12. Ben. And here is my parcel, father, and here is also the string.

13. Mr. Jones. You may keep the string, Ben.

14. Ben. Thank you, sir. What excellent whipcord it is!

15. Mr. Jones. And you, John, may keep your string, too, if it will be of
any use to you.

16. John. It will be of no use to me, thank you, sir.

17. Mr. Jones. No, I am afraid not, if this is it.

18. A few weeks after this, Mr. Jones gave each of his sons a new top.

19. John. How is this, Ben? These tops have no strings. What shall we do
for strings?

20. Ben. I have a string that will do very well for mine. And he pulled it
out of his pocket.

21. John. Why, if that is not the whipcord! I wish I had saved mine.

22. A few days afterward, there was a shooting match, with bows and
arrows, among the lads. The prize was a fine bow and arrows, to be given
to the best marksman. "Come, come," said Master Sharp, "I am within one
inch of the mark. I should like to see who will go nearer."

23. John drew his bow, and shot. The arrow struck within a quarter of an