Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

Rollo at Play - Safe Amusements by Jacob Abbott
page 17 of 132 (12%)
he should say.

"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."

The boys obeyed, and Jonas went back to his work.

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.

"Now," says James, "I will tell you all about it, and you shall decide
who was to blame."

"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 _his_ wigwam, not
_yours_. 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."

Here Rollo began to look pleased and triumphant, that Jonas had decided
in his favor.

"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
DigitalOcean Referral Badge