35

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LIAR AND A BOY OF TRUTH.

"COME," said Robert to Frank, "there is Trusty lying beside the fire asleep; let us

go and waken him and he will play with us." "O yes, do let us," said Frank. So they both ran together towards the hearth, to waken

the dog. Now there was a basin of milk standing upon the hearth, and the little boys did not see whereabouts it stood. As they were playing with the dog, they kicked it with their feet, and threw it down; and the basin broke, and all the milk ran out; and when the little boys saw what they had done, they were very sorry and frightened. Robert spoke first.

"So we shall have no milk for supper tonight," said he, and sighed.

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'No milk for supper! why not?" said Frank, "is there no milk in the house?"

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Yes; but we shall have none of it; for do not you remember, last Monday, when we threw down the milk, mother said we were very careless, and that the next time we did so we should have no milk for supper."

"Well, then," said Frank, "we must do without it, that's all; we will take more care another time; come, let's run and tell mother. You know she bid us always tell her directly when we broke anything."

"I will come just now," said Robert; "don't be in such a hurry, Frank; can't you stay a minute ?"

So Frank staid; and then he said, "Come now, Robert."

But Robert answered, "stay a little longer, for I dare not go yet. I am afraid." But the longer he staid, the more unwilling he was to go to tell his mother that he had thrown the milk down; and at last Frank went without him in search of his mother. Now, whilst Frank was gone, Robert was

left in the room by himself; and all the while he was alone he was thinking of some excuses to make to his mother. He said to himself, "If Frank and I both were to say that we did not throw down the basin, she would believe us, and we should have milk for supper! I am very sorry Frank would go to tell her about it." Just as he said this to himself, he heard his mother coming down stairs. "Oho," said he to himself "and so Frank has not met her, and cannot have told her; so I may say what I please." Then this cowardly boy determined to tell his mother a lie. She came into the room; but when she saw the broken basin and the milk spilled, she stopped short and cried, "So, so, what a piece of work is here; who did this, Robert ?"

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"I don't know, ma'am," said Robert, in a very low voice.

"You don't know, Robert! tell me the truth; I shall not be angry with you; I

would rather have you break all the basins I have than tell one lie; I ask you, Robert, did you break the basin ?"

No, ma'am I did not," said Robert, and he coloured as red as fire.

"Then, where's Frank; did he do it?" "No, mother, he did not," said Robert; for he was in hopes that when Frank came in, he should persuade him to say that he did not do it.

"How do you know," said his mother, "that Frank did not do it?"

"Because because because, ma'am," said Robert, hesitating as liars do for an ex"because I was in the room all the time, and I did not see him do it."

cuse,

Then, how was the basin thrown down? if you have been in the room all the time, you can tell."

Then Robert, going on from one lie to another, answered, "I suppose the dog must. have done it."

"Did you see him do it ?" said his mother. "Yes," said this wicked boy.

Trusty, Trusty," said his mother, turning round, "fie, fie, Trusty; get me a switch out of the garden, Robert; Trusty must be beat for this."

Robert ran for the switch, and in the garden he met his brother; he stopped him, and told him in a great hurry all that he had said to his mother, and begged of him not to tell the truth, but to say the same that he had done. "No, I will not tell a lie," said Frank, "what is Trusty to be beat? He did not throw down the milk, and he shan't be beat for it. Let me go to my

both ran towards the house.

home, and he locked the

mother." They

Robert got first house-door, that

Frank might not come in. He gave the switch to his mother. Poor Trusty, he looked up as the switch was lifted over his head, but he could not speak to tell the truth. Just as the blow was falling upon him, Frank's