The Little Laddie grows Wiser. 105

and not keep saying, ‘Don’t,’ or ‘Do’
so very loud.

I have a great notion that he talked
inside him a good deal on that evening
after he had been so silly about learn-
ing his letters; and that while he was
at tea he said to him several times :

‘Ah, you silly boy, you! you don’t
feel half so comfortable now as you
would have done if you had just been
wise and tried to learn some of those
big letters. How nice it would have
been to think that you really knew a
little bit of reading, instead of having
to remember that you behaved like a
baby rather than like such a big boy as
you are. You'll have to go to school
soon, and then what a dunce you will