first. +</p> + +<p> +They played around there a few minutes, as the twilight was coming on; and, +soon after, they saw Rollo’s father and mother coming down through the +trees, on the other side of the brook. They stopped on that side, as +Rollo’s mother did not like to come across the bridge. Pretty soon they +called out to Jonas to light the fires. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas then took a large piece of birch bark, and touched the corner of it to +the lamp in the lantern, and when it was well on fire, he laid it carefully on +the ground. The bark began to blaze up very bright, sending out volumes of +thick smoke and dense flame, writhing, and curling, and snapping, as it lay on +the ground. The light shone brightly on the grass and sticks around. +</p> + +<p> +“There,” said Jonas, “that will burn some time; now you may +light your torches from that.” +</p> + +<p> +“Torches?” said Rollo, “we have not got any torches.” +</p> + +<p> +“Have not you made any torches? O, well,—I will make you some in a +minute.” +</p> + +<p> +So he took out his knife, and selected three long slender stems of bushes, and +trimmed them up, and cut off the tops. Then he made a little split in the top +end, and slipped in a piece of birch bark. Then he handed them to the children, +one to each, and said, “There are your torches; now you can light your +fires without burning your fingers.” +</p> + +<p> +So they took their torches, and held the ends over the flame of the piece of +birch bark, which, however, had by this time nearly burned out. Lucy’s +took fire, but Rollo’s and James’s did not, at first; and as they +pressed their torches down more and more to make them light, they only +smothered what little flame was left, and put it out. +</p> + +<p> +“O dear me!” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +Lucy had gone a little way towards a pile; but when she saw what was the +matter, she came back and said, “Here;—light it by mine.” So +the boys held their torches over hers until they were all three in a bright +blaze. They then carried them along, waving them in the air, and lighting pile +after pile, until the whole forest seemed to be in a flame. +</p> + +<p> +The children stood still a few moments, gazing on the fires, and on the +extraordinary effect which the light produced upon the objects around. It was a +singular scene. Flashing and crackling flames rose high from the heaps which +were on fire, and shed a strong but unsteady light on the trees, the ground, +and the banks of the brook, and penetrated deep into the forest on every side. +Rollo called upon James and Lucy to look at his father and mother, who were +across the brook; they stood there under the trees, almost invisible before, +but now the bright light shone strongly upon their faces and forms, and cast +upon them a clear and brilliant illumination, which was strongly contrasted +with the dark depths of the forest behind them. +</p> + +<p> +The children were silent, and stood still for a few minutes, gazing on the +scene with feelings of admiration and awe. They expected to have capered about +and laughed, but they found that they had no disposition to do so. The +enjoyment they felt was not of that kind which leads children to caper and +laugh. They stood still, and looked silently and soberly on the flashing +flames, the lurid light, the bright red reflections on the woods, the banks, +and the water,—and on the volumes of glowing smoke and sparks which +ascended to the sky. +</p> + +<p> +Before long, however, the light fuel upon the top of the piles was burned up, +and there remained great glowing heaps of embers, and logs of wood still +flaming. These the boys began to poke about with long poles that Jonas had cut +for them, to make them burn brighter, and to see the sparks go up. Presently +they heard their father calling them. +</p> + +<p> +The boys all stopped to listen. +</p> + +<p> +“We are going home,” said he; “we shall take cold if we stand +still here. You may stay, however, with Jonas, only you must not sit +down.” +</p> + +<p> +So Rollo’s father and mother turned away, and walked along back towards +the house, the light shining more and more faintly upon them, until they were +lost among the trees. +</p> + +<p> +“Why do you suppose we must not sit down?” said Lucy. +</p> + +<p> +“Because,” said Jonas, “they are afraid you will take cold. +As long as you run about and play around the fires, you keep warm.” +</p> + +<p> +“O, then we will run about and play fast enough,” said James. +“I know what I am going to do.” +</p> + +<p> +So he took a large flat piece of hemlock bark, which he found upon the ground, +and began tearing off strips of birch bark from the old tree, and piling them +upon it. +</p> + +<p> +“What are you going to do?” said Lucy. +</p> + +<p> +“O, I am going to play steam-boat on fire,” said he; and he took up +the piece of bark with the little pile of combustibles upon it, and carried it +down to the edge of the brook. Then he went back and got his torch stick, and +put a fresh piece of birch bark in the split end, and lighted it, and then came +back to the brook, walking slowly lest his torch should go out. +</p> + +<p> +Lucy held his torch for him while he gently put his steam-boat on the water; +and then he lighted it with his torch, and pushed it out. It floated down, all +blazing as it was, to the great delight of the three children, and astonishment +of all the little fishes in the brook, who could not imagine what the blazing +wonder could be. +</p> + +<p> +The children followed it along down the brook, and began to pelt it with +stones, and soon got into a high frolic. But as they were very careful not to +hit one another with the stones, nor to speak harshly or cross, they enjoyed it +very much. When at last the steam-boat was fairly pelted to pieces, and the +blackened fragments of the birch bark were scattered over the water, and +floating away down the stream, they began to think of roasting their corn and +potatoes, which they did very successfully over the remains of the fires. When +they had nearly finished eating, Rollo suddenly exclaimed,— +</p> + +<p> +“O, I will tell you what we will do; we will go and set our wigwam on +fire!” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo pointed to the wigwam. James and Lucy looked, and observed that it had +been dried and browned in the sun, and Rollo thought it was no longer good for +any thing as a wigwam, but would make a capital bonfire. He proposed that they +should all go into it and sit down, and put a torch near the side so as to set +it on fire, as if accidentally. They would go on talking as if they did not see +it, and when the flames burst out, they would jump up and run out, crying, +Fire! as people do when their houses get on fire. +</p> + +<p> +Lucy said she should not like to do that. She should be afraid, she said. The +sparks would fall down upon her and burn her. So the boys gave that plan up. +Then James proposed that they should make believe that they were savages, going +to set fire to a town. The wigwam was to be the town. They would take their +torches, and all go and set it on fire in several places. +</p> + +<p> +“But, then, I could not help,” said Lucy, “for women do not +go to war.” +</p> + +<p> +“O yes, they do, if they are savages,” said James. “We play +that we are savages, you see.” +</p> + +<p> +So it was all agreed to. They lighted their torches, and marched along, waving +them in the air, until they came to the wigwam, and then they danced around it, +singing and shouting as they set it on fire in many places on all sides. The +flames spread rapidly, and flashed up high into the air, and soon there was +nothing left of the poor wigwam but a few smoking and blackened sticks lying on +the ground. +</p> + +<p> +The children then crept along over the bridge, and went towards home. There +were still great beds of burning embers remaining, and in some places the +remains of logs and stumps were blazing brightly. And that night, when Rollo +went to bed, he lay looking out the window which was towards the woods, and saw +the light still shining among the trees, and the smoke slowly rising from the +fires, and floating away through the air. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="story03"></a>THE HALO ROUND THE MOON; OR, LUCY’S VISIT.</h2> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap11"></a>“A ROUND RAINBOW.”</h3> + +<p> +About six miles from the house where Rollo lived, there was a mountain called +Benalgon, which was famous for bears and blueberries. There were no bears on +it, but there were plenty of blueberries. The reason why it was so famous for +bears, when in fact there were none there, was because the boys and girls that +went there for blueberries every year, used to see black logs and stumps among +the trees and bushes of the mountain, and they would run away very hastily, and +insist upon it, when they got down the mountain, that they had seen a bear. +</p> + +<p> +Now, Rollo’s father and mother, together with his uncle George, formed a +plan for going up this mountain after blueberries, and they were going to take +Rollo and his cousin Lucy with them. Uncle George and cousin Lucy were to come +in a chaise to Rollo’s house immediately after breakfast, and Rollo was +to ride with them, and his father and mother were to go in another chaise. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo got his little basket to pick his blueberries in, all ready the night +before, and he got a string to tie around his neck, intending to hang his +basket upon it, so that he could have both his hands at liberty, and pick +faster. He also thought he would take all the heavy things out of his pocket, +so that he could run the faster, in case he should see any bears. He put them +all on a window in the shed. The things were a knife, a piece of chalk, two +white pebble stones, and a plummet. When he got them all out, he asked Jonas, +who was splitting wood in the shed, if he would not take care of them for him, +till he came back. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, yes,” said Jonas, “I will take care of them if you +wish; but what are you going to leave them for?” +</p> + +<p> +“O, so that I can run faster,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Run faster? I do not think you will run much, up old Benalgon, unless he +holds his back down lower than when I went up.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo did not mean that he was going to run up the mountain, but he did not +explain what he did mean, for he thought that Jonas would laugh at him, if he +told him he was afraid of the bears. So he said, “Jonas, don’t you +wish you were going with us?” +</p> + +<p> +“I should like it well enough, but I must stay at home and mind my +work.” +</p> + +<p> +“I wish you could go. I will go and ask my father if he will not let +you.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo ran into the house with great haste and eagerness, leaving all the doors +open, and calling out, “Father, father,” as soon as he had begun to +open the parlor door. +</p> + +<p> +“Father, father,” said he, running up to him, “I wish you +would let Jonas go with us to-morrow.” +</p> + +<p> +Now, Rollo’s father had come home but a short time before, and was just +seated quietly in his arm-chair, reading a newspaper, and Rollo came up to him, +pulling down the paper with his hands, and looking up into his father’s +face, so as to stop his reading at once. Heedless boys very often come to ask +favors in this way. +</p> + +<p> +His father gently moved him back and said, +</p> + +<p> +“No, my son, it is not convenient for Jonas to go to-morrow. Besides, I +am busy now, and cannot talk with you;—you must go away.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo turned away disappointed, and went slowly back through the kitchen. His +mother, who was there, and who heard all that passed, as the doors were open, +said to him, as he walked by her, “What a foolish way that was to ask +him, Rollo! You might have known it would have done no good.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo did not answer, but he went and sat down on the step of the door, and was +just beginning to think what the foolishness was in his way of asking his +father, when a little bird came hopping along in the yard. He ran in to ask his +mother to give him some milk to feed the bird with. She smiled, and told him +milk was good for kittens, but not for birds; and she gave him some crumbs of +bread. Rollo threw the crumbs out, but they only frightened the little thing +away. +</p> + +<p> +That night, when Rollo went to bed, his father said, that when he was all +ready, he would come up and see him. When he came into his chamber, Rollo +called out to him, +</p> + +<p> +“O, father, look out the window, and see what a beautiful ring there is +round the moon.” +</p> + +<p> +“So there is,” said his father; “I am rather sorry to see +that.” +</p> + +<p> +“Sorry, father! why? It is beautiful, I think.” +</p> + +<p> +“It does look pretty, but it is a sign of rain to-morrow.” +</p> + +<p> +“Of rain? O no, father; it is a kind of a rainbow. It is a round rainbow. +I am sure it will be pleasant to-morrow.” +</p> + +<p> +“Very well,” said his father, “we shall see in the +morning.” Then he sat down on Rollo’s bed-side some time, talking +with him on various subjects, and then heard him say his prayers. At length he +took the light, and bade Rollo good night. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo’s eye caught another view of the moon as his father was going, and +he said, +</p> + +<p> +“O, father, just look at the moon once more; that <i>is</i> a rainbow; I +see the colors. I expect it will grow into a large one, such as you told me was +a sign of fair weather. I will watch it.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said his father, “you can watch it as you go to +sleep.” +</p> + +<p> +So Rollo laid his face upon his pillow in such a way that he could see the moon +through the window; and he began to watch the bright circle around it, but +before it grew any bigger, he was fast asleep. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap12"></a>WHO KNOWS BEST, A LITTLE BOY OR HIS FATHER?</h3> + +<p> +The next morning, Rollo awoke early, and he was very much pleased to see, as +soon as he opened his eyes, that the sun was shining in at the windows. He was +not only pleased to find that the prospect was so good for a pleasant ride, but +his vanity was gratified at the thought that it had turned out that he knew +better about the weather than his father. He began to dress himself, as far as +he could without help, and was preparing to hasten down to his father, to tell +him that it was going to be a pleasant day. When he was nearly dressed, he was +surprised lo observe that the bright sunlight on the wall was gradually fading +away, and at length it wholly disappeared. He went to look out the window to +see what was the cause. He found that there was a broad expanse of dark cloud +covering the eastern sky, excepting a narrow strip quite low down, near the +horizon. When the sun first rose, it shone brightly through this narrow zone of +clear sky; but now it had ascended a little higher, and gone behind the cloud. +</p> + +<p> +“Never mind,” said Rollo to himself. “The cloud is not so +very large after all, and the sun will come out again above it when it gets up +a little higher.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo came down to breakfast, and he went out into the yard every two or three +minutes, to look at the sky. The cloud seemed to extend, so that the sun did +not come out of it, as he expected, but still he thought it was going to be +pleasant Children generally think it is going to be pleasant, whenever they +want to go away. +</p> + +<p> +His father thought it was probably going to rain, and that at any rate it was +very doubtful whether Uncle George would come. However, he said they should +soon see, and, true enough, just as they were rising from the breakfast table, +a chaise drove up to the door, and out jumped Uncle George and cousin Lucy. +</p> + +<p> +Lucy was a very pleasant little blue-eyed girl, two or three years older than +Rollo. She had a small tin pail in her hand, with a cover upon it. +</p> + +<p> +“Good morning, Rollo,” said she. “Have you got your basket +ready?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said Rollo; “but I am afraid it is going to +rain.” +</p> + +<p> +While the children were saying this, Uncle George said to Rollo’s father, +</p> + +<p> +“I suppose we shall have to give up our expedition to-day. I am in hopes +we are going to have some rain.” +</p> + +<p> +“In <i>hopes</i>,” thought Rollo; “that is very strange when +we want to go a blueberrying.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo’s father and mother and his uncle looked at the clouds all around. +They concluded that there was every appearance of rain, and that it would be +best to postpone their excursion, and then went into the house. Rollo was very +confident it would not rain, and was very eager to have them go. He asked Lucy +if she did not think it was going to be pleasant, but Lucy was more modest and +reasonable than he was, and said that she did not know; she could not judge of +the weather so well as her father. