expression any more, Mäzli. You see, nobody would be able to know what
you mean. Kurt invented it apparently when Apollonie spoke about having
so much to swallow. He should not have said it. Do you understand,
Mäzli, that you must not say it any more?"

"Yes, but why is anyone allowed to spoil Apollonie's Sunday peace?" Mäzli
persevered. Apollonie was her special friend, whom she wanted to keep
from harm.

"No one should do it, Mäzli," the mother replied. It is wrong to spoil
anybody's Sunday peace and no one should do it."

"But our good God should quickly call down, 'Don't do it, don't do it!'
Then they would know that they were not allowed," was Mäzli's opinion.

"He does it, Mäzli! He does it every time anybody does wrong," said the
mother, "for the evil-doer always hears such a voice that calls out to
him: 'Don't do it, don't do it!' But sometimes he does it in spite of the
voice. Even young children like you, Mäzli, hear the voice when they
feel like doing wrong, and they do wrong just the same."

"I only wonder why God does not punish them right away; He ought to do
that," Mäzli eagerly replied.

"But He does," said the mother. As soon as anybody has done wrong, he
feels a great weight on his heart so that he keeps on thinking, 'I wish I
hadn't done it!' Then our good God is good and merciful to him and does
not punish him further. He gives him plenty of time to come to Him and
tell Him how sorry he is to have done wrong. God gives him the chance to
beg His pardon. But if he does not do that, he is sure to be punished so