Pretty Tales for the Nursery Part 3

One day, the text was very short indeed. It was only four words. It was, "Thou G.o.d seest me." When Arthur had said it to his mamma, she began to talk to him; and Arthur stood quietly at the work-table, and looked in her face.

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She said to him, "My little boy, when you are left in the room alone, you may think that no one can see you; but G.o.d can see you at all times.

When you think you are quite alone, G.o.d is near you. When you wake up in the dark night, G.o.d is with you. He loves you, and is your best Friend.

You have other friends who are good and kind, but G.o.d is better to you than all. Then try to please him by doing what is right. When you are alone, and a bad wish comes into your heart, think of this text, 'Thou G.o.d seest me,' and put away the bad wish from your heart."

Soon after this, Arthur's mamma told him that he might put on his cap and gloves, and go with her to call at the house of a friend who was ill. So they had a nice walk; and when they got to the house, Arthur was shown into a large room, where he was told to sit down and wait, while his mamma went up-stairs to see her friend. The little boy was left alone in the room; and at first he sat quite still, and only looked at the pretty things that were lying on the table just before him. But after a while, he got up from the stool, and began to walk softly about the room. There were many pretty things that he liked to look at. There were some birds under a large gla.s.s, and Arthur had never in all his life seen any birds so gay and bright in colour. But he saw they were not alive, for not one of them moved when he put his finger upon the gla.s.s. He was very sorry to think that the birds were not alive.

But the thing that Arthur liked best of all, better even than the birds, was a very small china dog which he found on a low table in one corner of the room. It was a white dog, with a curly tail and long ears; and it sat up on its hind legs, just as their live dog Carlo did at home. Arthur took it up and looked at it again and again, and he said in his own mind, "Oh, how I wish I might keep this little dog for my own!"

Now this was a bad wish that came into his mind. But he did not think of his text, as his mamma had told him, and he did not try to put it away.

No; he looked all round the room and out at the window, and then he came back to the table in the corner; and he felt quite sure that no one could see him, and so he took up the china dog and put it into the little pocket at the side of his coat.

Arthur then went and sat down again upon the stool. He did not feel happy, though the little china dog was safe in his pocket and no one knew. He felt afraid--afraid to hear his mamma's footsteps coming down the stairs, and yet afraid to stay in the room alone. How was this, when he had felt so happy, and not in the least afraid, only a little time before?

A thief is always afraid of being found out, and Arthur was now a thief.

He could not be happy, for G.o.d has put something in our hearts which will not let us be happy when we have given way to sin. So there Arthur sat, quite still; and the clock on the mantel-piece, which he had not heard before, went tick--tick; and Arthur grew more and more afraid, but still his mamma did not come.

He put his hand into his pocket to feel if the little china dog was there quite safe. Yes, it was there, but Arthur did not want to take it out and look at it. He did not seem to care about it now. All at once, while his hand was in his pocket, the short text came into his mind. He said it out, but with a very low voice, "Thou G.o.d seest me." Then he began to think about G.o.d, who could see him at all times, even when he was quite alone; and he felt sorry for the wicked thing that he had done. His hand was still in his pocket, when he heard his mamma's voice as she came down-stairs; but he ran across the room, and took the little dog out of his pocket, and put it back upon the table before she came in. Oh, how glad was Arthur when this was done! His heart felt light, and all his fear went away.

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He told his mamma about the little china dog as they went home, and how the short text came into his mind. His mamma shed tears of joy to think that G.o.d had caused her little boy to be sorry for his sin, and to put back what he had stolen. And when they were at home, she made him kneel down to thank G.o.d, and to ask him to pardon the wicked wish that he had felt, and the wicked thing that he had done, for the sake of Jesus Christ his Son.

THE GREY RABBIT.

"Look at papa," said Frank to little George, one day, as he stood at the window of their play-room up stairs. "I cannot think what he is going to do with that wooden box. I saw John lift it out of the stable just now, and put it into that corner. What have they got in the box? See, papa stoops down to look inside. What can it be, I wonder?"

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George came when he was called, and looked out of the window as well as he could; but, being rather short, he had to go back for a stool to mount upon before he could see into the yard. When this was done, he saw all three quite plain,--his papa, and old John, and the large wooden box, with a black handle on the lid.

"I know, Frank," said George, with a wise look. "They are going to put away some flower-seeds in the box. I heard John tell papa that he had saved a great many seeds this year; and papa said they must be put away in a dry place till spring."

"Oh! you silly child," said Frank, who was six years old, and of course knew a great deal more than little George, who was only four. "Do you think they would want such a large box, just to hold a few flower-seeds?

No, no; it is something that papa wants to hide. I saw him look round, as much as to say, I do not wish to be seen. Should not you like to know what it is?"

"Yes, I should like to know," said little George; "but I cannot see, the box is so far off."

"Wait a little while, and we will have a peep, when papa and John are gone away." So said Frank, who always liked to pry into every thing. "We will creep softly down stairs, and into the yard, and then lift up the lid of the box. Papa will be in the house, and John will be in the stable; so n.o.body will know."

The little boys stayed to watch at the window; and very soon, as Frank had said, their papa came into the house, and John went to his work in the stable, and so the box was left alone. Puss, indeed, walked slowly across the yard, and gave a sniff at the key-hole, as if she too wanted to see what there was inside; and then she lay down in the suns.h.i.+ne close by, with her head on her fore-paws: but Frank and George both knew that puss could tell no tales, and so they did not mind her at all. Hand in hand they crept down stairs. All was quiet in the house. Their papa was in his study, and their mamma was in the nursery, and the maids were busy about their work.