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo began by this time to be considerably out of humor. He said he knew it +was not going to rain, and he did not see why they might not go. He did not +believe it would rain a drop all day. +</p> + +<p> +Lucy just then pointed down to a little dark spot on the stone step of the +door, where a drop had just fallen, and asked Rollo what he called that. +</p> + +<p> +“And that,—and that,—and that,” said she, pointing to +several other drops. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo at first insisted that that was not rain, but some little spots on the +stone. +</p> + +<p> +Then Lucy reached out her hand and said, +</p> + +<p> +“Hold out your hand so, Rollo, and you will feel the drops coming down +out of the sky.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo held out his hand a moment, but then immediately withdrew it, saying, +impatiently, that he did not care; it was not rain; at any rate it was only a +little sprinkling. +</p> + +<p> +Lucy observed that Rollo was getting very much out of humor, and she tried to +please him by saying, +</p> + +<p> +“Rollo, I would not mind. If it does rain, I will ask my father to let me +stay and play with you to-day, and we can have a fine time up in your little +room.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, we cannot,” said Rollo; “and besides, they will not let +you stay, I know. I went yesterday to ask my father to let Jonas go with us +to-day, and he would not.” +</p> + +<p> +It was certainly very unreasonable for Rollo to imagine that his father and +uncle would be unwilling to have Lucy stay just because it had not been +convenient to let Jonas go with them. But when children are out of humor, they +are always very unreasonable. +</p> + +<p> +“Why would not he let Jonas go?” asked Lucy. +</p> + +<p> +“I do not know. Mother said it was because I did not ask him +right.” +</p> + +<p> +“How did you ask him?” +</p> + +<p> +“O, I interrupted him. He was reading.” +</p> + +<p> +“O, that is not the way. I never <i>interrupt</i> my father if I want to +ask him any thing.” +</p> + +<p> +“Suppose he is busy, and you want to know that very minute; what do you +do?” +</p> + +<p> +“I will show you. Come with me and I will ask him to let me stay with you +to-day.” +</p> + +<p> +So Lucy and Rollo walked in. When they came to the parlor door, they saw that +their parents were sitting on the sofa, talking about other things. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo stopped at the door, but Lucy went in gently. She walked up to her +father’s side, and stood there still. +</p> + +<p> +Her father took no notice of her at first, but went on talking with +Rollo’s father. Lucy stood very patiently until, after a few minutes, her +father stopped talking, and said, +</p> + +<p> +“Lucy, my dear, do you want to speak to me?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, sir,” said Lucy, “I wanted to ask you if you were +willing to let me stay here to-day and play with Rollo, if you do not go to the +mountain.” +</p> + +<p> +“I do not know,” said her father, hesitating, and patting Lucy on +the head—“that is a new idea; however, I believe I have no +objection.” +</p> + +<p> +Lucy ran back joyfully to Rollo, and after a short time, her father went home. +Rollo, however, did not feel in any better humor, and all Lucy’s +endeavors to engage him in some amusement, failed. She proposed building with +bricks, or going up into his little room, and drawing pictures on their slates, +or getting his storybooks out and reading stories, and various other things, +but Rollo would not be pleased. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo ought, now, when he found that he must be disappointed about his ride, to +have immediately banished it from his mind altogether, and turned his thoughts +to other pleasures; but like all ill-humored people, he <i>would</i> keep +thinking and talking, all the time, about the thing which caused his ill-humor. +So he sat in a large back entry, where he and Lucy were, looking out at the +door, and saying a great many ill-natured things about the weather, and his +father’s giving up the ride just for a little sprinkling of rain that +would not last half an hour. He said it was a shame, too, for it to rain that +day, just because he was going to ride. +</p> + +<p> +Just then, his father spoke to him from the window, and called him in. +</p> + +<p> +He and Lucy went in together into the parlor. +</p> + +<p> +“Rollo,” said his father, “did you know you were doing very +wrong?” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo felt a little guilty, but he said rather faintly, “No, sir, I was +not doing any thing.” +</p> + +<p> +“You are committing a great many sins, all at once.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo was silent. He knew his father meant sins of the heart. +</p> + +<p> +“Your heart is in a very wicked state. You are under the dominion of some +of the worst of feelings; you are self-conceited, ungrateful, undutiful, +unjust, selfish, and,” he added in a lower and more solemn tone, +“even impious.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo thought that these were heavy charges to bring upon him; but his father +spoke calmly and kindly, and he knew that he could easily show that what he +said was true. +</p> + +<p> +“You are <i>self-conceited</i>—vainly imagining that you, a little +boy of seven years old, can judge better than your father and mother, and +obstinately persisting in your opinion that it is not going to rain, when the +rain has actually commenced, and is falling faster and faster. You are +<i>ungrateful,</i> to speak reproachfully of me, and give me pain, by your +ill-will, when I have been planning this excursion, in a great degree, for your +enjoyment, and only give it up because I am absolutely compelled to do it by a +storm; <i>undutiful</i>, in showing such a repining, unsubmissive spirit +towards your father; <i>unjust</i> in making Lucy and all of us suffer, because +you are unwilling to submit to these circumstances that we cannot control; +<i>selfish</i>, in being unwilling that it should rain and interfere with your +ride, when you know that rain is so much wanted in all the fields, all over the +country; and, what is worse than all, <i>impious</i>, in openly rebelling +against God, and censuring the arrangements of his providence, and pretending +to think that they are made just to trouble you.” +</p> + +<p> +When he had said this, he paused to hear what Rollo would say. He thought that +if he was convinced of his sin, and really penitent, he would acknowledge that +he was wrong, or at least be silent;—but that if, on the other hand, he +were still unsubdued, he would go to making excuses. +</p> + +<p> +After a moment’s pause, Rollo said,—“I did not know that +there was need of rain in the fields.” +</p> + +<p> +“Did not you?” said his father. “Did not you know that the +ground was very dry, and that, unless we have rain soon, the crops will suffer +very much?” +</p> + +<p> +“No, sir,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“It is so,” said his father; “and this rain, which you are so +unwilling to have descend, is going down into the ground all over the country, +and into the roots of all the plants growing in the fields, carrying in the +nourishment which will swell out all the corn and grain, and apples and pears. +In a few days there will be thousands and thousands of dollars’ worth of +fruit and food more than there would have been without this rain; and yet you +are very unwilling to have it come, because you want to go and get a few +blueberries!” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo was confounded, and had not a word to say. +</p> + +<p> +“Now, Rollo,” continued his father, “all the rest of us are +disposed to be good-humored, and to acquiesce in God’s decision, and try +to have a happy day at home; and we cannot have it spoiled by your wicked +repinings. So you must go away by yourself, until you feel willing to submit +pleasantly and with good humor. Then you may come back, but be sure not to come +back before.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap13"></a>REPENTANCE.</h3> + +<p> +Now there was in Rollo’s house a small back garret, over a part of the +kitchen chamber, which had one small window in it, looking out into the garden. +This garret was not used, and Rollo’s father had put a little +rocking-chair there, and a small table with a Bible on it, and hung some old +maps about it, so as to make it as pleasant a little place as he could; and +there he used to send Rollo when he had done any thing very wrong, or when he +was sullen and ill natured, that he might reflect in solitude, and either +return a good boy, or else stay where his bad feelings would not trouble or +injure others. His father had put in marks, too, at several places in the +Bible, where he thought it would be well for him to read at such times; as he +said that reading suitable passages in the Bible would be more likely to bring +him to repentance, than any other book. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo knew that when his father told him to go away by himself, he meant for +him to go into this back garret. So he turned round and walked out of the room. +As he passed up the back stairs, the kitten came frisking around him, but he +had no heart to play with her, and walked on. He then turned and went up the +narrow, steep stairs that led to the garret; they were rather more like a +ladder than like stairs. Rollo ascended them, and then sat down in the little +rocking-chair. The rain was beating against the windows, and pattering on the +roof which was just over his head. +</p> + +<p> +It is sometimes but a little thing which turns the whole current of the +thoughts and feelings. In Rollo’s case, at this time, it was but a drop +of water. For after having sat some time in his chair, his heart remaining +pretty nearly the same, a drop of water, which, somehow or other, contrived to +get through some crevice in the boards and shingles over his head, fell exactly +into the back of his neck. The first feeling it occasioned was an additional +emotion of impatience and fretfulness. But he next began to think how +unreasonable and wicked it was to make all that difficulty, just because his +father was preventing his going out to stay all day in the rain, when a single +drop falling upon him vexed and irritated him. +</p> + +<div class="fig" style="width:100%;"> +<img src="images/fig06.jpg" width="450" height="412" alt="[Illustration]" /> +</div> + +<p> +He also looked out of the window towards the garden, and the dry ground, and +all the trees and garden vegetables seemed to be drinking in the rain with +delight. That made him think of the vast amount of good the rain was doing, and +he saw his own selfishness in a striking point of view. In a word Rollo was now +beginning to be really penitent. The tears came into his eyes; but they were +tears of real sorrow for sin, not of vexation and anger. +</p> + +<p> +He took up his little Bible, to read one of the passages, as his father had +advised him. He happened to open at a mark which his father had put in at the +parable of the prodigal son. The first verse which his eye fell upon, was the +verse, “I will arise and go to my father.” Rollo thought that that +was exactly the thing for him to do—to go and confess his fault to his +father. +</p> + +<p> +So he laid down his little Bible, wiped the tears from his eyes, and went down +stairs. He met his father in the entry. He went up to him, and took his hand, +and said, +</p> + +<p> +“Father, I am really very sorry I have been so naughty; I <i>will try</i> +to be a good boy now.” +</p> + +<p> +His father stooped down and kissed him. “I am very glad to hear it, +Rollo,” said he. “Now you may go and find Lucy. I believe she is up +in your mother’s chamber.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo went off quite happy in pursuit of Lucy. He found her sitting on a +cricket in his mother’s room, looking over a little picture-book. Rollo +ran laughing up to her, and said, +</p> + +<p> +“What have you got, Lucy?” +</p> + +<p> +“One of your little picture-books. Will you lend it to me to carry +home?” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo said he would, and then they began to talk about what they should do. It +rained very fast, and they could not go out of doors; and, after proposing +several things, which, however, neither of them seemed to like, they turned to +Rollo’s mother, and asked her what they had better do. +</p> + +<p> +“I always find,” said his mother, “that when I am +disappointed of any pleasure, it is best not to try to find any other pleasure +in its place, but to turn to <i>duty</i>.” +</p> + +<p> +The children did not understand this very well, and they were silent. +</p> + +<p> +“What I mean,” she continued, “is this: When we have just +been disappointed of any pleasure which we had set our hearts upon, it is very +difficult to find any thing else that we can have in its place, that will look +as pleasant as the one we had lost. You see that you are not satisfied with any +thing you propose to one another. Now, I find that the best way, in such cases, +is to give up pleasure altogether, and turn to some duty; and after performing +the duty a short time, peace and satisfaction return to the mind again, and we +get over the effects of the disappointment in the quickest and pleasantest +way.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo and Lucy looked at one another rather soberly. They did not seem to know +what to say. +</p> + +<p> +“I presume, however, you will not do this,” continued his mother. +</p> + +<p> +“Why?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Because,” said his mother, “it requires a good deal of +resolution, at first, to turn to <i>duty</i> when you have just been setting +your heart on <i>pleasure</i>.” +</p> + +<p> +“O, we have got resolution enough,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“What duty do you think we had better do?” asked Lucy. +</p> + +<p> +“If I were you,” replied Rollo’s mother, “I should +first of all sit down and have a good reading lesson.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo and Lucy hesitated a little, but they concluded to take their +mother’s advice at last, and went to Rollo’s little library, and +chose a book, and then went down to the back entry, and sat down there, on a +long cricket, and began to read. +</p> + +<p> +At first, it was rather hard to do it, for it did not look very pleasant to +either of them to sit down and read, just at the time when they expected to be +gathering blueberries on the mountain. Rollo said, when they were opening the +hook and finding the place, that, if they had gone, they should, by that time, +have just about arrived at the foot of the mountain. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said Lucy, “but we must not think of that now. +Besides, just see how it rains. It would be a fine time now to go up a +mountain, wouldn’t it?” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo looked out of the open door, and saw the rain pouring down into the yard, +and felt again ashamed to recollect how he had insisted that it was not going +to rain. +</p> + +<p> +Lucy said it was beautiful to see it pouring down so fast. “Look,” +said she; “how it streams down from the spout at the corner of the +barn!” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said Rollo, “and see that little pond out by the +garden gate. How it is all full of little bubbles! It will be a beautiful pond +for me to sail boats in, when the rain is over. I can make paper-boats and pea +boats!” +</p> + +<p> +“Pea boats?” said Lucy; “what are pea-boats?” +</p> + +<p> +“O! they are beautiful little boats,” said he. “Jonas showed +me how to make them. We take a pea-pod, a good large full pea-pod, and shave +off the top from one end to the other, and then take out the peas, and it makes +a beautiful little boat. I wish we had some; I could show you.” +</p> + +<p> +“Let us make some when we have done reading, and sail them. Only that +pond will all go away when the rain is over.” +</p> + +<p> +“O no,” said Rollo, “I will put some ground all around it, +and then the water cannot run away.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, but it will soak down into the ground.” +</p> + +<p> +“Will it?” said Rollo. “Well, we can sail our boats on it a +little while before it is gone.” +</p> + +<p> +“But it is so wet,” said Lucy, “we cannot go out to get any +pea-pods.” +</p> + +<p> +“I did not think of that,” said Rollo. “Perhaps Jonas could +get some for us, with an umbrella.” +</p> + +<p> +“<i>I</i> could go with an umbrella,” said Lucy, “just as +well as not.” +</p> + +<p> +The children saw an umbrella behind the door, and they thought they would go +both together, and they actually laid down their book, spread the umbrella, and +went to the door. It then occurred to them that it would not be quite right to +go out, without leave; so Rollo went to ask his mother. +</p> + +<p> +His mother said it was not suitable for young ladies to go out in the rain, as +their shoes, and their dress generally, were thin, and could not bear to be +exposed to wet; but she said that Rollo himself might take off his shoes and +stockings, and go out alone, when the rain held up. +</p> + +<p> +“But, mother,” said he, “why cannot I go out now, with the +umbrella?” +</p> + +<p> +“Because,” she replied, “when it rains fast, some of the +water spatters through the umbrella, and some will be driven against you by the +wind.