would not study. Whenever his back was turned, they were sure to begin
whispering to one another.

"Girls, stop your whispering, I say."

But still they would whisper, and he could not prevent it. The
afternoon was half gone, and the trouble was growing. Then the master
thought of a plan.

"Children," he said, "we are going to play a new game. The next one
that whispers must come out and stand in the middle of the floor. He
must stand there until he sees some one else whisper. Then he will
tell me, and the one whom he names must come and take his place. He,
in turn, will watch and report the first one that he sees whisper. And
so we will keep the game going till it is time for school to be
dismissed. The boy or girl who is standing at that time will be
punished for all of you."

"What will the punishment be, Mr. Johnson?" asked a bold, bad boy. "A
good thrashing," answered the master. He was tired, he was vexed, he
hardly knew what he said.

The children thought the new game was very funny. First, Tommy Jones
whispered to Billy Brown and was at once called out to stand on the
floor. Within less than two minutes, Billy saw Mary Green whispering,
and she had to take his place. Mary looked around and saw Samuel Miller
asking his neighbor for a pencil, and Samuel was called. And so the
fun went on until the clock showed that it lacked only ten minutes
till school would be dismissed.