“The old squirrels, when they found they could not check their undutiful child, ran up into the branches of their tree, to see him fairly off. Notwithstanding his undutiful behaviour, they hoped he would learn good from his travels. The bad conduct of children makes parents bitterly grieve, but cannot kill their affection. Captain Robert Squirrel, as the vain Master Bob now styled himself, hoisted his sail with great pomposity—”
“What is pomposity, father?” inquired Frank.
“Why, parade, or dignity, or consequence; or, as you boys say, brag; such as a little fellow I know of shows, when he has his tin sword, his wooden musket, and his noisy drum, all at once, and fancies himself a whole regiment, with a band of music.”
“Oh, is that all?” asked Frank; “I thought pomposity might be a name for the mast.”
Father laughed and tried to go on with the story; but Frank was curious now to know what kind of a sail the squirrel had.
“Why, it was a sail au naturel, as the French would say; a domestic arrangement entirely, which Bob always took with him, wherever he went. And, by the way, my dear children,” said Mr. Goodman, “we cannot too much admire the goodness of God in furnishing the lower animals with the quality called instinct. Man has reason for his guide, because he is called upon to act as a responsible being.”
“What is responsible, father?” asked Frank.
“Well, really, the more I explain, the deeper I get into difficulty,” said Mr. Goodman, smiling. “A responsible being is one who knows right from wrong, and will be held to answer for what he does; now, animals are not responsible—”
“Why, then,” asked Mary, “do people whip horses?”
“Because instinct leads horses to fear blows; and therefore, instinct makes them shun what has caused them a whipping before. But if I do not make haste, we shall not get done with the story until bed-time.