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, I will wait, and as soon as it rains but little, I will go out. +But must I take off my shoes and stockings?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said his mother, “or else you will get them wet and +muddy. And before you go you must get a dipper of water ready in the shed, to +pour on your feet, and wash them, when you get back; and then wait till they +are entirely dry, before you put on your shoes and stockings again. If you want +the pea-pods enough to take all that trouble, you may go for them.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo said he did want them enough for that, and he then went back and told +Lucy what his mother had said, and they concluded to read until the rain should +cease, and that then Rollo should go out into the garden. +</p> + +<p> +They began to read; but their minds were so much upon the pea-pod boats, that +the story did not interest them very much. Besides, children cannot read very +well aloud, to one another; for if they succeed in calling all the words right, +they do not generally give the stops and the emphasis, and the proper tones of +voice, so as to make the story interesting to those that hear. Some boys and +girls are vain enough to think that they can read very well, just because they +can call all the words without stopping to spell them; but this is very far +from being enough to make a good reader. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo read a little way, and then Lucy read a little way; but they were not +much interested, and thinking that the difficulty might be in the book, they +got another, but with no better success. At last Rollo said they would go and +get their mother to read to them. So they went together to her room, and Rollo +said that they could not get along very well in rending themselves, and asked +her if she would not be good enough to read to them. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, what is the difficulty?” said she. +</p> + +<p> +“O, I do not know, exactly: the story is not very interesting, and then +we cannot read very well.” +</p> + +<p> +“In what respect will it be better for me to read to you?” she +asked. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, mother, you can choose us a prettier story; and then we should +understand it better if you read it.” +</p> + +<p> +“I suppose you would; but I see you have made a great mistake.” +</p> + +<p> +“What mistake?” said both the children at once. +</p> + +<p> +“Why is it that you are going to read at all?” +</p> + +<p> +“Why, you advised us to, mother.” +</p> + +<p> +“Did I advise you to do it as a <i>duty</i>, or as a +<i>pleasure</i>?” +</p> + +<p> +“As a <i>duty</i>, mother; I recollect now.” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes: well, now the mistake you have made is, that you are looking upon +it only as a pleasure, and instead of doing it faithfully, in such a way as +will make it most useful to you, you are forgetting that altogether, and only +intent upon having it interesting and pleasant. Is it not so?” +</p> + +<p> +“Why—yes,” said Rollo, hesitating, and looking down; and then +turning round to Lucy, he said, “I suppose we had better go and read the +story ourselves.” +</p> + +<p> +“Do just as you please,” said his mother. “I have not +commanded you to read, but only recommended it; and that not as a way of +<i>interesting</i> you, but as a way of spending an hour <i>usefully</i>, as a +preparation for an hour of enjoyment afterwards. You can do as you please, +however; but if you attempt to read at all, I advise you to do it not as +<i>play</i>, but as a <i>lesson</i>.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, come, Rollo,” said Lucy, “let us go.” +</p> + +<p> +So the children ran back to the entry, and sat down to their story, taking +pains to read carefully, as if their object was to learn to read; and though +they did not expect it, they did, in fact, have a very pleasant time. +</p> + +<p> +The rest of the adventures of Rollo and Lucy, during this day must be reserved +for another story. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="story04"></a>THE FRESHET.</h2> + +<p> +The story that Rollo and his cousin Lucy began to read together, in the back +entry, looking out towards the garden, that rainy day when they were +disappointed of the excursion up the mountain, commenced as follows:— +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap14"></a>MARIA AND THE CARAVAN.</h3> + +<p> +Maria Wilton lives in the pretty white house which stands just at the entrance +of the wood, where the children find the blackberries so thick in the berrying +season. It is not as large or elegant a house as many that we pass on a walk +through the village; but yet, with its neatly-painted front and blooming little +garden, its appearance is quite as inviting as that of many a more splendid +mansion. Certain it is, at least, that there is not a more pleasant or happy +dwelling in the town. Neatness and good order regulate all the arrangements of +the family, and where such is the case, it is almost needless to add that peace +and harmony characterize the intercourse of the inmates. It is seldom that +confusion or uproar, or disputes or contentions, are known among the Wiltons. +</p> + +<p> +But it was of Maria that I was intending to speak more particularly,—her +kind, and yielding, and conciliating manners towards her brothers and sisters. +Maria was not the oldest of the children; she was not quite nine, and her +sister Harriet was as much as eleven, and her brother George still older. And +yet her influence did more to maintain peace and good feeling in the family +group, than would have been believed by a person who had not observed her. In +every case where only her own wishes or inclinations were concerned, Maria was +ready to give up to George or Harriet; because, as she said, they were older +than herself; and again, she was quite as ready to yield to little Susan and +Willy, because they were younger. Her brothers and sisters, in their turn, were +far less apt to contend for any privilege or advantage, than they would have +been, if she had shown herself more tenacious of her own rights. +</p> + +<p> +Mr. Wilton used occasionally to go into the city, a few miles distant, upon +business. He usually went in a chaise, taking one of the children with him. The +excursion was to them a very pleasant one, and all anticipated, with a great +deal of pleasure, their respective turns to ride with their father. It happened +that the day when it fell to Maria’s turn, was to be the close of an +exhibition of animals, which had been for a short time in the city. +Maria’s eye brightened with pleasure as her father mentioned this +circumstance at the dinner table, and inquired if she would like to visit the +caravan. +</p> + +<p> +“O, father!” exclaimed George, eagerly, as he laid down his knife +and fork; “a caravan!—Mayn’t I go?” +</p> + +<p> +“You cannot both go,” replied his father; “and I believe it +is Maria’s turn to go into town with me.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” said George, “but I don’t believe Maria would +care any thing about seeing it;” and his eye glanced eagerly from his +father to Maria, and then from Maria to his father again. +</p> + +<p> +“How is it, Maria?” said Mr. Wilton; “have you no wish to +visit the caravan?” +</p> + +<p> +Maria did not answer directly, while yet her countenance showed very plainly +what her wishes really were. “Is there an <i>elephant</i> there, +father?” she, at length, rather hesitatingly inquired. +</p> + +<p> +“There probably is,” replied her father. +</p> + +<p> +“An <i>elephant</i>!” repeated George with something of a sneer; +“who has not seen an elephant? I would not give a farthing to go, if +there was nothing better than an elephant to be seen.” +</p> + +<p> +“What <i>should</i> you care so much to see?” inquired Mr. Wilton. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, I would give any thing to see a leopard or a camel.” +</p> + +<p> +“A leopard or a camel!” repeated his father in the same tone in +which George had made his rude speech; “I am sure I wouldn’t give a +farthing to see either a camel or a leopard.” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said George, “because you have seen them both; but +<i>I</i> never did.” +</p> + +<p> +“Neither has Maria seen an elephant,” returned Mr. Wilton; +“so what is the difference?” +</p> + +<p> +George looked a little mortified at the overthrow of his argument. But still +his eagerness for the gratification was not to be repressed.—“I +shouldn’t think a <i>girl</i> need to care about going to see a parcel of +wild beasts,” he remarked, rather petulantly, as he gave his chair a +push, upon rising from the table. +</p> + +<p> +“O, George, George.” expostulated his father, “I did not +think you were either a selfish or a sullen boy.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, father, and he is not,” said Maria, approaching her father, +and taking his hand; “but he wants to go very much, and I do not care so +<i>much</i> about it; so he may go, and I will stay at home.” +</p> + +<p> +“You are a good girl,” said her father; “but I shall not +consent to any such injustice; so go and get ready as quick as possible.” +</p> + +<p> +“But, father, I had really a great deal rather that George should +go,” insisted Maria. +</p> + +<p> +“But I cannot think that George would really, on the whole, prefer to +take your place,” said Mr. Wilton, turning to George. +</p> + +<p> +“No, sir.” replied George, who—restored by this time to a +sense of propriety and justice—was standing ready to speak for himself. +“No, sir; Maria is very kind; but I do not wish to take her place; I am +very sorry indeed that I said any thing about it. I certainly shall not consent +to hike your place, Maria,” he said, perceiving that she was ready to +entreat still further. +</p> + +<p> +“O! but I do wish you would,” said Maria. But just here her mother +interposed. “If Maria would really prefer to give up her place to her +brother,” said Mrs. Wilton, “I certainly shall like the arrangement +very much, for I am to be particularly engaged this afternoon, and, as Harriet +is to be absent, I shall be very glad of some of Maria’s assistance in +taking care of the baby.” +</p> + +<p> +“O! well,” said Maria, brightening up, “then I am sure I will +not go: so run, George, for father is almost ready to start.” +</p> + +<p> +Thus the matter was amicably settled. George went with his father, and Maria +remained at home to help take care of little Willy. +</p> + +<p> +Maria loved her little brother very much, and she never seemed tired of taking +care of him, even when he was ever so fretful or restless. She would leave her +play, at any moment, to run and rock the baby, or to hold him in her lap; for, +even if she felt inclined, at any time, to be a little out of patience for a +moment, she would recollect how many hours she had herself been nursed, by +night and by day, and she was glad of an opportunity to relieve her mother of +some of her care and fatigue. Her cousin, Ellen Weston, called, one afternoon, +to ask her to accompany a party of little girls, who were going to gather +berries in the wood near Maria’s house. It happened that Maria had been +left with the care of Willy, just as her cousin called; and it happened, too, +that Willy was that afternoon unusually fretful and difficult to please. If +Maria left him for a moment, or if she did not hold him exactly in the posture +which suited him, or if she had not precisely the thing ready which he wanted +at the moment, he would act just as all babies of nine or ten months sometimes +take it into their heads to act. With all her patience and good-humor, she +hardly knew how to manage him; and especially after having been obliged to +reject so agreeable an invitation as the one her cousin brought, she found her +task a little irksome. +</p> + +<p> +She could hardly repress an occasional expression of impatience, as she tried +in vain to please the wayward little fellow. But her patience and good-humor +were very soon restored; and as she reflected that she was doing her mother a +great deal of good, by staying at home with Willy, she felt quite willing to +dismiss all thoughts of the berrying expedition. The girls, however, did not +forget her. It was proposed by one of the party, when Ellen had stated the +reason why Maria could not join them, that each should contribute some portion +of her berries to be carried to her on their way home. All agreed very readily +to the plan, and each took pains to select the largest and the ripest of her +berries for Maria’s basket. The gratification afforded Maria by this +little token of kind remembrance, more than compensated for the self-denial +which she had practised. It is almost always the case when persons cheerfully +submit to any privation, for the sake of other persons, or because it is duty, +that they are amply rewarded for it. They enjoy, at least, the consciousness of +doing right, which is one of the very highest sources of pleasure. Maria would, +at any time, have been satisfied with only this reward; but it very often +happened, very unexpectedly, that something more was in store for her. This was +the case upon the time when she gave up her ride, and her visit to the caravan, +for the sake of her brother. I have not said that it was absolutely +Maria’s duty to yield to her brother, in this case: perhaps it would have +been perfectly right for her to have maintained her own claims; and yet there +is no doubt that she felt a great deal happier for the sacrifice she had made. +</p> + +<p> +But we were going to speak of some further reward that her amiable behavior, in +this instance, procured her. As her father opened a package which he had +brought on his return, he silently placed in her hands a beautiful copy of a +newly-published work, upon the fly-leaf of which she found +written—“Maria Wilton—a reward for her kind and obliging +manners towards her brothers and sisters.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap15"></a>SMALL CRAFT.</h3> + +<p> +When they had finished the story, Lucy shut the book, saying, “Maria was +a good girl, was not she, Rollo?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said Rollo, “she was an excellent girl. I would have +done just so; would not you, Lucy?” +</p> + +<p> +“I ought to, I know,” said Lucy, “but perhaps I should +not.” +</p> + +<p> +“I should, I am sure,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +Lucy was a polite girl, and she did not contradict Rollo, though she +recollected how much selfishness he had shown that morning, and it did not seem +to her very likely that he would have been willing to make any very great +sacrifice to oblige others. +</p> + +<p> +“My father says we cannot tell what we should do until we are +tried,” said Lucy. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, I <i>know</i> I should have been willing to stay at home, if I had +been Maria,” replied Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“But, only think, that would be preferring another person’s +pleasure rather than your own.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, I <i>should</i> prefer another person’s pleasure rather than +my own.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo was beginning to get a little excited and vexed. People who boast of +excellences which they do not possess, are very apt to be unreasonable and +angry when any body seems to doubt whether their boastings are true. He was +thus going on, insisting upon it that he should have acted as Maria had done, +and was just saying that he should prefer another person’s pleasure +rather than his own, when Jonas came into the entry from the kitchen, with an +armful of wood, which he was carrying into the parlor. +</p> + +<p> +“When is it, Rollo,” said Jonas, “that you prefer another +person’s pleasure to your own?” +</p> + +<p> +“Always,” said Rollo, with an air of self-conceit and consequence. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas smiled, and went on with his wood. +</p> + +<p> +It is always better for boys to be modest and humble-minded. They appear +ridiculous to others when they are boasting what <i>great</i> things they can +do; and when they boast what <i>good</i> things they do they are very likely to +be just on the eve of doing exactly the opposite. +</p> + +<p> +In a moment Jonas came back out of the parlor, and said, as he passed through, +</p> + +<p class="poem"> +“Self-praise<br/> +Goes but little ways;” +</p> + +<p class="noindent"> +a short piece of versification which all boys and girls would do well to +remember. +</p> + +<p> +Now it happened that, all this time, Rollo’s mother was sitting in a +little bedroom, which had a door opening into the entry where Lucy and Rollo +had been reading, and she heard all the conversation. She knew that though +Rollo was generally a good boy, and was willing to know his faults, and often +endeavored to correct them, still that he was, like all other boys, prone to +selfishness and to vanity, and she thought that she must take some way to show +him clearly what the truth really was, about his disinterestedness. +</p> + +<p> +In a few minutes, therefore, she went out of the room, and took from the store +closet an apple and a pear. They were both good, but the pear was particularly +fine. It was large, mellow, and juicy. She then went back to her seat, and +called, “Rollo.