Rollo in the Woods | Page 5

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 by such a thing. But boys, when they are ill-humored, and
dispute, are always unreasonable and foolish. James determined not to
be outdone, so he took up a stick, and reached it up in the air as high as
he could, and said,

"I can reach up as high as that."
Then Rollo took up a stone, and tossed it up into the air, saying,
"And I can reach as high as that."
Now, when boys throw stones into the air, they ought to consider where
they will come down; but, unfortunately, Rollo did not in this case, and
the stone fell directly upon James's head. It was, however a small stone,
and his cap prevented it from hurting him much; but he was already
vexed and out of humor, and so he began to cry out aloud.
Rollo was frightened a little, for he was afraid he had hurt his cousin a
good deal, and then he expected too that Jonas would come. But Jonas
took no notice of the crying, but went on with his work. Now, Jonas
was very kind and careful, and always came quick when there was any
one hurt. But this time, he knew by the tone of James's crying, that it
was vexation rather than pain that caused it.
James, finding that his crying did no good, gradually became still; and
in a few minutes, as he happened to look round, his eye rested on the
stone where they had put their half dollars, and he saw that only one of
them was there.
"O, Rollo," said he, "one of our half dollars is gone."
They went to the stone, and, true enough, one was gone. They looked
around, but it was no where to be found. Boys that are out of humor
with one another,