"No, sir."

"Did your mother tell you to get it?"

"No, sir. But my mother gave me a shilling, and told me I might buy
just such a book as I liked."

"Well, my son," said I, "look here. You have heard Giles read some of
the funny things in this almanac, have you not?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you've seen some of the pictures?"

"Yes, sir, all of them."

"Then you know pretty well what the book is?"

"Yes, sir, all about it, and that's what makes me want to buy it."

"Well, you have a right to buy just such a book as you want. But if I
were in your place, I would not buy that book; and I'll tell you why.
There's a good deal of fun in it, to be sure. No doubt you would laugh
over it, if you had it. But you can't learn anything from it. Come,
now, I'll make a bargain with you. Here's a book"--I handed him one of
the _Lucy_ books, written by Mr. _Jacob Abbott_--"which is worth a
dozen of that. This will make you laugh some, as well as the other
book; and it will do much more and better than that. It will set you
to _thinking_. It will instruct, as well as amuse you. It will sow
some good seeds in your mind, and your heart, too. It will teach you