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo came running to her. +</p> + +<p> +“Here,” said she, “is an apple and a pear for you.” +</p> + +<p> +“Is one for me and one for Lucy?” said he. +</p> + +<p> +“That is just as you please. I give them both to you. You may do what you +choose with them.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo took the fruit, much pleased, and walked slowly back, hesitating what to +do. He thought he must certainly give one to Lucy, and as he had just been +boasting that he preferred another’s pleasure to his own, he was ashamed +to offer her the apple; and yet he wanted the pear very much himself. +</p> + +<p> +If he had had a little more time, he would have hit upon a plan which would +have removed all the difficulty at once, by dividing both the apple and the +pear, and giving to Lucy half of each. But he did not think of this. In fact +his mother knew that, as he was going directly bark to Lucy, he would not have +much time to think but must act according to the spontaneous impulse of his +heart. +</p> + +<p> +But though he did not think of dividing the apple and the pear, he happened to +hit upon a plan, which occurred to him just as he was going back into the +entry, that he thought would do. +</p> + +<p> +He held the fruit behind him; the apple in one hand, and the pear in the other. +Lucy saw him coming, and said, +</p> + +<p> +“What have you got, Rollo?” +</p> + +<p> +“Which will you have, right hand or left?” said he in reply. +</p> + +<p> +“Right.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo held forward his right hand, and, lo! it was the pear. But he could not +bear to part with it, and he brought forward the other, and said, +</p> + +<p> +“No, you may have the apple.” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said Lucy; “the pear is fairly mine; you asked me which +I would have, and I said the right.” +</p> + +<p> +“But I want the pear,” said Rollo; “you may have the apple. +Mother gave them both to me.” +</p> + +<p> +“I want the pear too,” said Lucy; “it is mine, and you must +give it to me.” +</p> + +<p> +Just then a voice called from the bedroom, +</p> + +<p> +“Children!” +</p> + +<p> +“What, mother?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“I want you both to come here.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo and Lucy would both have been ashamed of their contention, were it not +that the pear looked so very rich and tempting, that they were both very eager +to have it. +</p> + +<p> +“What is the difficulty?” said Rollo’s mother, as soon as +they stood before her. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, Lucy wants the pear,” said Rollo, “and you gave them +both to me, and said I might do as I pleased with them. I am willing to give +her the apple.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, but he offered me my choice,” said Lucy, “right hand or +left, and I chose the right, and now he ought to give it to me.” +</p> + +<p> +“And are you willing that I should decide it?” said the lady. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, mother,” and “Yes, aunt,” said Rollo and Lucy +together. +</p> + +<p> +“You have both done wrong; not <i>very</i> wrong, but a little wrong; and +I think neither ought to have the whole of the pear. So I shall divide the pear +and the apple both between you; and I will tell you how you have done wrong. +</p> + +<p> +“You, Rollo, by asking her which she would have, implied that you would +leave it to chance to decide, and that you would let her have her fair chance. +Then you ought to have submitted to the result. If she had chosen the left +hand, she ought to have been content. If she had got the apple, you would have +had the credit of giving her an equal chance with you, and she ought therefore +to have had the full benefit of the chance. +</p> + +<p> +“And then you, Lucy, did wrong, for, although Rollo asked you to choose, +he did not <i>actually promise</i> you your choice, and as he was under no +obligation to give you either, you ought not to have insisted upon his +fulfilling his <i>implied promise</i>. Is it not so?” +</p> + +<p> +The children both saw and admitted that it was. +</p> + +<p> +“The best way, I think,” she continued, “would have been for +you, Rollo, to have given the <i>pear</i> to Lucy, as she was your visitor, and +a young lady too. Then she would have given you half in eating it. However, you +were not very much in the wrong, either of you. It was a sort of a doubtful +case. But I hope you see from it, Rollo, what I wanted to teach you, that you +are no more inclined to prefer other persons’ pleasure to your own, than +other children are. Remember Jonas’s couplet hereafter. I think it is a +very good one. Now go and get a knife, and cut the fruit; and see, it does not +rain but little; you can go and get your pea-pods now.” +</p> + +<p> +Away went the children out into the kitchen after a knife. Rollo wanted to cut +the apple and the pear himself, and Lucy made no objection; and we must do him +the justice to say that he gave rather the largest half of each to Lucy. They +then went out into the shed, Rollo taking with him a dipper of water to wash +his feet when he came back from the garden. Rollo then took off his shoes, and +gave Lucy his share of the fruit, to keep for him, and then sallied forth into +the yard, holding the umbrella over his head, as a few drops of rain were still +falling. +</p> + +<p> +He waded into the little pond at the garden gate, and then turned round to look +at Lucy and laugh. He began, too, to caper about in the water, but Lucy told +him to take care, or he would fall down, and they could not wash his +<i>clothes,</i> as they could his feet, with their dipper of water. +</p> + +<div class="fig" style="width:100%;"> +<img src="images/fig07.jpg" width="403" height="600" alt="Illustration: " /> +<p class="caption"><b>He waded into the little pond at the garden gate</b></p> +</div> + +<p> +So he went carefully forward till he came to the peas, and gathered as many as +he wanted, and then returned. +</p> + +<p> +As he was coming back, he saw Jonas in the barn. Jonas called out to him to ask +what he had got. +</p> + +<p> +“I have been to get some pea-pods,” said he, “to make boats +with.” +</p> + +<p> +“Where are you going to sail them?” said Jonas. +</p> + +<p> +“O, in this little pond, when it is done raining.” +</p> + +<p> +“But you had better have a little pond <i>now</i>, in the shed.” +</p> + +<p> +“How can we?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“You might have it in a milk-pan.” +</p> + +<p> +“So we can. Could you come and get it for us?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, in a few minutes—by the time you get your boats made.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo and Lucy were much pleased with this, and they sat down, one on each side +of the milk-pan pond, and sailed their boats a long time. He cut small pieces +of the apple and of the pear for cargo, and Rollo put in the stem of the pear +for the captain of his boat. Each one was good-humored and obliging, and the +time passed away very pleasantly, until it was near dinner-time. When they came +in to dinner, they observed that it was raining again very fast. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap16"></a>THE PRINCIPLES OF ORDER.</h3> + +<p> +“Father,” said Rollo, at the dinner-table, “do you think it +will rain all the afternoon?” +</p> + +<p> +“It looks like it,” replied his father, “but why? Do you not +enjoy yourselves in the house?” +</p> + +<p> +“O yes, sir,” said Rollo, “we have had a fine time this +morning; but Lucy and I thought that, if it did not rain this afternoon, we +might go out in the garden a little.” +</p> + +<p> +“It may clear up towards night; but, if it does, I think it would be +better to go down to the brook and see the freshet, than to go into the +garden.” +</p> + +<p> +“The freshet? Will there be a freshet, do you think?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, if it rains this afternoon as fast as it does now, I think the +brook will be quite, high towards night.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo was much pleased to hear this. He told Lucy, after dinner, that the brook +looked magnificently in a freshet; that the banks were brimming full, and the +water poured along in a great torrent, foaming and dashing against the logs and +rocks. +</p> + +<p> +“Then, besides, Lucy,” said he, “we can carry down our little +boats and set them a sailing. How they will whirl and plunge along down the +stream!” +</p> + +<p> +Lucy liked the idea of seeing the freshet, too, very much; though she said she +was afraid it would be too wet for her to go. Rollo told her never to fear, for +his father would contrive some way to get her down there safely, and they both +went to the back entry door again, looking out, and wishing now that it would +rain faster and faster, as they did before dinner that it would cease to rain. +</p> + +<p> +“But,” said Lucy, “what if it should not stop raining at all, +to-night?” +</p> + +<p> +“O, it will,” said Rollo, “I know it will. Besides, if it +should not, we can go down to-morrow morning, you know, and then there will be +a bigger freshet. O how full the brook will be by to-morrow morning!” +</p> + +<p> +And Rollo clapped his hands, and capered with delight. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said Lucy, soberly, “but I must go home +to-night.” +</p> + +<p> +“Must you?” said Rollo. “So you must. I did not think of +that.” +</p> + +<p> +“But I think,” continued he, “that it will certainly clear up +to-night. I will go and ask father if he does not think so too.” +</p> + +<p> +They both went together back into the parlor to ask the question. +</p> + +<p> +“I cannot tell, my children, whether it will or not. I see no +indications, one way or the other. I think you had better forget all about it, +and go to doing something else; for if you spend all the afternoon in watching +the sky, and trying to guess whether it will clear up or not, you cannot enjoy +yourselves, and may be sadly disappointed at last.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why, we cannot help thinking of it, father.” +</p> + +<p> +“You cannot, if you stand there at the back door, doing nothing else; +but, if you engage in some other employment, you will soon forget all about +it.” +</p> + +<p> +“What do you think we had better do?” said Lucy. +</p> + +<p> +“I think you had better go up and put your room and your desk all in +order, Rollo; Lucy can help you.” +</p> + +<p> +“But, father, I have put it in order a great many times, and it always +gets out of order again very soon, and I cannot keep it neat.” +</p> + +<p> +“That is partly because you do not put it in order right. You do not +understand the principles of order.” +</p> + +<p> +“What are the principles of order?” said Lucy. +</p> + +<p> +“There are a good many. I will tell you some of them, and then you may go +and apply them in arranging Rollo’s things. +</p> + +<p> +“One principle is to have the things that are most frequently used in the +most accessible place, so that they can be taken out and returned to their +proper places easily. +</p> + +<p> +“Another good principle for you is to distinguish between the things +which you wish to <i>use</i>, and those you only wish to <i>preserve</i>. The +former ought to be in sight, and near at hand. The latter may be packed away +more out of view. +</p> + +<p> +“Another principle is to avoid having your desk and room encumbered with +things of little or no value, as stones you have picked up, and papers, and +sticks. The place to keep such things is in the barn or shed, not in your +private room. +</p> + +<p> +“Then you must arrange your things systematically, putting things of the +same nature together. Once I looked into your desk after you had put it in +order, and I found that, in the back side of it, you had piled up hooks, and +white paper, and pictures, and a slate, and a pocket-book or two, all together. +You thought they were in order, because they were in a <i>pile</i>. Now, they +ought to have been separated and arranged; all the white paper by itself in +front, where you can easily get it to use; the pictures all by themselves in a +portfolio; and the books should be arranged, not in a <i>pile</i>, but in a +<i>row</i>, on their edges, so that you can get out any one without disturbing +the others. Those are some of the principles of order.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, come, Rollo,” said Lucy, “let us go and see your +things, and try to put them in order, right.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo went, but, as he left the room, he turned round to ask his father if he +would not come with them, and just show them a little about it. His father said +he could not come very well then, but if they would try and do as well as they +could, he would come and look over their work after it was done, and tell them +whether it was right or not. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo and Lucy went up into Rollo’s room, and, true enough, they found +not a little confusion there. But they went to work, and soon became very much +interested in their employment. A great many of the things were new to Lucy, +and as they went on arranging them, they often stopped to talk and play. In +this way several hours passed along very pleasantly; and when, at last, they +had got them nearly arranged, Rollo went to the window to throw out some old +stones that he concluded not to keep any longer, when he exclaimed aloud, +</p> + +<p> +“O, Lucy, Lucy, come here quick.” +</p> + +<div class="fig" style="width:100%;"> +<img src="images/fig08.jpg" width="450" height="427" alt="[Illustration]" /> +</div> + +<p> +Lucy ran. Rollo pointed out to the western horizon, and said, “See +there!” +</p> + +<p> +There was a broad band of bright golden sky all along the western +horizon—clear and beautiful, and extending each way as far as they could +see. The dark clouds overhead reached down to the edge of this clear sky, where +they hung in a fringe of gold, and the dazzling rays of the sun were just +peeping under it. The rain had ceased. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo and Lucy gazed at it a moment, and then ran down stairs as fast as they +could go, calling out, +</p> + +<p> +“It is clearing away! It is clearing away! Father, it is clearing away. +We can go and see the freshet.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap17"></a>CLEARING UP.</h3> + +<p> +They went out upon the steps to look at the sky. A few drops of rain were still +falling, but the clouds appeared to be breaking in several places, and the +tract of golden sky in the west was rising and extending. The air was calm, and +the golden rays of the sun shone upon the fields and trees, and upon the +glittering drops that hung from the leaves and branches. Rollo and Lucy both +said it was beautiful. +</p> + +<p> +They went in and urged their father to go with them down to the brook to see +the freshet, but he said they must wait till after tea. “It is too wet to +go now,” said he. +</p> + +<p> +“But, father,” said Rollo, “I do not think it will be any +better after tea. The ground cannot dry in half an hour.” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said his father; “but the water will run off of the +paths a great deal, so that we can get along much better.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, but then it will run off from the brook a great deal too, and the +freshet will not be so high.” +</p> + +<p> +“It is a little different with the brook,” his father replied, +“for that is very long, and the water comes a great way, from among the +hills. Now, while we are taking tea, the water will be running into the brook +back among the hills, faster than it will run away here, so that it will grow +higher and higher for some hours.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo had no more to say, but he was impatient to go. He and Lucy went out and +stood on the steps again. The clouds were breaking up and flying away in all +directions, and large patches of clear blue sky appeared everywhere, giving +promise of a beautiful evening. +</p> + +<p> +“Hark!” said Rollo; “what is that?” +</p> + +<p> +Lucy listened. It was a sort of roaring sound down in the woods. Rollo at first +thought it was a bear growling. +</p> + +<p> +“Do you think it is a bear?” said he to Lucy, with a look of some +concern. +</p> + +<p> +“A bear!—no,” said Lucy, laughing. “That is not the way +a bear growls. It is the freshet.” +</p> + +<p> +“The freshet!” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes; it is the water roaring along the brook.