that you have not said 'Our Father' for a long, long time; and these
wicked thoughts are the consequence."

"No: I have not prayed for a long time," said Rico. "I have
forgotten how."

These words gave his companion a severe shock.

"Oh, dear! what would my grandmother say to this, Rico?" she cried, in
distress. "She would be in sad trouble about you. Do not you remember
how she told us, 'He who forgets his Lord's Prayer is sure to get into
trouble?' Rico, you must learn it again. I will teach it to you this
minute: it will not take you long."

And the good girl began, with pious zeal, and repeated the prayer twice
or thrice over to her friend; and, while she thus emphasized the words,
she noticed that there was a great deal of especial comfort for Rico
contained therein; and, as she ended, she said,--

"Do not you see, Rico, if all the kingdom belongs to the good God, He
can surely find you a home? for He has all the power, so He can give it
to you if He chooses."

"Now you can plainly see, Stineli," replied the youth, "if the good God
has a home for me in His kingdom, and has the power to give it to me,
and does not, it is because He does _not_ choose to."

"Yes; but you forget something," continued Stineli. "The good God may
say, 'If Rico wants any thing from me, he should pray to me.'"