Käthchen tried to raise her brown, roguish eyes to his face, but, ah, the consciousness of guilt weighed down her eyelids like lead. She could not look at her teacher; she only shook her curly head. "Käthchen," said the master kindly, "you were not sent to pick berries, for I know how desirous your father and mother are to send you to school--you ran into the wood to pick and eat them yourself. Perhaps this is your first falsehood, as it is the first time you have been late at school. Pray God that it maybe your last." "Oh," the little culprit broke forth, "the neighbour's Fritz took me with him, and the berries tasted so good that I stayed too long." The other children laughed; but a motion of the master's hand restored silence, and he continued to Käthchen: "Now, my child, for your tardiness you will have a black mark; and go down one in your class; but, Käthchen, for the falsehood you will lose your place in my heart, and I cannot love you so much. But I will forgive you if you will go stand in the corner of your own accord. Which will you do?--lose your place in my heart, or go stand in the corner for a quarter of an hour?" The child burst into a flood of tears, and, sobbing out, "I'd rather, a great deal rather, go stand in the comer!" walked there instantly, and turned her dear little face to the wall. The schoolmaster looked after her pityingly; but nevertheless he was firm, for he always imposed the severest penalty for a falsehood. The lessons were continued, and in about ten minutes he called the still sobbing Käthchen from her corner. The child came running to him, and he held out his hand to her, saying, "Will you promise me, Käthchen, never again to say what is not true?" "Oh, yes, I will never, never do it again," was the contrite answer. Then the old man took up the rosy little thing and set her on his knee. "Then, my dear child, I will love you dearly as long as you are honest and industrious. And if you are ever tempted to tell what is not true, think how it would grieve your old teacher if he knew it, and tell the truth for his sake." "Yes, yes," cried the child, her little heart overflowing with repentance, and, throwing her arms around the master's neck, she hugged him with all her might. The other children had watched the ceremony of reconciliation with intense sympathy, for they were all fond of brown-eyed, rosy-cheeked Käthchen, and were rejoiced that her troubles were over. "Now," said the teacher, when Käthchen was at last seated in her place, "now let us see whether you have done your task well."