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo listened, and he immediately perceived that it was the sound of water, +and he jumped and capered with delight, at thinking how fine a sight it must +be. +</p> + +<p> +At the tea-table Rollo’s father explained the plan he had formed for +their going. He said it was rather a difficult thing to go and see a freshet +without getting wet—especially for a girl. He and Rollo, he said, could +put on their good thick boots, but Lucy had none suitable for such a walk, as +it would probably be very wet and muddy in some places. +</p> + +<p> +“What shall we do then?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“I believe I shall let Jonas go down and draw Lucy in his wagon,” +said his father. “How should you like that, Lucy?” +</p> + +<p> +Lucy said she should like it very well, and after tea they went out to the +garden-yard door, where they found Jonas with his wagon all ready. This wagon +was one which Jonas had made to draw Rollo upon. It was plain and simple, but +strong and convenient, and perfectly safe. They helped Lucy into it, and she +sat down on the little seat. Rollo, with his hoots on, took hold behind to +push, and Jonas drew. Rollo’s father walked behind, and thus they set off +to view the freshet. +</p> + +<p> +They moved along carefully through the yard, and then turned by the gate and +went into the field. The path led them by the garden fence for some distance, +and they went along very pleasantly for a time, until at length they came to a +large pool of water covering the whole path. There were high banks on each +side, so that the wagon could not turn out. +</p> + +<p> +“What shall we do now?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“I can go right through it,” said Jonas; “it is not +deep.” +</p> + +<p> +“And we can go along on the bank, by the side,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Very well.” said his father, “if you are not afraid, +Lucy.” +</p> + +<p> +Lucy did feel a little afraid at first, but she knew that if her uncle was +willing that she should go, there could not be any danger; so she made no +objection. Besides, she knew that, as Jonas was to walk along before her, she +could see how deep it was, and there could not be any deep places without his +finding it out before the wagon went into them. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas was barefoot, and did not mind wetting his feet; so he waded in, drawing +the wagon after him. It was about up to his ankles all the way. Lucy looked +over the side of the wagon, and felt a little fear as she saw the wheels half +under water; but they went safely through. +</p> + +<p> +Presently they began to descend a path which led them into the woods. They +heard the roaring of the water, which grew louder and louder as they drew nigh, +and then Rollo suddenly stopped and said, +</p> + +<p> +“Why, father, it is raining here in the woods now.” +</p> + +<p> +Lucy listened, and they heard the drops of rain falling upon the ground all +around them; and yet, looking up, they saw that the sky was almost perfectly +clear. Presently they thought that this was only the drops falling off from the +leaves of the trees. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo said he meant to see if it was so, and he ran out of the path, and took +hold of a slender tree with a large top of branches and leaves, and, looking up +to see if any drops would come down, he gave it a good shake; and, true enough, +down came a perfect shower of drops all into his face and eyes. At first he was +astonished at such an unexpected shower-bath, but he concluded, on the whole, +to laugh, and not cry about it; and he came back wiping his face, and looking +comically enough. All the party laughed a little at his mishap, and then went +on. +</p> + +<p> +In a few minutes more, they came in sight of the foaming brook. The water was +very high; in some places, the banks were overflowed, and the current swept +along furiously, dashing against the rocks, and whirling round the projecting +points. +</p> + +<p> +The children stopped, and gazed upon the scene a little while, and then Rollo +said he was going to sail his boats, which he had brought in his pocket. +</p> + +<p> +Just then Jonas saw a plank which was lying partly on the bank and partly in +the water, a little up the stream. It had been placed across the brook some +distance above, for a bridge; but the freshet had brought it away, and it had +drifted down to where it then was. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas said he would find a place for Lucy to stand upon with it. So he went and +pushed off this plank, and let it float down to where the children were +standing; and then he drew it up upon the shore, and laid it along, so that +Lucy could stand upon it safely, and launch the pea-pod boats. +</p> + +<p> +These boats were soon all borne away rapidly down the stream, out of sight; and +then they threw in sticks and chips, and watched them as they sailed away, and +whirled around in the eddies, or swept down the rapids. Thus they amused +themselves a long time, and then slowly returned home. +</p> + +<div class="fig" style="width:100%;"> +<img src="images/fig09.jpg" width="404" height="600" alt="Illustration: " /> +<p class="caption"><b>The boats were soon all borne away.</b></p> +</div> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="story05"></a>BLUEBERRYING.</h2> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap18"></a>OLD TRUMPETER.</h3> + +<p> +Rollo’s mother advised him, when he went to bed the evening before the +day fixed upon for the blueberrying, to rise early the next morning, and take a +good reading lesson before breakfast. She said he would enjoy himself much +more, during the day, if he performed all his usual duties before he went. +Rollo accordingly arose quite early, and, when he came in to breakfast, had the +satisfaction of telling his father that he had read his morning lesson, and +prepared his basket, and was all ready to go. +</p> + +<p> +He wanted Jonas to go too, and as, the last time when he asked his +father’s permission that he should go, he lost his request by asking it +in an improper manner, he determined to be careful this time. +</p> + +<p> +So he was silent at breakfast time while his father and mother were talking, +and then, watching an opportunity when they seemed disengaged, he asked his +father if Jonas might not go with them. +</p> + +<p> +“I do not think he can very well, for there is no room for him. Both the +chaises will be full.” +</p> + +<p> +“But could not he ride on Old Trumpeter?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +Old Trumpeter was a white horse, that had served the family some time, but was +now rather old, and not a very good traveller. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo’s father hesitated a moment, and then said, perhaps he might. +“You may go and tell him that we are going, and that if he thinks Old +Trumpeter will do to carry him, he may go. He will be of great help to us, if +we should get into any difficulty.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo thought of the bears that he expected to see on the mountain, and ran to +tell Jonas. Jonas was glad to go. So he went and gave Old Trumpeter some oats, +and got the saddle and bridle ready. He also got out a pair of saddle-bags that +he always used on such occasions, and put into them a hatchet, a dipper, a box +of matches, and some rope. On second thoughts, he concluded it would be best to +put these things into the chaise-box, and to put the saddle-bags on his horse +empty, as he might want them to bring something home in. +</p> + +<p> +After breakfast, Lucy and her father, Rollo’s uncle George, drove up to +the door, for they were going too; and in a short time you might have seen all +the party driving away from the door—Rollo’s father and mother in +the first chaise, uncle George, and Rollo, and Lucy, in the second, and Jonas +on Old Trumpeter behind. +</p> + +<p> +They rode on for a mile or two, and then turned off of the main road into the +woods, and went on by a winding and beautiful road until they came in sight of +a range of mountains, one of which seemed very high and near. +</p> + +<p> +“Is that Benalgon?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“I do not know,” said his uncle; “I have never been to it +before; but I suppose Jonas can tell.” +</p> + +<p> +“I will call him,” said Rollo. So he turned round, and kneeled up +upon the seat, so that he could look out behind the chaise, for the back +curtain was up. Lucy did the same, but Jonas was not to be seen. They looked a +little longer, and presently saw him coming along round a curve in the road. +They beckoned to him, and as he rode up, they saw he had a bush in his hand. He +came up to the side of the chaise, and handed it to Rollo. It was a large +blueberry-bush, covered with beautiful ripe blue berries. Rollo took them, and +admired them very much; and at first he was going to divide them between Lucy +and himself; but they concluded, on the whole, to send them forward to his +mother. Jonas told them the mountain before them <i>was</i> Benalgon, and rode +on to carry the blueberry-bush to the other chaise. Presently he came back, +bringing it with him, except a small sprig which Rollo’s mother had taken +off. The rest she had sent back to the children. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, Jonas,” said uncle George, when he got back, “I do not +see but that Old Trumpeter is strong enough to carry you yet.” +</p> + +<p> +“O yes, sir,” said Jonas, “he is strong enough to carry half +a dozen like me.” +</p> + +<p> +“O, uncle George,” said Rollo, “let him carry me too with +Jonas. I can ride behind.” +</p> + +<p> +“Very well; if you want to ride with him a little while, you may, if +Jonas is willing.” +</p> + +<p> +Jonas was, and Rollo got out, and climbed up upon a stump, by the side of the +road. Jonas drove up to the stump, and Rollo clambered up behind him, with a +switch in his hand. +</p> + +<p> +“Now, Jonas,” said he, “whenever you want him to go any +faster, you just speak to me, and I will touch him up with my switch.” +</p> + +<p> +Jonas said he would, and they jogged along behind the chaise. Lucy kneeled upon +the cushion, and looked out behind, talking with Rollo. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap19"></a>DEVIATION.</h3> + +<p> +They went on so very quietly for some time, until Jonas said there was a turn +in the road on before them, where there was a foot-path that led across a +ravine, by a nearer way than the chaise-road, and proposed that Rollo should +ask leave for Jonas and himself to go across on horseback, and wait for the +chaises, when they should come out on the main road. +</p> + +<p> +So they rode up to the chaise, and Rollo put the question to his uncle George. +</p> + +<p> +His reply was that he could not say any thing about it; Rollo must go and ask +his father. +</p> + +<p> +“Would you go?” said Jonas. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, touch up Old Trumpeter then.” +</p> + +<p> +So Rollo applied his switch, and the horse trotted on fast. Rollo had hard work +to hold on, but he clasped his arm tight around Jonas’s waist, and +succeeded in keeping his seat. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo’s father and mother were riding some distance before them, but they +saw Jonas coming up, and rode slowly, that he might overtake them. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, Rollo,” said his father, “how do you like riding +double?” +</p> + +<p> +“Very much,” said Rollo; “and we want you to let Jonas and I +cut across by the horse-path through the valley, and wait for you at the +mill.” +</p> + +<p> +“Is there a horse-path across here, Jonas?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, sir,” said Jonas. +</p> + +<p> +“Is it a good path?” +</p> + +<p> +“It is rather rough, sir, through the woods and bushes; but it is a +pretty good road.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo’s father sat hesitating a moment, and then said— +</p> + +<p> +“You may go, if you choose, but I advise you not to.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why do you advise us not to?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, you may get into some difficulty, and so we get separated.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, but,” said Rollo, “it is not near so far across, and we +shall have time to get through to the mill long before you come along.” +</p> + +<p> +“Very well, you may do as you please.” +</p> + +<p> +“Jonas, what would you do? Would you go, or not?” +</p> + +<p> +“I think I would <i>not</i> go, if your father thinks we had better +not.” +</p> + +<p> +“I want to go very much,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Very well,” said his father; “you are willing to go with +him, I suppose, Jonas, are you not?” +</p> + +<p> +“O yes, sir,” said Jonas. +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” said Rollo, “let us go. We will he very careful, +father, not to get into any difficulty.” +</p> + +<p> +So the two chaises rode on, and Jonas and Rollo, in a few minutes, turned off +by a narrow path that struck into the woods. Just as they were bending down +their heads to pass under a great branch of a tree, Rollo looked along, and saw +Lucy waving her handkerchief to him, as the chaise which she was in disappeared +by a turn of the road. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo at first felt a little uneasy to think that he had deserted his cousin, +as it were. He thought that he should not have liked it exactly, if she had +gone off, and left him alone so in the chaise. However, it was now too late to +repent, and his attention was attracted by the wild and romantic scene around +him. The path descended obliquely, by a rough, wet, and stony way, through a +dark forest. He heard the sighing of the wind, in the tops of the tall trees, +and the mellow notes of forest birds, far off, and high, which came rich and +sweet to his ear with a peculiar expression of solitude and loneliness. +</p> + +<p> +The boys rode on, and the path became more and more slippery, stony, and steep +Rollo clung tight to Jonas, and begun to be somewhat afraid. He would have +proposed to go back, but he was ashamed to do it. After a little time, he asked +Jonas whether the path was as bad as that all the way. +</p> + +<p> +“As bad as this!” said Jonas; “we call this very good. I will +show you the bad road pretty soon.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo looked frightened, but said nothing. +</p> + +<p> +“The road seems more wet than common to-day,” said Jonas, “I +suppose on account of the rain yesterday; and I declare,” said he, +“I am afraid we shall find the brook up.” +</p> + +<p> +“The brook up!” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes—why did not I think of that before? However, we must go on +now.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why?” said Rollo. “Why cannot we go back?” +</p> + +<p> +“O, because we should be too late; besides, there is no danger, only we +may have to wade a little.” +</p> + +<p> +As they went on, the mud in the road grew deeper and deeper, and presently Old +Trumpeter’s legs sunk far down among roots and mire. Rollo began to feel +more and more alarmed, and heartily wished that he had taken his father’s +advice. +</p> + +<p> +Soon alter they came to a place where the path, for some distance before them, +was full of water, deep and miry. Jonas said he thought that they had better go +out upon one side; so he made the horse step over a log and go in among the +trees and bushes. The branches brushed and scratched Rollo unmercifully, though +he bent down, and leaned over to this side and that, continually, to escape +them. He asked Jonas why this path had not dried, as well as the main road, +where the chaises had gone; and Jonas told him that the sun and the wind were +the great means of drying the open road, but that this narrow and secluded path +was shaded from the sun, and sheltered from the wind, and that the water +consequently remained a long time among the moss, and roots, and mire. +</p> + +<p> +After a time, they got back into the path again, and, going on a little +farther, they came down to the margin of the brook. They found that it +<i>was</i> “up,” as Jonas had feared. At the place where the path +went down and crossed the brook, a deep cut had been worn in the two opposite +banks, and this was filled with water, and above and below the stream rushed on +in a torrent. Jonas hesitated a moment, and then asked Rollo if he thought he +could hold on, while they we’re riding through. Rollo said he was afraid +it was so deep as to drown them. Jonas then said that he might get off and +stand upon a rock by the side of the path, while he rode through, first, to see +how it was, and that then he would come back for him. +</p> + +<p> +So Rollo got off, in fear and trembling, and stood on the rock, while Jonas +urged his horse into the water. Old Trumpeter did not much like this kind of +travelling, but Jonas half persuaded and half compelled him to go through. When +he was in the middle, the water came up so high, that Jonas was obliged to lift +up his feet to keep them from being wet. Presently, however, it became more +shoal, as the horse walked slowly along; and at last he fairly reached the dry +ground, and stood dripping on the bank. