Rollo at Play | Page 5

"The wigwam is mine as much as it is yours, for I helped make it, and I
will not have a window here."

So he took hold of the branch that Rollo had hold of. They both felt
guilty and condemned, but their angry feelings urged them on, and they
looked fiercely at each other, and pulled upon the branch.
"Rollo," said James, "let go."
"James," said Rollo, "I tell you, let my wigwam alone."
"It is not your wigwam."
"I tell you it is."
Just then they heard a noise in the bushes. They looked around, and
saw Jonas coming towards them. They felt ashamed, and were silent,
though each kept hold of the branch.
"Now, boys," said Jonas, "you have got into a foolish and wicked
quarrel. I have heard it all. Now you may do as you please--you may let
me settle it, or I will lead you home to your mother, and tell her about it,
and let her settle it."
The boys looked ashamed, but said nothing.
"If you conclude to let me settle it, you must do just as I say. But I do
not pretend that I have any right to decide such a case, unless you
consent. So I will take you home, if you prefer."
The boys both preferred that he should settle it, and promised to do as
he should say.
"Well, then," said he, "the first thing is for you, Rollo, to go over the
other side of the brook, and you, James, to stay here, and both to sit
down still, until you have had time to cool."
The boys obeyed, and Jonas went back to his work.
The boys sat still, feeling guilty and ashamed; but they were not
penitent. They ought to have been sorry for their fault, and become
good-natured and pleasant again. But instead of that, they were silent

and displeased, eyeing one another across the brook. Jonas waited some
time, and then came and called them both to him.
"Now," says James, "I will tell you all about it, and you shall decide
who was to blame."
"I heard it all, and I know which was to blame; you, James, came here
to see Rollo, and found him building a wigwam. It was his wigwam,
not yours. He began it without you, and was going on without you, and
when you came, you had no right to assume any authority about it. You
ought to have let him do as he wished with his own wigwam. You were
unjust."
Here Rollo began to look pleased and triumphant, that Jonas had
decided in his favor.
"But," continued Jonas, "you, Rollo, were playing here alone. Your
little cousin came to see you; and you were very glad to have him come.
He helped you build, and when he wanted to have the window in a
particular way, you ought to have let him. To quarrel with a visitor for
such a cause as that, was very ungentlemanly and unkind. So you see
you were both very much to blame."
The boys looked guilty and ashamed, but they did not feel really
penitent. They were not cordially reconciled. Neither was willing to
give up.
"But," said Rollo, "how shall we make the window?"
"I think you ought not to make any window, as you cannot agree about
it."
They wanted to make a window now more than ever, for each wanted
to have his own way; but Jonas would not consent, and as they had
agreed to abide by his decision, they submitted. Jonas then returned to
his work, and the boys stood by the side of the brook, not knowing
exactly what to do. Jonas told them, when they went away, that he
expected that they would have another quarrel, as he perceived that

their hearts were still in a bad state.

HEARTS WRONG.
The boys sat down on the bank of the brook, and began to pick up little
stones and throw them into the water. They began soon to talk of the
window again.
Rollo said, "Jonas thought you were most to blame, I know."
"No, he did not," replied James. "He blamed you the most; he said you
were unjust."
"I don't care," said Rollo. "You do not know how to build a wigwam.
You cannot reach high enough to make a window."
"I can reach high," said James. "I can reach as high as that," said he,
stretching up his hand.
"And I can reach as high as that" said Rollo, stretching up his hand
higher than James did; for he was a little taller.
James was somewhat vexed to find that Rollo could reach higher than
he could, though it was very foolish to allow himself to be put out of
humor