Rollo at Play; Or, Safe Amusements

by Jacob Abbott

  HEARTS WRONG.

  The boys sat down on the bank of the brook, and began to pick up littlestones and throw them into the water. They began soon to talk of thewindow again.

  Rollo said, "Jonas thought you were most to blame, I know."

  "No, he did not," replied James. "He blamed you the most; he said youwere unjust."

  "I don't care," said Rollo. "You do not know how to build a wigwam. Youcannot reach high enough to make a window."

  "I _can_ reach high," said James. "I can reach as high as that," saidhe, stretching up his hand.

  "And I can reach as high as _that_" said Rollo, stretching up his handhigher than James did; for he was a little taller.

  James was somewhat vexed to find that Rollo could reach higher than hecould, though it was very foolish to allow himself to be put out ofhumor 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,

  "I can reach up as high as _that_."

  Then Rollo took up a stone, and tossed it up into the air, saying,

  "And I can reach as high as that."

  Now, when boys throw stones into the air, they ought to consider wherethey will come down; but, unfortunately, Rollo did not in this case, andthe stone fell directly upon James's head. It was, however a smallstone, and his cap prevented it from hurting him much; but he wasalready vexed and out of humor, and so he began to cry out aloud.

  Rollo was frightened a little, for he was afraid he had hurt his cousina good deal, and then he expected too that Jonas would come. But Jonastook no notice of the crying, but went on with his work. Now, Jonas wasvery kind and careful, and always came quick when there was any onehurt. But this time, he knew by the tone of James's crying, that it wasvexation rather than pain that caused it.

  James, finding that his crying did no good, gradually became still; andin a few minutes, as he happened to look round, his eye rested on thestone where they had put their half dollars, and he saw that only one ofthem was there.

  "O, Rollo," said he, "one of our half dollars is gone."

  They went to the stone, and, true enough, one was gone. They lookedaround, but it was no where to be found. Boys that are out of humor withone another, are never at a loss for subjects of dispute; and Rollo saidhe believed James had taken it, and James charged it upon Rollo. Thenthere was a dispute who should have the one that was left. James knew itwas his; he said he remembered _exactly_ how his looked; and Rollo knewit was his, for the head and the stars were very bright on his, and theywere very bright on this. James, however, had the half dollar, and wouldnot give it up; and so Rollo went to Jonas, and told him that James hadgot his half dollar.

  Jonas came, and heard the whole story from both of the boys. James saidhe _knew_ the one that was left was his, for he remembered exactly howit looked, and he also remembered exactly the very spot on the stonewhere he put it down.

  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 theyknow not what.

  Jonas looked at both sides of the half dollar very attentively.

  "Which half dollar was it," said he, "that you tried to get the eagleoff of?"

  "Mine," said Rollo; "let me see."

  Jonas held down the half dollar, and showed to Rollo and James the marksand scratches made by the pin; proving that this was Rollo's halfdollar. James looked ashamed and confounded; Jonas just waited to hearwhat he would say.