"When they asked you, why didn't you say 'No'?"

"I was going to do so: but they called me a coward, and said I
was afraid to go; and I couldn't stand that."

"And so," said his father, "you found it easier to disobey me,
and run the risk of losing your life, than to say that little
word you thought so easy last night. You could not say 'No.'"

George now began to see why this little word"No" was so hard to
pronounce. It was not because it was so long, or composed of such
difficult sounds; but because it often requires so much real
courage to say it,--to say "No" when one is tempted to do wrong.

After that, whenever George was tempted to do wrong, he
remembered his narrow escape from drowning, and the importance of
the little word "No." The oftener he said it, the easier it
became; and in time he could say it, when necessary, without much
effort.


DEFINITIONS:--Popocatepetl, a volcano in Mexico (sometimes
inaccurately pronounced po po cat' a petl). Prounounce, say
distinctly. Syllable, one of the distinct parts of a word.
Attracted, drawn. Hesitated, paused. Importance, value. Special,
particular.



A SONG*