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo was glad to see that the water was no deeper, but was still afraid to go +over. He told Jonas he <i>could not</i> go over I here, and that he <i>must</i> +go back with him. +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said Jonas, “that would not be right.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why,” said Rollo, “we can ride fast, and overtake +them.” +</p> + +<p> +“Not very soon,” said Jonas. “If we go back now, they will +get to the mill before us, and then will be very anxious and unhappy, thinking +that something has happened to us; and perhaps your father will come through +here after us. Now it was your own plan, coming across here, and you ought not +to make other people suffer by it. Your father advised you not to come.” +</p> + +<p> +“I know it,” said Rollo; “what a foolish boy I was! I shall +certainly be drowned.” +</p> + +<p> +“O no,” said Jonas, “there is no real danger, or I should not +make you go;” and so saying, he came back slowly through the water. +“See,” said he, “it is not very deep.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap20"></a>LITTLE MOSETTE.</h3> + +<p> +After some further persuasion Rollo got on behind him, and they began to in +make their way slowly through the water again. Old Trumpeter staggered along, +but not very unsteadily on the whole, until he got a little past the middle, +when he blundered upon a stone on the bottom, which he could not see, and fell +down on his knees. Jonas caught up his feet, in an instant, and Rollo had his +already drawn up behind him, and they both grasped the saddle convulsively. The +horse happened to regain his feet again in a moment, so that they contrived to +hold on; and in a few minutes they were drawn out safely upon the shore, +without even getting their feet wet. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, Old Trumpeter,” said Jonas, “you have done pretty well +for you, and you have got the mire washed off your legs, at any rate. But, +Rollo, what is that?” +</p> + +<p> +He pointed back, as he said this, to a little tuft floating round and round in +a small eddy, made by a turn of the brook, just above where they had crossed. +He turned his horse towards it. “It is a bird’s nest,” said +he. +</p> + +<p> +“So it is,” said Rollo; “and I verily believe there is a +little bird in it.” +</p> + +<div class="fig" style="width:100%;"> +<img src="images/fig10.jpg" width="450" height="422" alt="[Illustration]" /> +</div> + +<p> +Jonas jumped off of the horse, handed the bridle to Rollo, and took up a long +stick lying on the ground, and very gently and cautiously drew the nest, in to +the shore. He took it up with great care, and brought it to Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +There was a little bird in it, scarcely fledged. Jonas said he believed it was +a robin, and that it must have been washed off from its place on some bush, by +the freshet in the brook. The bottom of the nest was soaked through by the +water, as if it had been floating some time; and the little bird kept opening +its mouth wide. The poor little thing was hungry, and heard Jonas and Rollo, +and thought they were its mother, come to give it something to eat. +</p> + +<p> +“What shall we do with him?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“He will die if we leave him here,” said Jonas, “for he has +lost his mother now. I think we had better carry him home, if we can, and feed +him, till he is old enough to fly.” +</p> + +<p> +“He is hungry,” said Rollo; “let us feed him now.” +</p> + +<p> +“We have not any thing to feed him with. Perhaps I can catch a fly, or a +grasshopper.” +</p> + +<p> +“O, that will not do,” said Rollo; “you might as well kill +him as kill a grasshopper.” +</p> + +<p> +Jonas could not reply to this, and they concluded to carry nest and all +carefully to the mill, and show it to Rollo’s father there. But how to +carry it was the difficulty. If either of them undertook to hold it in one +hand, he was afraid the bird might be jolted out; and neither of them had but +one hand to spare, for Rollo must have one hand to hold on with, and Jonas one +to drive. At last Jonas took off his cap, and placed it bottom upwards on the +saddle before him, and put the nest, with the bird in it, in that, and then +drove carefully along. The road grew much smoother and better after they passed +the brook; and, after going on a short distance farther, they came in sight of +the mill. +</p> + +<p> +They had been detained so long that the chaises had reached the mill before, +them; and the party in the chaises were looking out down the path where they +expected the boys were to come out, watching for them with considerable +interest: +</p> + +<p> +“There they come at last,” said Lucy, as she perceived a movement +among the bushes, and saw Old Trumpeter’s white head coming forward. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said Rollo’s mother, “but they have met with +some accident. Jonas has lost his cap.” +</p> + +<p> +By this time the boys had emerged from the bushes, and were coming along the +path slowly, Jonas bareheaded, and Rollo holding on carefully. Lucy saw that +Jonas was holding something before him, on the saddle, and wondered what it +was. Rollo’s mother said she was afraid they had got hurt. +</p> + +<p> +As soon as they came within hearing Rollo heard his father’s voice +calling out to him, +</p> + +<p> +“Rollo, what is the matter? Have you got into any difficulty?” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, sir,” said Rollo; “we had some difficulty; and I should +be sorry I did not take your advice, only then we should not have found this +little bird.” +</p> + +<p> +“What bird?” said they all. +</p> + +<p> +By this time, they had come up near the chaises, and Jonas carefully lifted the +birdsnest out of his cap, and held it so that they could all see it, while +Rollo told them the story. They all looked much pleased but Lucy seemed in +delight. She wanted to have it go in their chaise, and asked Rollo to let her +hold the nest in her lap. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo did not answer very directly, for he was busy looking at the +bird,—seeing him open his mouth, and wishing he had something to give him +to eat. +</p> + +<p> +“Father,” said he, “what shall we feed him with? Jonas was +going to catch a grasshopper, but I thought that would not be right.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why not?” said uncle George. +</p> + +<p> +“Because,” said Rollo, “he has as good a right to his life as +the bird, has not he, father?” +</p> + +<p> +“Not exactly,” said his father: “a bird is an animal of much +higher grade than a grasshopper, and is probably much more sensible of pain and +pleasure, and his life is of more value; just as a man is a much higher animal +than a bird. It would be right to kill a bird to save a man’s life, even +if he were only an animal; and so it would be right to destroy a grasshopper, +or a worm, to save a robin.” +</p> + +<p> +“But I read in a book once,” said Lucy, “that, when we tread +on a worm, he feels as much pain in being killed as a giant would.” +</p> + +<p> +“I do not think it is true,” said he. “I think that there is +a vast diversity among the different animals, in respect to their sensibility +to pain, according to their structure, and the delicacy of their organization. +I think a crew of a fishing-vessel might catch a whole cargo of mackerel, and +not cause as much pain as one of their men would suffer in having his leg +bitten off by a shark.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, father,” said Rollo, “do you think we had better give +him a grasshopper?” +</p> + +<p> +“O no,” said Lucy; “a grasshopper would not be good to eat, +he has got so many elbows sticking out. Let us give him some +blueberries.” +</p> + +<p> +“O yes,” said Rollo, “that would be beautiful.” +</p> + +<p> +So he slid down off of Old Trumpeter’s back, and ran to the side of the +road to see if he could not find some blueberries. +</p> + +<p> +He brought a few in his hand, and his father took them, saying that he would +feed the bird for him. He squeezed out pulp of the berries, and then made a +chirping sound, when the bird opened his mouth, and he fed him with the soft +pulp, and threw away the skins. After giving the bird two or three berries in +this way, they put him back into the nest, and gave the nest to Lucy to hold in +her lap, and all the party prepared to go on. +</p> + +<p> +They rode along about a mile farther, and then came to the place where they +must leave the horses, and prepare to ascend the mountain on foot. They +unharnessed them, so that they might stand more quietly, and then fastened them +to trees by the side of the road. +</p> + +<p> +While they were thus taking care of their horses, Rollo and Lucy were standing +by, with Rollo’s mother looking at the bird. +</p> + +<p> +“What are you going to do with him, Rollo?” said his mother. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, I should like to carry him home, and keep him, if you are +willing.” +</p> + +<p> +“I am, on one condition.” +</p> + +<p> +“What is that?” +</p> + +<p> +“You must keep him in a cage with the door always open, so that, as soon +as he is old enough to fly away, he may go if he chooses.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then he will certainly fly away, and we shall lose him forever,” +said Lucy. +</p> + +<p> +“That is the only condition,” replied Rollo’s mother. +</p> + +<p> +“But why, mother,” said he, “why may we not keep him shut up +safe?” +</p> + +<p> +“If I were to tell you the reasons now, they would not satisfy you, you +are so eager to keep him. I think you had better determine to comply with the +condition, good-humoredly, and say no more about it, but try to think of a name +for him.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, mother, what do you think would be a good name?” +</p> + +<p> +“I do not know: you and Lucy must think of one.” +</p> + +<p> +Just then uncle George finished tying his horse, and came along to where the +children were standing, and, hearing their conversation, and finding that Lucy +and Rollo were perplexed about a name, he told them he thought they might, not +improperly, call him Noah, as, like Noah, by floating in a sort of ark, he was +saved from a flood. +</p> + +<p> +“I think he was more like Moses than Noah,” said Lucy. +</p> + +<p> +“Why?” said her father. +</p> + +<p> +“Because Moses was a little thing when they found him, and then the ark +of bulrushes was something like a birdsnest. I think you had better name him +Moses, Rollo,” said she. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo seemed a little at a loss: he said he thought he was a good deal like +Moses, but then he did not think that Moses was a very pretty name for a bird. +</p> + +<p> +“Do you think it is, mother?” said he. +</p> + +<p> +“I do not know but that it would do very well. You might alter it a +little; call him Mosette, if you think that would be any better for a +bird’s name.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo and Lucy repeated the name Mosette to themselves several times, and +concluded that they should like it very much. By this time, the horses were all +ready, and Jonas recommended that they should hide Mosette away somewhere, +until they returned from the mountain, for it would be troublesome to them, and +somewhat dangerous to the bird, to carry him up and down. +</p> + +<p> +The children approved of this plan, though they were rather unwilling to part +with the bird, at all. They went just into the bushes, and found a very secret +place, by the corner of a large rock, where the shrubs and wild flowers grew +thick, so that it would be entirely out of sight. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap21"></a>GOING UP.</h3> + +<p> +They then set forward, the children in advance of the rest. Jonas walked with +Rollo and Lucy, and he had round his waist a broad leather belt, which he +always wore on such occasions, and which had, on one side, his hatchet and +knife, and on the other a sort of bag or pocket, containing several things, +such as matches, a little dipper, &c. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo’s father and mother, and his uncle George, walked along behind +them. The way was, for some distance, a sort of cart-path, too steep and rough +for a chaise, but hard and dry, and pretty comfortable walking. Rollo and Lucy +asked Jonas if he would not tell them a story, as they went along, to beguile +the way. +</p> + +<p> +Jonas began a story, about a boy that lived a long time on a mountain alone, +but he had not proceeded far, before they heard a voice behind, calling them. +They looked buck, and saw that Rollo’s father was beckoning them to stop. +</p> + +<p> +They waited till he came up, and he told them he wanted to give them their +orders for the day; and they were rules, he said, which ought to be observed on +all berrying expeditions, by children. +</p> + +<p> +“<i>First</i>” said he, “always keep in sight of <i>me</i>. +For this purpose, watch me all the time, when we are stepping, and keep before, +rather than behind, when we are walking. +</p> + +<p> +“<i>Second</i>. Take no unnecessary steps, but keep in the right path, +and walk slowly and steadily there, so as to save your strength. Otherwise you +will get tired out very soon. +</p> + +<p> +“<i>Third</i>. Do not touch any flower or berry that you see, except +blueberries, without first showing them to one of us.” +</p> + +<p> +The children listened to these rules, and promised to obey them, and then +walked on. They tried to walk slowly and steadily, listening to Jonas’s +story. They turned off, after a time, into a narrower and steeper path, and +ascended, stepping from stone to stone The trees and bushes hung over their +heads, making the walk shady and cool. +</p> + +<p> +After slowly ascending in this way, for some time, they came out of the woods +into an opening of rocky ground, and patches of blue berry-bushes. They saw, +also, at some distance before them, three or four boys, sitting upon a rock, +with pails and baskets in their hands, talking and laughing loud. They did not +take much notice of them, but walked on quietly. They were going on directly +towards them, but Rollo’s father called them, and pointed for them to +turn off to the right, round a rocky precipice which was in that direction. +</p> + +<p> +The children were turning accordingly, when they heard a shout from the boys +before them,—“Hallo,—come this way, and we will show you +where the blueberries are.” +</p> + +<p> +“Father,” said Rollo, as he stopped and turned round to his father, +“the boys say they will show us the blueberries, out that way: shall we +go and see?” +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said his father in a low voice, so that the boys did not +hear. “No: go the way I told you.” +</p> + +<p> +They went along, and presently got round the precipice out of sight of I he +boys again. They walked slowly until their parents overtook them. +</p> + +<p> +“Father,” said Rollo, “why could you not let us go out with +those boys? They said they were thickest out there.” +</p> + +<p> +“Because,” said he, “I presume they are not good boys, and I +do not want you to have any thing to do with them.” +</p> + +<p> +“But, father, they must be good boys, or they would not want to show us +the blueberries. If they were bad, selfish boys, they would want to keep all +the good places to themselves.” +</p> + +<p> +If Rollo had only asked his father, in a modest manner, how it could be that +the boys were bad, when they wanted to show him the best place for blueberries, +it would have been very proper; but his manner of speaking showed a silly +confidence in his own opinion, which was very wrong. His father, however, did +not attempt to reason with him, but only said, +</p> + +<p> +“I think they are bad boys, for I overheard them using bad language; and +I wish you to have nothing to do with them.” +</p> + +<p> +He then found a good place for them to begin to gather their berries. It was a +beautiful spot of open ground, between the thick woods on one side, and a +broken, rocky precipice on the other. +</p> + +<p> +Uncle George took Jonas forward alone, until they were out of sight, and +presently returned without him. Rollo asked where Jonas was gone, and his uncle +told him that that was a secret at present. They heard, soon after, the strokes +of his hatchet in the woods, on before them, but could not imagine what he +could be doing. +</p> + +<p> +Thus things went on very pleasantly, and they gathered a large quantity of +berries. There was, indeed, in the course of the day, a serious difficulty +between Rollo and the bad boys; and there is an account of it given in the next +story of “TROUBLE ON THE MOUNTAIN.” With Ibis exception, every +thing went on well until about, noon, when Rollo observed that Jonas had been +missing a long time. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap22"></a>THE SECRET OUT.