Naughty Miss Bunny | Page 5

into tears, "and I am sure papa
would not mind my giving the loaf away--he never does. Ashton's a
nasty, cross old thing;" and she flung the loaf on the floor.
"Ashton is only doing his duty, Bunny, and you must not speak in that
way."
"Well, I wish he wouldn't do his duty then," sobbed the little girl; "it's a
great shame of him to do his duty, when I tell him not."
"Come, now, dear, dry your eyes and give this to the poor boy," said
Miss Kerr kindly; "see, I will lend you threepence to give to him, and
when your papa gives you some pocket-money you can repay me. The
boy will like the money better than the bread, I daresay, and you will
feel that you are giving something that is really your own."
"Oh, thank you, thank you!" cried Bunny with delight, her tears drying
up in an instant. "You are good! You are kind!" and throwing her arms
round Miss Kerr's neck she kissed her over and over again; then seizing
the pennies she flew to the door, and handing them to the boy said in a
subdued voice: "Here, boy, a good lady gave me these pennies for you.
I am a greedy little girl and spend all my own money on sweets, but I'll
save up and pay Miss Kerr back very soon."

"That is enough, Bunny," said the governess, taking the child by the
hand. "I have something to tell you, dear, so come with me now."
"Very well, I will come," answered Bunny quite meekly, and shutting
the door, she followed Miss Kerr down the hall.

[Illustration: Chapter decoration.]
CHAPTER II.
PLEASANT NEWS FOR BUNNY.
"And now, Bunny," said Miss Kerr, as she led the little girl into the
library and took her on her knee, "I am afraid you have been a very
naughty child. I do not like to scold you, you know, but when children
are told to stay in one place they should do so, and not run about all
over the house in the way you seem to have been doing."
"But you were so long away," replied Bunny, "and I was tired sitting
there all by myself. Sophie kept screaming at me not to touch the
flowers, so I had nothing to do."
"And what about the lesson? Did you learn that?"
"No, I didn't, it was so stupid," said Bunny, "I got quite tired of it, and
all the letters went wrong, so I thought I would go to the nursery and
play with my toys, and then when I went into the dining-room there
was nobody there, and I thought it would be great fun to tease old
Ashton, so I jumped on the chairs and poured water into all the glasses,
and he was so angry; and oh it was fun to see his face when he cried out,
'Miss Bunny!'" and carried away with delight at the recollection of her
naughty trick, the little girl clapped her hands and laughed long and
merrily.
"But, my dear child, do you not know that that was extremely naughty
conduct?" said Miss Kerr gravely. "It is very wicked to make anyone
angry, and it was very unkind of you to play such a trick upon Ashton.

How would you like if he were to spoil your toys or break your dolls
for you?"
"Oh, I shouldn't like it at all," answered Bunny; "I'd be awfully cross,
and I'd get papa to send him away. That would be a good way to punish
him, I know."
"Well, Bunny, you think you could punish him but he has no way of
punishing you, so you should always be very careful not to annoy or
trouble him. Besides, my child, we should never do anything to other
people that we know we would not like them to do to us. God wishes us
to be good and kind to everyone about us, remember, and to be unkind
is to disobey Him."
"Oh, then, I'm very sorry that I was so naughty," cried Bunny, "for
Sophie told me this morning that God has been good and kind to me
always, for she says He gave me all the nice things I have, and my papa
and mama, so I should not like to vex Him when He has been so kind
to me."
"If my little Bunny will just remember that, whenever she feels inclined
to be naughty she will soon find it easy to be good, and she will be a
much happier child, for then she will know that she is pleasing God
who has been good to her."
"Oh, I will try, dear Miss Kerr, indeed I will," said the little girl; "I'll be