The Louisa Alcott Reader: a Supplementary Reader for the Fourth Year of SchoolAlcott, Louisa May
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The Louisa Alcott Reader: a Supplementary Reader for the Fourth Year of School
Alcott, Louisa May
Children's stories; Readers (Elementary)
Next morning she kissed Nursey and begged pardon, and tried hard to be
good till tea-time; then she ran to see what nice things they were
going to have to eat, though she had often been told not to go into
the dining-room. No one was there; and on the table stood a dish of
delicious little cakes, all white like snowballs.
"I must have just a taste, and I'll tell mamma afterward," she said; and
before she knew it one little cake was eaten all up.
"Nobody will miss it, and I can have another at tea. Now, a lump of
sugar and a sip of cream before mamma comes, I so like to pick round."
Having done one wrong thing, May felt like going on; so she nibbled and
meddled with all sorts of forbidden things till she heard a step, then
she ran away; and by and by, when the bell rang, came in with the rest
as prim and proper as if she did not know how to play pranks. No one
missed the cake, and her mother gave her another, saying,--
"There, dear, is a nice plummy one for my good child."
May turned red, and wanted to tell what she had done, but was ashamed
because there was company; and people thought she blushed like a modest
little girl at being praised.
But when she went to bed she was almost afraid to look under the pillow,
knowing that she had done wrong. At last she slowly drew out the box,
and slowly opened it, expecting something to fly at her. All she saw
was a tiny black bag, that began at once to grow larger, till it was
big enough to hold her two hands. Then it tied itself tight round her
wrists, as if to keep these meddlesome hands out of mischief.
"Well, this is very queer, but not so dreadful as the wasp. I hope
no one will see it when I'm asleep. I do wish I'd let those cakes and
things alone," sighed May, looking at the black bag, and vainly trying
to get her hands free.
She cried herself to sleep, and when she woke the bag was gone. No one
had seen it; but she told her mamma about the cake, and promised not to
do so any more.
"Now this shall be a _truly_ good day, every bit of it," she said, as
she skipped away, feeling as light as a feather after she had confessed
her little sins.
But, alas! it is so easy to forget and do wrong, that May spoilt her day
before dinner by going to the river and playing with the boats, in spite
of many orders not to do it. She did not tell of it, and went to a
party in the afternoon, where she was so merry she never remembered the
naughty thing till she was in bed and opened the fairy box. A little
chain appeared, which in a flash grew long and large, and fastened round
her ankles as if she were a prisoner. May liked to tumble about, and was
much disgusted to be chained in this way; but there was no help for it,
so she lay very still and had plenty of time to be sorry.
"It is a good punishment for me, and I deserve it. I won't cry, but I
will--I _will_ remember." And May said her prayers very soberly, really
meaning to keep her word this time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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