Both of these little boys knew that they were doing wrong. They had been told, often and often, not to meddle with things that did not belong to them. As Frank was so much older than George, he was the more to blame; but George was old enough to know better, or why did he put his little foot so gently on the stairs, and go out on tiptoe into the yard?

The two boys went up close to the box, and then looked round to make sure that there was no one to see them. Not a step was to be heard, and only puss lay there, with her eyes fixed upon the box. It was long and low, and the lid was held down by a hasp. Frank and George had both to stoop down, and then Frank took hold of the hasp and lifted up the lid.

Oh! sad to tell! out popped a little grey rabbit. Puss darted upon it in a moment; she caught it in her mouth, and, not caring in the least for the cries of Frank and George, away she went over the wall, and the rabbit was seen no more.

Old John ran out of the stable, with his fork in his hand, and at sight of him both Frank and George were still. But both papa and mamma had heard their cries, and came out of the house; and the maids ran down stairs in a fright, to see what was the matter. There was no need for any one to speak a word. The empty box, with its open lid, and the red faces of Frank and George, with their look of shame, told what they had been about.

Their kind papa had bought the little rabbit for Frank and George; and John was going that very day to make a rabbit hutch, and fix it up in the yard, for he was very clever in making such things. Before night, if they had been wise enough to wait, they would have seen the little grey rabbit in its hutch, and might have given it green leaves and clover to nibble. But this was all over now; and it was owing to their fault that they had lost the young rabbit.

But when Frank and George grew to be a little older, their papa gave them a hutch and four young rabbits. They had learned not to meddle with things that did not belong to them, and so they had a reward for their better conduct.

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THE LOST BOY.

I will tell you of a boy who did not mind what was said to him. He used to do what he was told must not be done, and that was very sad. I hope you are not like him.

The boy's name was John. He had a dog that he used to play with; and he had a kite, and he used to fly it in a field by the side of the house.

He had many other toys, more than I can tell you of. But he was too fond of play, and did not love his book; and when he was more than five, he did not know how to read the most easy lesson. Was he not an idle boy?

One day, John was by the gate at the end of the lawn. No one was with him, for Ann the maid was just gone away, and she had told him to wait till she came back. The gate was half open, so he went to peep into the lane. He saw a bird hop on the path, and its wing hung down on one side as if it had been hurt. John did not mind what Ann had said, that he must wait for her at the gate, and he ran to take hold of the bird. Then it flew away, but not far, and John ran after it down the road. He put out his hand to catch it; but the bird rose again, and at last it flew to a bank high up the lane, and John did not see it any more.

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Then he said, "I will go back to Ann at the gate." But he did not know that he had run so far, and a turn was in the lane, so that he could not see the gate. Then John was in great fear, for he did not know which way to go to get home. He cried out for Ann as loud as he could; but Ann was far off, and he was not able to make her hear. Oh! what fear he was in!

John ran very fast down the lane, but he did not see any one to show him the way home. When he was too much tired to ran any more, he sat down on the bank and cried. A bird sang in a tree over his head, and the sun was up high in the blue sky. It was a fine day, and if John had done as he was bid, he would have had a nice long walk with Ann. But now he was very sad, and he sat on the bank and cried. Boys are sure to be made sad, if they will not mind, and do as they are told.

When Ann came back to the gate, and saw that John was not there, she ran into the lane to look for him, and to call him. But John could not hear her call him, for you know he was a long way off. Then Ann ran back into the house, and told John's papa and mamma that he was lost. As soon as his papa heard this, he laid down his book, and put on his hat to go and seek him. The man also went to seek him. And his mamma said, "Pray make haste and bring my dear boy home again." As for Ann, she took the dog with her down the lane to help to find him, for he was very fond of John. Dash was the dog's name, and a good dog he was.

It was not long till Ann and Dash came to the turn of the lane, and then they both saw John, who sat upon the bank, very sad. The dog gave a bark, as if he had said, "There he is! I am glad we have found him!"

Then Dash ran up to him as fast as he could, and John was very glad to see him come along the lane; and he said, "Good Das.h.!.+ dear Das.h.!.+ you are come to take me home."

So John and Dash went to meet Ann, for she did not run as fast as the dog had done. John told her that he had been a bad boy and was very sorry. When Ann saw that he was sorry, she gave him a kiss, and said that he must not do so any more. Then they went back home, and John soon saw his papa in the lane. But he did not run to him, and look glad, as he did at other times. Why did not John run to his papa? Can you guess?

Yes, it was that he had not done as he was bid, and he knew his papa did not like to hear that he had been a bad boy.

His papa stood still; and when John, and Ann, and Dash came up to him, John said, "Papa, I have not been good. I am very sorry, I will try to be good next time." So his papa said, "I hope you will;" and he took hold of his hand, and led him back to the house. And his mamma was very glad to see him, safe and well.

John said that it was his wish to be good, and his papa told him that he must pray to G.o.d to help him. I hope you will pray to G.o.d. No one can make you good but G.o.d. I cannot make you good. Your papa cannot make you good. No one can do this for you, but G.o.d. Then pray to him. Say, "Lord, help me to be good, for the sake of Jesus, thy dear Son, who died upon the cross to take away my sins." G.o.d can see you now; and if you pray to him, he will hear you.

THE LOVE OF JESUS.

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