</h3> + +<p> +“Where is Jonas, all this time?” said Rollo to Lucy. +</p> + +<p> +Lucy said that he had been busy, a long time, doing something over beyond some +rocks, but she did not know what, for her father told her she must not go to +see. Rollo wondered what the secret was, and he was just going to ask his +father to let him go and see what Jonas was doing, when they saw him coming out +from the bushes. He came up to Rollo’s father, and told him that it was +all ready. Then Rollo’s father called to all the company, and told them +it was time to stop gathering berries, and they might take up their baskets and +follow him. +</p> + +<p> +The baskets and pails were heavy and full, and the whole party walked along, +carrying them carefully towards the place where Jonas had come from. +Rollo’s Hither led the way. They entered into a little thicket, and +passed through it by a narrow path. They came out presently into a sort of +opening, on a brow of the mountain. On one side they could look down upon a +vast extent of country, exhibiting a beautiful variety of forests, rivers, +villages, and farms. On the other side was a rocky precipice, rising abruptly +to a considerable height, and then sloping off towards the summit of the +mountain. They walked along a few steps on a smooth surface of the rock, +between patches of grass and blueberry-bushes, until Lucy and Rollo ran forward +to a brook which came foaming down the precipice, and then, after tumbling +along over rocks a little way, took another foaming leap down the mountain, and +was lost among the trees below. +</p> + +<p> +The party all stepped carefully over this brook, and then walked along up the +bank on the opposite side until they came to the precipice. Here they were +surprised and pleased to see a large bower built, in front of a little sort of +cavern or recess in the rock. Jonas had built it of large limbs of trees and +bushes, which he had leaned up against the rock, in such a manner as to enclose +a large space within. There was an opening left round on the farther side, next +the rock, and they all went round mid went in—Rollo first, then Lucy, +then the others. They found that smooth and clean logs and stones were arranged +around the sides of the bower; and in the middle, on a carpet of leaves, was +very abundant provision for a rustic dinner. +</p> + +<p> +There was bread, and butter, and ham, and gingerbread, and pie, and glasses for +water from the brook. Rollo and Lucy wondered how all those things could have +got up the mountain. Presently, however, they recollected that, when they were +coming up, Jonas had two covered baskets to bring, and they thought, at the +time, that they seemed to be heavy. +</p> + +<p> +Thus the day passed away, and towards evening they came down the mountain. Some +remarkable things happened when they were coming down, which will be related in +the story called “TROUBLE ON THE MOUNTAIN.” +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h2><a name="story06"></a>TROUBLE ON THE MOUNTAIN.</h2> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap23"></a>BOASTING.</h3> + +<p> +“How pleasant it is here!” said Rollo to his cousin Lucy, as they +were gathering blueberries high up on old Mount Benalgon, the day they went up +with Rollo’S father and mother, and uncle; “and how thick the +blueberries are, Lucy!” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said Lucy, “they are very thick, I think; and how far +we can see now, we are up here so high! I wish we were up on that great high +rock.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo looked where Lucy pointed, and he saw, away above them, a rocky summit +projecting out from the mountain. The front of the rock was ragged and +precipitous, but it was flat and mossy upon the top, and firs and other +evergreen trees grew there, some of them hanging over the edge. +</p> + +<p> +“I wish I could get up there,” said Lucy. +</p> + +<p> +“I wish I could too,” said Rollo. “I should like to climb up +one of those trees which hangs over, and then I could look down.” +</p> + +<p> +“O, Rollo,” said Lucy, “you would not dare to climb up one of +those trees.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, I should dare to,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo was sometimes a proud, boasting boy, pretending that he could do great +things, and talking very largely. This was one of his greatest faults; and +whenever he seemed to be in this boasting mood, he almost always got into some +difficulty after it. There is a text in the Bible that was proved true, very +often, in Rollo’s case. It is this—“Pride cometh before +destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Rollo had a sad Tall +this day, though it was not from that high rock. It was a different sort of a +fall from that, as we shall presently see. +</p> + +<p> +“Lucy,” said he again, “I do not believe but that I could get +up upon that rock myself. I can climb rocks.” +</p> + +<p> +“O no, you could not,” said Lucy. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, yes, I see a way.” +</p> + +<p> +“Which way?” +</p> + +<p> +“O, round by that great black log There is a path there through the +bushes.” +</p> + +<p> +“O no,” said Lucy, “you could not get up there. But there are +some boys by that log; what boys are they?” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo looked. They were some boys which they had seen coming up the mountain, +and Rollo’s father had warned him not to go near them. They had wanted +Rollo to go with them before, but his father had forbidden it. Rollo wanted to +go, and now he was glad to see them again; but Lucy was sorry. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap24"></a>GETTING IN TROUBLE.</h3> + +<p> +The blueberries were very thick and large, and the bottoms of the baskets were +soon covered with them. Each one picked where he found them most plenty. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo and Lucy kept pretty near together, talking, and gradually strayed away +to some distance from the rest of the party. After a little while, Rollo looked +up, and saw the three boys pretty near them. As soon as Lucy saw them so near, +she moved along towards their parents; and Rollo ought to have done so too, but +he remained where he was, and presently one of the boys came up to him. +</p> + +<p> +“Why did you not come up where we were?” said he. “They were +thicker out there.” +</p> + +<p> +“My father would not let me,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“O, come along,” said the boy; “he will not care. Besides, he +will not know it. He is busy picking by himself. He does not mind where you +are.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo thought this was not exactly the way that a good boy would speak of +obeying a father, but he wanted very much to see the place where the berries +were so much thicker. +</p> + +<p> +“How far is it?” said he to the boy. +</p> + +<p> +“O, it is only a little way-just around that rock.” +</p> + +<p> +By this time the other two boys came up, and they talked with Rollo a little +while, and endeavored to persuade him to go. He said finally that he would go +and ask his father. So he left his basket, and went and asked his father if he +might just go with those boys round the rock. He said the blueberries were much +thicker around there, and also that he had been talking with the boys, and he +was sure they were good boys. +</p> + +<p> +“No, Rollo,” said his father, decidedly, “I cannot think that +any boys that use bad language can be good boys, or safe companions for you. I +had rather you would keep with us. If they speak to you, answer them civilly; +but the less you have to say to them or do with them, the better. In fact, I +had rather you would not go back to them at all.” +</p> + +<p> +“I must,” said Rollo, “to get my basket.” +</p> + +<p> +He accordingly returned to his basket, and told the boys that his father +preferred that he should stay where he was. +</p> + +<p> +The biggest boy of the three was a ragged and dirty-looking boy; the others +called him Jim, and he talked with Rollo a good deal. Rollo’s conscience +reproved him for not leaving them, and going back to his father; but he wanted +to stay and hear their talk, and he quieted his conscience by saying to himself +that his father told him to treat them civilly. At first the boys were careful +what they said to Rollo; but at length Jim grew more and more hold. He used +language which Rollo knew was wrong, and he told Rollo that he was a fool to +stick so close to his father; that he was big enough to find his way alone all +over the mountain, if he was of a mind to. +</p> + +<p> +All this Rollo was silly enough to believe, and, as his father only required +him to keep in sight, he thought he would show the boys that he was not so much +afraid as they thought he was; and so hi gradually moved off farther and +farther from his parents, as he went on gradually filling up his basket. Lucy, +in the mean time, went nearer and nearer to them, and in a short time was +safely gathering her blueberries by her aunt’s side. +</p> + +<p> +Things went on so for an hour. Rollo’s mother asked his father whether he +had not better call Rollo to them. +</p> + +<p> +“No,” said he; “I have told him his duty once, plainly, and +now, if he does not do it, he must take the consequences. I believe I shall +leave him to himself.” +</p> + +<p> +The boys went on talking to one another and to Rollo, telling various stories +about their running away from school, stealing apples, and such things. Rollo +was much interested in listening to them, though he knew, all the time, that he +was doing wrong. But he had not the courage to leave them abruptly, as he ought +to have done, and go back to his father. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo took a great deal of pains with the berries he picked; he chose the +largest and ripest, and was very careful not to get in any sticks and leaves. +His basket was small, and he intended, as soon as he got it full, to carry it +carefully to his mother, and pour his berries into her large tin pail. He was +succeeding finely in this, but then he had insensibly strayed away so far from +his father, that now he was entirely out of his sight. +</p> + +<p> +At length, as Jim was sitting on a log to rest himself, as he said, he saw a +little bird alight on the branch of a black stump near. +</p> + +<p> +“Hash,” said he; “there is a Bob-a-link. See how I will fix +him.” +</p> + +<p> +So saying, he picked up a stone, and was going to throw it. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo begged him not to kill that pretty little bird but he paid no attention +to what Rollo said. He threw the stone with all his force; but fortunately it +did not hit the bird. It struck the limb that the bird was perched upon, and +shivered it to fragments, and the bird flew away, terrified. +</p> + +<p> +“Now, what did you do that for?” said Rollo; “you might have +hit him.” +</p> + +<p> +“Hit him!” said he; “I meant to hit him, to be sure.” +</p> + +<p> +“But what good does it do to kill little birds? I found one this morning, +and I would not kill him for any thing.” +</p> + +<p> +“Where did you find him?” said Jim. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo then told the boys all about his finding a little bird, in its nest +floating in the brook, and about their naming him Mosette; as is described in +the story called “BLUEBERRYING;” and Jim said, if he had found him, +he would have put him on a fence, for a mark to fire stones at. “I would +have made him peep, I tell you,” said he. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo said he would not have him killed on any account. He was going to carry +him home, and feed him, and tame him. +</p> + +<p> +“But where is he now?” said Jim. +</p> + +<p> +“O, we hid him behind a stone, down at the foot of the mountain, where +our horses are tied.” +</p> + +<p> +“But how can you find him again?” said Jim. +</p> + +<p> +“O,” said Rollo, “we know; it was behind the corner of a +stone, just in the bushes, where we tied the horse.” +</p> + +<p> +Jim winked at the other boys when Rollo said this, though Rollo did not see it. +He was vexed with Rollo, because he reproved him for stoning the bird. +</p> + +<p> +“I would set him up for a mark, if I had him,” said Jim. “I +wish I had been there when you found him; I would have taken him away from +you.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, you would not have taken him away. Jonas would not let you.” +</p> + +<p> +“Jonas! who is Jonas? and what do you think I care for Jonas?” said +he. +</p> + +<p> +He then came up to Rollo, and looked into his basket, and saw it nearly full of +large ripe blueberries. +</p> + +<p> +“And I believe,” said he, “that you have stolen some of my +berries out of my basket, while I have been sitting here.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, I have not,” said Rollo. “I have not touched your +basket.” +</p> + +<p> +“You have,” said Jim, fiercely, “and I will have them back +again. Besides, I put some into yours, while you went to your father. So half +the berries in your basket are mine.” +</p> + +<p> +This was a lie; but bad boys, like Jim, will always lie, when they have any +thing to gain by it. He came up to Rollo, and began to pull his basket away +from him. Rollo struggled against him, and began to cry. But Jim was too strong +for him: he tipped his basket over, poured a great many of the berries into his +own basket, and the rest were spilled over on to the ground. Then, angry at +Rollo’s screams and cries, he trampled on all the berries that were on +the ground, and was beginning to run away. Rollo caught hold of the skirt of +his coat, screaming all the time for his father. Jim turned round, and struck +Rollo with his fist, knocked him down, and then he and the other boys set off, +as fast as they could run, through the bushes; and they disappeared just as +Rollo’s father and Jonas came hastening to his aid. +</p> + +<div class="fig" style="width:100%;"> +<img src="images/fig11.jpg" width="450" height="484" alt="[Illustration]" /> +</div> + +<p> +They raised Rollo up, and his father took him in his arms to carry him away. He +saw that there had been some serious difficulty with the bad boys, but he did +not ask Rollo any thing about it, then; for he knew that he could not talk +intelligibly till he had done crying. Rollo laid his head down on his +father’s shoulder, as he walked along, and sobbed bitterly. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<div class="chapter"> + +<h3><a name="chap25"></a>A TEST OF PENITENCE.</h3> + +<p> +His father carried him back to where his mother and uncle were, who were coming +towards him looking anxiously. +</p> + +<p> +They presently got pretty near them, Rollo still continuing to cry. His father +then said to him, +</p> + +<p> +“Rollo, be still a moment. I want to speak to you.” +</p> + +<p> +When he first took Rollo up, he did not command him to be still, for he knew +that it would do no good. He was then so overwhelmed with pain and terror, that +he could not help crying; and his father never commanded impossibilities. By +this time, however, the pain, and the immediate terror, had so far subsided, +that his father knew he could now control himself, and Rollo knew that he must +obey. He accordingly stopped crying aloud, and tried to listen to his father. +</p> + +<p> +“Rollo,” said his father, “I pity you very much. I warned you +against this bad company, and now I perceive you have got into some difficulty +with them; but I cannot hear your story about it till we get home. It is your +own fault that has brought you into trouble; and now you must not extend your +trouble over all our party, and spoil our happiness, as you have your own. I +must go and put you by yourself, until you get entirely composed and pleasant, +and then you may join us again.” +</p> + +<p> +“But, father,” said Rollo, beginning to cry afresh at the thoughts +of the boys’ treatment of him, “they came up to me, +and—and—” +</p> + +<p> +“Stop, Rollo,” said his father. “Be still. You cannot tell +the story intelligibly now, and if you could, I should not be willing to listen +to it. You must not say any thing about it, unless you are questioned, until we +get home.” +</p> + +<p> +By this time they came up pretty near the place where the rest of the party +were; but his father did not take him there. He turned aside, and, putting +Rollo down, he led him along to a smooth log, which lay among some old trees, +close by, and told him to sit there, until he was entirely composed and +pleasant again, and then to come to him, or to go to picking berries again, +just as he pleased. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo sat on the log, for some time, with his empty basket by his side, +mourning over his sorrows. Lucy came to him, and endeavored to console him. She +begged him not to cry; and she poured out half of her own berries into his +basket, and told him that they could soon fill it full again, if he would come +with her to a good thick place she had found. Rollo became gradually quiet and +composed, and walked along with Lucy. +</p> + +<p> +Lucy had indeed found a place where the berries were very thick and large, and +Rollo determined to be as industrious as possible. They worked away very busily +for half an hour, and Rollo gradually recovered his spirits. +</p> + +<p> +His mother watched him from time to time, and when she saw that he was +good-humored again, she said to his father, +</p> + +<p> +“Rollo seems to be picking his berries very pleasantly. I rather think he +is sorry for his conduct.