knows it.

"You cannot be too careful; watch your tongue, and eyes, and
hands, for it is easy to tell, and look, and act untruth," said Mr.
Bhaer, in one of the talks he had with Nat about his chief
temptation.

"I know it, and I don't mean to, but it's so much easier to get along
if you ain't very fussy about being exactly true. I used to tell 'em
because I was afraid of father and Nicolo, and now I do sometimes
because the boys laugh at me. I know it's bad, but I forget," and
Nat looked much depressed by his sins.

"When I was a little lad I used to tell lies! Ach! what fibs they
were, and my old grandmother cured me of it how, do you think?
My parents had talked, and cried, and punished, but still did I
forget as you. Then said the dear old grandmother, 'I shall help you
to remember, and put a check on this unruly part,' with that she
drew out my tongue and snipped the end with her scissors till the
blood ran. That was terrible, you may believe, but it did me much
good, because it was sore for days, and every word I said came so
slowly that I had time to think. After that I was more careful, and
got on better, for I feared the big scissors. Yet the dear
grandmother was most kind to me in all things, and when she lay
dying far away in Nuremberg, she prayed that little Fritz might
love God and tell the truth."

"I never had any grandmothers, but if you think it will cure me, I'll
let you snip my tongue," said Nat, heroically, for he dreaded pain,
yet did wish to stop fibbing.