In a few minutes, therefore, she went out of the room, and took from the
store closet an apple and a pear. They were both good, but the pear was
particularly fine. It was large, mellow, and juicy. She then went back
to her seat, and called, "Rollo."

Rollo came running to her.

"Here," said she, "is an apple and a pear for you."

"Is one for me and one for Lucy?" said he.

"That is just as you please. I give them both to you. You may do what
you choose with them."

Rollo took the fruit, much pleased, and walked slowly back, hesitating
what to do. He thought he must certainly give one to Lucy, and as he had
just been boasting that he preferred another's pleasure to his own, he
was ashamed to offer her the apple; and yet he wanted the pear very much
himself.

If he had had a little more time, he would have hit upon a plan which
would have removed all the difficulty at once, by dividing both the
apple and the pear, and giving to Lucy half of each. But he did not
think of this. In fact his mother knew that, as he was going directly
bark to Lucy, he would not have much time to think but must act
according to the spontaneous impulse of his heart.

But though he did not think of dividing the apple and the pear, he
happened to hit upon a plan, which occurred to him just as he was going