to make. Two days afterwards, when Ned came home to tea, he thought with
pleasure that to-morrow was market-day at the town where Mr. Stockwell
lived; and he ran in and out twenty times, to look at, and admire, his
beautiful apricot-tree. "I must get up very early indeed to-morrow
morning," he said to his grandmother, "that I may gather the apricots,
and take them to Mr. Stockwell before I go to my work." Accordingly the
next morning he rose as soon as it was light, and, taking a basket the
greengrocer had lent him in his hand, went into the little garden to
line it with fresh green leaves, before putting the fruit into it.

What was his surprise and sorrow when he saw that every one of his
apricots was gone, and the tree itself sawn nearly in two, close to the
root!

Throwing down his basket, Ned ran to his grandmother, who was just come
down stairs, and had begun to light the fire.

He could only exclaim, "O my apricots, my apricots, they are all gone!
And my beautiful tree--" then covering his face with his hands, he burst
into tears.

"What is the matter, my dear?" inquired his grandmother.

Ned replied by taking her by the hand, and leading her into the garden.

"Who can have done this?" he exclaimed, sobbing. "If they had only
stolen the apricots, I could have borne it better! But to see my dear
tree spoiled--It must die--it must be quite killed--only look how it is
cut!"