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, I see he is getting <i>good-humored</i> again, but I am afraid he +is not truly penitent. It is easier <i>forget</i> a sin, than to be sorry for +it. It is very easy, however, for us to ascertain.” +</p> + +<p> +“How can we ascertain?” asked his mother. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, if you should go and ask him about it, if he is really penitent, he +will be troubled most to think of his disobedience in going; into the bad +company; but if he is not penitent, he will not think of that, but only go to +scolding about the bad boys.” +</p> + +<p> +“That is true,” said she. “I have a great mind to go and try +him.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo’s father thought it would be a good plan, and she, accordingly, +walked along towards Rollo slowly, gathering berries as she went. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo saw her coming, and said, “Here is mother, Lucy; let us go and give +her our berries.” +</p> + +<p> +So saying, he carried his basket up to her very pleasantly, and said, +“Here, mother; see, here are all these berries I have been picking for +you.” +</p> + +<p> +“Ah,” said she, “did you pick all these for me?” +</p> + +<p> +“E—h—no,” said he; “not all; Lucy gave me +some.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, Lucy, I am very much obliged to you, and I am glad to see that +you, Rollo, are pleasant again; I am sorry you went and got into difficulty +with those boys.” +</p> + +<p> +“They came and took away my berries,” said he, “and struck +me—that great ugly Jim.” +</p> + +<p> +The feelings of vexation and anger against the bad boys began to rise again in +Rollo’s mind, the moment he began to talk about them, and he was just +going to cry. His mother stopped him, saying, +</p> + +<p> +“You need not tell me about him any more. I see how it is.” +</p> + +<p> +“How what is?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“How it is about your being sorry. Your father told me that, if you were +truly penitent for what happened about those boys, I should find you, when I +came to talk with you about it, grieved for <i>your own</i> fault, and if you +were not penitent, you would only be angry at <i>theirs</i>. I see which it +is.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo was silent a moment. He felt the truth and justice of the distinction; +but, like all boys who are not sorry for the wrong they have done, he could not +resist the temptation to try to justify himself by throwing the blame on +others. So he began to tell her something more about “that cross old +Jim,” but she interrupted him, and told him she did not wish to hear any +thing about that “cross old Jim.” He was not her boy, she said, and +she had nothing to do with him or his faults. +</p> + +<p> +She then went to talking about other things, and helped Rollo begin to fill his +basket again. He showed her where the berries were thickest, and led her round +behind a rock to show her a beautiful wild flower that he had found; he said he +did not bring it to her, for his father had told him not to touch any flowers +or berries that they did not know, for fear they might be poisonous. +</p> + +<p> +After a little while, Rollo’s mother left him and Lucy together, and went +back lo where his father and uncle were. +</p> + +<p> +“Well,” said they, “how did you find Rollo?” +</p> + +<p> +“Pleasant, but not <i>penitent</i>,” said she Lucy and Rollo went +on gathering berries some time after Rollo’s mother left him, in silence. +Rollo felt rather unhappy, but he was not subdued. His heart was still proud +and unhumbled, and after a time, he said to Lucy, +</p> + +<p> +“It seems to me very strange that my mother does not think those boys +were to blame any for doing so.” +</p> + +<p> +“She does think they were to blame, Rollo, I know.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, she does not; she will not hear me say any thing about them.” +</p> + +<p> +Lucy did not answer, because she knew it would do no good to dispute with +Rollo, while he was so unreasonable. Rollo ought to have been willing to have +seen his fault, and to have felt truly sorry for it; but he was not, and so +Lucy thought it was better not to talk with him about it at all. If he had been +truly sorry, and had gone and told his father so, and asked his forgiveness, he +would have been happy again. +</p> + +<p> +But as it was, he was not happy. The recollection of his disobedience and sin +would remain in his mind, and though he tried to talk, and laugh, and play, as +usual, his mind was not much at ease. In fact, he was secretly glad when the +time arrived for going home. +</p> + +<p> +The party all gathered together on a smooth piece of ground, about the middle +of the afternoon, to make their arrangements for going down the mountain. They +put their baskets, filled beautifully with blueberries, together on the grass, +while they sat on the stones and logs around, to rest a little before walking +down. +</p> + +<p> +Then Rollo’s father arranged the order of march. Jonas was to go first, +with two of the heaviest baskets of berries. Next came Lucy, with her little +basket about two thirds full, and with leaves and some beautiful pieces of moss +she had found, put in upon the top. Then came Rollo’s mother leaning on +his uncle’s arm. His uncle had a basket of berries in his other hand. +Finally, Rollo and his father walked together behind, with each a basket in his +hand. +</p> + +<p> +Thus they walked along down the steep path, until they began to enter the +bushes. Rollo’s father had made this arrangement so that he might have an +opportunity to talk with him about the difficulty with the boys, for he +thought, on the whole, it would be better to talk with him now than to wait +till they got home. +</p> + +<p> +After they had walked along a little way, Rollo’s father asked him +whether he had a good time blueberrying? +</p> + +<p> +“Why, yes, sir,” said Rollo, “pretty good.” +</p> + +<p> +“Have you seen any thing more of those boys?” +</p> + +<p> +“No, sir.” +</p> + +<p> +“Your mother went to talk with you, and said you did not seem very sorry +for your fault.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why, father,” said Rollo, “I did not do any thing to the +boys at all: it was all their fault, entirely.” +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t suppose you did do any thing wrong towards <i>them</i>, +but you committed a great fault in respect to me.” +</p> + +<p> +“What fault?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Disobedience.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why, father, how? You did not tell me to stay close by you.” +</p> + +<p> +“And is a boy guilty of disobedience only when he does what his father +forbids in words?” +</p> + +<p> +“I suppose so,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“What is disobedience?” asked his father. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, it is doing what you tell me not to do; is it not?” +</p> + +<p> +“That is not a sufficient definition of it; for suppose you were out +there in the bushes, and I was to beckon you to come here, and you should not +come, would not that be disobedience?” +</p> + +<p> +“Why, yes, sir.” +</p> + +<p> +“And yet I should not <i>tell</i> you to come.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, sir.” +</p> + +<p> +“And so, if I were to shake my head at you when you were doing any thing +wrong, and you wore to continue doing it, that would be disobedience.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo admitted that it would. “So that it is not necessary that I should +tell you <i>in words</i> what my wishes are: if I express them in any way so +that you plainly understand it, that is enough. The most important orders that +are given by men, are often given without any words.” +</p> + +<p> +“How, father?” +</p> + +<p> +“Why, at sea, sometimes, where there is a great fleet of ships, and the +admiral, who commands them all, is in one of them. Now, if he wants all the +fleet to sail in any way; or if he wishes to have some one, vessel come near to +his, or go back home, or go away to any other part of the world; or if he wants +any particular person in the fleet to come on board his vessel,—he does +not send an order in <i>words</i>; he only hoists flags of a particular kind +upon the masts of his vessel, and they all obey them. +</p> + +<p> +“Now, suppose,” continued he, “one of the ships did not sail +as he wished, and when he called the captain to account for it, he should say +that he was not guilty of disobedience, because he did not <i>tell</i> him to +sail so.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo laughed, and said he thought that would not be a very good excuse. +</p> + +<p> +“Well, it is just such an excuse as yours. I did not positively command +you not to go near the boys, or not to have any conversation with them at all, +though I expressed my wish that you would not, so that you could not help +understanding it.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo could not deny that this was so. +</p> + +<p> +“But that is not the only case of disobedience. For you did one thing +which was contrary to <i>my express command in words</i>.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo looked concerned, and said he was sure he did not know it. +</p> + +<p> +“I told you not to go out of my sight.” +</p> + +<p> +“Well, but, father,” said Rollo eagerly, in reply, “I am sure +I did not mean to. I was picking berries so busy, I did not observe where I +was.” +</p> + +<p> +“I know you were, and that was the disobedience; for when I command you +to keep in sight of me, that means that you must take good care that you +<i>do</i> mind where you are. Suppose I were to tell Jonas that he might go and +take a walk, but that he must be sure to come back in half an hour, and he +should go, and pay no attention to the time, and so not come back until three +quarters of an hour; would that be obedience?” +</p> + +<p> +“No, sir; but it would not be so bad as it would be if he should stay +away when he <i>knew</i> that the time was out.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, it would not be so wilful an act of disobedience, but it would be +disobedience, notwithstanding. You see, Rollo,” he continued, “when +I tell you or any boy to come back in half an hour, there are two things +implied in the command—first, that you should <i>notice the time</i>, +and, secondly, that you should come back when the time is out. Now, you may +disobey the command by neglecting either of these.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes, sir,” said Rollo, “I see we may, but I did not think of +it before.” +</p> + +<p> +“No, I presume you did not,” said his father; “but I want you +to understand it, and remember it after this forever. You have disobeyed, +to-day, in two ways, in which boys are very apt to disobey, when they do not +mean to do it wilfully. I will tell you what the principles are, again, so that +you can remember and tell me when I ask you. +</p> + +<p> +“1. Boys must take care to comply with their parents’ directions, +if they are expressed in any way whatsoever; and, +</p> + +<p> +“2. When directed to do any thing in a particular time or way, they must +see to it themselves, that they <i>notice</i> and <i>keep in mind the +circumstances</i> which they are required to attend to.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo said he would try to remember it, and as he seemed attentive and docile, +his father did not talk with him any more about his fault at that time. +Besides, they came now to some very rough places in the path, and Rollo’s +father had to lift Lucy over them. +</p> + +<p> +Lucy spilled some of her berries in one place, and Rollo was going to help her +pick them up, but Jonas said they had better leave them for the birds, and walk +on. +</p> + +<p> +“So we will, Lucy,” said Rollo, “and I rather think that +Mosette is hungry by this time.” +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said Jonas, “and what are you going to do with +Mosette?” +</p> + +<p> +“O, put him in a cage, and bring him up tame,” said Rollo. “I +mean to teach him to eat out of my hand. I shall treat him very kindly, though +he is my little prisoner.” +</p> + +<p> +“I would give: him the liberty of the yard, if I were you,” said +some one behind, laughing. +</p> + +<p> +Rollo looked round. It was his uncle George, walking close behind him. +</p> + +<p> +“What is the liberty of the yard?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Why, when <i>men</i> intend to treat a prisoner kindly, they leave the +prison door open, and let him walk about the yard; and this is called letting +him have the liberty of the yard; and sometimes they let them go over half the +town.” +</p> + +<p> +“Do you think I had better do so with Mosette?” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Yes,” said his uncle George; “leave his cage open, and let +him go where he pleases.” +</p> + +<p> +“O, he would fly entirely away,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“Perhaps not, if you should feed him well, and treat him very kindly. He +might like his cage better than any nest.” +</p> + +<p> +“I shall treat him as kindly as I can,” said Rollo; “only +think, Jonas, <i>that Jim</i> said, if he had found him, he should have set him +up upon the fence for a mark to fire stones at!” +</p> + +<p> +“Jim said so?” said Jonas; “how did Jim know any thing about +it?” +</p> + +<p> +“Why—e—h—why—I told him,” said Rollo. +</p> + +<p> +“What did you tell him for?” +</p> + +<p> +“O, because,” said Rollo, “we were talking, and I told +him.” +</p> + +<p> +“I hope you did not tell him where we hid Mosette, behind the +rock.” +</p> + +<p> +“Why—yes,” said Rollo, “I believe I did.” +</p> + +<p> +“Then I am afraid you will never see poor Mosette again,” said +Jonas. +</p> + +<p> +“Why,” said Rollo, “you don’t think that he would go +and get him.” +</p> + +<p> +“I don’t know,” said Jonas, “what he would do; but I +should not have wanted to tell such a boy any thing about him.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo began to be alarmed. He went back to his father, and asked him to let him +and Jonas go on before the rest, to see if their bird was safe. His father told +him he might go. “But,” said he, “I am afraid you have lost +your bird; when a boy allows himself to get into bad company, he does not know +how many troubles he plunges himself into.” +</p> + +<p> +Rollo and Jonas ran on, and soon disappeared among the trees. Rollo found it +hard to keep up, as the road was not very smooth, though they had got down the +steepest part of the mountain. Jonas kept hold of Rollo’s hand, and went +on running and walking alternately, until they got down to the end of the trees +and bushes, and then they came out in sight of the place where the horses were +tied. +</p> + +<p> +It was fortunate for poor Mosette, and for Rollo too, that they did thus run on +before, for it happened that Jim, and the boys with him, had come down the +mountain by another road, and were just going up to the place as Jonas and +Rollo came out of the woods. +</p> + +<p> +“There they are,” said Jonas. “You stay here; I must run +on.” And he let go of Rollo’s hand, sprang forward, and ran with +all his might. Rollo tried to follow, but soon stopped and looked on. +</p> + +<p> +Jim and his boys did not see Jonas coming, and they went to work looking around +the bushes and stones after Mosette. In a few minutes, one smaller boy came out +from the bushes, close by the place where Rollo recollected the nest was hid, +with something in his hand, and Rollo could distinctly hear him calling out, +</p> + +<p> +“Here he is, Jim—I have got him, Jim.” +</p> + +<p> +Just that moment, Jonas came running up among the boys, calling out, +</p> + +<p> +“Let that bird alone!—Let that bird alone!” The boys, +terrified at this unexpected onset, started and ran in every direction. The boy +who had the nest, dropped it upon the ground, and dodged back into the bushes. +Jonas took it up carefully, put little Mosette, who had fallen out, back in the +nest, and walked out into the road to meet Rollo, who was coming down as fast +as he could come, on the other side. +</p> + +<p> +They saw Jim and his comrades no more, and Rollo said he believed he should +never again want to have any thing to do with bad boys. +</p> + +</div><!--end chapter--> + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Rollo at Play, by Jacob Abbott + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ROLLO AT PLAY *** + +***** This file should be named 11140-h.htm or 11140-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/1/1/4/11140/ + +Produced by Rosanna Yuen and PG Distributed Proofreaders + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will +be renamed. + +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United +States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. 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